Motoring Discussion > It is not like it used to be! Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Falkirk Bairn Replies: 31

 It is not like it used to be! - Falkirk Bairn
Looked at the Telegraph motoring section today - pretty much the same as usual until I got to the HJ section - usually informative solutions to motorist's questions - the last update was 14th October - nigh on 3 weeks and nothing new.

What is happening? - are the DT's standards falling. Or are Telegraph readers solving their own issues? or asking the questions on AN Other site (e g Car4play.com?)
 It is not like it used to be! - Chicago
I've noticed also it seems to be updated much less often than it used to be.

Maybe HJ has other projects occupying his time.
 It is not like it used to be! - rtj70
Who cares. HJ didn't care about his forum members or moderators.

The HJ downtime is probably just down to him visiting relatives or something.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 3 Nov 10 at 01:10
 It is not like it used to be! - Chicago
rtj70 - do you know any of the background of what happened on the original site... can you tell?
 It is not like it used to be! - smokie
"rtj70 - do you know any of the background of what happened on the original site... can you tell?"

Not for discussion here please.
 It is not like it used to be! - Zero
>> "rtj70 - do you know any of the background of what happened on the original
>> site... can you tell?"
>>
>> Not for discussion here please.

Oh go on.

Its quite simple. Dynamic Dave was sacked for stealing the morning biscuits, so we all went out on strike in sympathy.
 It is not like it used to be! - FotheringtonTomas
>> The HJ downtime is probably just

Seems to be "up" to me. Not nicely laid out/usable, but there.
 It is not like it used to be! - L'escargot
Who's HJ?
 It is not like it used to be! - VxFan
>> Who's HJ?

Some bloke from Texas I think

www.honestjohn.com/
 It is not like it used to be! - Iffy
....some bloke from Texas I think...

Second cousin to California Charlie, who reluctantly sold a car to Marion Crane in Psycho:

California Charlie: I'm in no mood for trouble.

Marion Crane: What?

California Charlie: There's an old saying, "First customer of the day is always the trouble!" But like I say, I'm in no mood for it, so I'm gonna treat you so fair and square that you won't have one human reason to give me...

Marion Crane: Can I trade my car in and take another?

California Charlie: Do anything you've a mind to. Bein' a woman, you will. That yours?

Marion Crane: Yes, it's just that - there's nothing wrong with it. I just...

California Charlie: Sick of the sight of it! Well, why don't you have a look around here and see if there's somethin' that strikes your eyes, and meanwhile I'll have my mechanic give yours the once over. You want some coffee? I was just about...

Marion Crane: No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. I just want to make a change, and...

California Charlie: One thing people never oughtta be when they're buyin' used cars and that's in a hurry. But like I said, it's too nice a day to argue. I'll uh - shoot your car in the garage here.

 It is not like it used to be! - Redviper
The HJ Website (forum section) is not what it used to be

- Poorly laid out forum, not very nice to look at when reading through the forum posts –not as professional looking as it used to be.
- There is no scope for the headers now like there used to be. E.g in Technical you had the make/model and year of the car so you knew what It was before you entered the post.
- The page jumps as it loads in adverts, so the sometimes you have clicked on the link above the one you wanted (this might be just my computer)
- Adverts sometimes cause the page/forum post to stop loading altogether – frequent crashes (again might be down to my PC)
- Pop up adverts when entering the forum – very annoying.
- The general quality of the posts .

I wish the technical on this site though was a but more busy (as it is on HJ) because I enjoy reading through the technical posts)
Last edited by: Redviper on Wed 3 Nov 10 at 16:13
 It is not like it used to be! - diddy1234
I had also wondered what happened to the H'J site and the forum.

For me I found HJ site by accident and found the forums really good (at the time).
Then I joined and become a member one month before the HJ site was changed and the mass exodus happened.

I felt la bit lost for a while thinking what had happened (I had found a decent car forum with great help and then it all goes wrong and everyone just vanished).
Then out of the blue I was invited here and it is nice to be back with 'proper' people providing decent help and guidance again.

I never did understand what had happened for there to be a mass migration to this site.
Just glad the help and guidance is still out there on the web.
 It is not like it used to be! - madf
Lets summarise it like this.

The best way to lose forum traffic is to suddenly close the forum without warning for 3-4 weeks.
 It is not like it used to be! - Iffy
...The best way to lose forum traffic is to suddenly close the forum without warning for 3-4 weeks...

And before you do that, treat all the members as if they are retarded children.

 It is not like it used to be! - Collos
How many HJ's are there the one whose name is on the web site,the one in the DT appear to be different people then there is one turning up at car shows and the one I worked with for many years ( he got the name from the way he did his expense sheet)then there are numerous ones in America ,millions of people called John in the world some must have the monicor HJ.
 It is not like it used to be! - Falkirk Bairn
As if by magic the HJ page on the DT website was updated after 3 weeks on non activity.

Looked at the questions and answers - I am sure they were recycled from former questions - well maybe they are new and I am getting older and more cynical.
 It is not like it used to be! - Collos
You may be getting older but cynical no .
I to think I have read that before ,the only time I buy a UK paper is Saturday and normally the DT for the crosswords.
I see in the paper the left hand braking on automatics was brought up yet again.If everybody in the world changed to this dangerous procedure then there would accidents without end instead of the few we have now.
 It is not like it used to be! - madf
As far as left foot braking is concerned, there are enough drivers who think the accelerator is the brake when driving autos. Give them a choice of feet to use and they' are likely to sit in a state of indecision over which foot to use when stopping at traffic lights... with inevitable consequences.

I was brought up to believe in KISS...
 It is not like it used to be! - Collos
I have been driving a mixture of left hand drive ,right hand drive manual and automatics for many years and have never had a problem and I have tried left foot braking and thought it was extremely dangerous.
 It is not like it used to be! - BiggerBadderDave
I've been doing it for 26 years. It's very easy and very safe.
 It is not like it used to be! - Runfer D'Hills
I must be weird because I brake with either foot whether in a manual or auto depending on the circumstances of the situation. Neither feels awkward or dangerous really any more than switching which hand is doing the steering if the other one is needed to operate another control or something. Not sure why there is so much fuss about it.

 It is not like it used to be! - BiggerBadderDave
"Not sure why there is so much fuss about it."

Because motor bores like to think there's some amazing, special skill involved in driving and it upsets them that they can't do such a simple thing as press a pedal with the other foot.
 It is not like it used to be! - Zero
Complete rubbish.

There is simply no need to bother to anything different. You never need to use both feet in an auto so why bother to learn.

All the carp about it being safer for the old stupid and dangerous when driving autos, they are still old stupid and dangerous. Using both feet doesn't alter that fact or make them any safer.

Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 4 Nov 10 at 19:02
 It is not like it used to be! - BiggerBadderDave
Know your limitations Zero

You can't

I can.
 It is not like it used to be! - Zero
Ah well, at least I can cope in supermarkets if the milk runs out.
 It is not like it used to be! - Armel Coussine
I tend to agree about left-foot braking, although in powerful automatics with sticky throttles and crude drivetrains - there are many such, not just in America - cautious lfb may be a good idea for manoeuvring in very tight places.

If you drive all sorts of vehicles nearly all the time like HJ, or are a rally driver, it may be worth learning the lfb technique. Otherwise you may just make yourself a bit more dangerous than you are already.

I must take issue with BBD though, as a driving bore. As we all know only too well, any halfwit can learn to operate the controls of an automobile and even pass the so-called driving test. But the differences between the downright bad, the mediocre general run and the 20 per cent or less of decent drivers are plainly apparent as one drives about. Elegance, flow, rapidity and care don't come naturally and take time to acquire. There are subtleties here.

Lots of people are stupid and dangerous Zeddo. Goes without saying that some of them survive long enough to become old too. But they were stupid and dangerous to start with, you cheeky ageist young scamp.
 It is not like it used to be! - paulb
I cannot understand why it matters which foot people brake with when driving automatics.

I've tried both methods, but tend to stick with the foot I usually brake with, i.e. the right. Other people use their left. Fine, as long as they are exercising proper control of the vehicle.

If they do it wrong, then no doubt the insurers (or in extreme instances, the Police) will deal with the consequences. And that goes for any method of operating a car.

Just don't get why some folk need to be a-cussin' of those who think differently.
 It is not like it used to be! - madf
I see Zero is going all ageist on us..

Wait till you get over 21...-)
 It is not like it used to be! - Zero
>> Wait till you get over 21...-)
Again.
 It is not like it used to be! - madf
Problems occur when you can multiply 31 by 3 and still be older than the result..:-(




Edit: sorry 21..
Last edited by: madf on Thu 4 Nov 10 at 16:32
 It is not like it used to be! - Iffy
...You never need to use both feet in an auto so why bother to learn...

I used to think that, but you do need to use both feet in some autos in confined spaces.

They simply will not creep using only one foot.

 It is not like it used to be! - MD
I can't left foot brake, no way. I'd be 'over the handlebars' at the first attempt.
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