It seems to be a hell of a lot quiter here now than a few years back before all the Facebook VW pages appeared and I would like to make a suggestion to admins.

I think it would be great if you guys were to think about an integration between aussieveedubbers.com and Facebook, rather than the forum being isolated from Social Media as it is at the moment.

In addition to driving traffic to the site from your feed, its should be possible to share posts to Facebook and visa versa, creating more interest and traffic to the forum.

I think it would be a pity if this great resource disappeared in 5 years from now, because nobody thought about embracing Social Media now.

Is there a reason this hasnt been done already?

There's a couple of reasons I feel it is all so quiet here now. When this forum was originally created, it was supposed to be a central online meeting point for Australian VW enthusiasts to discuss VW-related topics. In recent years, there have been infinite new forums pop up with many being segregated into concentrating on niche facets of the VW hobby only (eg. kombis, shit-look, etc..). Why we needed all these new forums is beyond me. One that covers all topics in one forum (like this one) should have sufficed, in my mind. I reckon this is the main reason that this place has been watered down significantly in recent years.

The other reason is the crap talk. There's plenty of that here too, which doesn't help anyone and a lot of people I know have moved on because of it.

There's my 2c.

I also might add that social media sites like Fb and youtube are now and for a while have been filtering content to limit bandwidth. This has the unfortunate result of viewers having their subscribed or grouped pages not show new content to them unless they constantly "like" and share it. It is then the the sites sees this as important to that user and will show more content, blocking stuff that they don't actively "like".

So this makes those sites appear inactive but in the background they actually are.


If you are the owner of a yt channel or fb page. you can pay money to open it up to people already subscribed to you.

My thoughts are that the hobby isn't growing like it used to.

It was maybe sheesh, 10 years ago now it was BOOMING.

Back then... u could get a bug or bay window bus for $1000 sometimes with rwc, or at worst turn a spanner on a few things and get it registered. Heck... even the ol' $750 dub with a few minor requirements popped up.

Now u pay through the roof! late 70's bugs near rwc start at $3000... or if u want a project 60's bug, rather than the $500 it used to be, it'll be $2000 requiring welding / rust repairs. Don't get me started on Kombi prices. This is the general trend; some people get lucky and find bargains.

The game is too expensive for the young ones now (in general).

Tis a shame... It was the cool classic vehicle open to all rich and poor. Poor uni student me was able to sustain it without finance. My younger brother had to get a personal loan.

I've been a member of this forum for over 10 years...as far as volksy's go I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for input from people on this forum...however, as I'm into drag racing FB allows me to engage with drag racers world wide and only friend like minded people. There is also the issue of wankers who on FB I don't have to engage with. In saying that though, I still try to give back where I can and will comment or help where I can add some value. AVD was the go to place for volksy people but the multitude of different niche forums has impacted the more general forum. It's more a sign of the times not a slowing of the volksy interest. I can say for a fact Volksy drag racing is bigger than its ever been....my 2 cents worth

Just cos its old don't make it gold..$$$$

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Originally posted by esevwbits

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Originally posted by vlad01 I also might add that social media sites like Fb and youtube are now and for a while have been filtering content to limit bandwidth. This has the unfortunate result of viewers having their subscribed or grouped pages not show new content to them unless they constantly "like" and share it. It is then the the sites sees this as important to that user and will show more content, blocking stuff that they don't actively "like". So this makes those sites appear inactive but in the background they actually are. If you are the owner of a yt channel or fb page. you can pay money to open it up to people already subscribed to you.

This problem isn't unique to aussieveedubbers, look at the samba, when I started on there each day you could trawl through pages of new posts. It is significantly quieter too. Facebook I think can be partly to blame but I think earlier posters to this discussion are correct - 10 years ago bugs were cheap cars, easily affordable to first car drivers therefore the forums saw new car owners all the time.

Now how many people are still daily driving their air cooled car? Many people I used too chat here when I first started now have second newer cars, the air cooled car is brought out only on nice sunny days for a cruise. A lot now have families too (yay new generation too indoctrinate haha). Young kids have to be passionate to be able to afford a bug/kombi/type3 and on that side now you have parents saying why not buy something safer if you are spending that much on a car?

I don't think the scene is dying (numbers at valla would show that to be wrong) it's just changing. I tend to find I don't have much time to post on here now but often have a quick read using the phone.

Shitebook is like the supermarkets taking over forums who are like corner shops

Wont ever join the place

I appreciate that not everyone likes or uses Facebook. I just cant help but feel that so many users have moved away from the forum to the Facebook and not having a strategy to direct them back to the site will only do damage to the forum.

If the forum starts to appear non active, you risk losing your active users.

I'm new to the scene.

Never owned an air cooled VW before, not as a student or any other time. Owned a highly specialised workshop working on high performance vehicles in the 70's & 80"s, if a VW came through the door we would run the other way. Porsches OK, owned one

Have now owned my a/c VW for eight months and had to do a hell of a lot of work on it and the learning curve has been huge.

I also ask why are there so few VW Bugs around in the clubs? The simple answer I have found in the short time I have owned mine is 1. Terrible service by internet spare part providers. (Not all) but you spend a lot of wasted time finding out the good from the bad, some which are promoted here. 2. Cost of parts which are crap. How many new hobbyists can afford $6,000 - $10,000 for a turnkey engine? Not everybody buying there first hobby car (in this case a Veedub) is an instant mechanic? 3. The vehicles advertised in the lower $3,000 bracket are about ready for the tip or $10,000+ worth of work needed on them. The "good" vehicles advertised for $6,500 - $9,000 are overpriced average ones with plenty of hidden faults for the unwary.

All car clubs are finding the same problem, go and ask the Holden and Ford clubs. The prices asked for decent (if you can find one for sale) Holden or Ford from the 50's or 60"s is mind blowing.

The post vintage club I belong to has more Jaguars init than any other brand. Why? Because they are cheap and nobody wants them. Once they own it they are stuck with it.

These forums are good, but everybody has their own opinions and that alone can be confusing for a newbie.

Is the hobby dying? No, it's just getting very expensive.

MG used to stand for Morris Garages, now it stands for Mature Gentlemen, because they are the only one's that can afford the damn things.

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Originally posted by Carl and Emily Quote: Originally posted by vlad01 if VWs offered good band for buck maybe the young ones will take them on more readily. Also,.. perhaps,.. Maybe the majority of 'young ones' don't like air cooled vw's. Oppps,.. I've said the wrong thing haven't I,... After all were are talking about people of driving age born in the 90's and very soon in the 00's. and,.. a lot of parents want them driving a newer safer car with airbags etc,… You really have to love them to keep them going. All Emily and I hope is that when we can't drive anymore hopefully our two bugs will have somewhere to go to someone who will care for them. After all the Govt probably won't let us drive our 'petrol' cars by then.

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Hi

We have a small population and an even smaller group of VW owners, we need to keep this place alive by posting things that may be of interest on here as well as Facebook, I try to keep my build thread going on here as well as German Look, VWKD, SuperBeetles only and Facebook.

Steve

Lotta good points here. I spent my early driving years working on 60's and 70's Holdens that you could pick up for bugger all. Still got a couple. Now they're over priced. Got into Dubs in the last couple of years. Prices going up!
Old cars are the new money pits or is it just that what was rare in the 80's is now extremely rare and the easy to get of the 90's are now not so common. Even early commodores and 80's falcons are collectable because there are less of them. It's actually a normal cycle. As something gets older and there are less available then more people want them either because of nostalgia or a desire to have something different.

As for including AussieVeeDubber on facebook... It may be a way to gather a few more people to our forum, but are they the ones we want here. I avoid most social media, probably because I find it more antisocial than social. I like forums like this one, thesamba and kombiclub. There seems to be a fairly consistent good vibe about them. All I've seen from facebook tends to make me want to call it bitchandwhingebook.
My2c worth.

I have had a beetle for over 20 years, was given it as a kid. My boy sits in it and our 74 panel just about everyday. He lives them and also knows that our 72 SC that is in storage will one day be his.
I'm hoping in the time it takes me to get it on the road ( probably ten years) his still interested.

I've wanted to jack my hobby of VW because of money grabbing people, I'm only new to the hands on side and have had a few steep learning curves. The whole peace and love thing is there somewhere but I see more money and gone.

But everyday my boy wants a ride in his panel, so out it comes and so does his smile. I deep down know that these hobby cars aren't going anywhere but I'm much more aware of the scene and cautious.

Saying that I have met some pretty cool people along the way.
Let's just hope it doesn't get so expensive that our younger kids can't jump on board.

Enough of a rant

Dan

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