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Detroit, 4:46 PM
Sun Nov 22
11 posts in the last 24 hours
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06/10/09
The rest of the car looks superb. I cant wait to see one in person!
06/10/09
I know this is the internet, and somewhere along the line it was decided that grammar and etiquette were not applicable, but can we please make an exception for Jalopnik?
I started reading Jalopnik last fall. The thing that attracted me to Jalopnik over other auto blogs, such as TTAC, was the level of intelligence and wit exhibited by the commentariat. This isn't a place where we say "First!" or a place where we can make inane, childish comments and have people respond to you -- other than to maybe tell you to shut up.
I can't tell you how many times I've skimmed down a page (like this one) and skipped over 99% of the comments simply because the person refused to hit the shift key every now and then or used proper punctuation. You may have the most awesomest insight into the article or the funniest comment ever, but I -- and I can guarantee you most of the commentariat -- won't ever notice because it was in a poorly written format.
Unlike most blogs or message boards, the Jalopnik commenter used proper English including the following seemingly arcane rules:
1. Use proper capitalization.
2. Use proper punctuation.
3. Spell out words. This isn't a text message. We have accepted LOL, IMHO and even, to some extent, OMG. However, for the most part we exhibit our spelling skills.
4. Refrain from personal attacks. I haven't noticed too much of this, but it's still a good rule to include.
5. If you make a stupid, outrageous, and/or polarizing statement, be prepared to back yourself up. Trolling will be called out, and we will have fun with you from time to time, especially if you are capable of justifying your statement.
6. Use wit. Wit isn't just making an obvious joke like, "OMG, that car is so ugly it looks like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. LOL LOL LOL" No, wit can take many forms, but it usually employs a level of thought not required for silly nonsense.
You don't have to use all these rules all the time. Lord knows I'll make stupid statements or make obvious jokes. However, you'll garner a lot more attention and respect if you employ these rules regularly.
Thank you
engineerd
/Threadjack over
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06/10/09
Nixon
I am not a crook
/Nixon
06/10/09
@tonyola: Intellectually, I know you're right. Emotionally, though, I am fighting it. Not everywhere, but in those few oases in this barren language desert. Jalopnik was/is an oasis where proper English is still practiced on the web, but I have noticed a dramatic decline in the quality of the writing lately. After scrolling through this page, it just kind of came to a head and I felt I should say something. Maybe I'm an anal pedant. Maybe I just like to maintain the qualities that originally attracted me and so many others to this site over others.
06/10/09
06/10/09
Look, if I comment from work, I can't make a comment more than about four lines long without ending up in a situation where my typing is producing words much faster than they will show up in the comment box. As a result, I have to type my comment, wait five minutes for it to show up in the text field, then go back through it with a fine-toothed comb for any grammatical errors, typos, or unintelligible sentences. I INSIST on doing this, because I believe that the Jalopnik community is made up of amazingly intelligent commenters, and they deserve that level of respect. (Also, I don't want them to know that I am, in fact, much more stoopider than most of them is.)
If you, Mr. Text-Speak Commenter, can't be bothered to show us that level of respect, I see no reason to show you the respect of acknowledging your statement. I think they should be bumped off to Page 2, personally, so that the good comments from Page 2 will get moved up.
There are exceptions, of course. The Incomparable POLAR, for instance, uses lolspeak, but he's proven his wit and intellect, and we recognize it as an art form. I, for instance, throw out deliberate tongue-in-cheek flame-bait all the time to get a good conversation going. Engineerd, for instance, is usually wrong about everything. But those are exceptions that prove the rule.
If we agree not to stand for the bullshit, maybe the bullshit will go away.
/engineerd, I kid because I love.
06/10/09
06/10/09
Don't let that stop you from the pictures. They are always appreciated.
@Deartháir - Now with more SingoFinger™!: Hehe...you said flame bait.
06/10/09
[jalopnik.com]
06/10/09
06/10/09
And to think Porsche is accused of desing lazyness...
Any sportscar Ian Callum has designed since the DB7 (15 years ago!) looks basically the same, with only small modifications to the front and rear clips and overall size. Yes he chose a nice basic shape, but after using the same template SEVEN TIMES (DB7, Vanquish, DB9, V8 Vantage, Jag XK, DBS, Rapide) you have to come up with something new, preferably a new direction you already hinted at with existing designs.
Aston (Callum) didn't do that and now risks alienating its customers with the next step (Vanquish successor?) which will probably be fundamentally different and unexpected. The Lagonda concept was a first sign for this development in my view.
06/10/09
But coming up with a radically new shape would be detrimental to Aston Martin, as their Lagonda concept of late proves. Current Aston Martins are golden in the sense that in twenty years, they will be perceived as being as beautiful as they were when the left the showroom floor. The DB7 is an example of this. It was a gorgeous car when it was introduced, and still is today.
To suddenly alter that would be jarring to the both the customers and the brand. It would be the equivalent of Porsche releasing a front-engined, front-wheel drive car with a 911 badge. It's just stupid. The best way for them to keep their customers and their image is not to introduce some revolutionary design; they've already done that. Rather, they need to let their current design language gently evolve over time, and they have done a superb job of that.
Companies like Aston Martin don't give a damn about fads in the automotive world, such as completely redesigning every generation of a car. They know from experience that when it comes right down to it, people will always keep coming back to the simple, timeless treasures in the automotive world, just like that perfectly comfortable dinner jacket that never goes out of style. They can either resort to selling to automotive fads (I'm looking at you, Porsche Cayenne), or they can transcend those fads and become something else altogether: a timeless blend of power, beauty, and soul.
That is what Aston Martin is about. No other car company in that rarified stratosphere can say that. Not Lamborghini. Not Porsche. Not Ferrari. Not Maserati. Aston lost their way a little bit in the 80s (but then, so did every other car company), but with the advent of the revolutionary design that was the DB7, it's time to continue evolving it, not replace it.
06/10/09
06/10/09
Personally, I'd say that's perfect design, not flawed design. We complain that the new BMWs don't hold true to their design language, how can we criticise Aston Martin for the total opposite?
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06/10/09
They shoulda called this thing a Lagonda instead of that SUV-alike.
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01/09/09
01/09/09
You know the G8s are outsorced, right? They are made in Australia.
01/09/09
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01/09/09
Too bad only massive asses will drive this car.Nobody cool will buy this. :(
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01/09/09
When I went to another dental office for teeth whitening-- guess what car dominated the parking lot? BMWs. The dentist himself had a newer M5 and his associates had standard 3 series.
01/09/09
01/09/09
Attorney Meowsy: You've gotten be KITTEN me.
01/09/09
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