Ask You: What Do You Want To See Here in 2018?

As our first month of semi-commercialization wraps up here, I’m pleased to say that December 2018 is the highest traffic month we’ve ever had here at Riverside Green. In addition to increased content from the two of us Baruths, we also had outstanding content from Thomas Kreutzer, Freddy Hernandez, Michael Briskie, Rebecca Turrell, and Tom Klockau—in other words, we’ve become the most diverse kinda automotive site in the business without actually trying. Funny how that works!

For the first five years of this site’s existence, and even more so since I joined the masthead, we’ve never been particularly focused on driving traffic to our mutual vanity project. However, since we’re serving ads now, it is important that you’re seeing more of what you want to justify putting up with the occasional intrusion from ForeverSpin. So now that 2017 is winding down and 2018 is upon us, the question is simple: what would cause you to come see us more often in 2018?

More car reviews? More social commentary? More garage lifts? More voices? Less of any of the above?

As the title says, we’re asking you. So, if you’d be so kind, could you please tell us?

Gracias, and Happy New Year.

83 Replies to “Ask You: What Do You Want To See Here in 2018?”

  1. Harry

    Easy. More of the unexpected, more writing about whatever is on your mind, and a nice low bar for guest posts because its great to see new contributors and if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it.

    A little bit less of the ads I wouldn’t want my wife thinking were sticky and popping up because of my search history. Lonely matures and mail orders brides and the such. I don’t think those are sticky since they don’t pop up on any other site I visit.

    I am more likely to click on a flyin miata banner.

    Reply
    • Bark M Post author

      I will do my best to make that happen. Adsense doesn’t make it easy to blacklist categories, so I have to manually approve/unapprove every ad, and there are literally 1000 that pop up every day.

      Reply
  2. RTR

    I’d like to see more reviews/road tests along with the Baruth brothers commentary on any subjects that you feel worth while. TTAC has gotten to be boring – a lot of articles available elsewhere republished. The content has gotten steadily worse since the founder left. It picked up again while Jack was EIC – and has dropped steadily since. I have been a subscriber there since Farago started it. I still read TTAC daily but except for the odd article it has lost its lustre.

    Best,

    Bob

    Reply
  3. tresmonos

    A replacement for TTAC since TTAC is dead.

    More industry inside crap. Maybe I can write some trying-to-be-relevant-garbage for y’all?

    Reply
    • Will

      Industry insider info (from tresmonos, and / or whoever else is willing) would be fun to read.

      As much content as Thomas Kreutzer will give you. Would love to read more of his experiences with an American minivan in Japan, stories about the car culture in Japan vs. here, about bringing his van back to the States (or leaving it) and why, etc. Essentially similar to the things he wrote while at TTAC. I always enjoy his articles.

      Else, I quite enjoy the current, somewhat eclectic, mix of topics that your site already has. More is always better if you can swing it.

      Thanks guys.

      Reply
    • silentsod

      I would like to see you writing here; your posts on TTAC have been informative reading. All the paint process kerfuffle and information around aluminum hoods, for instance, was not something I had read about before.

      Reply
    • Disinterested-Observer

      One thing I always liked about the old TTAC was the insider info from Buickman and even Jack’s buddy Steve Lang.

      Reply
          • Bark M Post author

            Steve Lang had five stories, and he rewrote them for about ten different sites. He went into the archives at TTAC, deleted his posts, and then resold them to Yahoo. Fucking slimeball.

        • Disinterested-Observer

          To your point, one thing I liked was when he was writing about cheating and ripping people off at auctions without even thinking about how someone who was not a used car salesman would view his actions. He saved me a lot of trouble.

          Reply
  4. Rick soloway

    Just discovered this site and enjoying it daily with the mix as it is (although I’ve been reading Jack’s Avoidable Contact” regularly). Seems that I’m interested in everything you guys put up. More More More would be just fine.

    Reply
    • Rick T.

      I agree with all of this, from the social commentary to the buy American to all of the car stuff – and of course the “fiction.”

      Speaking of buy American, I thought I had missed out on the 1968 jeans from American denim but it popped back up recently for some reason and I bought a couple pair. Would never have known about it except for reading it here. Thanks for contributing to my continuing effort to move away from the Mike Rowe (whom I respect enormously) look as I creep up to my dotage years. Got some boots. Now all I need is a hat – the hardest part.

      Reply
  5. Scout_Number_4

    Like what you’ve been doing, just want more. The mix of cars, politics, social commentary is working for me. The inside-the-car-business stuff is especially interesting. (Hey Bark, how about that explanation of floor plan loans that you were considering?)

    I also appreciate seeing fresh posts on the weekends when I have more time to read.

    Reply
  6. Tomko

    1) Guest posts from my favourite commentators:

    DeadWeight
    BTSR
    Arthur Dailey
    Jimz?
    April S?
    And that guy who got under Bark’s skin and who he doxed.

    2) Robert Farago guest post where he finally spills the beans. (It’s been like a decade now. Surely he can give it to us straight?)

    3) Proper, self-selected avatars.

    4) A way to click on an avatar and see other posts by the same commentator.

    5) Edit after comment functionality.

    6) Maybe a private message ability between commentators.

    Reply
    • ScottS

      I’m not so sure about Robert Farago when I look at the site he is now running, and some of shit sandwiches they spin up and feed to the audience. I don’t see much in the way of editorial oversite or journalistic integrity to the point that it discredits everything they publish.

      Reply
    • Bark M Post author

      I’ve never doxxed anybody. When you use your name as your email address and I call you by that name, I don’t think it qualifies.

      Reply
  7. Brian N

    Your insights on the social/economic/manufacturing/moral crises of the day are always welcome (you and David Warren – Essays In Idleness – are the first things I read every day … sort of sets the table for what needs/deserves further contemplation.) Also, motorcycle and Egan-esque adventures never get old. Klockau and Kreutzer have really added a lot to the site, so more content from them is always a good thing.

    Reply
  8. Thomas Kreutzer

    I’d love to see more stuff from Tom Klockau – more great history and photos from the golden age of velour, please! I don’t always comment on these articles but you can be sure I read every word and enjoy every photo.

    Also, I think it is great when authors interact with the commenters. It was the best part of TTAC in the old days and something I appreciate seeing here. That personal touch builds a community.

    Finally, I love the interaction between Jack/Mark and the people who love to hate them. When the snark gets set aside and people agree to see one another as people, good things always happen. This site would be nowhere near as entertaining or enlightening if Deadweight wasn’t showing up and stirring the pot. I appreciate that you guys are coming at life from totally different angles but that both viewpoints come from the heart. Being somewhere in the middle, I see the value of you guys checking and balancing one another – the internet doesn’t need another echo chamber.

    PS – Thanks to everyone who thought to include my name in your comments above. That kind of encouragement is much appreciated.

    Reply
    • Disinterested-Observer

      You and Tom have been great additions. Maybe Ronnie will start contributing more here as well. His comments are always interesting but it would be nice to see some features from him. If Jack and Bark could persuade Brendan McAleer to slum down here that would be excellent.

      Reply
  9. Dirty Dingus McGee

    I think a good barometer might be to go back and see which stories generated the most comments. Not that I want to read 100% political/social stuff, but some in the similar vein 2-3 times a month would be good.

    Being a motorcycle and old car junkie, I read those as soon as I see them. Heck, I might send y’all a “Travels with DDM” about a bike trip or 2, see if you think it’s fit to put here. (in the past I’ve had some in local “throw aways”, but it’s been a few years)

    Keep the “ban hammer” in check. I, and many others, might not agree with VoGo or Deadweight and some others (hell, sometimes I don’t even agree with myself), but they do bring a point of view that’s sometimes interesting ( as long as they are doing more than trying to piss in y’alls Cheerios).

    Reply
  10. -Nate

    Yes, the social commentary be stand alone or mixed into threads, is great .

    Much of it I don’t agree with but it’s always well written and so thoughtful .

    Tom Kreutzer, more,more _MORE_ ! .

    My life lately is like a bad B movie ~ a drug dealing Foster boy sets our house on fine 12.19 and we’re dispossed, he intimidates our 11YO boy into making a fake video taking responsibility for the fire, he tries to set our hotel room on fire this morning @ 3:30AM, the social workers come and look at the toaster rigged to burn and say “well, you’ll just have to wait another week before we can begin looking for another home for him…” .

    BULLSHIT ~ my Old Lady is scared to come home, the 11YO boy is so scared he shits his bed every night, they found out he’d cut holes in the walls to stash the dope he was selling, he had an _AK47_ stashed behind the garage, on and on and….

    This is the tip of the iceberg, I hope it’s changing now .

    I like to come _here_ to read interesting car based stories, not open my bedroom door .

    -Nate
    (BTW: I know everyone’s first question is ‘? was he Black ?’ . )

    NO .

    Reply
  11. Mark D. Stroyer

    Perhaps…the car reviews and social commentary categories can be merged a bit more? Not exactly to trip over Regular Car Reviews’ schtick, but if it’s already in your path…

    Reply
  12. Michael B

    I still read TTAC, but it’s rolling down the slope to recycled press releases and weak reviews. When I come here, I always expect unfiltered, unapologetic opinions on a mix of topics, but skews heavily automotive.

    My ideal mix is 75% auto industry content (that’s mainly why I come here), and 25% political/socioeconomic/cultural observations. Even better if auto content relates to consumer trends, ie WHY suv’s dominate the market, WHY Porsche killed the manual GT3 then brought it back, WHY dealers can’t shake the sleazeball rep.

    Personally I don’t care if everything is backed up by data or not. The authors on this site should always be highly qualified to discuss a given subject, so their musings should always have merit whether they are fact based or opinions.

    Also, I like articles more than video. I prefer to read quietly and quickly rather than watching something I can’t expedite, so I hope the weight stays on writing as the main medium here.

    Thanks Mark and Jack for publishing one of my reviews on the site. Looking forward to doing more.

    Reply
  13. Michael B

    Another thought – how about a Slack channel? I noticed some journasaurs referencing their Slack feeds to chat with other writers about new cars driven, article ideas, etc. Conversations that start or continue off-site could be interesting, and even offer an option to those nervous about publicly posting their opinions under their own name. I contract with a major OEM, and because of that I hesitate to leave permanent comments online. I don’t want to post under an alias, however I’m also not a journalist, so i have no place to openly discuss the industry issues, products, and dealer network I’m involved in.

    I think by doing this, you might find other industry insiders with unique perspectives who have been lurking instead of contributing.

    My $.02.

    Reply
  14. Kevin Jaeger

    I think the current mix of topics and writers you have is great. By all means invite new writers to contribute if you think they’re interesting but I think what you’re doing right now is working fine. Just more of the same mix of things you’re doing now.

    Reply
    • Panzer

      Yeah this.
      But Jack, please feel free to write as many words as you want. I love reading your stuff episodically 👍
      Keep up the great work guys 😎

      Reply
  15. -Nate

    Oops ~

    I neglected to mention more of your thoughtful posts on parenting, an important job that gets overlooked far too often .

    -Nate

    Reply
  16. Jason R.

    You’re already doing what I wanted, and that was more content. I check in at least once a day and in recent times was disappointed there wasn’t anything new. Disappointment may be too strong of a word. I knew this was a nonpaying side gig for all, so a reader can’t be too demanding. But please don’t increase the “my great aunt’s college roommate’s dog groomer was always in to 1978 Ford Fairmonts…” articles. May just be me.

    Reply
  17. ScottS

    This is currently the only blog site that I come to regularly. You refer to Riverside Green as an “automotive site” but I’m not sure that is an accurate depiction. I have enjoyed the content mix and hope to see it continue to have variety in the future. If it were strictly an automotive site I think it would be narrow and less interesting. I have particularly enjoyed the Made in America articles and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that. I would like to know more about the process of track prepping cars such as the Miata’s that Jack and Charlie race and I would love to follow Jack’s modifications of the C5 Corvette. Both of you are talented drivers and this is what separates you from the vast majority of the so-called auto journalist. I would enjoy some coverage of how you got to this experience level in driving and how other can do it.

    Here’s wishing you both a happy and prosperous new year.

    Reply
    • Bark M Post author

      I agree, it’s not an automotive site, but Google makes you characterize it in some way for advertising purposes. And most of our readers are classified as having an automotive affinity.

      We may actually start doing car reviews here, too…

      Reply
  18. Economist

    I love Riverside Green, and I am quite happy with it, but since you asked, I would like to see more articles on these kind of subjects.
    -Motorcycles.
    -Yacht Rock.
    -Current events and social commentary.
    -Garage lifts, equipment, and the peripheral stuff that comes with car and motorcycle maintenance.

    Reply
  19. Joe S

    I just got my first bike (don’t buy your first motorcycle on black friday, even if you save a bunch of money) so i vote for some motorcycle reviews and what not.

    Reply
  20. Q

    More social commentary; plus editorials by Ronnie Schreiber.
    Head to head comparisons.
    Articles on what’s in the reader’s garages.
    Amazon link so I can click through and contribute easily.
    E-mail where to contribute content.

    Reply
  21. Todd

    More articles on track days/racing/racing schools. I participate in track days and there are definitely occasions when I read something here that has me floored. Very helpful. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Bark M Post author

      Articles I’ve eritten on HPDE/Racing/Autocross typically perform very badly on TTAC, so maybe I’ll put them here instead.

      Reply
  22. Aoletsgo

    This may be over the top or violating some gentleman’s agreement, but what about actually critiquing and editing those other lousy, autojourno authors you like to complain about. Reprint what they wrote and then get your sharp, red pencil out and tear it up.

    Find someone to do boat reviews. The people out there doing boat reviews remind me of the pandering, journalists who did the auto ones back in the 1970’s.

    Reply
    • Economist

      I imagine that boat “journalists” are waaaay worse than car “journalists.” Even worse than motorcycle reviewers.

      Reply
      • Panzer

        Farah did a bit of this content. Boats are cool and alot of fun when you’re on them, but they don’t translate well onto Youtube. It’s just not fun watching them maneuver around on flat water.

        Reply
  23. WheeTwelve

    More of the same, yes. Perhaps a bit more focus on insider things, from dealership stories to used car market, online sales, etc.

    I want to mention it, not that think it would happen, but don’t feel pressured to sacrifice quality for quantity. No time to write? No news for two weeks? It happens. We’ll survive.

    Reply
  24. rambo furum

    I could take more clothing talk. I’m sure that Jack could go on about the conical shape of that T&A three-button cuff. Denim is much less interesting to me, but others seem to care. I notice nobody calling for more guitar talk…

    Reply
  25. Josh

    I would like more music content. New music, old music, favorites, history, etc (I like reading about and discovering new music). I’m sure Jack and Mark have lots of musical opinions too.

    Also, I wouldn’t mind some sort of book list. I read Iron John and really liked it. For somebody who doesn’t consider themselves very “well read” I’m always on the look out for stuff to read from people whose opinion I trust.

    Reply
    • Ryan

      I’m late to the game on this, but I second the book list. I’ve cut back my audio/video consumption, instead aiming to plow through about a book per week. Both of the last two I picked up due to Jack’s suggestion (“Where the Suckers Moon” and “Car”), I read over the course of an evening. I’m always looking for something else to thumb through.

      Hell, it could even become something of a book “club.” Post a book every month with an affiliate Amazon, discuss with readers. It could even be integrated with the Podcast or whatever, if that’s an option you’re truly exploring.

      Reply

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