How to revive this place

[tjcurtin1]

Actually, it's kind of funny to consider that this topic is onto it's fourth page and 60 responses...! There's still some life in the old forum left, even if it's in a conversation about its sad state

 

[kidsmoke]

Interesting to find this thread this evening. I'm one who found MUCH value in this particular forum, and has not been around in a while. I do have one brand specific forum I became an involved member at, and they actually get together once a year, so that inherently adds to the community feel. Also a new job over a year ago changed my computer habits dramatically, so what little time I have was spent checking in over there.


I've missed the more generalist leanings of this place however. What made me come lurking was that a poster at that other forum was building a custom guitar, and used a Hell guitar TRC. I got a kick out of that. Felt like it was a family member showing up on the evening news..."hey..I KNOW that guy!"

I had to come around and check in. I also recall the lively "now playing" thread where I learned a TON! and yes, feeling like I was part of SYO's R&D dept. was cool. Between Robert and DVM, any guitar related question I have can be answered here with no pretentiousness at all. I like that. I hope we can find a way to revive things a bit. I'll try to stir the pot.

 

[Duffy]

Hi All,

I am also guilty of not posting much anymore.

I will also say (just being honest here) that for me the vibe and user experience here diminished somewhat with the upgrade/makeover that happened a couple of years back. I can't put my finger on why! We had the same members but it just didn't feel the same for me. I really do hope this place survives and like other's have said I have very fond memories of the interactions I had here. I hope to contribute more in the future when time permits. I do enjoy home recording a lot now so that may be where I focus my contributions in the future.

Bring back the online Jams!!! :dude

Unfortunately, I think that "makeover" did have a widespread affect on the way people looked at what they thought was "their" forum, in some small way.

Suddenly there were membership fees in order to have certain "rights" to post your equipment, signatures, and things like that. Things that participants were already used to being able to do, and suddenly were no longer able to do.

I'm sure contributions are needed, but the strategy to develop more contributions that was incorporated had the affect, I think, to drive people away, make them feel marginalized and ripped off - just from a simple feeling they got. Like someone just stole your candy.

I'd say open the forum back up to signatures, equipment lists, etc. This may be too late to do that effectively though, because people remember what happened and they still feel the sting of the carpet being pulled out from under them.

This is something to consider, even if you have always been a financially contributing member.

It made the forum a "stratified" environment where this person got more privileges than that person, however justifiable that approach may have seemed at the time to the originator of the idea. All of the sudden people with "x" title had more status than others - something like the social structure in some countries where only certain titled people can sit at certain tables in restaurants. Americans don't dig that type of arrogant imposition of social status that's based on financial contribution and a sort of economic status. It made people that didn't donate feel like they were lesser members and looked at as free loaders; consequently getting limited rights on the forum. That turned some people off believe it or not - even if you think such an outlook is preposterous.

 

[deeaa]

Yep that was it for me. I was starting to write articles on projects of mine, guitar refinish and such, and suddenly I would have had to pay to have such threads. That seemed weird as usually sites pay for such content, or at least reward in some way, be it credibility points or trophies or whatever, here it suddenly seemed the forum started to punish you the more the more you wanted to post and be involved. That's why I left.

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[Robert]

Interesting comments! The membership structure is very similar to many others, like The Gear Page, Strat-Talk, TDPRI, acousticguitarforum, etc.

 

[deeaa]

I don't go to those either.

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[MAXIFUNK]

Well I've logged on once or twice for about 2 or 3 years now. Maybe life got in the mostly or my cyber broswing habits changed but I've always enjoy the time I've spent here.