Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums Showcase and Stories, Petroliana Important message.

When we started Buys Of The Week the intent was to have a feature where collectors could showcase their recent buys. Every week I get complaints about:
1. Dealers posting their inventory here instead of in the For Sale or Trade forum. 2. Non-petro items being posted in BOTW.
3. The size of some images.

At this time dealers are allowed to post their RECENT purchases but not existing inventory. Its a fine line, but as long as the items aren't being advertised for sale we are allowing them to be posted. Do to the volume of complaints that policy may change.

Images of non-petro items will be deleted from all Showcase features. We will continue to allow automotive related advertising images.

Many Shop Talk users have dial up connections. The size of many of the images being posted are a real problem for them. Keep your image size at 640 X 480 or smaller! Image Shack has a thumbnail option that you should consider using.

Bob Drake
Lastgas15, Oldgas.com admin.

Hi Bob- whats a dealer?? just about everyone who posts on old gas collects and sells some of their extras-- I posted 2 items I found last week that are already in my site as for sale- 2 items that Im not keeping were already posted in For Sale on old gas- Guess I could wait to post for sale till after I post in buys of the week- we all know that numerous times buys of the week produce email from other collectors that are interested in the posted item- hopefully this is not a conflict of personalities that created this post

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Wanted 5 quart cans

Don,
People difine "dealer" differently. That is why we have allowed dealers to post their new aquistions as long as they don't advertise them as being for sale.
I get a lot of email about this. I don't think it has anything to do with personalities.
You brought up a good point about people emailing those that have posted their BOTW wanting to buy them. I get a fair amount of complaints about that too. In fact some have gone so far as to stop posting in any of the features in this forum because of collectors and dealers hounding them.

I want to share my opinion of the differances. Everyone that collects sells from time to time or upgrades or even buying something that was a good deal to sell for a litle profit. This does not make him a dealer. Buying many things and selling almost everything you own is a dealer.
I know everyone can't be happy all the time and oldgas is going to get complaints. I haven't complained about anything but since Bob brought it up i am on dial-up and yes it takes for ever to load images so i can relate.

I always thought buys of the week was to show items you have bought for your collection. That doesn't mean you got a good deal or paid way more for it than you should have (which i just recently did... LOL) But just showing what you added to the collection.

Buying something for resale only and never intended for your collection should be placed in the for sale section.
I am guilty of asking if something is for sale once or twice... sorry i couldn't help myself.
Just wanted to share my thoughts.

How about just limiting the picture posting to maybe three pictures per person per week? If you want to show off a bunch of stuff you would just have to do a group photo to post.
I cannot recall another web site were people post a huge amount of pictures that everyone has to waite through to view a topic.
I would say in the for sale section same policy. For dial up users a huge string of pictures ruins this site. The big dealers should have the courtesy to not do the damage they are obviously doing. I KNOW I am not alone with this view.
Jim

...everyone's being pretty coy about this - isn't this really about a specific non-collector posting large photos of their burgeoning 'family investment' portfolio, one at a time, in BOTW every week?...

...it seems to me that allowing "dealers to post their new aquistions as long as they don't advertise them as being for sale" is basically a waste of bandwidth given the fact that dealers can post under 'For Sale or Trade' for FREE...and, seriously, does anyone browsing Oldgas, looking for stuff to buy, scroll through BOTW without looking at the 'For Sale or Trade' forum?...

No, this is not about any one person. We receive complaints about this weekly, and the complaints are about more than one person.
We're looking at a few possible sollutions.

IF the items aren't For Sale thru BOTW, why show Both sides of a sign or globe ?
Why post a Phone # & Email w/ every post ?
Isn't that what the icons are for ?
db

I for one have high speed internet and enjoy seeing a lot of signs, for sale, private collecton or whatever. If the issue is slow downloads for dial up users, why not start a new heading under shop talk specifically for the big groups of pictures. That way, if you want to see all the stuff people have to show, you can look. If not, don't click on the link. I like seeing what Ron, Butch and others with deeper pockets than I have pick up.

I like seeing it all. I use that option on Imageshack called "Thumbnail for forums". when I post a picture. Isn't that what we are supossed to be using? I don't know what size they are, but I think that what the designers of this site want us to use. Please advise if different.

Just goes to show ya, SOMEbody's gonna complain about SOMEthing, no matter what...

What I fail to understand is why these complainers wanna complain and waste the moderators' time---last time I looked, this was a site free for all of us to use. If ya wanna gripe, start yer OWN site(and yes, I have contributed a few $$$ to Jim to help with the site, so I figure I got a right to say this)
Dealers? What exactly constitutes a dealer?? Has anybody here NOT EVER sold anything and made a profit???

I LIKE seeing pics---especially some of that high-dollar-molded-from-un-obtanium stuff that there's no DOUBT it's for sale.
but..but...but....somebody's "offended" cause a pic might connect the owner with a guy who's been looking for THAT EXACT ITEM and some money might change hands(and somebody might make a profit--boo hoo)

Man, what a waste of bandwidth this thread is....Sorry Jim.
Hi Bob.

Rant over.

this is the reason why alot people dont post on here . i like to see as much as posible . i think its great . ive got dail up. i look at the wait. like waiting for check the oil every bi month . most the of the time you see it here first anyway . but i still enjoy the wait and wish i got here fast. old gas is great . drama not so great.

Personal vendettas & cliques are nearly impossible to avoid. Sad. I've been posting on here since '99 and I got worked over for trying to sell parts to people asking for them when there were less than 200 users. Only stands to reason that as the sight grows, so will the issues.

We do get complaints by email regularly over these issues, so it's good to let you guys have a say about it. Thanks for the opinions.

To me it's more of a courtesy thing. We need to respect the other guy.

* Post items that are really intended for resale in the For Sale forum rather than the Showcase Buy of the Week topic. This issue upsets many people, so why not follow that guideline?

* Using the "thumbnail code" from ImageShack shows consideration for the many dial-up users we have. This makes a real difference when a lot of images are on one page.

Most of us love to see pictures of cool petro and auto service stuff. We don't want to nit-pick image contributors, but if we take no action, we show disrespect to the concerns of other members.

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Jim "Oldgas" Potts
Your host and moderator

The only complaint that I have is seeing all those high end signs that some people seem to have coming out of there ears and me not able to get my hands on them! Its tough to see them and then....imagine the PRICE! yikes! Maybe I should get serious and only buy a really nice sign every now and then instead of many common ones?

The only thing that I get tired of is some of these pictures that are of the larger size are of items that were posted 4 and 5 months ago, they just are new pics. BOTW should be exactly that, stuff that you bought that week. Don't get me wrong, I love looking at everyones pics as I have high speed intrenet, but don't keep posting items that have been posted before in a previous BOTW.

Dial Up!!??.... Is that type of service really still available??? I thought all those ISP's sent those antique modems to the museums years ago!! LOL!! I like the photos and with DSL they only take a split second to load. Sorry dial up guys, I know your frustration but you all should seriously look into DSL not just for this site but internet usage in general. Dial up service won't even be around much longer. We're already beginning to deploy IPTV service from the phone company that I work for. Technology is moving at light speeds in this industry.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Mike Smith (edited 11-28-2006).]

DELETE

[This message has been edited by philmccauley (edited 11-30-2006).]

I like all the pictures from dealers or not. After all its BOTW not keeper of the week?

As far as dialup, the value of this site (to me) other then the information, is the pictures. The more the better. Its better then any book you can buy so to limit the pictures to the thumbnails or just a few per person does not seam as valuable to me. I can't even make the thumbnails on my website for the pictures I put up and I post a bunch of pictures. If you want to limit it to 400x600 pixels I would support that!

Its true the squeaky wheel always gets the oil {noticed} on this site but we have to remember that there are over 4500 members and I do not think the majority have complained.

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Scott Wright-
Wanted Powerine, Bearcat and Powerlube Items- Lots to trade!

Phil we have done business and I love your dad but your polite guy seems always to take part in the bashing at other people himself.If you can give it then you better be able to take it,no matter how much gas stuff you have.Im tired of seeing the same stuff also that has been posted before.1 large picture for each item,come on! I have dial up and dont mind waiting,I have no choice I live out in the country but its getting pretty bad.Group your pictures 7 pictures of indian heads that are the same is lame.I like to see the stuff also no matter whos it is.There is a place for everyones items on this site. I MISS REX!

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This topic wasn't about telling people to stop posting pictures or bashing anyone. It was started to ask people to not post non-petro items and try to size the images down. Using the "thumbnail code" from ImageShack shows consideration for dial-up users. This makes a real difference when a lot of images are on one page. I haven't complained but have thought to myself it would be nice if the pictures were smaller. Will i stop looking... no... i always look. LOL If you can't make them smaller fine but people using imageshack have that option. I live in the country and can not get high speed... not even satellite and i have to deal with that.

What the heck, I'll throw my thoughts in too. I love looking at the Pics, but if I get a little uptight at how long the picture takes to download, I hit the "Back" button. No one is forcing me to wait for the download. No big deal, I choose not to look, but I don't want to take away the opportunity for other members to see. Brady

Everyone knows who we are talking about including them. Just post items for sale in the for sale section and not in buys of the week and have it done with. Just my five cents.

"Thumbnails" are small and cute I guess, but I'd hate to see all pictures in that format. Seems to me I spend just as much time clicking, waiting for Imageshack's site to load, viewing a picture you can actually see, then clicking back to OldGas.....as I would have just waiting to load a "normal" size image. I live in the country and finally got satellite service.....I'd think this clicking back and forth would be much worse for those with dial-up service.

Of course, thumbnails take up less space on the OldGas server, which is probably a good reason to use them.....makes Jim's life a little easier, which is a good enough reason in itself.

The more pictures posted for whatever reason the better, as far as I'm concerned.....I'm 60 now and can't read all the "fine print" anyway, at least without squinting and tilting my head way back!!!

Richard

Richard

Here is my idea of buy of the week. Some COLLECTOR finds his first pump out on a farm and makes a deal with the old farmer and buys it and is thrilled...or finds a new can for his collection at a swap meet or gas bash and is proud of his new addition to his can collection even though it may not be a big dollar item.... he wants to share his new acquisition with his fellow "hobbiests".
Then here is the mega dealer adding 30 neon signs to his inventory and I have to waite 20 minutes for all those posted pictures to download before I can see the proud collectors one loney item. The heck with it!I am as busy as everyone else in this world....click off subject....all the posts after the 30 neons never get seen.Can anybody see the problems with this scenario? What is the incentive to post anything.
If I want to look at great signs I can search the web for images and look at hundreds any time I want! Or go to the dealers web sites if I am looking to buy... But why should I have to waite 20 minutes to look at a fellow collectors new sign he found at a flea market and is tickled to show his "friends" because the 30 neon signs have to download first?

P.S. There is more people than most of you guys seem to realize that can only get dial-up internet.
Jim

[This message has been edited by Mr.Wadhams (edited 11-30-2006).]

Mr.Wadhams makes a great point, I'll use Powerlube as a example (sorry Scott). Scott just bought a big collection, did he post the whole collection on Buy's of the week, NO. If he were going to keep a few items, those are the ones that should make it into Buy's of the week. Not the rest of it that he plans on selling. This is why I personally like found along the way better than Buy's of the week.

Half the time I don't even look in there anymore and never post pictures in there anymore.

As for opening pictures to view them, not a big fan of that. I get an advertisement every time I open one, you have to close that, wait for the picture, then close it when your done looking at it. Just easier to scroll down and look and read .

Just my 2cents,

Brian

Ah comon Brian, you don't want me to post 35 globes individually and 100 signs in the next BOTW? It would only take dial up users about an hour to see it all.

I try to post just keepers but I have posted pictures of a whole group as in when I bought this collection of cans this summer.

This rule stops a collector like me from posting a picture like this

I sold all these cans but I think everyone enjoyed looking at them and hearing about the score.

I think this problem should be addressed individually and not globaly.

Scott,

I must have been sleeping, all the stuff you had on your site was part of the score along with the cans. WOW. Nice.

Phil

You just cant satisfy everone. I have no anwser for this topic but I for 1 appericate seeing all of the stuff, sometimes these guys have things that arent often seen. In my oppinion all this is going to do is upset some people and then they wont post annything. Then we all lose, on accont of the minority not liking some thing. To me you have to rule by the majority not the other way round. If you have a problem dont look at the buys of the weeak. Simple solution to the prob. Some people are never happy no matter what. To them I say find a new hobbie and get a life. Im sorry for those on dialup but that is not my or annyone elsese fault. So should we suffer because you have to? I dont think thats fair either. There is no 1 awnser here but just because there is a squeaky wheel doesnt mean it needs the grease at the cost of the majority.
These are just my thoughts if you dont agree so what I dont care. This is just how I see it.
Brandon

OK. I tried not to get in on this one but...
I like to see the stuff. As long as those purchases are from that week or at least very recent I don't care who listed them. I would have a problem if someone starts using BOTW to post their inventory and some posts do sometimes look suspicious in that regard.
With all the quality items getting priced out of my range and hidden away in million dollar collections I like the opportunity to see hard to find items that I may not otherwise see and could never afford.
As for the dial-up issue I do sympathize as I had dial-up until fairly recently. But I don't think you should dumb down the site because some people have dial-up. I don't like the thumbnails because I always seem to get a pop-up ad.
My 2.
Chris

I agree with Mr. Wadhams. Well said.

This topic has brought out some good replies. There have been some useful suggestions and there have been some unpractical suggestions.

Jim posted:
"To me it's more of a courtesy thing. We need to respect the other guy.

* Post items that are really intended for resale in the For Sale forum rather than the Showcase Buy of the Week topic. This issue upsets many people, so why not follow that guideline?

* Using the "thumbnail code" from ImageShack shows consideration for the many dial-up users we have. This makes a real difference when a lot of images are on one page.

Most of us love to see pictures of cool petro and auto service stuff. We don't want to nit-pick image contributors, but if we take no action, we show disrespect to the concerns of other members."

He points out that dealers can post in For Sale or Trade (for free).

Here's an excerpt from the Membership Agreement:
"Post items that are for sale or trade only in the For Sale or Trade forum category, or the Online Auction category. For sale items may be deleted from other forum categories unless they are in reply to a legitimate request for that item. Multiple messages with similar content will be deleted. Please don't post the same message more than once."

Its right there in the rules for everyone to see. THAT IS why we receive so many complaints.

Mr. Wadhams hit the nail on the head with this comment:
"Some COLLECTOR finds his first pump out on a farm and makes a deal with the old farmer and buys it and is thrilled...or finds a new can for his collection at a swap meet or gas bash and is proud of his new addition to his can collection even though it may not be a big dollar item.... he wants to share his new acquisition with his fellow "hobbiests".

That is EXACTLY what BOTW is supposed to be about.

Those that counter by saying they like seeing the pictures miss the point. We all like to see the pictures. Just post them in the right place. Dealers posting items in BOTW is no different than if they would post them in a topic about rebuilding a veeder root computer.

While this site does have over 4400 members, the actual number of people that post regularly is much lower. A VERY high percentage of regular posters have weighed in publicly and privately about this matter. The responses that concern me the most are the ones from the people that have stopped posting on a regular basis because of a few people abusing this site.

We aren't going to exclude someone because they have the means to buy lots of things. In fact we welcome more collectors to post (within the guidelines of this site).

One piece of useful information we gained from this discussion is that some don't like thumbnail images. Thats unfortunate because requiring them for those that post lots of images was an option. We'll hold off on that for now.

Chad brought up an important point:
"The only thing that I get tired of is some of these pictures that are of the larger size are of items that were posted 4 and 5 months ago, they just are new pics. BOTW should be exactly that, stuff that you bought that week."

The following rules for the Showcase and Stories forum will take effect immediately:

Links to other websites will not be allowed.

Phone numbers will not be allowed.

Images of the reverse side of items will not be allowed.

Those new rules apply to the entire Showcase and Stories forum.

Also, if you see the same item being posted more than once in BOTW send a link to the multiple posts to me.

We will NOT edit posts that don't comply with the rules. We will simply delete them!
Bob Drake, Oldgas.com Admin.


Edit for spelling.



[This message has been edited by Lastgas15 (edited 11-30-2006).]

Hey!! Let's start a "Call somebody out" category,that way if you don't like somebody you can duke it out in there.

Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me!!!

Richard

I will ask for an exclusion on the showing reverse side of items.

1.. on oil cans

2..if other side of sign has a different image

3..pump or oil rack , if they have different decals or signage as the other side.

Can you consider this please..