DAC feels like an old guy walking with a cane

[LorenzoLommus]

How old is the platform by the way? Headed over there to take a look a while ago my gosh that site was slow as F. The look and feel just like entering the cyberspace in the late 1990s.

The photo attachment feature also sucks. Why are the photos that people attach look so grainy in the thumbnails?

I noticed some members cross post here and there, the photos just don't look good on that side for some reasons.

And then the stupid edited by whoever feature. Why do you need to know what day and time the person edited the post? Trying to be a cyber police to track down for evidence?

 

[LeoMuse747]

Yeah, the forum layout is VERY old, and it's the same forum template/server used on Wings900 (which I used to be a very active member back when I collected 1:500 models). I have an account at DAC but never really wanted to post there because 1) MAF came first to me and I like how the forum layout here works much better 2) It seems that DAC is full of old relics of this hobby, like AK and other users who tend to argue all the time and create feuds for silly reasons

 

[Phantom]

I use DAC since 2001, actively since 2003.
While I agree with what Leo says, I'm curious about the TO's post.

 

[JJ Skippy]

DAC is just a product of the Internet back in the 90s. I don’t think they have any plans to update the website, which sucks since I still use it occasionally, though much of my activity has come here now.

 

[Mikeymag]

Have been a member since 2000, I hardly ever post there.

 

[Purpleplane]

Have been a member since 2000, I hardly ever post there.

Same here, only since 2020 in my case. I don't even post that much there any more either.

 

[pons399]

DAC’s UI is horrid and the atmosphere can get toxic, but I still frequent its 1:200 forum because the one here is dead. For some reason, very few 1:200 collectors (actively) use MAF.

 

[Jazajia]

DAC’s UI is horrid and the atmosphere can get toxic, but I still frequent its 1:200 forum because the one here is dead. For some reason, very few 1:200 collectors (actively) use MAF.

I agree, DA.C is sort of becoming the place to go talk 1:200 stuff. Just like Wings900 is the place for 1:500 scale (sort of).

 

[Barison82]

Interesting post.

DAC is like a working museum, and has a very extensive thread archive which goes all the way back to 2001 which makes it a very useful resource if you want to learn about the history of the hobby from the early days, find old release info and contemporary discussion around it. This in itself makes it a unique time capsule tracking the formative years of the hobby. Of course you’ll come across all the old arguments, feuds and drama over the years. The very early days are quite entertaining, where much of the content was like something from Saturday Night Live.

I’ve only lived in the 1:400 section and agree, the atmosphere there has been toxic of late, as the general level of participation has really dropped but still having the same negative spats cropping up from time to time in the middle of that empty atmosphere. If I could put money on it, I’ll bet the next one will be about the YU A300

MAF has a way better social media style UI which is media friendly, what you’d expect in this day and age especially if you’re going to keep this platform viable or encourage higher participation. The photo upload feature on DAC is shite!

However, having said all that DAC is where I started and I’ve stuck with it out of habit, being a member there since 2016 (already that was a different world now) and out of nostalgia too - using that ancient interface really takes me back to the late 90s/early 00s. I have a love-hate relationship with it and mainly value it for its historical reference.

Nowhere else can give a contemporary record of the start of the 1:400 hobby and the excitement and energy that existed back then around it. I actually look on this era with a kind of envy, wishing I was part of it back then, as the whole thing was new. There’s some kind of energy there that I think is missing now. So I value DAC for that.

Overall, I’ve trimmed back my participation on forums in general. No matter which you’re involved with, or what hobby community at all for that matter, there’s always going to be a clique, agenda etc. and big egos waving their d***s around. It’s too emotive and par for the course I guess but my tolerance threshold for navigating this BS is wearing very thin these days.

 

[Barison82]

Have been a member since 2000, I hardly ever post there.

Wow, so you’re one of the old guard!

 

[Jazajia]

Interesting post.

DAC is like a working museum, and has a very extensive thread archive which goes all the way back to 2001 which makes it a very useful resource if you want to learn about the history of the hobby from the early days, find old release info and contemporary discussion around it. This in itself makes it a unique time capsule tracking the formative years of the hobby. Of course you’ll come across all the old arguments, feuds and drama over the years. The very early days are quite entertaining, where much of the content was like something from Saturday Night Live.

I’ve only lived in the 1:400 section and agree, the atmosphere there has been toxic of late, as the general level of participation has really dropped but still having the same negative spats cropping up from time to time in the middle of that empty atmosphere. If I could put money on it, I’ll bet the next one will be about the YU A300

MAF has a way better social media style UI which is media friendly, what you’d expect in this day and age especially if you’re going to keep this platform viable or encourage higher participation. The photo upload feature on DAC is shite!

However, having said all that DAC is where I started and I’ve stuck with it out of habit, being a member there since 2016 (already that was a different world now) and out of nostalgia too - using that ancient interface really takes me back to the late 90s/early 00s. I have a love-hate relationship with it and mainly value it for its historical reference.

Nowhere else can give a contemporary record of the start of the 1:400 hobby and the excitement and energy that existed back then around it. I actually look on this era with a kind of envy, wishing I was part of it back then, as the whole thing was new. There’s some kind of energy there that I think is missing now. So I value DAC for that.

Overall, I’ve trimmed back my participation on forums in general. No matter which you’re involved with, or what hobby community at all for that matter, there’s always going to be a clique, agenda etc. and big egos waving their d***s around. It’s too emotive and par for the course I guess but my tolerance threshold for navigating this BS is wearing very thin these days.

I vote this for post of the year!

 

[Purpleplane]

I vote this for post of the year!

Me too!

 

[bakejobb_23]

I remember being a regular on Wings900 about a decade ago now, used to be a thriving place in general. What was the timeline of popularity on all forums surrounding the hobby? I only really know of the big three being talked about now (Wings900, DAC, MAF) but I assume there were a few more floating around? any niche forums that used to be incredibly popular years back or still are today? why doesn't someone consolidate and bring everyone to one place? Were a "small" hobby as it is, would be great to have everyone under one roof yk?

 

[Barison82]

Also just to answer the OP’s question, DAC was founded in 1999.

The story starts with Wings500, the first forum to exist for the die-cast hobby. This was founded by Andy Andresen (of Tucano fame) in November 1997.

Dan Asher of GJ asked Andy for a ‘Wings400’ to also be started, following the start of that brand/scale in 1998. He ended up forming DAC with Gordon Werner (of SMAC fame) in 1999.

In 2000 the forums were upgraded to vBulletin.

Meanwhile in 2001, Wings500 became Wings900 as it took on 1:400 scale discussion as well (400 + 500).

In 2002 Wings900 took over DAC and still powers it today I believe. In fact I forgot about Wings900 until posting this, it still exists as a separate forum and I’m registered on that one too, but never use it. Not much goes on there at all but it also has a thread archive.

The thread archives on DAC don’t go beyond August 2001 as I believe a mod to the site at some point caused the older stuff to be lost, but bits survive on Internet Archive/Wayback Machine.

Another forum was started up around 2002 when a lot of early core members left DAC, (the “SNL” circuit I mentioned), that was called Airline Buzz, long gone now.

Gordon Werner exited DAC in early 2004 following the demise of SMAC. Around this time, 400ScaleHangar was started up, that’s another one still going but again, not much goes on there either.

 

[Barison82]

I remember being a regular on Wings900 about a decade ago now, used to be a thriving place in general. What was the timeline of popularity on all forums surrounding the hobby? I only really know of the big three being talked about now (Wings900, DAC, MAF) but I assume there were a few more floating around? any niche forums that used to be incredibly popular years back or still are today? why doesn't someone consolidate and bring everyone to one place? Were a "small" hobby as it is, would be great to have everyone under one roof yk?

Funny you post that just as I was busy writing a potted history of it lol

 

[JJ Skippy]

It’s fun to look back on DAC and see posts from a time where I didn’t exist on this planet yet. Also gives me good insight into the lore that exists in this hobby

 

[bakejobb_23]

Funny you post that just as I was busy writing a potted history of it lol

Beautiful, much appreciated as i've always wondered lol! Figured consolidation sort of stems from issues with arguing and whatnot but it spreads everyone quite thin across sites unfortunately. I have a DAC account and lurk but I 99% post here as it has the much better UI for everything.

 

[Barison82]

It’s fun to look back on DAC and see posts from a time where I didn’t exist on this planet yet. Also gives me good insight into the lore that exists in this hobby

It must be interesting for you and others of the younger post-analogue generation to look at that. Hence its value as a time capsule.

 

[bakejobb_23]

It must be interesting for you and others of the younger post-analogue generation to look at that. Hence its value as a time capsule.

as a now 24yr old, it was SO much fun scouring old Wings900 threads on model airports and the like that were started when I was merely a small child lol. I had days and days of posts to scroll through for a long while. been meaning to go back and look at a few favorites again soon. @LeoMuse747 and @Charter 's airport update threads brought me so much joy and really pulled me into the hobby back then. TCS's (?) highly detailed airports and photos had me so jealous of the skills 12-14yr old me basically still doesn't have yet! His San Antonio T2 still looks gorgeous as ever today.

 

[Barison82]

Beautiful, much appreciated as i've always wondered lol! Figured consolidation sort of stems from issues with arguing and whatnot but it spreads everyone quite thin across sites unfortunately. I have a DAC account and lurk but I 99% post here as it has the much better UI for everything.

MAF has the best UI hands down, it’s current and has been designed for use on a phone. The issue with the others is that they pre-date the smartphone era and were designed for desktop PCs, and they’re still running on vBulletin.