Some people will troll. But also some people don't take criticism too well, or take it too personally.

 

Looking forward to it!

 

The Vega, magical in itself! Its replacement, the chevette was as bad if if not worse.

 

You're so close to getting hit on the head with my walker, sonny boy.

 

 

it seems in today's day and age, folks would rather be on their phones then in a conversation with someone.......


guys don't take their hats off indoors anymorethat's a difficult thing to reverse....always trying to 'one up' each other, get in the faster lane and go faster, make more money, have a bigger house etc......
now it spreads to the internet with superior intellect and catchy comebacks.....

****e , I don't have a point to make lol

 

I, on the other hand find them quite entertaining, it's harmless, annoying sometimes, perhaps, but definatly entertaining...lol

 

Interesting and popular post Stan, and kinda cliche' for luxury buyers having egos and compensation issues, right? That said, I have learned a lot and chats/posts with some very nice folks from this forum...yourself included.

 

Thank you. The majority are good guys ... there just always seems to be that very vocal minority that likes to come along and try to ruin it for everyone else.

My personal policy has always been to ignore them and never offer a response or engage in an argument. I'm hopeful that as more forum members actually get into their new C cars, those voices will fade into the background noise.

 

I personally like the sarcastic, fly-by comments that have little to no relevance to any given conversation


it's a forum after all
I have only used the ignore function once: but you have to admit, the comedy occurs quite often here lol

 

Such an interesting thread....
Mercedes sells their entire fleet from S Class to CLA Class/Klass
The W205 has been rated by so many as best in Class.
Most of us on this board try to answer or give opinions (not judgements) on questions or concerns about or various MBs.
I have always found this site to be useful when I was getting into a new MB or trying to get some issue (winter tires) resolved.
At the end of the day Mercedes sells/leases these cars to folks who I would think after considerable research decide on their particular flavor of MB product.
So anyone can buy any Mercedes Class he or she wants but you really can't buy that other more elusive Class.

 

Behavioral patterns are model specific on this board. AMG forums show the highest level of belligerence with the AMG W211 probably being the worst. The W209 forum is probably the most polite. The W203 the most helpful. The W204 forum was a little "angry" in it's early days but improved as the model matured.

Sportstick, as a veteran & highly respected Market Researcher might like to comment on the phenomenon.

 

LOL at W211

 

See.. that type of comment comes across to me as rather overbearing.

I relate your comment to me personally, because I do get annoyed with people om forums, who do not adhere to universally accepted social norms.

I know how to behave in real life, so I can tell the difference.

Essentially what I hear you say, is that you are better then me, because I get annoyed with people who can not behave in a socially acceptable way.

Imagine you are at a party or social gathering, standing in a group of 4-5 guys as you tend to do. You mention to the group that you just bought the new mercedes, and that you are really happy with it. A guy which you never met before, then proceed to comment in public, that he thinks the nose of your car looks like a Tumor. (direct quote from C400cmatic, in reply to a post i made)

Did that sort of thing ever happen in real life? I think not! That sort of behaviour only happens on forum like this.

 

Glynn,
Thanks for your kind words as well as some others who offered support.

This is an interesting topic, and we all suffer the handicap here that afflicts all email. There are no cues as to context and meaning from intonation, facial expression, and the more revealing conversational pattern of real-time talking. So much of what we derive from dialogue in most interactions in our lives comes from non-verbal input, that we are inherently limited in communicating and understanding the actual intent when confined to written form alone.

Having said that, there are two psychographic groups we have found in our most recent work in the US auto industry which most likely are over-represented here. Without revealing the names, they generally fall in to two categories, very briefly described here, but backed up with quite a bit of quantitative data from national surveys:

Young, upwardly mobile performance-seekers who seek the high end products whether automotive, cell phone, computer, etc. They know and use specifications as status markers. They place high importance in expressing their personalities, being recognized/"looked-up-to" in a positive way by others, and the image their product choices carry. Lots of MB, BMW, Audi, Porsche here.

The other group are the outwardly affluent. They predominantly wish to display their wealth and use products as signs of their accomplishment as well as to reward themselves. They are not necessarily performance-oriented, but may wind up with high-performance products because the brand names convey wealth and success.

One common characteristic between these groups is the need to demonstrate self-identity. Some see this as having a strong sense of self, but folks like Maslow would suggest the opposite. These outwardly-demonstrative buyers use their purchases to assist in establishing their stature, as without those items, and their associated referential status, they feel less accomplished. The irony is that this feeling is often held by those who should least feel this way, having made significant accomplishments in life. Early childhood "tapes" come into play.

So, the need to be "right" is high on the list for both of these groups seeking to demonstrate their status/power. The AMG group being the most combative makes perfect sense based on more strongly attracting a narrower and highly over-representative group of these personalities. OTOH, the W203, not a status nor performance-sought vehicle at this stage, is appreciated for its inherent goodness and capability as a daily driver and attracts/keeps owners who enjoy the car for fewer ego-related reasons. Again, your observations make perfect sense.

This emotional need for status/recognition can be so compelling that it drives people to make statements to bolster themselves while or by demeaning another. I see this even in face-to-face focus groups where one person tries to become the "self-appointed expert" of the group. This has tribal roots of "us" vs "them", but also is a way of an individual demonstrating dominance within a tribe to assume a sense of leadership. With the replacement of physical prowess by knowledge and information here as the norm by which we are judged, the temptation to assert a better decision or belittle someone else's decision becomes irresistible for some.

When reading comments highly critical or others, or when finding someone taking a clearly subjective opinion and attempting to represent it as objective fact, a mind-buzzer should go off to recognize the struggle that writer is having. There is a narcissistic quality of seeing the world only through their own lens which makes others' opinions easily disregarded. There is no point in debate, but it does help to realize what motivates such behavior so as not to become swallowed up by it. That doesn't mean people of vastly different opinions can't express them together in productive and interesting discussions, but look for recognition and respect of the differences, rather than one trying to overwhelm the other with the "rightness" of their personal perceptions. One clue...."I statement" vs. "You statements"....when folks simply describe, "I feel....I think...." and discuss their own feelings, they may be assertive, but usually are less aggressive (in the negative sense) than those who use "You are...." with a pejorative following.

Anyway, from Glyn's invitation, research ramblings for a Sunday morning....

Hope everyone is enjoying their cars today! It's getting surprisingly mild enough here to try a hand car wash in the driveway!

 

Good commentary as always!

 

Thanks, Sportstick. A very interesting and insightful analysis of board behavior. I also empathize with Eilers' point of view, where a simple level of socially acceptable interaction should be expected in even an online discourse.

In the end, since none of us can change the way people behave here or anywhere else, simply ignoring the most offensive posts may still be the only effective way of dealing with them.

 

Very interesting.

What is/are 'Early childhood "tapes"'?

 

Thanks for the analysis Sportstick. So I think the takeaway should be that all AMG owners are narcissistic, boastful asshats.

Actually, I'm sure the incivility displayed here is no different than any other automotive forum with the same demographic composition. MBworld members run the spectrum on age, race and socioeconomic backgrounds. A Mercedes can be had for less than $5,000 to more than $500,000, so that invites a very diverse crowd. If you expect harmony here, you're setting the bar too high.

 

especially when we have fine mods like Rock to help us with our feelings and navigate though the treacherous downfalls of luxury car ownership

 

You shouldn't have to listen to comments like that on the internet or in person, I agree. Something that's aimed directly at you or your car shouldn't be negative. When I say some people take it personally, I mean when someone says something derogatory about the C Class in general, and not yours in particular. In that case, just dismiss the comment, we can't all agree.

 

It's a term used to describe the messages we heard as children and unconsciously "replay" in our heads as adults, e.g. "Why didn't you do better on a test, how could you fumble that catch? You're never going to amount to much.", etc. The more brutal can be direct insults such as "You're stupid, worthless", etc. Some can also be more subtle. Taken in total, they help defeat the development of self-esteem and may lead to compensatory actions in adulthood.....overachievers are sometimes born out of early low self-esteem as they try to overcompensate for what they think is missing in themselves. Sometimes this is channeled into worthwhile work/life endeavors...sometimes people try to prove their worth (essentially to themselves, via the approval of others) with money and material goods, quite a bit more shallow and very desperate. The biggest show-offs are usually the ones with the poorest self-image if you can get past all the surface bluster.

 

I appreciate criticism from those who own or even thinking about owning a Mercedes. The ones who hang around the forums, just to be critical, are a pain.
I like to know the good and bad about anything I own or would be considering buying. I have learned a lot about the good and bad with the W205's but still have an interest in owning one.