[vtecblast]

Right on the day of love, to the thing we love, This forum!
What I like:
1. It's like a home!
2. It's a place where people will motivate you (honestly people purchasing cars of their dreams does motivate me to go few extra miles)
3. (Yes, you're going to read it again) The content!
What I don't like or what could have been better
1. I would love to see the female members of the forum too to review the new cars. A friend of mine always used to say that all the cars today are reviewed by males and not females, she said it as a joke but, I realised she's right.

Anyway, cheers to the distance everyone has covered in this forum.

[UP!!!!]

Happy 17th Birthday Team-BHP and congratulations GTO and mods for the amazing work on maintaing the integrity of this forum.

Likes -

• Strict moderation - It helps to maintain the quality of the content and this is what makes Team-BHP unique.
  
• Vast amount of information that is available on the forum. Search for anything (not necessarily related to automotive), you'll most likely find a thread about it.
  
• Official reviews - I'm not at all a person who reads much but when it comes about official reviews, I read these word by word.
  

Dislikes -

• Strict moderation - This is something I dislike as well. It took 4-5 attempts for me to get the membership approved.
  
• A more user friendly reply section
  

[Bibendum90949]

I'm a member for just under an year now though i've been visiting Team BHP pages at least since 2006 or so. As a member, it took a while for me to get a hang of the whole thing as I felt the whole set up is a bit complex. I'm not at all into social media except for Whats App which is more of a communication tool to me. May be the reason why I faced initial teething trouble but still I feel I'm not using the right tools/methods to get the best out of this forum. I always use the New Posts, New Topics, Hot threads and News. Only when someone posts into an old thread do I get to know such a thread was existing which was my area of interest.

Likes(purely personal)

1. A platform to air my views, concerns, share experiences.
2. A sense of belonging and the thrill of being a member of such a brilliant forum.
3. Today I know if i've a problem as a motorist or as a car owner, I've the foundation of team BHP and it's member support. I always like to call the spade a spade and hence I'm much happy being here.
4.Made many like minded friends and in touch with them. Hoping that i'll get to know more of them.



Dislikes

1. There's no method to bookmark a post and make a personal repository. Pardon my ignorance if there's already such a feature. It's cumbersome to search that one post again if you don't quite recollect the thread name or the poster. These days I rely on the "thanks" feature that allows me to backtrack and unearth the post which you want to refer again. Please suggest if there's a better way out.

Thanks to the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make this a great place to hang out. Wishing many more successes and happy birthday to my most beloved forum.

Cheers,
Bibendum.

[W.A.G.7]

Happy Birthday to Team-Bhp! Way back in 2010, when I was on the lookout for a new car, this is the forum I came across. And the review of the Nissan Micra was already there. I have lost the count of number of times, I have read the official review of Nissan Micra and Maruti Ritz. Something about the forum struck a beautiful note in my heart; and I decided to become a member of the forum. The beauty of this forum is that the content is completely authentic and is unbiased; that no matter wherever you are, you automatically tend to gravitate towards Team-Bhp!

I wish the entire admin and mods all the very best and let us all continue to contribute towards the excellent content that this forum boasts of. Post 2010, I have not even once referred to any automotive magazine or any auto show; for anything related to the Indian car industry. It always has to be Team-Bhp.

[Rajeevraj]

Happy 17th Birthday Team-Bhp. Been visiting the forum since 2008-09 as a reader and since 2011 as a member. Although a lot of things have changed in the last 10+ years, the routine of visiting Team-Bhp almost on a daily basis has not changed at all. The fact that the forum manages to do this to me and tons of others is in my view the biggest strength of the forum.

The other good bits

• The strict adherence to rules and the boundaries of discussion. Helps keep the forum maintain its high quality.
• The consistent levels of moderation over all these years.
• The level of trust that the forum enables.
• The wealth of non automotive information. I typically come here first for anything.
• The freedom it provides to introverted people like me to express thoughts. Would have never been able to do it in any other format.
• The sense of closeness. There are a lot of people I have never met in person , but when there is a need, I don't hesitate to reach out directly to people and everyone is ready to help.

The not so good

• As lot of people have mentioned, the tech behind the forum is outdated. Prevents enablement of many things that we take for granted now.
• Some threads seem trivial and not worthy of a discussion.
• Lot of wonderful threads that get very few views or responses. Especially the travelogue sections. As a result, I don't see many folks writing detailed travelogues in the forum.
• The intolerance and inability to accept a different point of view that is now common to social media has spilled over to Team Bhp. Resulting in more frequent nasty exchanges which has led to infractions and bans of major contributors.
• The Fan Boyism seems to have increased quite a bit.

[TrackDay]

Happy 17th Team-Bhp !

Congratulations to the team and esteemed members of the Forum. It definitely takes a family to maintain a good forum. Since it's inception around 2004, various others sites have come and gone. Even sites like Orkut, Scrapbook or something like that failed to stand the test of time. Facebook too is losing its popularity these days with Instagram being the trend. Although those are social media sites & Team-Bhp is an automobile forum, both share the options of having member inputs & discussions. Team-Bhp has stood strong and Kudos to that. I think I started reading on this forum from around 2011 or 2013, not sure. Anyways from there on I have been a regular.

Likes:

• The reason I remain interested in Team-Bhp all these years is the clean and neat language. Most of the social media sites where member inputs are available usually have too much rubbish and war of words going on. I find the discipline on this site a good thing.

• Unbiased and honest opinion. It feels nice to know all the pros and cons of not just a car, but also accessories and services related to cars.

• The DIY jobs are too brilliant. Just shows how we can tinker with our toys and that is an added benefit.

• Expert advice. It is nice to get some serious advice on car related matters and also suggestions for particular brands, FNGs & accessories.

• It feels nice when you see Bhp-ians on the long road trips. Often identifiable by the stickers, you know a helping hand is always there and is reassuring for the journey.

• It is good to get hooked onto a constructive forum. A lot can be learned not just about cars, but also from one's experience and life lessons.

Dislikes:

• The interface and age old tools. Yes, some can be upgraded I feel.

• Videos reviews. Yes this has been said by many. I feel a short video too might aid reviews.

• Smiley limitation. Haha I know this one might seem odd. But I wish there were some regulation depending on the word usage. More than 2 smilies for 50-80 words might seem inappropriate, but when the post is longer say like 30-50 lines, an additional smiley or two might be permitted if needed.

• Addiction. Yes Team-Bhp is addictive Maybe there should be Team-Bhp de-addiction page within this forum. Perhaps a new thread for that. But some addictions are good !

[Batfreak]

Happy birthday T-BHP and many congratulations to the moderators and the entire motoring community here! Let's hope and undertake to ensure the high quality of the content and (as many before me have mentioned) to maintain it as a rational, unbiased and tolerant forum.

I just have one minor suggestion/peeve. Recently, there was a change so that some of the initial ownership reviews from the community at large also feature in the Car Reviews section on the home page. Although I understand that this was done to allow a much faster coverage of more vehicle models, somehow I think that this might end up leading to a bit more biased and unclear reportage than what we have come to expect and love from our highly experienced moderators. Personally, I feel that that section should be reserved for the official car reviews as before. But of course, if the community feels otherwise, I would be more than happy to be corrected.

Once again, happy birthday and thank you, T-BHP! Live to drive!

[sachin2612]

Happy 17th birthday, Team-BHP!

Being a part of this astute forum is an honour and privilege.

Likes

1) The content is almost unmatched to anything available on the Internet today. Be it be unbiased reviews or long term ownership threads, narrative of the travelogue matching the skills of great authors or DIY with a technical specifications and instructions of an official manual.

2) The strict discipline and rules this forum follows. For many this is a unfavourably opinion but this is one of the reason why the content in this forum is of upmost quality. (Coming from a newbie who was rejected in the first attempt)

3) The reached of the forum is something which is not discussed oftentimes but it has sure help the companies to improve their products for example the 2020 harrier.

4) Might be odd coming from a 25 year old who is a bit old school but i like the interface. Simple yet functional just like old Toyota’s.

5) “The purpose of this life is not to be happy but to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well” - this is a quote which pertains to most Bhpians.

Dislike

1) Process of uploading attachments is a quite complex then it should be.

2) Profile page of members should be restructure with a little bit off more info.

Finally i would like to thank all the moderators and support members for their services and maintaining this prestige forum to it upmost potential.

[Nexusios1521]

Happy 17th Birthday Team-BHP!

A huge thanks to the moderators for keeping up the quality of this wonderful community.

Likes:

• The most reliable source of automotive information in India.
• An automotive forum of enthusiasts, for enthusiasts from enthusiasts to discuss cars/bikes.
• Pleasant atmosphere with zero toxicity.

Dislike:

• Inability to change username.

[shancz]

Happy 17th Team-BHP.
First and foremost a bow of respect and gratitude to all members and mods for their efforts.

I cannot match the words which have already been mentioned earlier in beauty, quality, accuracy or emotiveness.
So without listing the obvious, I will list out some of my own, some apologetically silly but hopefully a few unique.

What I like

• Learnings : Technical and other knowledge/experiences of experienced members is unmatched and honestly I never expected this. Hats off to those members for putting up with mine/others stupid questions and Thank You.
• Clean and Simple UI : Easy on the eyes(BHP Black). IMHO it feels very comforting and on desktop its excellent at focusing on the doing what I really love rather than being distracted by the unnecessary glare. Like a VW ICE as compared to the glaring touchscreens these days.
  In some areas, IMHO, its wise not to follow the herd
• Abbreviations : Glad to be in a forum where we have a set of standard abbreviations, very helpful and have never faced a question about what does it mean.
• Unbiased and Respectful : TBHP is the only forum where we are hammering MSIL on safety and steering (Why the heck will Maruti-Suzuki not fix its defective & dangerous steering behaviour?) while heartfully recommending the S-Presso as an FTD car on our highways (What I love about driving in India) respecting not just the vehicles but also the buyers without a bias. I cannot see this happening anywhere else and this should be an apt answer to people who feel we're "biased".
• Language : I have started paying attention to my language, grammar and punctuation in the posts causing way too many edits but its an exercise in itself and it improves my language every time I post. Something which the SMS lingo had managed to dent quite a bit. TBHP is our healing zone then

What I don't

• Two Wheelers : I was surprised when I visited the two-wheeler section. We have to improve this, will keep this in mind going forward.
• Threads diverging from topic : Firstly I am to blame for some as well. Its easy to get carried away but lessons learnt. Sometimes we lose context of the thread if we just look at the discussions on the last or second to last pages. Its important for us to keep the title in mind when posting. Slight/Small OTs are okay but if they get long enough the thread loses accuracy.
• Read the Rules : Although occasional but some new members don't read/follow the rules before posting. I understand its easy to get lulled especially if active on other social-media but we're different. This might cause some unintended infractions and an unnecessary experience of our rules and discipline.
• Safety : Reluctantly adding it here as I don't have any suggestions on this, we should be brainstorming/leveraging the platform for better road safety initiatives. Not talking about road shows/roses but something more effective and concrete. I will keep this in mind as well.

Would conclude with some learnings and takeaways from my experiences here :

• Jopasu Duster and Turtle Wax Color Magic : Thanks to whoever has ever recommended these I would have most likely read the post but lost track due to the overwhelming amount of info.
• Our Transformer : If it wasn't was TBHP I would've passed off the S-Cross as "just another Maruti" and I would've been so wrong.
• I would've never known that MSIL's complaint redressal system was so effective. Thanks to fellow BHPians who shared their experiences.
• In a span of 4-5 months I have moved from being opinionated to being open. This is my biggest takeaway from the fellow members. Its easy to pass-off an opinion but it takes effort to empathize with others, understand and respect their perspectives too.

Wishing us many more years of Happy Motoring.

[Doonite]

What an auspicious day for my membership to be approved!

A very very happy 17th birthday to team-bhp and a very happy valentine's day to all.

Still cannot believe i'm here, i've been in my best mood for months since this morning, when i got my membership approval message.

To be honest, there's everything to like and nothing to dislike but i'll still try to list few likes and dislikes from the top of my head.

Likes:

1. Unparallaled and impeccable quality of reviews not just by the moderator team, but by the users of this wonderful forum as well. The unbiased nature of the reviews is just cherry on top.

2. Treasure trove of knowledge. Anything you can think of, you'll find a relevant thread for it.

3. The warm and welcoming nature of members to all.

4. No paid propoganda or agenda against any brands. The principle of calling a spade a spade is just too damn good.

5. Non existence of trolls and no spam/abusive/vulgar content plus strict and swift moderator action against people who violate rules.


Dislikes:

1. Very few mass market scooter reviews. I get it that moderators have their hands full but nothing can match team-bhp's quality of an official review.

2. The difficult entry process .

3. Short reviews of late (i'm nitpicking here).

[MunnabhaiMBBS]

Happy 17th, TBHP!

Likes:

- Automotive Content : Variety, Quality and Quantity.

- Support : Largest Repository of Indian Automotive Issues and Solutions. Prompt Answers to Issues/Queries.

- Motivation : DIY Posts Motivate/Encourage Cool Modifications.

- Controls : Highly Moderated and Curated Automotive Content.

Dislikes:

- Business Plan : I Invest Time and Emotions in TBhp. However, I Do Not Know The Short/Long Term Strategies, Business Plan and Directions of TBhp.

- Dependency on GTO : What’s The Succession Plan? What Will Happen To TBhp If GTO Calls It Quits? I Understand That Tbhp is a Side Thing For Mods.

- Increase in Personal Attacks : Yikes! A Bhpian Comments On The Quality of Yesteryear Objects and Discussion Turns Into His Mid-Life Crisis.

- Lack Of National Spirit : Some Discussions Lack The National Spirit. Come On, Stop Cribbing About India’s Shortcomings and Represent/Portray Our Country Positively (Especially Internationally). Our Forefathers Have Sacrificed Lives For The Nation And It’s Our Responsibility To Take The Nation Forward!

- Lack of Thread Summary : Selected 100+ Page Posts Should Have Thread Summary in The Opening Post.

All The Best!

PS : How Does Tbhp Mod Team Plan To Control Biased/Prejudiced India-Specific Non-Automotive Content Contributed By Non-Indians?

[akash_v12]

Aaaaah! Really hope I finish writing this post on time!

Happiest of birthdays to my favourite community. Although I haven't been a member for even a year yet, the amount of support I have got from this community of complete strangers (well, lovers of automobiles by heart) have provided me is insane. The various reviews (official, long-term and initial) are a boon for all and have let me enjoy my time throughout classes and bad days. A very special mention to all the mods, especially Gannu & GTO (Gannu for his VW DIYs and GTO for his constant support throughout these 8 months.

I'm waiting to turn 18 and though I won't be attending any meets until that, hoping for a few interactions with local Bombay/Pune BHPians.

Honestly, I'm completely fine with the UI on the computer/laptop, but it's only the mobile interface which makes me feel that something is lacking.
I had also mentioned this earlier and many have mentioned it again, but I still feel that small video reviews will make things more interesting for all.

So till the next one, Happy birthday Team-BHP!

[SchrödingersCar]

While I am a newbie on TBHP, I've followed it for a long time (almost a decade now) anonymously, while being active on other nom-automotive forums.

So being new here, here's my outside in perspective.

Likes:
1. Quality of content: A big hats off to the mods. As forums and members grow, it becomes difficult to moderate increasing volume of content. TBHP has been an exception (although some members have expressed their thoughts that some of the recent stuff is not worth discussion). Well, I also love the high standards of English here, being a sort of a Grammar freak myself.
2. Forum Looks: I 'personally' like the old school forum charm, which just adds a bit of retro and never loses its appeal (like a 1954 SL 300 Gullwing).
3.The cross section of members: A lot of different backgrounds and locations across India.
4. Unbiased reviews: Nuff said. I treat it as my source of truth and the final word. I value the Initial and Long Term reviews a lot too. Held off on booking the Thar 2020 despite itching everyday for last 4.5 months, being influenced by GTO's words.
5. Travelogues: Some of them are just out of this world. Better than travel magazines.

Areas of Improvement
1. Diversity: Already spoken. Also, I may be mistaken but not sure if we have many members from NE India or not.
2. Stocks and Variety of Merchandise: I love most of the stuff, but do think the product line could do with a design refresh and possibly add more variety.
3. Image of TBHP in some Social Media circles: For some reason, there is a perception that TBHP favors Hyundai and Maruti. Of course you cannot make everyone happy.

Suggestions
1. Allow donations: Maybe it has been floated but I am sure a lot of people will be interested. I am sure the team can come up with suggestions to put it to good use, including possibly lobbying for better laws and regulations (maybe through PILs or other litigation but not sure if practical).
2. Video reviews: Already stated. On top of it, would be great to see the driving styles of the reviewers/mods.

Personal Goals on TBHP
1. Get to know the members better.
2. Participate in a TBHP meet.
3. Explore the trove of information and thoughts on the non auto subforums.

Wishing many more miles and years to TBHP.

[H0RSEPOWER]

Happy 17th birthday Team BHP! Apart from the official works, my web related activities are more related to Team BHP than anything else! Below is my honest opinion about the forum:

Likes:
1. Completely unbiased nature of the official car reviews which is rare in today’s world of promoted & biased content by the other automotive forums/channels.
2. Supremely detailed official reviews which can beat anyone else in the game!
3. The vast array and types of discussions regarding various types related to automotive sector (including not so common topics such as from Aeroplane models to railway engines, from car logos to car advertisement tag lines, and definitely the DIY , travelogue & detailed ownership reviews). The content is just marvellous.
4. The strict moderation which made the forum really a well mannered one without any personal attack/trolling/advertising. This is really too good to believe if we compare with any other social networking sites. Filthy garbage is absolutely not tolerated.
5. A proper forum to share the good or not so good bits about any particular route, service centre and what not! And a simultaneously the person gets required help and the other users are also well aware about the actual scenario.
6. The immense helpful articles to sharpen one’s driving skill, night driving or rainy driving tips which may have saved a lot of injuries or even lives!
7. A neat & clean forum to discuss about the automobiles - just this is enough to make any petrol head become week in their knees about this forum.
8. No support for rash driving & stance against the same.
9. A forum with numerous types of petrol heads with different types of viewpoints & opinions can definitely enrich the knowledge & gives us something thought provoking. And the sheer knowledge of a lot of the members is really commendable.
10. The insider scoops(courtesy to all the news sources & members sharing the same) are great.

Dislikes

1. The two wheeler section lacks as compared to the four wheel section. Official reviews for the mainstream bikes are highly anticipated.
2. The strict moderation does not allow some of the aspiring genuine people to not get added to the forum.
3. Few of the important engine options (e.g. Ecosport 100 bhp Diesel engine) at somehow not covered in the original or the facelift official reviews.
4. Few of the recent launches did not have more detailed comprehensive review like earlier (e.g. Honda City 5th generation)
5. Some video reviews & official 0-100 figures might make the official reviews even more complete.
6. IMO Non automotive topics & discussions should be reduced.

Cheers! Keep revving!