"Tom McParland" (tommcparland)
02/03/2014 at 13:24 • Filed to: feedbacklopnik
3
28|
"Tom McParland" (tommcparland)
02/03/2014 at 13:24 • Filed to: feedbacklopnik | 3
| 28 |
Hey everyone, I have a bunch more articles in the works and while I have been somewhat successful with my previous pieces it is always good to take a step back and get some constructive criticism. So fellow Opponauts, and if any FP editor wants to chime in, what can I do better? Is there anything you want more of, less of? Adjustments to tone or style? Fire away! (carporn for your troubles)
You can view most of my full length articles here.
davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:31 |
|
I'll just say keep up the good word - always enjoy your stuff, Tom. Thanks.
|
Tom McParland
> davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
02/03/2014 at 13:31 |
|
Thanks
Gamecat235
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:35 |
|
I'm not sure I've ever seen your actual position on why you personally seem to be against the Prius. Yet you have the disclaimer in your bio/ad at the end of your posts. Did I miss it? Is it just a personal position or is it based on experiences (IMHO it's a great application of the tech in a package for what it is... and what it isn't).
Beyond that, I have no real constructive feedback. Your articles seem top notch and you are relevant and on topic and it never feels like you are trying to just spam with your services. This feels like a natural extension of what you are doing, and as an aside, you also offer this service IRL.
Brian Silvestro
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:36 |
|
Tom, I think your articles are amazing. You're not afraid to bring up controversial issues regarding cars (this morning) and you make great arguments. Many FP readers will just be idiots about it, but some people will actually appreciate the facts and opinion you've put together. Don't change.
|
Tom McParland
> Gamecat235
02/03/2014 at 13:38 |
|
The Prius disclaimer is really just a thing to appeal to the Jalop crowd. While I would not want to drive one, it is a pretty solid car for the money and if someone did in fact "want a Prius" I would get them the best deal possible on a Prius. That being said...do you think I should yank that cheeky disclaimer?
|
Tom McParland
> Brian Silvestro
02/03/2014 at 13:39 |
|
I'm not planning on "changing" but if my audience wants more or less of something it is good to know.
ddavidn
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:40 |
|
Not really a fan of the wheels or the spoiler...
No feedback, I really do enjoy what you write. Forget Gamecat, leave the Prius line in there.
Bad Idea Hat
> Gamecat235
02/03/2014 at 13:40 |
|
I think it needs to be replaced with a disclaimer against buying something because it's cool.
Then again, that's my personal opinion, and my opinion sucks (not sarcasm, I'm happy to admit it).
|
Brian Silvestro
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:41 |
|
On a side note, I love hearing stories from your business. I always find it interesting to see what people are looking for when they're going through the services you provide.
Textured Soy Protein
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:41 |
|
I'm certainly guilty of violating this myself, but try to remember that brevity is a virtue. ;)
|
Gamecat235
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:41 |
|
I might pull it, but it does fit with the Jalop credo... and if it generally fits with yours, I would expect you to leave it there. I mostly wanted to know how solid the motivation was behind it, and wondered if you had experiences behind this opinion or if it was more inline with the standard Jalop opinion of the vehicle.
|
Gamecat235
> Bad Idea Hat
02/03/2014 at 13:42 |
|
I have terrible taste in music, art, style and probably cars. But it's mine. =)
|
Tom McParland
> Textured Soy Protein
02/03/2014 at 13:44 |
|
Yeah I do tend to get a bit wordy sometimes, good point. I try to find a balance between providing relevant explanations and examples but not over discussing.
|
Bad Idea Hat
> Gamecat235
02/03/2014 at 13:44 |
|
Exactly. There's not better or worse taste than your own, and that's the best taste of all.
willkinton247
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:44 |
|
Your articles are always very informative, entertaining, and I always look forward to them. Your style is legit. The biggest room of improvement that I could see is the occasional typos or occasional awkward wording, you know, the mistakes we all make? I know the FP is turned off by that sort of thing. You could always send it to someone to look over with a fresh pair of eyes (and I'll gladly do that for you).
|
Tom McParland
> Gamecat235
02/03/2014 at 13:46 |
|
I don't really hate them, I've driven one it wasn't terrible. I know people that own them and they love their cars.
|
Tom McParland
> willkinton247
02/03/2014 at 13:48 |
|
Yup...totally with you on the editing. It was never my strong suit. I would be happy to have another set of eyes on it. Drop me a line with your email
AutomatchConsulting@gmail.com
|
Gamecat235
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:50 |
|
Generally I was just challenging your position. I think the Prius pretty much does what it's advertised to do, and does it well. As long as you don't expect more from it than what it is, it's unlikely to let you down.
I enjoy your posts, and I usually learn quite a bit about the process when I read further into what you are saying. I've never leased a vehicle, but I understand the process a bit better having read your summaries and overviews.
|
Tom McParland
> Gamecat235
02/03/2014 at 13:52 |
|
Thanks man!
|
Gamecat235
> ddavidn
02/03/2014 at 13:54 |
|
I agree, I would probably ignore most of what Gamecat says. That guy...
|
Bad Idea Hat
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 13:54 |
|
Here's some things I see;
1) It's already been said, but I still agree, don't pull punches because the lowest common denominator disagrees more vociferously than the majority.
B) Can't dislike the style. I don't think I've seen a post from you that wasn't front-page worthy.
Lastly) This delves into telling you what you should write about, so you can feel free to ignore it, but it seems like the automotive world is rife with scammers. Stealerships, untrustworthy repairmen, the internet and all its glorious potholes, aftermarket loons, etc. A lot of Opponauts know about the big ones, but you seem to know a lot more about the crazy crap people pull due simply to you having to see it on a daily basis. I like those articles, because I always seem to learn something extremely valuable.
|
Tom McParland
> Bad Idea Hat
02/03/2014 at 13:56 |
|
Good feedback thanks!
d00mZ
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 14:13 |
|
I actually really like your articles and it seems you really dwell on the research. I think its just word dropping on some areas, but that's totally normal to me. Opinionated articles aren't really shown here as well like other opponauts do (same here), but overall, I look forward with your articles. Keep em coming. Especially that old school JDM. Great Hako pic.
texasfordfan
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 14:22 |
|
This can help with typos and grammar errors.
ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 14:31 |
|
Keep up the great work. I enjoy reading your stuff very much.
As for new ideas, perhaps if you can find them, highlight when a dealer does something extraordinarily right.
Granted, the info about what to look out for is always welcome, but perhaps pointing out that there are still places that treat people right would help as well.
BrainForest
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 14:36 |
|
Your articles are very informative, and they're entertaining to read. I read every one, and I feel like I've learned something new from all of them.
I will echo Bad Idea Hat about pointing out auto-related scams and trickery, especially the less-common or more devious schemes that may fly under the radar.
Your writing is good - keep it up!
Agrajag
> Tom McParland
02/03/2014 at 19:53 |
|
I always enjoy reading your articles, and though I may not comment on them frequently it's only because I've nothing to add(same reason I rarely comment on FP). I reread a few of your articles, and aside from the occasional misspelling or absent word in a phrase find nothing wrong with them, and enjoy each type you do. The "Car Buying" tagged articles being my favorites.
-Agrajag
|
Tom McParland
> Agrajag
02/03/2014 at 20:01 |
|
Thanks!