# Boring or Dying?



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

There seems to be very little if anything new, exciting or interesting being posted these days. It is a sign or forums in general or just this one?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

What kinds of threads do you personally find exciting and/or interesting in general?

For example, I usually enjoy the electronics threads related to guitars and/or amps.

Cheers

Dave


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

It's summer...too much to do.

Gotta go - heading back outside.


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

smorgdonkey said:


> It's summer...too much to do.
> 
> Gotta go - heading back outside.


Trees, camping,s'mores & campfire guitar!
Kids need out, so not much time for computer. Well, ok, i'm on here,it is lunch time!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i would probably post more if i had more access. right after i bought this awesome computer for the buy, mine died. the very next day after that, i got laid off. now i'm back to work so, new computer coming soon, and then i can be more of a pest than lately. in the mean time, a little something from my favorite site


[video=youtube_share;-JX9rgF0aeg]http://youtu.be/-JX9rgF0aeg[/video]


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

Summer. I know what you mean though. Its not a lack of quality per se, its the lack of threads all together. I work shift work so I am sitting in front of this dummy box all day long trying to find something to pass the time. Like the saying goes, I have found the end of the Internet. Not literally, just figuratively.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

There's always a lull in the summer, for obvious reasons.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

It's a lack of members and posts. It's the same people posting whether it's summer or winter. Frankly, I think the place is dying.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

The Forum is going through the summer drought. People are doing other things instead of sitting in front of a computer. Family time, vacations and wonderful weather keep people outdoors and away from the internet. Most Forums (though they may have thousands of members) rely on a very small percentage of members to keep it going. Obviously our key guys are out fishing or golfing. No need to panic.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I'm still checking in every day, despite the various summer distractions. 

I go through phases of posting more frequently and phases of posting less. I sometimes find entering into discussions on forums exhausting. I do however always enjoy reading what others have to say.

GC is one of my favourite forums, I look forward to its ongoing success.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> It's a lack of members and posts. It's the same people posting whether it's summer or winter. Frankly, I think the place is dying.


Nope. It's just you.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I imagine that its a summer thing. Frankly the idea that people still spend time outside is encouraging to me.

And yes, this is my favourite forum, hands down - partly because its small-ish and partly because it it very well moderated. I suspect that the two go hand-in-hand.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> There seems to be very little if anything new, exciting or interesting being posted these days. It is a sign or forums in general or just this one?


Ya I'd agree. Ebbs and flows, I guess.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

bw66 said:


> I imagine that its a summer thing. Frankly the idea that people still spend time outside is encouraging to me.
> 
> And yes, this is my favourite forum, hands down - partly because its small-ish and partly because it it very well moderated. I suspect that the two go hand-in-hand.


I totally agree. Great place with gentleman all around. (I bet there are some women too. ).


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Is this site dying?

Wishful thinking?

Every so often somebody posts a thread or comment pointing out how dead a site is.

Yes, as with most sites there are a core group of frequent posters.

No, the site is not dying.


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2013)

This happens every summer.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I haven't been here long. It's seems to be the same, since I've started (subject and volume). 

It seems like most of the posts are 'water cooler' talk. I never partake offline, so I don't online. 

I'm also not comfortable posting a thread, cause they need volume to actually work/be effective. 

The above being said, I'm not involved in anything other than the pub, so maybe that's the issue?

Still, I check in frequently to see what's going on and where I can contribute.


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## Short Circuit (Mar 25, 2007)

Like other people said it's summer and there's lots to do.
I'm just finishing my coffee and then going out for a bike ride with Mrs. Circuit. 
Then I'll probably start sorting through junk as I have a bin coming tomorrow and start packing stuff up for the move to our new house at the end of the month.

Mark


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Clean Channel said:


> I'm still checking in every day, despite the various summer distractions.
> 
> I sometimes find entering into discussions on forums exhausting.
> 
> GC is one of my favourite forums, I look forward to its ongoing success.


+1 This is the only forum I frequent.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

adcandour said:


> I'm also not comfortable posting a thread, cause they need volume to actually work/be effective.


Why's that? I have started a thread that had one or two replies and answered my question so that could be considered effective could it not?


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Hmmm, 20 posts in one thread in less than 24 hours.


Yeah, pretty dead around here, LOL.


Pfffft


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I don't think this is all that bad, statistically speaking:

There are currently 336 users online. 83 members and 253 guests


Cheers

Dave


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

July and August consistently show a fairly big drop in activity. Been like that since we started. However, there are things that all members can do to increase traffic and involvement in the community. Spreading the word to your fellow guitar players is always good. Make use of the social bookmarks found at the bottom of the threads to link interesting threads to FB, Twitter and Reddit. 

I post daily for sale items on both FB and Twitter and have a fairly large following now. I usually only post items that have pictures. I also post interesting threads that others may find interesting and may like to join in on. Even though we have 100,000 links out there on google we can always use more exposure. The more active members the more contribution in discussions and the more people looking at that 3k guitar you have for sale.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

dcole said:


> Why's that? I have started a thread that had one or two replies and answered my question so that could be considered effective could it not?


It sure could. If I'm asking a specific question that needs a resolution, I wouldn't care if I received only one helpful reply. 

I posted a thread once in another forum that's net something like this:

I always think its interesting to not only see what other forum members currently do, but all the jobs they did prior. Here's my list

1) beckers milk stock boy
2) Arby's cashier
3) McDonald's 
4) etc, etc, etc

It doesn't really work with a couple of replies. It started off slow, but gained momentum as people got really into it. It was super interesting and there was a ton of posts. 

Another was about vasectomies. I think I posted it here and only got a couple of replies as opposed to about 70 on the other. That was very helpful, since I was able to come to a good conclusion about the procedure. 

Anyhow, that's what I meant.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Dead no, a little bit boring sometimes yes, but that in itself mirrors life. We all have good days and so so days and every once in a while that wow day. You know that day, you just bought that new guitar and you can't wait to tell everyone it is freakin' great you want to get together and jam, wow what a day and then reality kicks in, same old same old just like GC sometimes exciting sometimes not so much.


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2013)

I just noticed something new. What's with 
the green dots under evreyone's name?

edit - just seen a red one in another thread.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

laristotle said:


> I just noticed something new. What's with
> the green dots under evreyone's name?
> 
> edit - just seen a red one in another thread.


Related to post count? ... "_____ is a great contributor"., etc.


Cheers

Dave


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

greco said:


> I don't think this is all that bad, statistically speaking:
> 
> There are currently 336 users online. 83 members and 253 guests
> 
> ...


Summer lull. My first forum just looks flat out dead. Ive been posting from my phone (hence quoting) and wont have proper internet til next month. Whenever I think to make a thread i forget by the time i can do so haha.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

greco said:


> Related to post count? ... "_____ is a great contributor"., etc.
> 
> 
> Cheers
> ...


Thats the standard forum reputation. I turned it back on since we don't have the "like" and "thanks" anymore. So basically, you can give someone positive or negative rep points via the little icon under each post, looks like a star. You also gain rep points through posts and longevity on the forum.

*What is reputation?*
*Reputation is a way of rating users depending on the quality of their posts. If the administrators have enabled reputation, then the reputation icon will be visible in posts.*
*Reputation may be positive







, negative







or neutral







. Negative reputation may only be given if the administrator has enabled this. Neutral reputation is only given when the person giving reputation does not meet the criteria set by the administrator to affect someone else's reputation.*
*How do I give reputation?*
*To give reputation, click on the reputation icon in the relevant post. This will reveal a form to complete with the reputation type and the reason for giving the reputation. If negative reputation is disabled then it will not be displayed in this form. You may not give reputation for the same post twice.*
*How do I know what reputation I have received?*
*You can view the reputation that you have received in your User CP (User Control Panel) where it is displayed at the bottom of the User CP page. Here you will see the latest reputation that you have received and whether this is positive, negative or neutral. Your total reputation will be shown as series of reputation indicators in your posts and profile. The more positive your reputation, the more positive icons will be shown. The more negative your reputation the more negative icons will be shown.*
*How much reputation is given? What is reputation power?*
*If the administrator has enabled this, the amount of reputation that each user will give (or take away if negative) is shown in the user's posts as 'Reputation Power'. The value of the reputation power is determined by the administrator and may increase over time depending on the settings they have applied.*
*What if I don't want anyone to see my reputation?*
*You can disable the display of your reputation by going to your User CP and selecting Edit Options. On this page you will find a check box labelled 'Show Your Reputation Level'. Un-checking this box will remove the display of your reputation and replace it with the Reputation Disabled icon. You can still give and receive reputation while your reputation display is disabled.*


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Oh man, I never realised I have such a terrible/non-existent reputation on this forum!

I'm gonna have to work harder if I want to earn green dot number two...


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2013)

you're talking about this







icon?

edit - never mind. the star just appeared.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Milkman said:


> Is this site dying?
> 
> Wishful thinking?
> 
> ...


Its definitely not dying....But it does feel like its been a while since theres been a real rousing, stimulating discussion topic around here. But maybe that's a sign of the times...might just not be much really exciting happening in the music/music gear scene at the present moment.

every forum has its own personality/culture, with its pros and cons.
if I were to describe this one, I'd use descriptors like: older, well mannered/polite, helpful, mature, strong lean towards dinosaur rock/blues/Canadian content, sometimes a bit "bloggy" compared to other sites. generally a very positive atmosphere...but that can make it seem a little too PG at times.

I think that's why its good to belong to multiple sites...hit them up when you find things get a little stale, or need something more/less edgy, or if your current tastes are taking you down a different path.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I just added to your reputation. Can't have a guy with "clean" in his name have only one green dot!


Clean Channel said:


> Oh man, I never realised I have such a terrible/non-existent reputation on this forum!
> 
> I'm gonna have to work harder if I want to earn green dot number two...


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Just noticed I only have 2. I suck as well.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I approve this message! And now you too are one click closer to a green future...


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Intrepid said:


> Just noticed I only have 2. I suck as well.


I added 3 to your rep...only took one click. 

Do you feel any better now?

Cheers

Dave


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Thank you. Now I'm guaranteed to have a great Civic Holiday Monday. Just gave you a greenie as well.


greco said:


> I added 3 to your rep...only took one click.
> 
> Do you feel any better now?
> 
> ...


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## buzzy (May 28, 2011)

It says I'm an unknown quantity. I guess this can go one of two ways from here. ;-)

As for the forum, I'd say it's stable. Some ups and downs, but still a nice place to hang out. I know I've learned a great deal during my time here. (... and not just about guitars!)


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Intrepid said:


> Just gave you a greenie as well.


Thanks. 

I just hope this doesn't become a standard phrase in the GC forum....LOL

Cheers

Dave


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

My "enter" key seem to have stopped working in here. It's Ok on other sites. ???


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

F
o
u
n
d

a

f
I
x
!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

also too, we don't have david coming in here stirring things up anymore. like him or not it generated posts. keeper of the good - there was another guy we dont see anymore but was a major contributer of quality content. we may be in a summer lull, but it makes the absence of people like them even more glaring. (to me, anyhow)


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2013)

yeah, david (and his evil twin dave) were entertaining.
going back a ways here. there was also sir clinton hammond.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Well, I can say this is the most interesting thread I've seen in awhile; not because I started it but because there have been lots of replies with lots of opinions. Too bad this didn't happen on a regular basis.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Steady. How come you have a red thingy not a green one?


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Here's a question, how do you decipher what the green things and red things mean?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Intrepid said:


> Here's a question, how do you decipher what the green things and red things mean?


They just indicate levels of reputation. You gain reputation points for many things. Posting, how long you have been a member etc. Plus other members with reputation power can add to your reputation when they wish. You gain reputation power as you go along but only have so much to give out. Red would indicate that someone has put in a negative reputation.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

So somebody gave Steady a Negative? That's very un Canadian.


GuitarsCanada said:


> They just indicate levels of reputation. You gain reputation points for many things. Posting, how long you have been a member etc. Plus other members with reputation power can add to your reputation when they wish. You gain reputation power as you go along but only have so much to give out. Red would indicate that someone has put in a negative reputation.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Intrepid said:


> So somebody gave Steady a Negative? That's very un Canadian.


That would appear to be the case. However that can be reversed by gaining positive rep


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Mostly contentious content is what becomes longer posts. Also a big membership helps. New posts over at the grad page per day is at around 250. Our country is one tenth. Also, we dont tolerate s**t disturbed. I appreciate that.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

So what's the correlation of the green bar and the Rep Power?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> Here's an opinion, Steadly...
> 
> You're kind of being an @#!*% .


I'm sorry I have an opinion. If you read through the thread, many admit the same thing.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

It seems that this Thread demonstrates that GC is alive and kicking.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

nkjanssen said:


> You don't find the whole system a bit childish?


I dont really have an opinion on it to be truthful. Its a standard forum feature, tons of them use it. I just turned it on. People can choose to use it or just ignore it. It does not effect a persons ability to post.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I'll chime in since the question is about the community. GC is part of my daily web browsing.
I came here for many reasons: people are helpful, respectful and this is not about "the gear I have and you don't" like other forums. I love GC 'cause it's different and always a pleasure to have a little break around here!
Maybe it's a bit slow, but thats okay with me, people have real life and enjoying it! I hope GC will last for many years to come.
By the way, all the mods are doing a great job, hats off to all of them!


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Intrepid said:


> It seems that this Thread demonstrates that GC is alive and kicking.


.. and smells faintly of asshole ?


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

bagpipe said:


> Intrepid said:
> 
> 
> > It seems that this Thread demonstrates that GC is alive and kicking.
> ...


For me the key to avoiding ass smell and jock itch is keeping that area as dry as possible. I will actually use a hair dryer (on the cool air setting) to get the boys nice and dry after a shower. 

In summer months I often take a second shower in the evening or use some baby powder if that's not possible.

In the event of itching I have recently discovered that using a zinc based diaper rash cream called "Butt Paste" works wonders to relieve the burning itchy feeling. 

I sometimes find it hard to wash away the asshole smell though and have started to wonder if it has anything to do with a diet high in gluten.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

hardasmum said:


> For me the key to avoiding ass smell and jock itch is keeping that area as dry as possible. I will actually use a hair dryer (on the cool air setting) to get the boys nice and dry after a shower.
> 
> In summer months I often take a second shower in the evening or use some baby powder if that's not possible.
> 
> ...



Thanks for sharing.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Milkman said:


> hardasmum said:
> 
> 
> > For me the key to avoiding ass smell and jock itch is keeping that area as dry as possible. I will actually use a hair dryer (on the cool air setting) to get the boys nice and dry after a shower.
> ...


I am a staunch supporter of "Edutainment".


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

hardasmum said:


> For me the key to avoiding ass smell and jock itch is keeping that area as dry as possible. I will actually use a hair dryer (on the cool air setting) to get the boys nice and dry after a shower.
> 
> In summer months I often take a second shower in the evening or use some baby powder if that's not possible.
> 
> ...


Who said that GC was boring or dying I read this and laughted so hard I had tears in my eyes. Dead or boring. My ass says steadfastly you are so wrong.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I was in the gym change room and noticed a can of a substance on the bench with the name "Anti-Monkey Butt" on it next to another member's bag.

I didn't ask.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2013)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

laristotle said:


>


WTF, LOL?

Oy


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

nothing like some crotch rot


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)




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## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

Hey Steadly,
I have disagreed with almost everything you have posted. And enjoyed reading all of it.
If you find the discourse boring, challenge it.
And be prepared to defend your opinions.
This is an erudite bunch.
Please continue to post.
When I figure out how, I will flick you a greenie.
I that good am not at computers.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

GuitarsCanada said:


> nothing like some crotch rot


They sell it at home hardware, if anyone is interested in picking some up. 

If you're too embarrassed to buy it, I may be willing to play scissors with you in exchange for gear.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

GUInessTARS said:


> Hey Steadly,
> I have disagreed with almost everything you have posted. And enjoyed reading all of it.


This is what I'm talking about, respect. It's not 'cause you disagree with others that you can't have respect.
Everyone can have opinion, about family, religion, politic, hockey or whatever they want and that's okay, live and let live!
Thanks GUInessTars, you speak the truth!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

nkjanssen said:


> Some might argue that Steadly's OP was rather disrespectful.
> 
> ...basically the online equivalent of walking into someone's house and saying "Man, this place sucks!"


I believe you are putting words in my mouth that I didn't utter. Your post above is a statement. Mine was a question asking for a response. A response from a number agreed with.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

nkjanssen said:


> Some might argue that Steadly's OP was rather disrespectful.
> 
> ...basically the online equivalent of walking into someone's house and saying "Man, this place sucks!"


I don't think this is the case at all - I didn't think it was disrespectful. And, you're analogy is a bit on the weak side.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Milkman said:


> hardasmum said:
> 
> 
> > For me the key to avoiding ass smell and jock itch is keeping that area as dry as possible. I will actually use a hair dryer (on the cool air setting) to get the boys nice and dry after a shower.
> ...


My former employer insisted we share hotel rooms at the sales mtg to save a few bucks. One colleague that I often roomed with used to make me leave the room so that he could break out the hair dryer. 

+1 for the COLD setting.

P.S. Ever been late for work (usually from doing something guitar related after breakfast), have to skip the shower & settle for a baby wipes, baby powder whore's bath?


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Milkman said:


> I was in the gym change room and noticed a can of a substance on the bench with the name "Anti-Monkey Butt" on it next to another member's bag.
> 
> I didn't ask.


Is "monkey butt" the same thing as swamp ass?


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

adcandour said:


> GuitarsCanada said:
> 
> 
> > nothing like some crotch rot
> ...


I'm ashamed that I know what kind of scissors you're talking about.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> nkjanssen said:
> 
> 
> > Some might argue that Steadly's OP was rather disrespectful.
> ...





Steadfastly said:


> There seems to be very little if anything new, exciting or interesting being posted these days. It is a sign or forums in general or just this one?


Your own words suggest that, with a few exceptions, you find recent posts old, unexciting and uninteresting.

I can see how that might offend someone who has posted recently.

That analogy works for me.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

hardasmum said:


> Your own words suggest that, with a few exceptions, you find recent posts old, unexciting and uninteresting.
> 
> I can see how that might offend someone who has posted recently.
> 
> That analogy works for me.


The analogy makes sense to me, but I don't think Steadfastly intended it to be an insult to anyone. He just posed a question. The reality is that some WILL take it as per the analogy.

Nevertheless, as I have said, I have seen threads like this on most sites from time to time.

The site is what WE make of it. It's an empty vessel and we're the topics and content. If it sucks, WE suck.


(but it doesn't, and we don't)


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I believe that I started one of these threads my first summer here.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

nkjanssen said:


> Some might argue that Steadly's OP was rather disrespectful.
> 
> ...basically the online equivalent of walking into someone's house and saying "Man, this place sucks!"


The reason I'm not a fan of the analogy is 'the house' bit. GC shouldn't really take offense (and its seems he hasn't). 

If we want to stick with houses, saying, " the contractors working on this house are kinda crappy" is more apt. The fact that people have taken offense to the post kinda proves this point (you're doing more than defending GC - you're depending all posters. 

FWIW, I actually really like this thread. I thinks it's due to the emotional element. I'm checking my phone more often. Perhaps we can nominate steadfastly to be the forum shit-disturber, so we can continue this trend. I'd much prefer that to all the news updates we get here.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I think this is a good thread. I was thinking exactly the same thing as Steadfastly before he started this thread: "This place has gotten pretty quiet, and/or dull". For myself, I've discussed to death the various standard "guitar discussions" ie "which pickups for my Strat?", "are all SGs neck heavy?", "whats the best distortion pedal?" etc. I guess that happens when you hang around these various guitar discussion forums for a while.

I'm much more entertained by threads such as this, which deviate from the standard fare.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

FWIW, I find the same general trend in other forums I'm on that are completely both related to music, and completely unrelated to music. Summertime just tends to result in folks being preoccupied with other stuff. It happens.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

adcandour said:


> The reason I'm not a fan of the analogy is 'the house' bit. GC shouldn't really take offense (and its seems he hasn't).
> 
> If we want to stick with houses, saying, " the contractors working on this house are kinda crappy" is more apt. The fact that people have taken offense to the post kinda proves this point (you're doing more than defending GC - you're depending all posters.
> 
> FWIW, I actually really like this thread. I thinks it's due to the emotional element. I'm checking my phone more often. Perhaps we can nominate steadfastly to be the forum shit-disturber, so we can continue this trend. I'd much prefer that to all the news updates we get here.


Comments like that used to bother me, years ago. But the truth is it's really not my forum anymore. I only do maintenance and try to keep it running smoothly behind the scenes. I still like to get involved in the conversations on a personal level but the forum belongs to all of you. The content belongs to all of the members not me. The mood and the flavor was created essentially by the members and not me or any moderators. We try for the most part to keep our personal feelings out of the picture. We moderate according to the rules and not personal opinion. 

So in terms of the content and how much there is it all depends on the members. We continue to grow on a steady pace yet active members are much lower than the total membership indicates. Why people join and don't post is beyond me. I have only ever joined a forum because I wanted to say something so not sure about why some don't post. We do get a hell of a lot of readers I know that.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

bagpipe said:


> I've discussed to death the various standard "guitar discussions" ie "which pickups for my Strat?", "are all SGs neck heavy?", "whats the best distortion pedal?" etc. I guess that happens when you hang around these various guitar discussion forums for a while.


+1

The "(insert name of hated manufacturer here) charges too much!" or "You're an idiot if you buy from (above manufacturer)!" or "My Chinese copy is just as good as your (model from aforementioned manufacturer) at a fraction of the cost!" threads kinda get old. I have zero interest in repeating the same arguments ad nauseum, especially if it requires me to defend a gear purchase lest my fellow brethren in tone think me an idiot &/or a (gasp) cork sniffer.

But it's fun to hear about a new/unknown artist & broaden one's musical palette.


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi GuitarsCanada,



GuitarsCanada said:


> ...
> But the truth is it's really not my forum anymore.


But let me say "Nice place you've got here" anyway.


> ...
> Why people join and don't post is beyond me. I have only ever joined a forum because I wanted to say something so not sure about why some don't post. We do get a hell of a lot of readers I know that.


I write a great deal on the web in other environments, disciplines, and formats. I also play guitar (and sing and write and perform) and I devote as much time to music as all the other pursuits combined. 

When it comes to music, I think that listening is as important as anything else you do. So is knowing when to make a sound. Part of that knowing is recognizing when a sound will contribute to the music. I'm still trying to figure that out.

In other places I write with the intent of producing something of value to be used in the moment and referenced later. I haven't felt that I had much of that to contribute here. So mainly ... I listen. 

I've posted a few things, but just as in music, I thought of those posts as fleeting, in the moment. I don't record any more because I think of music as all the more precious if it's live in the moment and allowed to pass into silence. 

I posted a few things earlier this month and then decided that I didn't really need to leave footprints here. I would have deleted the posts but the forum software doesn't allow that, so I just replaced the content of the posts when the short lived relevance seemed to have passed. 

This is fine place to visit and read but I don't feel compelled to write much. 

As with music ... _It's not the notes you put in, but what you put in the notes, that matters_.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Roryfan said:


> bagpipe said:
> 
> 
> > I've discussed to death the various standard "guitar discussions" ie "which pickups for my Strat?", "are all SGs neck heavy?", "whats the best distortion pedal?" etc. I guess that happens when you hang around these various guitar discussion forums for a while.
> ...


Many of us have had the benefit of being involved in guitars and gear for decades but there are going to be people just starting their journey into the world of guitars.

So the same questions are going to pop up by folks who aren't as fluent as us with the vocabulary. That means that we're going to have to recommend the best Chinese amp/pedal/guitar under $199 even if we've spoken about it ad nauseam. 

With changes in technology happening so rapidly, searching the forum for old posts on the subject is likely to return dated information.


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

What i've said from day 1 is that the profile aspect to this website should be revamped. This isn't 1995 mIRC, there's no need for anonymity. The fact that we're so civil with one another (even at the worst of times this is true by internet standards) without actually knowing who we're talking to speaks wonders about the kind of users this site has.

Avatars should be free. (mandatory, even) People should be rewarded for adding information to their profile such as pictures and what-not. I joined because someone from kijiji linked me here (people were talking about a mock ad i posted) but I nearly deleted after a week because i had absolutely no feeling of familiarity. I didn't recognize any repeat posters because there was nothing to trigger that recognition except their username. Maybe I have ADHD and need pictures in my books but if that's true i'm sure i'm not alone.

I'm on a picture/forum site that i've been on for nearly a decade. I'd like you guys to take a look at the layout and profiles and tell me if you wouldn't find it more interesting to interact with one another if you felt more of a connection to the people you're talking to. the site is www.realpics.net. 10 years ago there were dozens of sites just like it, but facebook effectively destroyed all of its competition...this site it like the little gaulish village from asterix and obelix that somehow stayed independent...and that's 100% due to the users who go there for the familiarity. There are hundreds of people that i know by name, could tell you a little back story behind them, could talk to as if we were old friends (or enemies, but old enemies have a tendency to become old friends after a while) There are almost never more than 80 people online at one time (logged in users), but those 80 people are active contributors and the result is hundreds of posts per day. You get a feel for their personalities and remember it because next time they post their smiling face is beside their forum post. That's about as close to real human interaction as you can get in this kind of setting, and it's what GC lacks. You're all just words on a screen, even though there's the potential to be so much more.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

FWIW....My thoughts on "Boring *or* Dying" ....

"Always something of interest *and* Temporarily Relaxing for the summer"

Cheers

Dave


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

mike_oxbig said:


> Avatars should be free. (mandatory, even)


I agree. I find the same thing in not recognizing people because they lack identity with no avatar. I also feel it's a bit chincy not showing someone's avatar unless they pay for it. 

For that reason, I'll not be a member when my current membership runs out.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

mike_oxbig said:


> What i've said from day 1 is that the profile aspect to this website should be revamped. This isn't 1995 mIRC, there's no need for anonymity. The fact that we're so civil with one another (even at the worst of times this is true by internet standards) without actually knowing who we're talking to speaks wonders about the kind of users this site has.
> 
> Avatars should be free. (mandatory, even) People should be rewarded for adding information to their profile such as pictures and what-not. I joined because someone from kijiji linked me here (people were talking about a mock ad i posted) but I nearly deleted after a week because i had absolutely no feeling of familiarity. I didn't recognize any repeat posters because there was nothing to trigger that recognition except their username. Maybe I have ADHD and need pictures in my books but if that's true i'm sure i'm not alone.
> 
> I'm on a picture/forum site that i've been on for nearly a decade. I'd like you guys to take a look at the layout and profiles and tell me if you wouldn't find it more interesting to interact with one another if you felt more of a connection to the people you're talking to. the site is www.realpics.net. 10 years ago there were dozens of sites just like it, but facebook effectively destroyed all of its competition...this site it like the little gaulish village from asterix and obelix that somehow stayed independent...and that's 100% due to the users who go there for the familiarity. There are hundreds of people that i know by name, could tell you a little back story behind them, could talk to as if we were old friends (or enemies, but old enemies have a tendency to become old friends after a while) There are almost never more than 80 people online at one time (logged in users), but those 80 people are active contributors and the result is hundreds of posts per day. You get a feel for their personalities and remember it because next time they post their smiling face is beside their forum post. That's about as close to real human interaction as you can get in this kind of setting, and it's what GC lacks. You're all just words on a screen, even though there's the potential to be so much more.


Interesting view. I think its different for a lot of people though. Obviously I have been here since day one and maybe its just me but I have formulated bio's of my own of lots of members here. But those come from the posts and the flavor in which they are written. I have also met a lot of the members in person and they are very much like their personalities here. Not in a physical sense but in the way they present themselves, speak and interact. So you ca hide a lot on the internet in a short time frame, but over the years you show yourself. You can tell a lot from words. So when people post here I look for the username. I dont think I even pay much attention to the avatars as 90% of them do not reflect the actual person. Just like mine. It's just a picture I found from a movie I liked. I could just as easily stick a picture of a guitar up there, means nothing to anyone and does not in any way give someone an idea of who I am. Now if we were to all post up a head shot of ourselves then that would be something. But random avatars don't mean much.

In terms of having them as a feature in the paid subs I don't think that means much to a lot of people. They get a subscription for one of two reasons or both. To support the forum or post gear for sale, or as I said, both. Nobody is paying any money so that they can put up a picture of a toilet bowl as an avatar. Once again, those that find the forum useful and a place to spend some time each day, make a friend or two or for whatever they get out of it on a personal level think that its worth $12 or $20 a year to keep it alive then that's great. That's why I eventually went that route to cover the costs. It is 100% voluntary. No begging and no soliciting. It is purely a personal choice. 

I have studied a hell of a lot of forums in the past 10 years. How they work and how they support themselves. I have tried to implement the best practices from the best our there. One problem that we have here (if you want to call it a problem) is that we do not attract and do not hold foreign members. We have had many that have joined but never stick with us. We have a few ex pats that are with us but thats about it. The very nature of the site and what we do and say does not lend itself to open arms. So the size and active members will always be a bit slower than a forum that has no country attached to it.

I have been approached at least 10 times in the last 2 years with offers to buy the site. One came today actually from some conglomerate in Toronto. Eventually I will sell it as it takes up a lot of my time for not much pay. I don't even want to think of the time vs income factor. It pays for itself now and thats the main thing. But someday it will be transferred to a new owner. I just hope that whoever or whatever it is keeps it going in the same spirit as we have spent so long building.

BTW, I looked at that forum you spoke of. With all due respect there is absolutely no comparison with that forum and this one. Its a general discussion forum with topics like parenting, sex, recipes etc etc. We are a niche forum in two respects. We are a guitar forum and essentially a one trick pony, Canadians are 99% of the forum. So the two will never be the same in terms of content or posting. We only have the one open mic section and that't it. These types of forums ie GC and The Gear Page and all the rest become essentially libraries on the net. They become resources for people searching that topic. ie fixing a 1968 Fender Deluxe Reverb etc. The core members provide that resource. But that is the power of these kinds of forums. They become resources to thousands of people.


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

I understand it might seem like apples and oranges looking closely at the two, but if you stand back you'll see that they're both fruit of the same tree. The target audience on this site is indeed a lot more restricted than a site where basically anything goes, but they're both forum sites with profiles and private messages. the intended topics might be completely different but the websites themselves are very similar. The avatars would be a picture of the person, not just a toilet bowl or a google images picture of cacophonix. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable buying something off of a person with a real profile and a reputation that's associated with them personally and not just their online handle? 

It does seem like we're gearing up to be a read only kind of wikipedia-like site, but i'm assuming you'd like to avoid that outcome, unless you're really looking forward to selling the site. I tried looking up what the site is worth but apparently the sites that assess the value of other websites disagree with one another...i tried 5 and got results ranging from 8k to 158k

Anyways i guess what i'm saying is familiarity sells. Look how popular the recent picture threads have been. I'd love to be able to feel like i know a bit about some of the regulars but the honest truth is that i don't have a mental image to attach the little bits of information to so they just get discarded. on the other site i would spend hours looking through peoples profiles, reading biographies, chuckling at pictures, having PM conversations etc. here if there's nothing interesting going on in the forum i'm in and out in about 20 seconds....and even if there is something in the forum i want to discuss i post and leave because it's likely to be hours before the next reply, simply because there's really nothing else to do. peoples profiles on here aren't generally worth looking at, even when they're filled out completely. They don't let people express themselves.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I don't necessarily disagree with what you are saying but there is only two ways you could do that. You either suggest that people put a picture of themselves up or you demand it. In either case you cannot police it. If you did not want to out up a picture of yourself then just go grab one from the net and use that one. Or some people would simply refuse. The idea is good, but makin it work would be a nightmare. 

I don't have any plans of selling the site anytime soon. Those site estimators are all bogus. They pull data that is mostly useless from useless sites like Alexa etc. There is only one way to determine a sites value and that is sitting down and figuring out its stats and growth potential. Taking into consideration the income it may produce etc etc. Normally you would take that figure and multiply it by the amount of years to pay back an investment. So take a years income and multiply that by say three and add some percentage points for growth.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Steadfastly said:


> mike_oxbig said:
> 
> 
> > Avatars should be free. (mandatory, even)
> ...


Everybody wants something for nothing these days.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I have studied a hell of a lot of forums in the past 10 years. How they work and how they support themselves. I have tried to implement the best practices from the best our there. One problem that we have here (if you want to call it a problem) is that we do not attract and do not hold foreign members. We have had many that have joined but never stick with us. We have a few ex pats that are with us but thats about it. The very nature of the site and what we do and say does not lend itself to open arms. So the size and active members will always be a bit slower than a forum that has no country attached to it.


While it should not be exclusive, at the same time, the slow organic growth of the site and its membership keeps it higher quality. We may be a little parochial, but that's fine. It means we don't have to be puzzled when someone talks about L&M, Steve's, Mothers', or Tom Lee. It means that we don't have to translate Australian dollars or Euros into Canadian dollars. It means we can go on and on about Traynor and Garnet and everyone's fine with that. It means we can be concerned with Canadian players and Canadian politics and kijiji ads. It means we have many of the same concerns and restrictions. It means we can trade gear and sell to each other and help each other out because someone only lives 20 minutes away.

Now, I'm a long-time member of AMPAGE/MEF and the Diystompbox forum, but I don't have nearly as much personal interaction with members there as I do with members here. So I'm fine with not trying to import hundreds and thousands of new members. I'm fine with the small-town feel here.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

mhammer said:


> While it should not be exclusive, at the same time, the slow organic growth of the site and its membership keeps it higher quality. We may be a little parochial, but that's fine. It means we don't have to be puzzled when someone talks about L&M, Steve's, Mothers', or Tom Lee. It means that we don't have to translate Australian dollars or Euros into Canadian dollars. It means we can go on and on about Traynor and Garnet and everyone's fine with that. It means we can be concerned with Canadian players and Canadian politics and kijiji ads. It means we have many of the same concerns and restrictions. It means we can trade gear and sell to each other and help each other out because someone only lives 20 minutes away.
> 
> Now, I'm a long-time member of AMPAGE/MEF and the Diystompbox forum, but I don't have nearly as much personal interaction with members there as I do with members here. So I'm fine with not trying to import hundreds and thousands of new members. I'm fine with the small-town feel here.


And thats what everyone here needs to remember when they say its slow or boring. It was designed to be that way.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Zzzzzzzzzz, zzzzz- huh wha, did I miss something, oh, look at all those words. Gotta have a coffee first and then I read them.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

And that's why it should stay this way. I have no hesitation in dealing with any of the regular members here, either in a discussion or gear transaction. I trust everyone of you. Quick story to demonstrate the trust level at GC. I wanted to buy a guitar in our buy/sell a long time ago for the seller's asking price. I wanted to do Paypal. Seller says he doesn't do Paypal and asked I send a cheque. I said I would. He asked for my address and sent me the guitar immediately. Not only did he not wait for the cheque to clear, he didn't even wait to receive the cheque. Unbelievable. That member was the Late and great Guitar Doc, Lance Romance (Eric Pykala). I will never forget that experience nor shall I forget Eric..


GuitarsCanada said:


> And thats what everyone here needs to remember when they say its slow or boring. It was designed to be that way.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> And thats what everyone here needs to remember when they say its slow or boring. It was designed to be that way.


That's cool.

I also like that if I miss a day or two I don't feel like I missed a whole bunch of stuff.

I've been on forums with way more members than are here--but they get a little too busy--and in the end most of the posts are by a similar number of members as normally participate here--but here we don't have all the extra people who just post annoying stuff. (Not that that never happens here--just a lot less often)
When I'm on a guitar forum it's mostly this one, or another one that's smaller.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Intrepid said:


> And that's why it should stay this way. I have no hesitation in dealing with any of the regular members here, either in a discussion or gear transaction. I trust everyone of you. Quick story to demonstrate the trust level at GC. I wanted to buy a guitar in our buy/sell a long time ago for the seller's asking price. I wanted to do Paypal. Seller says he doesn't do Paypal and asked I send a cheque. I said I would. He asked for my address and sent me the guitar immediately. Not only did he not wait for the cheque to clear, he didn't even wait to receive the cheque. Unbelievable. That member was the Late and great Guitar Doc, Lance Romance (Eric Pykala). I will never forget that experience nor shall I forget Eric..


You know that he put together a beast of a guitar for me a coupe of years back that'll still stay in tune if I do a ridiculous dive-bomb? He would pick on me for saying that, but I havent changed the strings or tuned it since he put it together. Through all the bloody seasons!!! Damn he was good.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Intrepid said:


> And that's why it should stay this way. I have no hesitation in dealing with any of the regular members here, either in a discussion or gear transaction. I trust everyone of you. Quick story to demonstrate the trust level at GC. I wanted to buy a guitar in our buy/sell a long time ago for the seller's asking price. I wanted to do Paypal. Seller says he doesn't do Paypal and asked I send a cheque. I said I would. He asked for my address and sent me the guitar immediately. Not only did he not wait for the cheque to clear, he didn't even wait to receive the cheque. Unbelievable. That member was the Late and great Guitar Doc, Lance Romance (Eric Pykala). I will never forget that experience nor shall I forget Eric..
> 
> 
> GuitarsCanada said:
> ...


+1 Being the opposite of Kijiji is actually a good thing. I've also rec'd an item before payment was sent.

Also, I have no qualms about inviting any of the regulars over to my place for an adult beverage & a look at my collection/jam session. In fact, I was invited to spend a wknd at a GC member's home a few yrs. ago when I was on the east coast for business. John, Kris, Chet & Dolly treated me like a king. Going back next week w/ my GF & hope to return the favour if I can ever convince him to brave the big smoke.


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