I'm definitely one of TI's newest members. I knew about TI very peripherally, never really took a close look at this online community, until I googled Lambert Ranch. Signed up and started participating first in the LR thread and then to other real estate threads and now I like reading and participating in all the threads if I have anything relevant to post.
I'd like to make some comments based on my short time here. These comments are not meant to offend or insult anyone in particular, but just my observations. I'm active in a number of different forums and have been for years. Everything from cars to photography to wine to you name it. I've been around the block on bulletin boards so I understand the dynamics of online forums and how each forum has its pluses and minuses. I've met great people from other boards who I consider dear friends and all because of a shared interest or hobby.
The real estate subforum gets the most views and posts, so I'm going to venture to say that most newcomers find TI through some type of RE search. Like previous posts said, old-timers seem to have migrated over from IHB. All of you have history together and understand each other's online personality, and it seems actually hang out on occasion. However, intonation, tone and sarcasm is sometimes difficult to project online especially to a newcomer to this site or a newcomer to online forums in general. People might take posts seriously or be intimidated to give their opinion. I feel some posts in the RE forum cross the line and enter into personal insults. I understand that people have different perspectives on real estate, but to continually call out different views as wrong, ignorant or plain retarded does not make for a friendly environment. Let me rephrase the last comment, I'm all for giving your opinion (some more educated than others), but it's different when someone says "Go ahead and buy that piece of shit and lose 150k in 2 years" vs "I understand you might like that property, but based on my research of x, y, & z, you might reconsider". I dunno, maybe I'm old-fashioned and think ppl should be more polite to each other, even online. We post things online we would never say to someone face to face. It's the anonymous nature of bulletin boards, but that doesn't mean there can't be a modicum of decorum online. I have a thick skin, and I can give as well as take, but some people might be more sensitive. And in the end, who really gives a shit about what some person you don't know posts about a topic online. But, if this forum is to become a vibrant community of Irvine residents, I think we need to move beyond "You're a friggin idiot who knows nothing about real estate and my community is better than yours" type comments.
Just my 2 cents and probably not even worth that much.