Opposite-Hyphen-Lock versus DriveTribe

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura) 11/09/2020 at 10:23 • Filed to: None

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My feeling about DT is this: I spent four years, maybe five, establishing myself on Oppo, with many growing pains along the way; anyone remember O.C. the Tork Dorque? On Opposite-Hyphen-Lock, I’m somebody. And people that I care about are working hard at creating an alternative to Kinja Land. DT will still be there trying to monetize me when and if jminer and RallyDarkStrike throw in the towel. Specifically, though, what genuinely irritates me about DT is that their messaging feature they deny me until I am somebody, either by subscription or by reputation or by being drummed in by the caprice of some moderator somewhere. I’ve already ridden that rodeo and I’m not eager to ride it again if I don’t have to.

!!! UNSUPPORTED LINE BREAK IN HEADER !!!

Sovande > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:29

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Yeah, I agree. I think the hyphen site looks nice and familiar and if I have to go through hoops at Drivetribe I’d probably be out.

I imagine not many people would mind that.

Jb boin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:30

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What were you denied to ?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Jb boin 11/09/2020 at 10:35

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I wanted to send a direct message to the owner of the supposedly Oppo tribe, but the system wouldn’t allow me to. And there’s the funky setup with no passwords... Not sure how that’s supposed to work. And when I initially set out to join the Oppo Tribe, I’m presented with Jeremy F***ing Clarkson, biggest knob on Earth that doesn’t have orange hair, and I’ll just loaf around with jminer and RallyDarkStrike, TYVM.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:36

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It sounds like we could use some cross-platform posting tools. Some of the phone apps will post to Facebook, Instagram, Wordpress,   etc. all in one go. Maybe someone can set up an IF TTT recipe ?

https://www.business2community.com/social-media/7-great-tools-simultaneously-post-content-multiple-social-media-sites-01713675

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Sovande 11/09/2020 at 10:36

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I’m closer to 200 than 100 in email addresses that I’ve collected from Oppo folk. Once jminer gets the platform scalable and stable, I’ll email everyone.

66P1800inpieces > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:38

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If you sign up for 10kg of groceries a month from Clarkson’s farmers market they give you a login and credentials.

functionoverfashion > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:38

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Hey, sorry for my absence. I logged in and got caught up. There are some... quirks with DT for sure. I think it’s gotten a lot better, but it’s still a bit odd in some ways. So anyway, I’m happy to help now that I realize I created that space ... probably 4 years ago. Cheers. Oh, my email is stepper 459 at gmail so feel free to reach out that way too. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/09/2020 at 10:42

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WAY outside my wheelhouse, Buck. If it involves a spreadsheet, or a cordless drill, maybe I can help.

In other news: I’m on the 32c Gravel Kings again until my new Fulcrum w heelset arrives. The Gravel Kings are tubeless-capable, so I’ll give that a try as well. The 26x2.0 are a fabulous ride, but too much like a cruiser for my daily rides. Having said that , I’ve ordered a set of 40c Schwalbe Marathons for my wife’s bicycle, having seen what a major difference tires and pressures can make, and when she and I ride together, I’ll put the cruiser 26s on my bike for those rides.

This morning it was 32 degrees for my ride and whilst I was plenty warm enough overall, my face hurt for the first fifteen minutes or so, and my fingers ached terribly when I was finished, in spit e of a new pair of supposedly wind-blocking gloves. When I got home, I ordered some heated gloves from Amazon, due to arrive tomorrow.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > functionoverfashion 11/09/2020 at 10:47

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Good Morning! Did you register on my little form? www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo

I’m giving way more time to Oppo currently with the migration/colonization that’s taking place. I’m sure jminer and RallyDarkStrike would appreciate your interest and your chops.

I’m good at web-based apps, way better than the average bear, but I’m no developer. I am much better suited to be a clerk / secretary . Something I want to do is to draft a fresh Manual of Style . It’ll read much like the old Rules of the Road , but it would be fresh.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > functionoverfashion 11/09/2020 at 10:55

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Odd  is a good word for DriveTribe.

Wheelerguy > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 10:58

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Meanwhile I can’t even get into NuOppo for the fourth time lel

Still slogging at it. Registration still fails.

ttyymmnn > functionoverfashion 11/09/2020 at 11:06

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 Speaking as somebody who writes LOTS of words, I think DT’s editor sucks hard. The new Oppo is significantly better. It’s a little strange, but at least I can make bold text. On Kinja, I lived by the scheduled post (I’ve got aviation stuff scheduled into December), and the DT scheduler is inscrutable to me. I still haven’t successfully scheduled something. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:13

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I have a little experience with IFTTT, but it’s pretty limited. It can do fancy things like flash the lights when a new email from a specific person arrives, turn on devices when it gets dark outside, or publish a tweet when you post something to Wordpress. It’s all drag-and-drop to make it easy to create “recipes” that do things for you . It’s neat, but I’ve never really had a need for it. I just looked up DriveTribe and there aren’t any “recipes” for their services yet.

I’m glad you’re experimenting with a variety of tires. Most roadies focus on thin, light, high-pressure tires so they can go fast. I’ve found that mountain bikers are more likely to consider size, tread pattern, and pressure when picking up new tires for their local trails.

I used to live further north and ride throughout the winter months, so gloves were always a major concern. I have small hands which makes  finding winter gloves was always a challenge. I haven’t had the need for them in years, so I have no idea what’s on the market. Good luck in your search for warmth!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Sovande 11/09/2020 at 11:17

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We’d miss you!

M.T. Blake > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:27

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I guess it comes down to the way you feel. You are somebody here, but what does that do? While you might be nobody on DT, but that could change with time.

Oppo doesn’t promote in the say way (it could), Oppo doesn’t give you a sliver of cash to make it appear you’re being rewarded (it can’t) and the shattering of Oppo/Kinja is the easiest point to look at other avenues.

Where do you want your writing to go? Up? Down? Sideways? Everyone has to make a choice. It isn’t about money or material justifications for everyone - I get that. Stick with those you enjoy writing with and it will work out just fine.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:44

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What I’m seeing in the meantime is that both fulfill the social role, but more of the higher-quality blogs we’ve missed here have landed on DriveTribe by default as it’s the only option so far with a blog format.

I’m hoping the final site we pick ends up much like Oppo now—blogs. The best part of Oppo to me is that it provided a platform for people to spring off of. People have cited Oppo blogs in job applications, for Pete’s sake. No one does that with forum posts, and having known a lot of editors, even if the content was good, I don’t know if they’d take it seriously. I have never pointed to even good forum posts I’ve made as a writing sample for that reason.

We’re going to get a package of blogs anyway (I hope?), so we kind of need that anyway.

Every traditional forum I’m on has had a consistent theme of bleeding membership. I’ve been on moderator teams, I’ve met some of my closest friends, I’ve turned to them for technical advice—but none of them are exactly thriving. People go to Facebook (gross). People hang out on the related Telegram or whatever instead of the actual forum. People straight-up leave to more modern site formats. Getting new people to a forum outside of its existing die-hards—and enough of them to replace those who leave—in 2020 is near impossible. That’s part of what we need to factor in: How do we attract new users, and how do we attract like-minded nerds who don’t suck?

I’m glad we’ve got options in the meantime and I’ve been parking a username on each, but yeah. I check this regularly because of the blogs. The more involved updates on builds or life intertwined with silly posts that roll down the same page. I’ve found myself straight-up not visiting forums unless I want specific information or have an excessive amount of time to kill.

JMKarstetter > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:50

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Sadly opposite-lock.com is blocked on my work computer.

Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:52

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I’d be comfortable enough with DriveTribe if opposite-lock.com weren’t happening. DT has a large base to start with, and even with its drawbacks it is geared (Ha!) towards car-people .

But I like the relative simplicity and future potential of opposite-lock.com.

Discord seems way to scatterbrained. I don’t know where to look and feel I’m constantly missing something.

Haven’t checked out the Facebook page.

i86hotdogs > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 11:53

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I’m leaning towards the hyphen site mainly because I feel people can spark discussion about non-car related things there compared to DT. That’s why I like this place so much. I get a little of everything.

I doubt DT would allow Fur Face Friday unless all the Fur Faces were posing next to car/car parts

Sovande > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/09/2020 at 12:04

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That's nice of you to say

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Sovande 11/09/2020 at 12:05

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I’ve always enjoyed the posts!  Hopefully we see you on both the replacements

Taylor Martin > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 12:07

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I mean, any shitpost you make can go on Oppo-Lock no problem, but I’m considering only posting to DT when I write something of value (i.e. an actual article about an actual topic I actually researched a little). That way, DT doesn’t just see me spamming memes and wishful car ads. I’ll probably post those kinds of writings to both platforms).

That being said, I’m going to do my damndest to read both, though it’s getting to the point where my list of things to do is running long and my freetime is running dry.

Urambo Tauro > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 12:18

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Agreed. Oppo functions best as a blog, not a forum or message board or chatroom.

Stef Schrader > Urambo Tauro 11/09/2020 at 12:33

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I do want to note that I’m impressed as hell with opposite-lock.com, though. That it was built over a weekend is awesome, and I wouldn’t mind the comment section below a post having the forum format. Buuuuuut...I think we’ve got to move away from the forum format, for the reasons stated above.

functionoverfashion > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 12:46

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Yes I did fill out that form. I’ll try to give some time to this, but I don’t have a lot of wiggle room right now with work. I was looking at the old “Handbook for ... Oppo” just now, I’d love to update that for DT. Is that what you’re describing? 

functionoverfashion > ttyymmnn 11/09/2020 at 12:46

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Ah, I haven’t messed with it much... clearly haha

Sn210 > M.T. Blake 11/09/2020 at 12:52

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Exactly. I’ve become somebody on DriveTribe.  That didn’t happen for the six years I’ve used Kinja.

Sn210 > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 12:57

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“ Getting new people to a forum outside of its existing die-hards—and enough of them to replace those who leave—in 2020 is near impossible.”

That’s exactly my fear for Oppo. When I migrated LaLD over to DriveTribe last year, we definitely lost good people, LaLD veterans, whether it was due to the change of scenery or they just got busy in their personal lives. Being on the DriveTribe platform helped us continue to grow, our community has gained those numbers back and then some. Our LaLD Tribe has over 1600 members and we’ve accumulated 17 million views. Not to mention there’s at least 7 of us enrolled in DriveTribe’s Creators Program to actually make a couple bucks off our content.

stuckMTB > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 14:23

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My experience setting up Gravel Kings tubeless is this: it’s totally do-able but slightly annoying. The bead seems to be a bit too inconsistent, at least for the DT Swiss rims I am using. In the end, I got them seated using an extra layer of tape and lots of soapy water to help them lock in. 

Stef Schrader > Sn210 11/09/2020 at 14:25

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I have mixed feelings about DriveTribe. They’ve been very welcoming and Oppo’s been there a while, but I know a lot of folks are concerned about being tied to another website and what would happen if we have to do this again. Goodness knows, the list of possible new places is long and confusing.

I think our situation could easily be on part with Hooniverse’s back when Jalopnik was h aving s trife the first go-round : Make some good stuff that’s worth sharing, and you can reach a bigger audience on your own, too. I think folks tend to link blog posts over forum threads, though. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a forum link go viral outside of somewhere that aggregates them like build-threads.com.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Wheelerguy 11/09/2020 at 14:55

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On Hyphen-Oppo?

jminer would want to know about this.

Wheelerguy > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 14:56

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Nah, I’m already in. Gonna pull up my recen t posts there now.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/09/2020 at 14:57

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That first paragraph is almost completely lost on me, but don’t worry about it.

I’ll keep you posted on the gloves and balaclava. I think I actually came close to harming myself in the cold this morning, my face and finger tips.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Sn210 11/09/2020 at 15:01

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How long did it take on DT?

I think that’s a thing about the Gawkersphere in general, that ultimately, you are at the whims and caprices of some moderators. And in the case of Oppo, there’ve been more than a few mods who are s***stirrers, social justice warriors, bullies, and passive-aggressives . Not all of them, for sure, but a good few. If Oppo colonizes some new area, I wouldn’ t miss any of that.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > M.T. Blake 11/09/2020 at 15:02

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Strongest for me is the sense of community and the writing is just a layer, thought I take every sentence and every point of punctuation seriously and I have greatly honed my skills in the process.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 15:09

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That’s an interesting take. I write, but I am not a writer. It would never occur to me to create a blog, per se , because who would have any interest in it? Most of what you wrote above is an entirely different perspective from my own. Gotta do actual work, but I will return to this.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 15:12

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The main thing is wind protection. B efore I bought a proper cycling jacket, I would wear a nylon rain jacket over a couple of light layers just to cut the wind. More often than not, I had to open up the jacket because it didn’t ventilate the heat well and was just too warm. For gloves, I wore ski gloves with wind protection. Ears were covered with a windproof knit cap. My face? It just froze.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > stuckMTB 11/09/2020 at 15:13

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I’ve never mounted a tubeless bicycle tire, but I have a guru friend who has and he is pushing me this way and offering to assist. Personally? I think it sounds like a PITA when I can do the tube thing all by myself. But I’ll let you know.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > TheRealBicycleBuck 11/09/2020 at 15:14

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I can still feel the tops of my cheeks and my fingertips from this morning. I think I could actually hurt myself doing this.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 16:55

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!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 16:56

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Stef, it has taken a minute for your reply to fully sink in. I really never considered Oppo outside of the social role. I think I spoke to that already. As I have worked to gather usernames and email addresses and consider where we might colonize, I had exclusively considered the social aspect since, for me, Oppo has only ever been _social_ media. I maintain a Facebook profile that I visit from time to time and pull a pin on a thought grenade and toss it into someone’s pillbox, but that’s it. So for me, Oppo has only ever been social. And in the last year or so, the quality of the society and the discourse have risen appreciably.

But I find this realization deflating. The thing that started Oppo and kept it going, and might still, is the thing I have essentially zero interest in. So I am left begging a question: if the social aspect is all that I am interested in, should I even be bothering? Are my efforts simply annoying to the “serious” people on Oppo? My personal worry, and the disappointment that I fear, is that for all of my emotional connection to Oppo, perhaps I’ve only been sort of a bothersome groupie. I haven’t had a drink in 30 years and more, but I’ve visited a few pubs in that time and a couple of parties and I guess where I find myself proverbially is having visited a certain pub for years, sat at one of a couple of tables in the back with a regular crowd, and the bar is closing. Start all over at someplace new, recognize a few of the people from the former haunt, but the vibe is different and part of me wants to say meh.

Thank you for taking the time to write that thoughtful, eye-opening note.

ttyymmnn > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 17:07

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You are sharing many of my own thoughts on this. I am hoping that the posting process on DT improves, because I’d love to put my airplane stuff there in hopes of attracting a wider audience. If we end up on O-L, I will likely post to both places. I said at the very beginning that the strength of Oppo was the fact that it was on a discoverable place, and that meant a constant stream of new members. If we go to a place that only we know about, it will die. 

stuckMTB > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 17:26

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I held off for years, and honestly I’m wishing I had converted ages ago, at least for my urban road (read: shitty) drop bar bike. I understand the benefits for my MTB but I don’t truly feel them as I didn’t get flats there nearly as often. On my road bike, my GravelKing SKs used to flat about once a week before going tubeless. After that? Just once, from a GIANT piece of glass that shredded the center tread. I bought an SK+ to replace it for a little extra insurance in the future.

The biggest help for tubeless setup for me was this small air tank that Topeak sells called the TubiBooster. I picked it up from my LBS for about $60, which seems a little steep until you try to set up your tires without it using only a floor pump. You ‘charge’ it with your floor pump to about 160psi, but then when you inflate your tires, it equates to about 30-35psi on a 29er or 700c tire. The magic is that you get all that air all at once, which helps pop the beads onto the bead seats.

The last piece of the puzzle is wetting the beads with soapy water first. It just helps them slip into place. Use the TubiBooster to lock the beads without sealant, then deflate, remove your valve stem, add sealant and pump back up. That’s it!

VincentMalamute-Kim > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 18:24

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I agree with you. I use Oppo for social reasons. But I like that there’s also a mix of long form articles . It’d be nice to have both. Serious writers and simple readers like us . They need us too. I think we need both. Diversity.

Diversity in form and content. I like the HVAC repair, airplanes, everything non-car related on Oppo. It expands my horizons.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 18:26

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I do the same.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 18:31

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I’m running 650B x 38mm Gravelkings in the road waffle tread. Seems a good compromise of too wide vs too narrow for an older rider like me.

I’m now getting some experience with tubeless. You must have an air compressor as a car guy. That helps immensely .

I recently got a 2" nailgun brad in my Gravelking - the sealant let me finish the 50 mile ride with no loss of air. I got two holes from a pinch flat in my mtn bike. I was able to plug them on the trail. I carry tubes but plugs were way easier. I’m sold on tubeless.

Chariotoflove > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 18:40

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Can we keep our O-L forum and link out to the DT Oppo page for stuff that people want to elevate to more professional journalism status?

Right now, I’m just focussed on not losing users. To me, if that happens, everything else is moot.

Sn210 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 18:45

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I started writing and posting heavily over there in October 2018. I was accepted into the creators program by late January 2019 and started to make a couple bucks for my content. (Emphasis on a couple). By November 2019  we migrated LaLD fully over to DriveTribe after the first Kinjapocalypse threat. Since then, the LaLD Tribe has 17million views and my personal content has earned me 31,500 likes.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > stuckMTB 11/09/2020 at 19:00

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I just received a Fulcrum wheelset today that’ll get these tires. I have the new centrelock brake discs and we’ll swap over the cassette. I think I’m ready to go!

Stef Schrader > Chariotoflove 11/09/2020 at 19:54

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For now? Absolutely. Those are all thoughts for the long-term— not so much right now. Right now, hell, we stay in touch however, ride or die, Oppo forever. The fact that we’re all keeping track of the various jumping-off points is a very good one.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 20:09

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What I’ve enjoyed about Oppo is that it functions as a blog with a lot of traffic without the hassle of keeping your own blog. It’s regularly updated this way and thus, attracts new users (even lately!). Quick posts can live next to the longer stuff, and there’s a variety here that I don’t see in other places. Folks may come for the long stuff and stick around for the community. Folks may come for the community and end up whipping out an epic update about their project car that’s really damn fascinating. It’s a very unique, very good thing.

For now, landing wherever we can sorta-together, but keeping in touch is what we should be doing—and it seems to have split upon some kind of weird party lines . (Who knows? I may be a Discord troll in the meanwhile.) But in the long run, I think we need that mix back. Recently, I’ve heard a lot of folks bemoan that we have fewer higher-effort posts going up on Oppo after they quit doing front page shares, so it’s not just me wanting it to be an autojourno farm or something. It’s me hearing that frustration and realizing that the mix we’ve got has always been a positive one for drawing people in.

I don’t think I’d be as active here without the blog format that alternates photoshops with rental reviews with funny videos and Holy Crap Look At This Car I Just Found Out About, Look Look Look. There is a real risk of becoming just another car forum without some kind of door left open to for people who occasionally want to do a bit more, IMHO.

( Goodness knows, most of what I do in here is social now, too.)

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 20:28

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Absolutely not! Your posts are fun as hell. I realize now that I was heavy on the longer writing side of things in that comment , but I probably should’ve reiterated that the social side is a must as well. Hell, it’s why I keep coming back here, even on the front page.

I also know that a lot of groups outgrow their origins over time. FinalGear is a good example—I hardly even visit the forums much anymore aside from sometimes checking in on the thread about my balls. It originally existed to share torrents of and discuss Top Gear and its spin-offs, but we don’t do a ton of that nowadays. (The torrent side is long gone after progressively more serious takedown requests. Traffic is way, way down without that unique draw, so it’s sadly another example of the plight of the old-school message board in 2020. )

But a bunch of us regulars there stayed friends. I’m usually on the Telegram chat all the time, which is still active. The annual Ringmeet keeps growing and growing...when we’re allowed to go to it, anyway. Anyway, it’s evolved into a place where I talk about my balls but also to meet up and talk about my balls. Share cars we bought. Talk tech stuff or (shudder) even politics. A lot of the old balls there don’t even like Top Gear anymore, ha. Oppo, I’m sure, will figure out life after being Jalopnik’s off-topic haunt.

Things evolve over time. Oppo’s always had this great mix of serious and non-serious posts, and I didn’t want the more in-depth serious crew to get lost in the mix. But I also want to hear about your balls. Tell me about the balls. (Or other stuff.)

...

( Scoob/Nibby ‘20)

VincentMalamute-Kim > i86hotdogs 11/09/2020 at 20:53

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Wait, DT won’t allow non-car related posts?  That’s a major draw of Oppo for me.

Cash Rewards > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 21:07

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Oppo not attached to somewhere, either jalopnik or DT will be the death of it. It may take a while, but it will slowly fade away. I already had a post shared outside of the Oppo tribe. Exposure will bring people, some of which we may actually like

Cash Rewards > ttyymmnn 11/09/2020 at 21:11

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100% this. Without a feeder side like jalopnik or drive tribe this place will die. slowly, but it will

Cash Rewards > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 21:14

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The thing is that this place is made up of all kinds of people, and is large enough to accommodate all approaches. In fact, I think its better for it. There used to be people here that right foe Road and Track now, and there were shit posters that exceed any current ones. Without each, this place wouldn't be what it is. We need your posts just as much as any one else's. Or it wouldn't be OPPO.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 21:40

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Well said Stef.....this makes me sit on the fence.

Personally, I find O-L VASTLY easier to use...DT seems somewhat clunky to me, and far more involved to do anything with. It’s also missing a lot of stuff (at present, anyway) that we take for granted, like being able to add a comment reply with more than one picture, or a quick post with NO picture.

The fact I can’t open any new notifications in a new tab on DT also drives me bonkers as that is how I deal with new replies to things I’ve posted (open notifications pane, right-click open any I have to check in new tabs, leaving Oppo main open....then close tabs as I deal with things). Right now on DT, I have to open each notification one at a time and then move on to the next .

I could go on, but as we know, that’s all just my take.

All of that MAY be fixed in time, though, of course. And, if the ‘greater whole’ decides DT is where ‘Oppo’ will be, I will head there as well and adapt.

D espite those niggles and the fact I like O-L more....I can see where you are coming from. I don’t, personally care about the reach of my content, even if I do long-form stuff....I do it to be with you guys, not to gain fame and followers....

....but I understand that we need the community to grow and not shrink, and now you’ve got me scared that the forum-style route Jminer has been working on could lead to our community falling apart......but we could lose people on DT too....gain new people sure, but lose a lot of current regulars.

I’m torn :(

Chariotoflove > Cash Rewards 11/09/2020 at 21:50

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Yep. 

Chariotoflove > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 21:55

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Serious question for thought:

The O-L BB seems to have very similar authoring and media tools to what Kinja has. Posting feels very much the same. Is there any reason why one couldn’t write a long form journal style post and then share/copy  it to DT for those sweet clicks?

Stef Schrader > Chariotoflove 11/09/2020 at 22:02

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Certainly! Nothing stopping anyone . I just don’t think there’s going to be any long-term draw back to a standalone message board without it having a little extra to offer on its own.

Stef Schrader > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 11/09/2020 at 22:07

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I like that it’s a work in progress, though, and I don’t think anyone’s nailed exactly what we need just yet, nor do I expect someone to have anything perfect for a while.

Hell, we’re in a holding pattern until we figure out how they’re going to let us have the data from Oppo and get an idea of what we can do with it. I hope there’s a way to let the archive live on. I posted Puffalumps With Threatening Auras here, an important series of silly posts that deserve to be seen!

I agree that DT’s editor is clunky, though, and that’s coming from someone who’s played around with it and published there before this week.

Chariotoflove > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 22:11

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Well, I was thinking about that too. But I started thinking, we have all these subforums too, like powder forward, cigar lounge, etc, that don’t fit into the drive tribe space (do they?) but are still important to US. If we built ties by linking between the two, DT proper could become where we put what used to be embiggened content, and the BB can be where our subforums and shit posting can live. Heck, Arch Duke wouldn’t have to police theme days anymore! 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 23:07

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Thanks, Stef. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > VincentMalamute-Kim 11/09/2020 at 23:10

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Definitely same here. Lately I’ve read some fabulous posts about ships and shipping. Really pulled me in.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/09/2020 at 23:20

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It’s funny how only now do I learn what I’ve been a part of. You’ve really opened my eyes. Apart from seeing and learning about interesting things, I always describe Oppo as being a bunch of really good people putting their best selves forward. Best. And I’d say it’s gotten better over the past couple of years in that regard. But what’s the balls about that you mention numerously  in your last reply?

Stef Schrader > Chariotoflove 11/09/2020 at 23:34

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What’s so genius about here, though, is the mix of both types of posts in one feed. I love you guys, but I fear that an entire separate website for goofing around would get lost in the mix and wither on the vine, and also that a lot of people don’t have time to juggle two new websites in place of one.

I think (I hope?) that this weird-ass split is just a temporary thing. I’m really not in love with either website.

( I always considered the other blogs to be separate entities instead of subs of Oppo, FWIW.)

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/09/2020 at 23:35

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I’ve described it as “the only good place on the internet” before, and I stand by that statement.

Anyway, here’s a thread about my balls: https://forums.finalgear.com/threads/a-thread-about-ninjacocos-balls.53821/

Chariotoflove > Stef Schrader 11/10/2020 at 00:03

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They are separate entities, but where do they go if they don’t go with us? I know they are not all populated solely by opponauts, but we are a big percentage. I don’t know what their plan is, if any.

But I hear you on the most important point. People won’t follow two separate sites. I won’t. They need to be linked intimately.

Another thing that needs a solution is mobile post editing. People are saying DT doesn’t have it (I haven’t tried). If that’s not there, we will lose a big chunk of us.

Oh well, let’s just get all our life jackets on and figure it out later.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/10/2020 at 00:45

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Can’t be circles, right? Not enough dim ensions? Because circles are really just polygons with infinitely many zero-length sides and infinitely many 180 degree -- straight -- angles.

AdverseMartyr > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/10/2020 at 01:00

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It’s actually a mix of both. There’s the community and the articles to discuss.

i86hotdogs > VincentMalamute-Kim 11/10/2020 at 06:09

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I have no sources on this. It just comes off as strictly a car site with little room to deviate on to other topics. I know a lot of us like to throw in other topics like opinions on health insurance, buying non-car related things, and so on. 

Stef Schrader > Chariotoflove 11/10/2020 at 11:58

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Yeah. It sounds like whatever ends up being the ultimate answer here, we’re all staying in touch.

The DriveTribe folks are friendly enough, but that editor is confusing even to me.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/10/2020 at 11:59

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whoa

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/10/2020 at 12:01

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Am I on the right track there?

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/10/2020 at 12:03

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My balls are round, shiny and large, and I’m scared.

VincentMalamute-Kim > i86hotdogs 11/10/2020 at 12:08

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I will ask them.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Stef Schrader 11/10/2020 at 12:59

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By “round,” do you men spherical ? Since I’m coming late to this, am I supposed to be working to figure out what’s going on, or is this a personality indicator test to see what kinds of inquiries I make?

A Riemannian  circle, named after the mathematician Bernhard Riemann. He developed a method whereby every point on a line -- remember that lines go on forever in either direction -- could be mapped onto a circle of finite circumference lying in the same plane.

VincentMalamute-Kim > i86hotdogs 11/10/2020 at 13:52

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DT’s CEO Jonathan Morris answered my question immediately. Very impressive response time.  Copy/paste:

Hi Vincent. Re widely off-topic posts - absolutely allowed, there are no rules about the subject matter of a post on DriveTribe - everyone can post anything they like (as long at it is legal (and not hate crime, sexism, racism, hardcore porno, etc.)

The general rule we apply is that you shouldn’t be massively embarrassed if your mother or younger cousin stumbled across your post. No limits on subject matter at all - there are people posting about aircraft, music, politics, watches, bicycles - all sorts (in fact does this all the time)!

In a well populated and alive tribe the members usually help craft what they like to see anyway, so we don’t really need to do any heavy handed moderation. And I agree - a community like this is as much about people connections than content.

Of course, if you are posting about bicycle tires it is less likey to get promoted to one of the main subject verticals (the links at the top of the screen - F1 Fans, EV, etc.) which does get a post more traffic from other users and also a bicycle tires post is probably less likely to get promoted to the homepage (which you get paid for). And, there are always exceptions to these rules - so if the post is simply awesome and the general DriveTribe audience loves it then it is likely to get promoted to a vertical or the homepage.

Stef Schrader > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 11/10/2020 at 13:53

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Oh, my balls are anything but finite.

i86hotdogs > VincentMalamute-Kim 11/11/2020 at 09:13

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That’s great news. I’m not necessarily looking for high clicks when I post about my dog lol

VincentMalamute-Kim > i86hotdogs 11/11/2020 at 12:19

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Dogs should always get the highest of clicks!