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Location: 6 String Ranch | Maybe over there on the new site we can have the Soap Section??? |
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Location: Germany | +1 what Cliff said.
Karl |
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Location: SoCal | I, for one, think Clifford's posting was very good. Well typed with only one grammatically error that I could easily spot...... |
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Location: Nashville TN. | I signed up but seems confusing |
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Posts: 367
Location: Eaton, Indiana | I wonder if we will have to add MIDI to our acoustics to play this new game?
Leave it alone. Oh, did I spell MIDI correctly?
scott lamperd B C (before computers) :confused: |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | It does have to be a MIDI connection on the outboard section of the acoustic to work properly |
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Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Again, the Gallery, Chat Room (rarely used), off topic or speciallized discussions can all be served by the personal pages/groups on the Ning.
Maintain the forum on this site. Members can link the Ning when they want for photos, videos, or specific information that they have on their page. |
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Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | So Miles and Al should pay for and administer two separate sites? That doesn't seem practical.
I think the new site demonstrates that we've outgrown the limitations of the "traditional" OFC technology.. we like having more flexibility with our profiles, considering how many people have customized them. we like having a much more functional photo solution. we like having the option to post videos and audio tracks. Guitars are auditory and visual works of art, and they inspire people to perform and interact. To be able to capture that and incorporate into the already great OFC community is exciting.
Perhaps there's another forum package out there that meets those needs and doesn't chase off all the luddites. :)
Or give Miles a chance to tweak the Ning stuff to see if he can make it work more like our community does. If we ditched the Friends and Groups stuff, would it really look/feel that different?? Different enough that long time contributors would give up and walk away? Seems like you could just bookmark the "Forums" tab and forget the rest. |
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| I know I said whatever is easier for you Miles but I find it confusing to surf around in there. Not sure how to make the stuff work right joined Cliff's long neck group but it is not as user friendly and easy to see and post messages on this current site. I don't care about the friends thing nor all the extra features I have no intension of using for myself. THis has been a day. Some of you guy's seem to like this but lets take it easy on the instant acceptance. Again it's been a Day. Let us old farts get used to this for a while. OK?
Randy |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think you guys are making way too much of this. If you like the new site go join it. If you don't then don't join it. What's the big deal? Dave |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | So, moody, did you spot the "their" that should have been "they're" or was it another one? I'm with the old farts on this. More features isn't necessarily good, but not necessarily bad. I signed up last night and immediately got a bunch of email notices that someone replied. I was out all day and expected a bunch more, but didn't have any. I guess I know who my friends are now. I saw something on how to stop the email notices and will probably explore that eventually, but this system has basically been the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" system as far as I'm concerned.
I change cars an average of every 11 years and cuss the new technology on the new ones until I get used to them.
Muzza is right. The average age of the regulars is pretty high and I don't agree that the new way of communicating is better than the old ways. When it comes to expressing a coherent thought, the old farts will kick the newbies asses. But Muzza, if your wife still has periods, you either aren't an old fart or you robbed the cradle. |
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Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
If the OFC goes to the new format, then I don't expect to spend much time there. I'll invest in phone calls and email..... Paul, you're lucky that you've met a great proportion of the active membership, so you're in a good position to do that. A lot of us rely on the forum to keep in touch.
Originally posted by cliff:
If it does go wholly to the NewSystem, I too will probably be spending less time here, Another valuable member that we wouldn't want cutting back on his wicked wisdom. I know for a fact that we would lose Ozwatto, pretty much completely. We can't afford to lose any more Aussies. Oz is 20% of the OzOFC.
Originally posted by cliff:
... it's VERY HighSchool "clique-ish" . . .
I find the whole "Friends"-thing kind of exclusionary & stupid.
I agree entirely with the childishness/cliquiness - and stupid should have been in bold.
Originally posted by cliff:
Is it possible to keep this as the "Main" OFC Page and then "Link" to the other for those that want to take advantage??
This is one option, but if we just removed the 'friends' BS and allowed only the administrators to create 'groups', which would limit the maze to a couple of 'forums', I think this could work. Yes, the bells and whistles are great, and some of us will eventually use them.
Originally posted by dvd:
So Miles and Al should pay for and administer two separate sites? That doesn't seem practical. Pay for another site - I have already put my hand in my pocket for the OFC once. I get so much enjoyment from this place I'll readily shove it in again. And again. And again.
Administer 2 sites - I've suggested that Al and Miles engage some help with limited moderation access. I've suggested that Brad (SlipKid) be the one to kick it off.
Originally posted by dvd:
Perhaps there's another forum package out there that meets those needs and doesn't chase off all the luddites. :) Maybe there is, but not ALL of the objectors are luddites. I know more about computers than the majority of people half my age. My fear is that the ready accessibility to ALL posts will no longer exist and the whole FaceAche / MyArse look and feel is for pimple squeezers.
Originally posted by dvd:
Different enough that long time contributors would give up and walk away? Seems like you could just bookmark the "Forums" tab and forget the rest. Yes they would, because the "banquet table / CyberPub" would be gone, along with the thing that I believe makes the OFC so special - it's inclusive.
Originally posted by Gallerinski:
I think you guys are making way too much of this. If you like the new site go join it. If you don't then don't join it. What's the big deal? Dave Because Miles said "If it works out, it will be the new home. If not, it won't. "
Originally posted by Tony Calman:
Again, the Gallery, Chat Room (rarely used), off topic or speciallized discussions can all be served by the personal pages/groups on the Ning. Tony, the OffTopic stuff may annoy you, but for many of us, the OT stuff is one of the things that makes the OFC so enjoyable.
And finally, Mark, I'm 49 in September. My SWMBO is looking good for her age, but I'm no cradle snatcher. ;) |
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Location: SoCal | Re: "Tony, the OffTopic stuff may annoy you, but for many of us, the OT stuff is one of the things that makes the OFC so enjoyable."
Off topic in posts has never annoyed me and I have been deliberately guilty of it often. :eek: Difference is that it usually started as a legit thread, usually back to the original subject.
I was referring to the natural (positive) development of "different" discussions between two or more, as friendships and interests develop. Heck, four or five OFC'ers could start their own chat on radio control airplanes. Looks like the Ning site would support.
At this level that Miles has developed, not sure of the cost. For the one I set up for my wife, no cost. |
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Posts: 4238
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | QUOTE from my post on the "OFC Take 2"
HOLY GEEZ! I've spent the last couple of days reading the posts on both boards and I feel like the guy in the "Is it real or is it Memorex" poster! I haven't seen blow-back like this since Hurricane Frederick! I'm beginning to think my hairline recedes a little every time I pay a visit here.
I gotta admit, I feel sorry for Miles and Al. People complain for months about the lack features on the old site, so they make a (VERY) good-faith effort to address them. Now people from the other side of the coin (or is it the same ones?) are griping that the new site has, you guessed it, TOO MANY FEATURES!
Here's more personal history than I normally cough up in a public forum: I've spent the last four years as a professional trying to straighten out some very specific and complicated problems in 400 churches and 200 schools plus a few other places besides. Part of this process involves changing policies and procedures to facilitate a better environment for the LONG term. Some of the statements I've seen here, I've been hearing for years. When it comes to change, some folks have at it, some just say "Well, OK," some say "I don't like it, but whatcha gonna do?", and some say "Over my dead, rotting body!"
I am almost bemused by our moderators' ability to keep there fingers from their keyboards as their "friends" bash each other around the ether.
Has it occurred to anyone that Miles asked us to "Check it out" and provide feedback. He and Al are looking to please as many people as possible within the limitations of this horribly faulty and completely unreliable morass called the world-wide-web. So let me print one observation I've made after many years of being the "change agent" for another wide-ranging agency (the one on the receiving end of the "input"). I regret that, because different people read things in different tones, some will see the following as condescending. I can only hope that others will point out my disclaimer that I refuse to condescend to people I have never met, especially strangers who have provided invaluable advice to me over the years. I call this an observation. You can call it my opinion, my advice, or my foul gas if you like. But here it is:
When someone asks for your input, I absolutely guarantee they will more readily respond positively to professionalism, discretion, and (get this) COURTESY than they will to ranting, posturing, and foul language (no matter how many letters you replace with symbols). Admit it, I'll bet anyone on this forum who's ever been in the position to do so has hung up when the person on the other end of the phone starts swearing at them.
I, of course, have my opinions about what works and what doesn't on both sites; all of which have been well-illustrated by others. I see no need to be redundant with my posts (Unless they involve multiple guitars, I very much enjoy that type of redundancy).
But I will say this, specifically to Miles and Al: I've learned more about guitars in the last four years than I did in the previous twenty. On top of that, I've had some great conversations in this group. I'm perfectly content to let you two call the ball here. You do the work, you've earned the privilege, and it was your horse out of the gate anyway. You can put this site in whatever format you want wherever you like. I'll find it. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | You're a youngster Muzz. You have an AARP down there? One of the crushing blows to my ego was when I got an AARP membership for my 50th birthday. My father in law thought that I would really appreciate the senior citizen discounts. Might as well have given me a year's supply of adult diapers.
Unlike Tony, I never get off topic. This thread was about the old farts' club, wasn't it? |
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Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Miles. I appreciate the huge amount of personal time and effort you have put into this site over the years. You and Al created a nice place and over time a very special community grew out of it. I also appreciate the time and effort you are spending on the new site just to try to make improvements and respond to comments and criticisms.
I like a lot of the features on the new site, but don’t really like it.
With a site like that I believe we will lose a lot of the things that brought us here. When I first came to this site looking for buying info on Ovation Solid bodies, it was very simple to post my question and get good advice from the group. It was kind of like walking into a small bar full of people and asking, “Hey does anybody know where I can find a Deacon or Breadwinner for sale?”, and having a conversation start. After that I could easily see what all the other conversations were about and join in or listen if I wanted. I think this kind of vibe is a big part of what keeps us coming back.
I may have posted my question to the new site, but I’m not sure I would have bothered to listen to or join any of the conversations. It would probably be like some of the Flash developer sites I occasionally visit. When I have a Flash question, I’ll ask my question and check back every so often for replies. I don’t care what else is going on, I just want an answer. The new place is like walking into an entertainment complex and wondering if anyone will hear me if I ask a question.
I guess this place is comfortable and intimate and the other place is big and loud. That doesn’t mean they are not both fun places, One place, it’s easier to chat with everyone, the other place, you visit groups of people, listen to music, look at things,
This place is, at it’s heart, first and foremost, a forum, in every sense of the word. The new place is a lot of things, including a forum.
I believe the character of this community will start to change with the new site. Old members will start to drop off or visit less and a new breed will take their place. Can you imagine if Hal Jordan could have easily posted video and audio? Or HeatherDDD??!
If it comes down to a vote, I like this place. If keeping both is an option it would probably please everybody. But, it has been very nice having one large Ovation online community, I would hate to see that change. |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Continuing the tradition of cross-posting, these are my observations from the ning site:
"What's the difference between "Friends" here and "Buddy Lists" on the old board? So far, the "Friends" thing is the only way to select members to whom you want to send a message (like the PMs on the old board), if you don't have their personal emails, that I've been able to figure out. I don't get hung up on terminology, we're all well beyond high school and (hopefully) mature enough to realize that a label for some functionality doesn't translate into reality. "Friends" are people with whom I converse with on a more regular basis, and often off the board, than the general membership. No one on the old board can tell me they don't do the same.
As far as groups, I'll shout out a mea culpa for starting the first one, but I did that more to test the capabilities of that feature than to be exclusionary. But at the same time, bobbo's got it right - there's no reason that people with the same specialized interest shouldn't congregate. Why shouldn't the audiophiles form a group to discuss the technical merits of a triode? What's wrong with BFLG'ers getting together to swap tips on how to rout a rabbet to replace a piece of binding. Is anyone going to tell me that they read EVERY SINGLE post on the other board? When a regional group of members is planning a get-together do you honestly care what time so-and-so is arriving, what beverage they're bringing, what shirt they're wearing, if you're not attending that gathering? I don't see Groups as being exclusionary at all. If you have a specialized interest then join that group, or create it if it doesn't exist.
The best things I've seen about this site are the personal pages, photos, videos and music files. These are all things that people have been clamoring for on the the old board for quite a while.
Smilies? Just as well that there's no easy way to add them to your posts.
I'm not advocating either this site or the old board. Unlike several who've flat-out stated they won't participate if the old board is shut down in favor of this one, I'll continue to monitor, post questions and (sometimes wrong) answers, announce interesting guitars I've seen for sale, congratulate OFCers on their acquisitions, offer up members of my herd when I want a change, etc., etc., etc. When all is said and done, it's the PEOPLE who participate that make the community, and not the place where they gather." |
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Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | This is better than when we used to talk politics and war. Nice job Miles! I like the new format and it's capabilities. Change is good, keeps us young. I used to teach computer classes to retired folks that just wanted to understand what the rest of the world was talking about and be able to communicate with their kids via email. I knew there were lots of people that don't care but didn't realize how many don't want change. Maybe you could find a DOS platform and see what people think about it. |
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| Well being one of the guy's who never camplained about the old site....... I have to say I went to the new site again for a while and ya know it just does not have the sense of community. Someone said it, and I agree; I think this will splinter the group. You will no longer have the simplistic charm we have now. Hey I disagree with people....news flash right... I have been guilty a heated arguement or two in here but because we all post from the same list of topics we have to deal with each other. This helps as far as I am concerned.
I just got finished with a weekend retreat for three church groups of kids. We had the event here in a secluded camp site in a little valley with a stream that runs behind our home. Some of these kids have problems some are honor students.
(SOUNDS LIKE THIS BUNCH) Anyway first real problems we had and it happened more than once is some kids feel the need to seperate into a smaller group and go off and hide in a tent or remove themselves from the main group. This causes problems. I am quite sure I do not need to go into the whole scenario of feelings or misscommunication that results once this begins. We have all been through Middle School Right? Anyway the comparison is this, once you make smaller groups you feel like your intruding if you find a topic you may want to post a thought about. And if the group is one that does not come out of its respective shell very often or if your post is simply ignored when you do intrude..... then when they post in another section the same sort of elitist crap continues. Before your done the charm is gone. As for the "Friends" thing I am sure we can all understand this is not high school but it is "juvenile" non the less, to an adult... It is childish and it is just one of of the many less than charming features this new format offers.
I say don't do it. And I also say the "Change for Changes sake" is rarely the right course. But hey I am just a guy who belongs to a site of Ovation nuts. |
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Posts: 15682
Location: SoCal | I'm trying with the new page, but I keep having to stiffle yelling out "Hey Max, how do you take a crap?" |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | one turd at a time, otherwise it might hurt. |
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Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Here I am, a member of the "PB&S of the OFC" subcult: "Pterydactyls, Brontosauruses and Stegosauruses of the OFC." I have been to the new site, registered, and am trying to figure it all out.
Given the fact that we already know that the few techno-skills I may conceivably have are totally abysmal to begin with, it's been an interesting (to say the least) experience.
To me, this board is like walking into a big convention-type conference room, everything peripherated around the outside edge, visible at a glance and easy to locate. The other board is more like a maze to me, and I'm not sure where the chalk-line arrows are.
I'm going to hang in there, and try to get a handle on it...if anyone finds me in the fetal position, rocking back and forth in a corner, it will wear off; just tuck a blanket around me, lower the lights, turn on some soothing music and tiptoe away. ;)
--Karen |
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Posts: 4833
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | S'all right Karen. There, there.
It confuses me too. But I'm quite accustomed to being confused, so it doesn't bother me much.
There are some nice places I've bumped into there. Then sometimes I can't find them again...then after a while I figgered out how to find it again.
It's a learning curve. We'll all be on it the rest of our lives.
But yes, this place is a little easier to see who's been around lately. Except when it's busy with new thread and the one you were looking at a week ago is off the front page, so it goes. |
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Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | There will be a learning curve. For some it will be easier than others. It's nice that you don't have to jump right into the deep end of the pool because you can always come back here for a little breather and some encouragement.
Like Karen is doing, ya gotta give it a chance and realize it might take some brain power. I'll bet that 4 months from now we'll wonder what all the fuss was about and we'll all be enjoying all the new mp3s, videos and photos. And I am including Al in that statement. |
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Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Yes, I remember how frustrating it was when I was new here and tried to post a picture. Then I had the same frustration a couple weeks ago when I tried to do it again. |
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