Fading Away

[TRDMarty]

Well guys (& girls) I've had my Yari since 08 and joined this great forum. Over the years I've gone to a couple of Yari events and had a great time and met a lot of great people. However, I'm sure we have all seen a decline of topics on this forum. Hell, I haven't even logged on in I can't remember when. Yes, about every couple of months I look at the site just to see if there's anything new going on. HHUUUMMMMM, then when I see that Micro Image has closed, that confirms my feeling about the Yari interest. Like the statement said from the Micro Image post, Lack of interest and moving on to other things. I know there are many of you that are still die hard Yari fans, and so am I (still drive my 08 every day) But when I see Yari's on the street, they are never modded. Always stock appearance, dented, dirty, broken glass and beat to crap with their tongues hanging out. Well, I guess if I have to look on the bright side of this is maybe I'll have to start going to the local junkyards to look for spare goodies for my car. I'll occasionally look here but it's not high on my priority list like it used to be. I wish everyone only the best and if there is an event worth going to I'll make it a point to try to attend. :thumbsup:

[ern-diz]

You're not that far from me, T. I'm in the Inland Empire. Anyway, I've noticed a downtrend on here, but it starts with us. I know there have been peaks and valleys in my visiting of yw.com. Stop in when you have time. You don't want to miss gems like the photoshop thread in the off-topic section!

[WeeYari]

Without a doubt the social aspect of this forum has evaporated. Gone are the days of members racking up hundreds, if not thousands of posts, building relationships through thread conversations. It has become much more of a technical resource, with peeps hoping in with an issue and not bothering to stay around long enough to support the tight knit community of enthusiasts we once were.

[2009Toyotoad]

Its been a long while since I've been on the forum too, or to any events. It does seem to be a juggling act these days to keep everything going. My enthusiasm for my 2009 Liftback has not changed even with 106 k miles on the odometer. I still have replacement powertrain to build with the mountain of parts in storage. But after my last cross county trip I'm staying close to stock on the build. I love the D2 racing suspension upgrade installed 3 years ago, but this year at the insistent of my better half the height was raised so she could drive it without scraping every speed bump on the road.
That may also explain why my brake pads are not worn out at 106k I'm the slower driver and she does not drive the car until recently.
Times are changing, I'd like to go to more events if I could find the time.

[yarisugi]

I blame the owner(s)/admin. for lack of activity and not keeping this site up to date. Yet they don't want to allow moderators to manage some of the content. I think this is a major reason for the downward slide of this website.

[IllusionX]

Cars get old and people move on. Back when echodrivers forum was popular, many people had very new cars. Now our yaris have aged and there seem to be many complaints about the 3rd gen.

Eventually I will also move on and get another car.

[NYC-SE]

Now our yaris have aged and there seem to be many complaints about the 3rd gen.

Not from me. I've had my car for a year now and I love it. Other than an idiot dealership installing their license plate frames without my permission and stripping out my front bumper mounting hole in the process I have had no problems. The car's been great.

As I've only been around for a little over a year I can't really comment on the "good old days" of Yarisworld but I do love this community and would hate if it "faded away".

[ern-diz]

Cars get old and people move on. Back when echodrivers forum was popular, many people had very new cars. Now our yaris have aged and there seem to be many complaints about the 3rd gen.

Eventually I will also move on and get another car.

I've had the same thought, but coincidentally was just have a conversation with my better half about it this week. Although there's no doubt I'll own other cars, I can't see myself getting rid of my Yaris. For what it's worth and how cheap it is to run/maintain, I see myself keeping it as a second/backup car as long as the wheels stay on...might even keep it after that lol.

[jambo101]

I think the Yaris has had its 15 minutes of automotive glory and has now just been reduced to a generic econobox, when it first came out the hatch looked super sporty and for us older folks a nice looking sensible sedan option,fast forward a few years and the sedan and hatch seem to have merged into a one size fits all souless appliance. With 200K of bulletproof reliability out of my 08 sedan i certainly dont see anything in the current Yaris line that turns me on,

Really?=

http://carspecsandprice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Toyota-Yaris.jpg


my next Toyota will most likely be a Rav4.

[428CobraJet]

Now our yaris have aged and there seem to be many complaints about the 3rd gen.

Eventually I will also move on and get another car.

I haven't heard anything bad about 3rd generation. Not as exciting as competition maybe....but thats all.

[428CobraJet]

To ignore Facebook's effect on forums would be a mistake.

[Gogogordy]

You're not that far from me, T. I'm in the Inland Empire. Anyway, I've noticed a downtrend on here, but it starts with us. I know there have been peaks and valleys in my visiting of yw.com. Stop in when you have time. You don't want to miss gems like the photoshop thread in the off-topic section!
Also an IE Yaris owner....one of the few in this land of lifted trucks, expensive european sports sedans, and Jeeps.

Loves me my Yaris, its one of the nicest (cleanest perhaps...yes it gets washed!) in my town boasting very very few of them. That being said were I forced to replace it, I'd be looking at Hyundai, and Kia first. I dont think another Yaris would be a consideration for me.

I think thats a reflection on Toyota more than anything else, re-wrapping essentially the same car year after year...there are more compelling packages out there in the same price range but with more "content" and better engines now....and that is directly reflected on forum attrition.

I also believe the Yaris of today, will be a sought-after enthusiasts car a decade or 3 from now...but that'll spawn it's own forum.

[nookandcrannycar]

I haven't heard anything bad about 3rd generation. Not as exciting as competition maybe....but thats all.

^^^^^ This. The only negative I can think of that is not subjective is that the interior plastic scratches more readily and more permanently (mainly the dash) on the 3rd Gen vs. the 2nd Gen.

[nookandcrannycar]

Also an IE Yaris owner....one of the few in this land of lifted trucks, expensive european sports sedans, and Jeeps.

:laugh: Have to agree.....and the mix is more like the vehicle mix in Texas than any other city I can think of in Southern California. My best friend's parents have lived in Temecula for the last 20 years, after living in different hilly areas of Orange County since 1967.

:thumbsup: re scooters (oops. your signature doesn't display in the quote). Starting sometime within the next few years, I plan to spend at least 3 months a year in Pinellas County, Florida..probably Palm Harbor or Dunedin. One of the great things about Florida is that you don't need a motorcycle license for most scooters. A great way to get to the beach without sitting in traffic :thumbsup:!

[ern-diz]

I also believe the Yaris of today, will be a sought-after enthusiasts car a decade or 3 from now...but that'll spawn it's own forum.

Agree! ...at least the '07-'09's.

[bentjazz]

Puullleeeze. People, there is still a Geo Metro forum. If Metro owners can keep it together, this site has another good 20+ years left. I'll be here until my Yaris breaths its last breath.....

[WeeYari]

I blame the owner(s)/admin. for lack of activity and not keeping this site up to date. Yet they don't want to allow moderators to manage some of the content. I think this is a major reason for the downward slide of this website.

Don't really want to get into Bueller (last sign on date Oct-9,2014) bashing again, but who the heck is really even moderating the site these days. Astroman, kimona and tk-421 were the only ones active for the longest time. tk has vanished, Astro I rarely see online, leaving only kimona as the visibly active moderator.

What the hell is paying the bills? No click-thru revenue other than Tire Rack and that can't be doing much. No supporting venders. As established as it is, the domain name has got to be worth a fair chuck of coin. Pocket the money and get us some new owners I say.

[ern-diz]

To ignore Facebook's effect on forums would be a mistake.

I signed up for Facebook with a dummy email address I don't use anymore just to get an "I Am The Stig" shirt for my Xbox avatar :biggrin: Deleted it immediately after.

After MySpace, I lost interest in that type of social network. Big fan of Twitter and Instagram, but not Facebook.

[fnkngrv]

There are a TON and I mean TON of Yaris/Echo groups on FB. I am in many and even Admin the 1nz Enthusiasts Club on there for anything 1nz related. Then there is the Toyota based groups on there in which myself and James (Jerkratt) as well as Atroman have broken into removing a lot of disdain for the platform. The bulletin style forum has taken a huge hit. The easy of use of FB compared to lack of updating on forums (not only this one) has really hurt them. Not to mention FB just makes things more "instant". Back in the day IRC was the eave of the future until these bulletin style forums really bloomed. Tech continues to march forward. Just the nature of the beast.

[ern-diz]

There are a TON and I mean TON of Yaris/Echo groups on FB. I am in many and even Admin the 1nz Enthusiasts Club on there for anything 1nz related. Then there is the Toyota based groups on there in which myself and James (Jerkratt) as well as Atroman have broken into removing a lot of disdain for the platform. The bulletin style forum has taken a huge hit. The easy of use of FB compared to lack of updating on forums (not only this one) has really hurt them. Not to mention FB just makes things more "instant". Back in the day IRC was the eave of the future until these bulletin style forums really bloomed. Tech continues to march forward. Just the nature of the beast.

There's no doubt about it. I agree that FB is a better platform for groups however, being a bit of a techy myself, I'd say that given the all-in-one appeal for the older folks (mom's & dad's lurking/posting), heavy advertising and the questions of NSA investment; FB is not quite as popular as it once was. Sure, they still have a ridiculous number of users, but I see a lot of rumblings about people not using it anymore, or completely deleting accounts (if they can stand to go through the purposely difficult process that is). I may be wrong, but I'm seeing movement into SnapChat a lot lately (another I'm not on lol).

As an Android user, Google+ is built-in. Am sad to see it didn't really catch on because I think it's leagues better than FB.

[fnkngrv]

Now you see I hate how pervasive G+ is in Andriod.

[fnkngrv]

As an alternate view you can't troll as easily on FB which some people like.sure you can create fake accts, but that can only go so far. Much easier to keep asshats out of social media groups than forums.

[ern-diz]

Now you see I hate how pervasive G+ is in Andriod.

I wouldn't call it pervasive, I just think it falls in line with all the other wonderful things Google gives us. With your single Google credential, you get mail, calendar, storage, voice #, youtube, maps and more--for free.

In regards to Google+ specifically, it's an ad-free social network with some of the best features of FB and Twitter rolled into one.

[fnkngrv]

I personally really dislike the circles cramp and they went overboard with Hangouts. I prefer a very simple vhat ability rather than how hangouts works. A large crowd were pretty pissed when gtalk was deactivated.

[ern-diz]

I personally really dislike the circles cramp and they went overboard with Hangouts. I prefer a very simple vhat ability rather than how hangouts works. A large crowd were pretty pissed when gtalk was deactivated.

Interesting. I love circles. It lets me post stuff to certain sets of ppl w/o having to bug everyone else. If I'm not mistaken, after circles came, FB improved upon their groups functionality to work similarly.

I also love Hangouts. On my Nexus 6, Hangouts manages both chat and SMS for me, so I only have to go to one app. Being able to call from it using my Google voice number, or video chat with family out of the country, has also been great for me.

[nookandcrannycar]

As an alternate view you can't troll as easily on FB which some people like.sure you can create fake accts, but that can only go so far. Much easier to keep asshats out of social media groups than forums.

This post jogged my memory about the big spam problem we had for awhile....sometime last year, IIRC. I guess the restriction re newbie posting took care of that..?

[fnkngrv]

Interesting. I love circles. It lets me post stuff to certain sets of ppl w/o having to bug everyone else. If I'm not mistaken, after circles came, FB improved upon their groups functionality to work similarly.

I also love Hangouts. On my Nexus 6, Hangouts manages both chat and SMS for me, so I only have to go to one app. Being able to call from it using my Google voice number, or video chat with family out of the country, has also been great for me.
It can have its place for sure. Just not for me. At least with FB they can't analyze your entries and manipulate your inbox with crap they feel is relevant. I had a Google Voice number for a few years. I found that people that I had to deal with outside of my friends and family didn't like it. They wouldn't call it back half the time or wouldn't answer the calls. Anyway, we are taking this kind of off topic. =)

I just find forums to be pretty clunky and too anonymous now personally which is one of the reasons why I don't hit them as often anymore.

[fnkngrv]

This post jogged my memory about the big spam problem we had for awhile....sometime last year, IIRC. I guess the restriction re newbie posting took care of that..?
That is another great point. Spam isn't an issue as badly on social networks compared to forums. You can hide things super easy on FB. Can't do that here as easy.

Btw....I hate FB, but it is a useful tool for me.

[ern-diz]

I just find forums to be pretty clunky and too anonymous now personally which is one of the reasons why I don't hit them as often anymore.

Totally agree. I still dig yw tho. My bro-in-law gets info/parts from a bmw forum.

[fnkngrv]

Totally agree. I still dig yw tho. My bro-in-law gets info/parts from a bmw forum.
Yeah, my heart will always remain here for sure =) having Tapatalk makes a huge difference.

[tk-421]

This post jogged my memory about the big spam problem we had for awhile....sometime last year, IIRC. I guess the restriction re newbie posting took care of that..?

Actually, it only makes our work harder, since 90% of the messages caught by the filter are legit, and a moderator has to remember to check an obscure area where we have to validate all those false positives individually (which sometimes takes many days). In the meantime, new members end up reposting the same message over and over again until they give up, which of course acts as an disincentive from posting again in the future.

TL/DR: It's a pretty sloppy way to catch spam. There are way better tools out there that deal with this issue in a much more controlled fashion.
Unfortunately, there's no way for mods to help with this issue, and the admins have been on an extended vacation...

[nookandcrannycar]

It can have its place for sure. Just not for me. At least with FB they can't analyze your entries and manipulate your inbox with crap they feel is relevant. I had a Google Voice number for a few years. I found that people that I had to deal with outside of my friends and family didn't like it. They wouldn't call it back half the time or wouldn't answer the calls

I think Eric Schmidt's comment to then CNBC's Maria Bartiromo on December 3, 2009 that "If you have something you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place" is THE most arrogant public statement ever made by the CEO of a U.S. based publicly traded company. I try my best to avoid searching on Google. I used to use Scroogle (a one person, IIRC, non profit with 9 (?) servers that would feed people's searches to Google through their IP address.....not the searcher's IP address). Google eventually found a way to block Scroogle. A few days before Scroogle shut down, they posted a link to DuckDuckGo. These days I usually use DuckDuckGo. Some physical addresses only appear on Google Maps. Google Street View also seems to be the best of such products. My house was the last one built in my neighborhood. Google Street View shows all of my neighbor's houses, but the view in my case was captured the day after they finished the foundation :laugh:. And that was in 2008!

[nookandcrannycar]

Actually, it only makes our work harder, since 90% of the messages caught by the filter are legit, and a moderator has to remember to check an obscure area where we have to validate all those false positives individually (which sometimes takes many days). In the meantime, new members end up reposting the same message over and over again until they give up, which of course acts as an disincentive from posting again in the future.

Sorry this causes you guys extra work :frown:. We appreciate the difference :smile:.

and the admins have been on an extended vacation...

:laugh:

[Betrivent]

Actually, it only makes our work harder, since 90% of the messages caught by the filter are legit, and a moderator has to remember to check an obscure area where we have to validate all those false positives individually (which sometimes takes many days). In the meantime, new members end up reposting the same message over and over again until they give up, which of course acts as an disincentive from posting again in the future.

TL/DR: It's a pretty sloppy way to catch spam. There are way better tools out there that deal with this issue in a much more controlled fashion.
Unfortunately, there's no way for mods to help with this issue, and the admins have been on an extended vacation...

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a system where members can help by voting on whether something that was flagged as spam was actually spam, thereby doing half the legwork for you?

[ern-diz]

I think Eric Schmidt's comment to then CNBC's Maria Bartiromo on December 3, 2009 that "If you have something you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place" is THE most arrogant public statement ever made by the CEO of a U.S. based publicly traded company. I try my best to avoid searching on Google. I used to use Scroogle (a one person, IIRC, non profit with 9 (?) servers that would feed people's searches to Google through their IP address.....not the searcher's IP address). Google eventually found a way to block Scroogle. A few days before Scroogle shut down, they posted a link to DuckDuckGo. These days I usually use DuckDuckGo. Some physical addresses only appear on Google Maps. Google Street View also seems to be the best of such products. My house was the last one built in my neighborhood. Google Street View shows all of my neighbor's houses, but the view in my case was captured the day after they finished the foundation :laugh:. And that was in 2008!

Interesting...

[nookandcrannycar]

Interesting...

Schmidt was undoubtedly brilliant re the trajectory he executed for Google...ROI, market position, market cap, etc. That doesn't make him a great human being. He followed his own words to Maria Bartiromo in that he didn't attempt to hide his affairs from his wife. Considering that he has two children, that period couldn't have been very easy for them, and (:eek:) wouldn't win him any 'father of the year' honors. His wife was quoted as saying she "felt like a piece of luggage". Ouch. I've heard some interesting words from scorned ex-spouses, but I think that one (too original to doubt, IMO) is pretty telling.

[tk-421]

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a system where members can help by voting on whether something that was flagged as spam was actually spam, thereby doing half the legwork for you?

The new filter system killed my spam bot since the messages are hidden from public view. It would be nice to have something like it doing the grunt work, though.

[attrapereves]

I will continue buying a Yaris as long as they keep making a 2dr hatch. Besides the Fiat, what are other 2dr hatch vehicles sold in the US with a manual transmission available?

[2009Toyotoad]

I think the Yaris has had its 15 minutes of automotive glory and has now just been reduced to a generic econobox, when it first came out the hatch looked super sporty and for us older folks a nice looking sensible sedan option,fast forward a few years and the sedan and hatch seem to have merged into a one size fits all souless appliance. With 200K of bulletproof reliability out of my 08 sedan i certainly dont see anything in the current Yaris line that turns me on,

Really?=

http://carspecsandprice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Toyota-Yaris.jpg


my next Toyota will most likely be a Rav4.

Yikes! I had not seen that before. Looks a bit like the Yaris Hybrid R concept car, but I don't care for the bright metal around the Grill or for that matter the grill. Projector headlights are appealing but I can get those fabbed up for my 2009.

[nookandcrannycar]

Besides the Fiat, what are other 2dr hatch vehicles sold in the US with a manual transmission available?

The Honda CR-Z and the Mini Cooper are the only ones I can think of. The iQ has been discontinued. The manual transmission Fiesta, Accent, Elantra GT, Sonic, Spark, Fit, Note, and Golf are all 5-doors (at least in the U.S. market). The Hyundai Veloster technically doesn't count because it has that extra (small) door for rear seat accessibility on only one side of the car.

[MadMax]

The Yaris is being overshadowed by the Prius-C by Toyota, I don't think the company bothers to market it in the States because all the green-weenie types here don't think a car can be "environmentally healthy" unless it is a hybrid.

However, in my travels overseas this year, I've seen tons of Yarii. It is still a popular car in many countries, we just don't see that in the States. Here in San Antonio I probably spot a Yaris every day or two; but in Europe I was seeing ten or more per day.

I will admit my 08 Yaris has been relegated to a second spot behind the Jeep in my vehicle line-up, but when I do drive it I am constantly reminded of what a great car it is! With all my travels, I get to drive a lot of rental cars and I am always comparing them with my Yaris. The Ford Fiesta I drove last week in Pennsylvania was nice, but it got horrible gas mileage for an economical car and I didn't think it it was very well set-up inside. I've recently driven a BMW 116d and Mercedes A180, as well as a Golf and while they all had their positive attributes; I think for the money the Yaris is a better deal.

I think the "newness" of the Yaris has worn off as well. The Gen IIIs didn't do much for the marque as the restyling made them look more like every other Toyota in the line-up. One of the appealing things about the Gen II was it stood out on the lot, now it's tough to tell a Yaris from a Prius.

So, I will stick with my 08 until such time it blows up (unlikely) or some uninsured driver destroys it (very likely here in San Antonio). While the fading paint bothers the hell out of me, otherwise it has held up extremely well and I still do love driving it. There's nothing that puts a smile on my face faster than cruising down the curvy roads of the Texas Hill Country in Sprocket on a hot, sunny day!

Cheers! M2

[nookandcrannycar]

I don't think the company bothers to market it in the States because all the green-weenie types here don't think a car can be "environmentally healthy" unless it is a hybrid.

:laugh:.....and true as well

The Ford Fiesta I drove last week in Pennsylvania was nice, but it got horrible gas mileage for an economical car and I didn't think it it was very well set-up inside.

I don't think they hold up very well either. A Fiesta rental I had in Florida last year had under 40,000 miles on the odometer. A beater near the end of life might have felt just about as weak and on the edge of falling apart. Really.

So, I will stick with my 08 until such time it blows up (unlikely) or some uninsured driver destroys it (very likely here in San Antonio). While the fading paint bothers the hell out of me, otherwise it has held up extremely well and I still do love driving it. There's nothing that puts a smile on my face faster than cruising down the curvy roads of the Texas Hill Country in Sprocket on a hot, sunny day!

Cheers! M2

:thumbsup:. I like the Yaris 3rd Gen 5-door more than my 3rd Gen 3-door. The manual transmission was more important to me than 3-door vs. 5-door. I wish that we had had the good fortune the Canadians did (and do ?) re having the ability to select a 3rd Gen 5-door with a manual transmission.

[Killchain]

I'll stick around, besides I like it here. But I look at it the forum will still help people. Or like a 30 year old car that was ended. People will still come around.

[Killchain]

I think the Yaris has had its 15 minutes of automotive glory and has now just been reduced to a generic econobox, when it first came out the hatch looked super sporty and for us older folks a nice looking sensible sedan option,fast forward a few years and the sedan and hatch seem to have merged into a one size fits all souless appliance. With 200K of bulletproof reliability out of my 08 sedan i certainly dont see anything in the current Yaris line that turns me on,

Really?=

http://carspecsandprice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-Toyota-Yaris.jpg


my next Toyota will most likely be a Rav4.

Great photography on that car.

[DebbyM46227]

I finally found a new job after being laid off since last August :) This new job is a little further drive and more city stop & go driving, so I'm getting tired of my manual transmission. I never thought I'd see the day when I got tired of shifting gears. My Yaris has only 34,000 miles on it and I'm getting ready to make my final payment (YAY!). I'm seriously considering the Prius C since it looks kind of like a Yaris and gets better mileage. It really doesn't cost much more than a Yaris either for the basic model.

[fnkngrv]

I finally found a new job after being laid off since last August :) This new job is a little further drive and more city stop & go driving, so I'm getting tired of my manual transmission. I never thought I'd see the day when I got tired of shifting gears. My Yaris has only 34,000 miles on it and I'm getting ready to make my final payment (YAY!). I'm seriously considering the Prius C since it looks kind of like a Yaris and gets better mileage. It really doesn't cost much more than a Yaris either for the basic model.
Congrats!

[nookandcrannycar]

I finally found a new job after being laid off since last August :)

:thumbsup:

This new job is a little further drive and more city stop & go driving, so I'm getting tired of my manual transmission. I never thought I'd see the day when I got tired of shifting gears. My Yaris has only 34,000 miles on it and I'm getting ready to make my final payment (YAY!). I'm seriously considering the Prius C since it looks kind of like a Yaris and gets better mileage. It really doesn't cost much more than a Yaris either for the basic model.

The Prius C is the Yaris Hybrid in some areas outside the United States.

[Astroman]

For me with less spam I have less of a need to check in, and the trolls just don't stir stuff up anymore. With the facebook groups it's pretty darn easy to post and read posts but I do like the structure this forum has which makes looking up information and browsing a lot easier. Plus as a moderator if it's in the wrong section (sans the 3rd gen section, my pleas to the admins have gone unanswered since the 3rd gen section came online) I can just move it.

Most of the old timers or (former) heavily active members are my friends on FB which I'm already on because of friends, family, business. Also I'm married now and my wife has a degenerative condition called KTS (Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome) which requires a lot from me along with my business I just don't have the time like I used too.

Still LOVE my Yaris, and bond with it daily!

[BLKHILLSGUY]

What are the names of some of the FB groups? I'm not seeing anything that stands out. I come here 2-3 days a week and see no new content. I don't even know why I keep checking.

[fnkngrv]

What are the names of some of the FB groups? I'm not seeing anything that stands out. I come here 2-3 days a week and see no new content. I don't even know why I keep checking.
Message me your name and I can add you on FB so that I can invite you to around a half dozen groups.

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