Cars, SUVs, Trucks

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 at that time the Internet was really different. Just about everyone was on dial-up, so sites and web pages were simpler. The net hadn’t yet been taken over by commerce sites so it was easier to find “information” then. Chat rooms and forums had been around since the early ’80s, but they were difficult to use. AOL’s interface helped make it much easier.

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.

I am sometimes in the mood to look at Corvette pictures, and SmokinVette has an enormous collection of them. What would a high-testosterone topic like Corvettes be without an assortment of Corvette Girls? The answer is it would be boring! However, you will not find anything too over the top, as they are classy pictures at SmokinVette, but you will find a lot of SmokinHot babes. And the last comment is only 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.

It’s hard to be just a voyeur. After you finish the free registration, you can give your input to any forum, start a new forum topic, and ask a Corvette question, or even post images and/or photos. Corvette people are very friendly and helpful. Once you own a Vette or are simply an enthusiast, you belong to a uniquely American club. The whole “Save the Wave” thing started as a way for Corvette owners to recognize one another on the road. Corvettes are not just your ordinary car, they are something more special. It’s indescribable the feeling you get when you drive one. It’s a genuinely sensual experience when you drive one. You do not just “ride” in a Corvette, you DRIVE a Corvette, because they are made and designed to be DRIVEN. I have lost count of how many times I have read or heard a new Corvette owner say, “I never really understood this car until I drove one.” That’s the “GOTCHA!” moment.

Make some time, get comfortable, and check out some Corvette forums, such as SmokinVette.com. It’s very fun, educational, engaging, and a good way to meet like-minded people the “get” the Corvette passion. Enough said! -KST

For additional information or queries about Why A Corvette Forum Matters please see the Smokinvette Group at www.smokinvette.com