I also blame facebook.
On the political forum I don't much care for it either but one big way of looking at it is a lot of people are into it so if you don't have it or allow it you risk loosing people to a place that does.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Due_diligence

Thanks !! .. over 20 years on here never a problem buying and selling ... I guess I was lucky all those years.

I just did what seemed to be the norm when I joined and went with a screen name. But I do sign my first name to every post I make. I will sign this post with my full name so you can see what I just go by "Ed B" (BTW, I'm pretty sure EdB was taken when I joined Moparts or I'm pretty sure I would've chosen that as a screen name).

Ed Buczeskie

I wish more people kept their politics to themselves.

I don't need to know which side of the fence you come down on nor do I want to have a meaningless debate about it.

I don’t want people knowing my identity because I have an expensive hobby. I’ve had parts stolen, been trailed places(including home), hunted down by a guy who isn’t such a good fellow because he traced my car at a body shop(owner told me to steer clear of the guy when I asked who in the world was he), etc. This all without plastering my details on the internet. I really don’t see how it would benefit me to put myself on front street. The handle names allow you to determine if you trust the persons information when you read their posts. That’s enough for anyone to navigate a site about cars.

You can also be more candid about a given thing when direct retribution isn’t as huge of a threat. I’m sure some hacker coding whiz can still track me down, but this weeds out at least more than a few possibilities. People are absolutely nuts out there and it’s simple not worth gifting them info because they disagree about a car topic.

I’ve made friends off line with people over PM here and elsewhere and that works well.

I have ad blocker, so they don't bother me at all.

I did FB for a short time, don't really like much about it at all, and I sure don't like them tracking me like they do. One visit to FB guarantees at least a month worth of ads.

I find the political forum interesting. Sometimes it provides some useful info, but the last 6 months it does seem like a bunch of school kids caring on with the name calling.

I still come here nearly every day, to get answers, and hopefully provide a few to someone that is looking for something might have thoughts about. Buying and selling here has always been hit or miss. The just completed deal with 3hundred was a very smooth transaction.
Gene

I don't think Tom had much choice in the political forum, people kept posting political stuff in the others and with free speech and all he just decided to pool it all into one forum. I disagree with plenty of people on there DaveRS23 or Kunkle, MadRussianScientist or... but I would still do business with them in a heart beat, I think they are good people and have no ill intentions. People are idiots if they let political differences keep them from each other.

I think the deal for me and why I hardly ever post what I do is because I can't post pictures anymore after the last "upgrade" and on my phone I can't get the adds to stop it is insane the pop ups that get in the way of everything! AdBlock works great on the laptop and I still see and use all the mopar related adds on there but the phone brings up all kinds of stuff non stop that I have no interest in. I made a post about swapping eagle heads onto an early 5.7 and tried to post pics but never could figure it out, I've tried several times over the years but I'm just too old to lean new tricks I suppose.

I hate facebook because I can never find an old post if I want to go add a picture or longer reply than I previously had time for, I hate that people like marketplace so much, I see something on there and get to thinking about it and decide I want to look further into it but can never find it then 3 months later it will pop up again but usually by then run out of money or moved on to another project or something.

i come here nearly every day. in doing so, i hope to learn things i either didn't know, or have forgotten. i also try to help others when i can, with what i have learned over almost 60 years playing with the mopar brand.
for the most part, i have found the members to be a great group. however, i stay away from the political forum because no matter what one's opinion on any given subject, it seems like a person has to get in the mud pit with the opposer to see who can get the muddiest the quickest.
i have a fakepage account, but i haven't found a group that, in my opinion, is as good as the group here.
i only have a desk top setup, so with adblock, i have no irritating adds to contend with, and it has worked well since i have installed it a long time ago.
as i'm closer to the finish line, i'm not apt to change any time soon.

As someone who has been sent to the corner a couple times on this site for inappropriate posts, I disagree about Tom having a choice. Its a car site - MOPARS specifically. You make the rule simple ... ZERO political, religious or racial posts. You get ONE warning then you're banned. I wouldn't expect a political, religious or white supremacist site to have an automotive Q&A forum !!! And if someone wants to start a rant about "free speech" and the whole "I woke up in a free country" BS well ... boot them off too. What are they gonna do, sue you ?!?!?

AMEN bro !!!

I have Ad Blocker layered on top of Linux operating system. No problems at all with ads.

Facebook is where most people go now. In my opinion, there's no group there that is anywhere close to being as good as moparts is. Facebook is full of BS artists to the point you can't have a meaningful discussion about anything. All facebook is good for is selling stuff. It's still a painful process, but the traffic is there.

I'm not a member of FABO or FBBO, but I have looked on there a few times and recognize numerous people who used to be on here years ago. Some people bounce around between sites, and some have just picked out one they prefer and stay there.

The for sale section here has burned me a few times many years ago. Be wary of the people who you don't recognize who only use the site for the free ads just like you would someone on Ebay with no feedback or bad feedback. Wish this site had a feedback rating like others do. Eventually the bad guys get identified and ran off.

Yep ... ran off with my $720 .. on the bright side the scammer said he will refund my money if I give him my bank account info so he can direct deposit it into my account ... claims he can only do refunds thru his bank ! Sure buddy here's my info ... Not ! BTW .. beware of Lloyd Whitney from Fort Hood ,Texas

I had a weird one with recent sale of the aspen, I put it on a local free trader site.

Guy called me , he had no odd accent or anything, googled his number and it came back as owner of a small collector car lot in Illinois. https://chicagocarclub.com/ , we made a deal on car , he asked where to mail check , told him , it never showed up ..

waited couple weeks , he said he sent it ..

Then he asked me for my bank info to just direct deposit, told him .. no just register letter I'll take that off .. he wanted to do it his way , I never heard from him again ..

Not sure if that was some scam or what, it just felt odd

Sounds like a round about way to scam someone but you never know. These people seem to be getting more clever

Car forums tend to lean to the right, their political sections do as well and usually have no rules. The other side doesn't like no rules and no censorship...I'll leave it at that

I've sold a couple of 68-70 Chargers there. 1/2 messaged me trying to get it bought and 1/2 laughed at the price and threw insults. No matter, the last one was gone within 24 hours at full ask plus me delivering it 3 states away.

The problem with Facebook is you don't know the source of the (often wrong) advice. At least with the forums you can get a feel over time for who knows what they are talking about and who doesn't.

When the numbers are good, It doesn’t matter what is said. At all.
What is said can be trash but if it creates traffic then it’s gold.

This being true, in my personal life experience I have found S#|+ talkers are a waste of time, man.
Same goes for &#|+ posters.

Even the ones I might agree with partially are still ultimately a waste.
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Do or say something constructive, or go away…. is how I look at it