Is this forum dead or what?

[TLyttle]

Exactly my point: which is better? Making good money from the beginning as a technician out in the community, or being in debt while you struggle from one cubicle to another seeing Dilbert characters all day? Some choice...

[SilverBack]

All I'm gonna say is that I'm studying Graphic Design and I'm on a partial scholarship and a portfolio grant. I already finished one year and my student loan debt is only $1200, which at the current salary rate can be paid-off with only ONE weekly paycheck if you're damn good at what you do (which I know I am) (and lately I've been working even harder than before so I don't need another loan while building an even stronger portfolio). There are plenty of job opportunities for us because there are multiple types of work in this field such as magazine design, advertising, branding, stationary systems, package design etc. (and in the works right now: web design and motion graphics). The ones that are success-driven think way outside the box and push themselves to the limit to make sure the best things happen to them. One company already offered me a paid internship a few months back, which I had to turn down because it would mean being a part time student. I'm almost at the end so I rather just stick to full-time status and get it over with, like tomato said (and yes, I do feel lucky enough to not have other priorities competing with my time).

And IMO, it's not about the money in the end anyway. PASSION is what counts more to any REAL artist and designer. If you're passionate about what you do, you'll be naturally driven to fulfill it. Throw-in a few important business and marketing strategies to the mix, and the money will almost seem like it's rolling-in automatically (this is where some people fail and fall into the "starving artist" stereotype. I'm sorry but it's their own damn fault for not thinking a little). That's it.

Didn't mean to make a long post, but I hope I sent my point across clearly. Anyways, now back on topic: How can we hit the forums with jumper cables and get this thing rolling again? Thoughts? Ideas?

[tomato]

I agree with TLittle to a degree: a good trade (being a good mechanic, plumber, etc.) is invaluable and is pretty much recession proof, and in the end, might make quite a bit more $$ than many corporate jobs. But even if you have a good trade, sometimes, having an education as well can help make you stand out from the rest of the pack. Just my .02 of course.

I can only speak with the perspective of my own life and career. I didn't have a "normal" path [go to school, get married, have kids, have one and only one career] so maybe it's different for me, but I do know that it is hard to make it as an autodidact. People don't always take you seriously. And when you apply for jobs, often you have to fill out applications online and if you don't check the box that says "degree in this or that at such and such school" then your application never even makes the cut, because these days, computers do the selection, so even though you have the skill and experience, you might never get your foot in the door. Having to go to night school later in life when you're working full time is kind of a pain in the @ss... So just keep that in mind, that's all I was saying.


Sorry about the thread-jack, Jumpman.

No, the forum is not dead. Most of the regulars have done their mods, and it's slow, but sometimes when I check in at night, I see a ton of guests looking at the technical threads and getting information.

So keep posting, go to local meets and post pictures, necro bump oldies, whatever ... just have fun!

[TLyttle]

Clearly SilverBack picked a lucrative field and is benefitting from it. The only graphic artist I know quit the field (after 25 years) and is now into horticulture (gardener, right?), making the same money, and enjoying the change.

As far as my trade is concerned, I don't have one, I've had about six. I've done plating, been a driver, built heavy trucks, designed and built handicap aids, instrument technician, and had my own businesses building RVs and repairing small engines. I have certificates for most of them, use them for buttwipe when I need to, now that I am retired.

If one is a thinker and/or innovator, the world is open, simple as that. The world needs fewer Gates trainees (work inside the box), and more open-minded people in industry. While most jobs for non-post-secondary workers have been shipped offshore, some stuff simply must be done locally, and that is where the money is. Like tomato, this is only my $.02....

[SilverBack]

I didn't pick it, it picked me . Some of us instantly find our destiny as early as age 5 when we take a pencil or crayon to paper (after we completely fill the sleeping kids' pants with playground sand, then later on feed our own curiosity about the flavor of paste).

[Crims0n5]

I just got a new job this year and I find that the only time I have for this site is when I'm at work... just don't tell my boss...

[TLyttle]

Funny stuff, SilverBack... I know what you mean: I used to sit on the curb and watch the cars go by at rush hour. I pumped gas (for free) at the local service station; they didn't pay me until I was 13, but I learned a lot. Times were different then, one could get an apprenticeship at 16, and no one thought anything of it, and certainly no one was shouting about post-secondary or lack of same!

[JBougie]

I'm still here .... sometimes .... my life has been a clusterf*$k of failure over the last 14 months financially and otherwise. This whole adjustment from married and having tons of money to single, broke, and dealing with sh*t from insane men has pretty much made me forget about the Yaris all together.

But, I check in on here from time to time. I still love yall :)

[TLyttle]

Wow, you sure sounded confident a year or more ago... Live and blunder, I always say. You still have lots to learn, just like I (and every other older person) did at your age.

[RHDVIPbB]

Just a fly on the wall here. Been occupying my time traveling and working more than I have in the past few years.

[JBougie]

Originally Posted by TLyttle

Wow, you sure sounded confident a year or more ago... Live and blunder, I always say. You still have lots to learn, just like I (and every other older person) did at your age.

All is getting better now ... I had to make some huge life changes, but seriously this week was like the best week ever. Life is just crazy through your 20s, and it should be ... that's the trial-and-error period for life. You get out on your own, and it takes a while to figure out how to make it work. Life shouldn't be easy right away.

I am always confident - just get down sometimes, but I have a strong enough support system I'll never get too down.

But like I said, this week has been awesome. So I know it's just up, up, up from here :)

And HELLO - it's almost Halloween!! That's my *favorite* Holiday!!! Then it's Fall IA, my birthday, and a few days later Turkeyday. This time of the year rules.

[hatchbackkid82]

I've noticed it as well. YW has been on slight decline, no new posts very often sometimes even a few days. People get busy and it's understandable. I always used to look forward to logging in and seeing what new posts were up. Even so I still like stopping by every once in a while and seeing what everyone is up to. I'm may be planning to come back to YW again regardless of what's happened with the site.

[Yesusk]

I ran a forum of Ford Ka enthusiast for Mexico, it had a LOT of action at first and the first tutorials, the new mods, the new ppl, kept it moving, then like this forum, a LOT of the subjects are writen already, so it gets slower but its a cicle, some people go, others come, ive learned tons here in just a few days cause its all right here, and found help when i needed (thnx Cali yaris), so dont worry just keep on chatting and helping new ppl!! we used to say "tha Ka got us here, but friendship made us stay"

[Kal-El]

We should soon see a big bump in action on this forum since we are now transitioning into a new generation. Naturally, we have seen a forum die down but that, I think, is fairly normal at the tail end of a generation for a one model forum.

The 2012's are only now slowly going on sale. Many new 2012 owners will be coming around and contributing a lot of new thoughts and ideas.

[JumpmanYaris]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

We should soon see a big bump in action on this forum since we are now transitioning into a new generation. Naturally, we have seen a forum die down but that, I think, is fairly normal at the tail end of a generation for a one model forum.

The 2012's are only now slowly going on sale. Many new 2012 owners will be coming around and contributing a lot of new thoughts and ideas.

True that