Why A Corvette Forum Matters
I first went \”online\” back in \’90 when I checked out the free AOL disc I got in the mail. AOL-land was fun for a few years, but in \’95 a friend said to me, \”You don\’t need AOL to surf the net.\” Honestly, I didn\’t know that back then. A few days later, I said good-bye to AOL and \”HOWDY!\” to the information superhighway. People that previously had zero interest in PCs flocked to computer stores so they could be on the internet and get e-mail.
Back then the Internet was really different. Web pages and sites were a lot simpler, since everyone was practically using dial-up internet service. The \”information\” was easier to find because the internet wasn\’t over ran with commerce sites. Since the early \’80s, forums and chat rooms were prevalent but were clunky and hard to use. It was much easier to use due to AOL\’s interface.
While blogging began around 1994, it didn\’t start to take off until \’99 with the introduction of \”blogging tools.\” When political pundits glommed on to blogs in \’02, the blogosphere really took off. Now, there\’s a blog for everything. This is good news and bad news. For researchers like me, when I do a search, nearly half of the links are for product, services, books, auction listings, and forum or blog comments. At first, I was kind of annoyed with the Corvette forum links because searches often linked to things such as, \”I like side-pipes too.\” But when I took some time to go to the Corvette forum\’s home page, I was pleasantly surprised to find a rich, comprehensive information source.
Take a Corvette forum such as SmokinVette.com. The Corvette hobby is huge because it covers a 57 year lineage of cars in six distinct generations. SmokinVette has Corvette forums for all six generations. Once you\’re into your generation\’s forum, cruise around, and check out the topics. Every forum is unique, so spend some time poking around the links, controls, and drop-down boxes. It\’s like wandering around a big box, home improvement store. It\’s a little overwhelming at first, but it doesn\’t take long and you know just where to find that sky hook you\’re looking for.
Sometimes I\’m just in the mood to look at pictures. SmokinVette has a HUGE collection of Corvette photos. And what would a high-testosterone topic like Corvettes be without a collection of Corvette Girls? BORING! You won\’t find anything too over the top at SmokinVette, but you WILL find lots of SMOKIN babes. That\’s a compliment, ladies.
Owning a pleasure boat is a lot more economically challenging than owning a Corvette, but you could possibly spend extra money on things such as personalizing and refurbishing your Corvette. You can find a \”Vette Parts\” section in SmokinVette, which can help you locate anything from a crate engine or supercharger to LED lights or used parts. You may have thought that there is a limited range of parts and you will be impressed to know that is not true. You will quickly discover there are a variety of parts being offered by very creative Corvette know-it-alls.
But don\’t just be a voyeur. After you go through the free registration, you can add your two-cents to any of the forums, start a new forum topic, and ask a Corvette question, or post photos and images. Corvette people are VERY helpful. When you own a Vette, or are an enthusiast, you\’re a member of a uniquely American club. The whole \”Save the Wave\” thing got started as a way for Corvette owners to acknowledge one another on the road. Corvettes aren\’t just \”cars.\” They\’re something more, something intangible that you don\’t begin to \”get\” until you drive one. Driving a Corvette is a uniquely sensual experience. You don\’t just \”ride\” in a Corvette, you DRIVE a Corvette because they are designed and made to be DRIVEN. I\’ve lost track of how many times I\’ve read or heard a new Corvette owner say, \”I never really understood this car until I drove one.\” That\’s the \”GOTCHA!\” moment.
Create some time to get comfortable, and view some Corvette forums, such as SmokinVette.com. It is very educational, engaging and a really good way to meet like-minded people that \”get\” the passion for the Corvette. Enough said! -KST
For more information and queries in regards to Why A Corvette Forum Matters please see the Smokinvette Group at www.smokinvette.com