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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Hi Everyone,
I was going to post this as an announcement, but there might be some questions so I'll post it here for a bit, then maybe move it.
I have mentioned often that it is preferred that private dealings, especially eBay dealings, be kept off this forum. But, on the other hand, if someone wants to post about a deal they are in, either good or bad, that is ok, as it is good information to help other make decisions. What I would like to address is REPLYing to those posts and here's a good guideline.
Ask yourself a simple question. "Am I planning on buying this guitar or a similar one from this dealer?" If the answer is NO, then DO NOT reply to the post made. This applies to both good deals and warnings about questionable ones. If you bought a guitar from a dealer, or eBay, and love it, and want to tell the world about it and/or about the dealer.... FINE. But if you didn't buy a similar guitar OR from the mentioned dealer, and you never plan to, your opinion is just mud in the water, and you should NOT reply.
I'm not going to heavily moderate this, I'm just putting this out there. I tend to sit back and watch, and step in when needed. Unfortunately, it seems I RARELY have to step in because of the FIRST post in a thread. I'm usually stepping in, because of something posted as a REPLY, that has NOTHING to do with the original post and usually posted by someone who is not even directly involved.
This seems like the perfect time for a segway. I have been getting several "alerts" lately when threads go "off-topic." If you don't know what I mean by this, don't worry it's not you. Those that do it, know who they are. The first post, usually from a new member is about stings or age, or whatever of their prized Ovation. The question, whatever it is, is usually answered within a reply or two and that is GREAT!!! But then, for some reason, the topic turns to Llama's and Sexual Innuendo and who knows what else. There is no need for this, and I do get complaints about it. So here's a suggestion. As there was probably something or someone in the original thread that sparked the idea to go off topic... just create a thread with OT- as the title and if you must reference the original thread, do so. But remember, this BB is for Ovation Guitars.
Again, there will be no heavy fisted moderation, I'm just asking, and maybe you should ask yourselves... If what you are about to REPLY doesn't really address the original post, and really isn't about Ovation guitars, does it really belong here? I realize that some OT stuff is fun. I'm NOT saying to knock it off completely, just think for a moment before you post, and think about who's going to read it.
Thanks |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Nice common sense approach. Well spoken. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Well said Miles. My llama likes it too.
(OH, is that what you were talking about?) |
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Location: SoCal | Does Miles have something against llamas? |
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Location: big island | 
did someone say llama? |
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Location: SoCal | Miles is right.... it's too easy to change the course of a thread. Cut it out Bill. |
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Location: NJ | Some people just don't "get it" . . . |
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Location: big island | then again, some of us do but there is something amiss with the human condition... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I plead guilty. Miles, sentence me to a weekend of sorting through your old guitar parts. I'll implicate Mike as an accomplice. This is on topic, isn't it? |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Does it matter which Mike?? I'm available for parts sorting and quality control (i.e. dispensing with parts that don't meet certain quality standards) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | As MWoody demonstrates in another thread, he was the Mike I was referring to. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | You guys crack me up. :) But thanks, as most of you seem to "get it" exactly. Just remember that its not so much that others sometimes "don't get it" as they see what happens on other forums, and initially don't realize it is a little different on this one. Most often by time I respond to a "complaint" they have already realized they are being "welcomed to the family" rather than being harassed, but it's been happening a bit more in recent months, so thanks for understanding. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | :( |
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Location: big island | i think that deep inside, especially for those of us nurtured in the tenets of our American Constitution, there lies within us a rebellion towards anyone, anything, that stifles our freedom of speech. the other side of that coin is that the tongue, through oral language and the written word, is such a small thing but can have devastating consequences if used improperly. blessed and extremely rare is the man who can truly control his own tongue. i am far from being that man, although i aspire to be... |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
...they have already realized they are being "welcomed to the family" rather than being harassed, but it's been happening a bit more in recent months, so thanks for understanding... Through my superior powers of deduction, I have determined that the only thing that we can conclude from this statement is that the OFC 'family' is growing. Again. And I'm not talking about the llamas.
;)
But, I, uh, agree. Yes, most definitely. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Many may come here in a search for information and might be offended that they might have to wade through a bunch of drivel to find it. That should not be surprising to most people who have done one Google search, however. This is a Club, not just a research or sales tool, and clubs imply, at least to me, some sort of social interaction. As much as I like Ovations, I would not participate for very long if all we talked about was our guitars, what was coming out next, etc.
I am much more active with one other club that I hesitated to join because I thought the meetings would be boring discussions about cars. Almost 20 years later, our closest friends are club members who don't have much in common other than a brand of automobile. It takes a great deal of diversity to stave off boredom and I enjoy the diversity of the members here. Some might consider us weird, but I have no problem with that. I am glad to add this group to my friends, some of whom I have met, and others who I feel that I can count as friends even though I have never met them.
Sorry, Miles. One thing many of us have in common is a frequent "senior moment" where we just ramble on. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | This board is different in that there is only the three forum areas.
General
For Sale
Matt's World
Do we need to have a split in the General Category? |
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Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by MWoody:
This board is different in that there is only the three forum areas.
General
For Sale
Matt's World
Do we need to have a split in the General Category? The problem with a split is that .667 of the replies to any given thread would have to be moved out of the General Category and in to the new Off-Topic Reply category, which would be a right hassle, I'd think. |
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Location: Gardnerville, NV | As someone who only comments on-topic, clean, and when I have something (I think) is worthwhile to say, but reads pretty much all of the off topic, irrelevant, irreverent stuff that goes on here, I want to say I'm glad everyone is not like me.
I don't agree with many of the opinions expressed, and at times have found a few things somewhat offensive, however I find this forum one of only a couple on the web worth reading every day. If it becomes always on topic, relevant and unoffensive that probably would not be true. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Sounds like an advanced case of growing pains to me.
I don't think Miles is suggesting a sweeping change. Just a slight course correction.
The gentleman attorney from Idaho makes a good case. |
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Location: Michigan | Oh boy I guess my OT last year on my Peri-Anal-Abcess was not a good choice.I got to be honest with you that it was posting on this site that helped make some fun for me during a bad time.I guess you could say that this site helped saved my ass .. OOPS .. GWB |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Miles and Al,
Congragulations! You now have an Adolescent! |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "I don't think Miles is suggesting a sweeping change. Just a slight course correction."
That's pretty much it. Maybe more like actually look at the long range radar before going "full speed ahead." Or more appropriately, "Please engage brain before putting mouth (keyboard) into gear."
:) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | We need a "No Reply" Button |
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Location: PDX | Interesting.
Miles, have you seen this thread over at TGP?
_____
gh1 |
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When NOT to hit REPLY
