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View Full Version : What forums do we need here?



Robert
April 10th, 2010, 08:10 PM
Just wondering, now that HC is giving people a sour aftertaste, would you like to see changes to the current forum set up here? Was thinking we can add more forums if we think it would be of use for our members. Perhaps we can get some more good people join us from HC and other forums as a result.

A lighting forum perhaps? Maybe a drum and keyboard forum, perhaps even vocals?

Should we make Tele, Strat, Les Paul, SG, etc subforums?

I welcome your suggestions, and if there seems to be strong support for certain proposed changes, we can make them happen.

Let's hear it, friends!

oldguy
April 10th, 2010, 08:38 PM
I liked the user review section they had. I took it w/ a grain of salt, but could find at least some honest reviews of gear. We have some good gear reviews here, and I'd like to see that expanded as a service to G.A.S. sufferers everywhere. Plus we have reviews of lesser known gear, like the kick a$$ pedals DVM builds. Opinions please, Fretters?

Katastrophe
April 10th, 2010, 08:56 PM
I actually like the setup the way it is. The format is clear and easy to use, and I don't have to worry about posting in the wrong forum, as there is very little overlap.

Tig
April 10th, 2010, 09:02 PM
My .02...
I think the posting trends (more on lighting, vocals, drums, etc.) will dictate any needs for additional forums. Some websites have too many subforums, and some too few, but I'd error on the side of too few, allowing more overlap and visibility.

SuperSwede
April 11th, 2010, 02:03 AM
A review system like HC old one would be brilliant! And this forum owes a lot to the good old Yamaha JX amph review from HC :D

markb
April 11th, 2010, 02:31 AM
Maybe you need a general performance issues forum but please don't sub-divide the gear forums any further. Creating more and more subforums not only divides the community but makes the moderators' jobs much harder (something else to consider at a time of growth).

A single "user review" area would suffice really unless the membership really takes off. User reviews will still get posted under single topic subforums anyway.

One day I'll post the tongue in cheek article How to Read Harmony Central Reviews I wrote for an aborted blog ;)

Jimi75
April 11th, 2010, 04:14 AM
None. Perfect surface of the forum, easy to navigate, clearly structured. More subforum = more confusion.

kiteman
April 11th, 2010, 05:44 AM
I like the user reviews on HC and it's gone !! :thwap

mainestratman
April 11th, 2010, 06:29 AM
Ahhh.. the age-old quandry of anyone who admins a board.

Personally, I dislike subforums... from both a user and admin point of view, but like a lot of other things in life, they are often a necessary evil.

Since I'm not familiar with vBulletin (I've always run phpBB), I checked out their site to see what sort of "add ons" they might have that you could install "out of the box", but I didn't see any such download area.

There is a substantial amount of product reviews already in place, which is half the reason I joined the Fret to begin with. The vids sucked me right in. :-)

If you feel you should add anything, my recommendation would be to either rename "Product Reviews" to "Product Reviews - Guitar and Bass" and add another forum "Product Reviews - Drums, Keys, etc.".

The other option to this would be to perhaps create a completely separate category, to be named "Reviews", then place a series of forums within: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keys, PA Gear, Recording Gear, whatever.

I've never hung out at HC, so I don't know what they had, or what changes made it suck... I do hope that for whatever reason, more HC users to come over and make TFN their home. :-)

syo
April 11th, 2010, 06:46 AM
Was thinking we can add more forums if we think it would be of use for our members. Perhaps we can get some more good people join us from HC and other forums as a result.

(imho) I think changing what we have in order to encourage others to join, risks alienating the current membership. Change can be very good but should come from the natural evolution of the group's interests and not forced (again imho).

Regarding the HC reviews, I must admit that I sometimes consulted them but it was never an intelligent decision on my part to do so. Usually I would use them to validate what I already decided anyway. In a way, I feel that trying to have the same sort of thing here is inviting a commercial element that is less interested in community than it is in pushing its' own interests. I do like the idea of having more reviews but only if they are from members with some history here. Otherwise, to me, they are fairly worthless.



One day I'll post the tongue in cheek article How to Read Harmony Central Reviews I wrote for an aborted blog ;)

Would love to read it Mark. Put it up!

sunvalleylaw
April 11th, 2010, 07:21 AM
I don't have a problem with how it is now. If other sections, like lighting or whatever, are needed, those can be added as necessary.

SuperSwede
April 11th, 2010, 08:02 AM
The fret is great as it is but I do think that a HC 1.0 style user review section would be a great addition.

Monkus
April 11th, 2010, 09:33 AM
I for one would like to see a section on creativity, like what makes you write, musicmaking tips, tips and tricks of the pros and so forth. Tips on channeling creativity kinda thing. That stuff is all over the net and not compiled into one place.

Another thing in that section could be using normal gear in unusual ways for cool effects, like using the M9 on vocals, or recording vocals through an amph that kind of stuff. I dont know if I'm explaining this properly but I hope you get the drift. :confused:

Spudman
April 11th, 2010, 10:47 AM
None. Perfect surface of the forum, easy to navigate, clearly structured. More subforum = more confusion.


This.:agree

BigJD
April 11th, 2010, 11:41 AM
As a refugee from HC I like this forum as it is.
I will miss the Live Sound forum and the Lighting forums.
I really enjoyed those forums for the information and the people that were there. Those are the only additions I'd like here.
Otherwise this forum and it's inhabitants seem to work very well.

Spudman
April 11th, 2010, 02:00 PM
JD makes a pretty good point. We are getting more members that are playing out or starting to play out. A stage section might be good.

Main Forum: STAGE
Sub forums:
1. Live Sound
2. Lighting
3. Tips & Tricks

Robert
April 12th, 2010, 07:47 AM
Hmm, thanks for all the suggestions. Now comes that tough part - what do I actually implement...

Commodore 64
April 12th, 2010, 10:27 AM
Categorized, searchable gear reviews.

We'd need to get some help from all of us to establish a good base of gear reviews, but the reviews were the only reason I ever came across harmony-central at all (usually through google).

oldguy
April 12th, 2010, 07:25 PM
Hmm, thanks for all the suggestions. Now comes that tough part - what do I actually implement...

Nothing, really. This place is fine as it is, and to establish the database of reviews HC had would be impossible to duplicate. We can encourage members to post honest reviews, rather than the "I own it, so it's the best", or, "I've got a grudge, so I'll trash it" type seen on HC too often.
Other than that, let's keep the place friendly and down to earth.
I posted reviews over at HC, and was honest about the gear I'd purchased, but it was obvious that other people often had their own agenda. I often trusted reviews that were plain spoken and written by people who had been playing many years and who'd gone through lots of gear.......and I was seldom dissapointed, but that's gone now.
God rest HC.........long live TheFret.net!

deeaa
April 16th, 2010, 12:21 AM
I like the forum as is; being a singer more than guitarist I wouldn't mind a vocal forum but alas, there be other places for that already. Same with DAW recording, but there is already a sub for that. So why bother - it works as it is.

Not being a HUGE forum TheFret quite easily allows for searches, so if you write a review, just tag it as one with a suitable headline, and it can be searched for. And in my experience it's pretty easy to ask for opinions on the forum directly anyhow; chances are someone here will reply having tried/owned one.

MAXIFUNK
April 16th, 2010, 03:48 PM
The only thing I can think of is a place for members who own musical instruments or gear companies.

We have a pedal maker, guitar makers, a strap maker just to name a few.
A place for them to announce new products and a place for us to eval/review their gear/product.

Kazz
April 18th, 2010, 07:35 AM
My .02...
I think the posting trends (more on lighting, vocals, drums, etc.) will dictate any needs for additional forums. Some websites have too many subforums, and some too few, but I'd error on the side of too few, allowing more overlap and visibility.

I concur with Tig here.....if we get an influx of posts that seem to not have a real home, that should dictate whether new forums are created.

Jimi75
April 22nd, 2010, 06:34 AM
Hey guys, how about a seperate forum just for Beer & Food?

:happy

Robert
April 22nd, 2010, 07:29 AM
Tig, Kazz, there is also another way of thinking of reasons for creating new forums. If new forums for certain topics are in fact created, that might encourage more talk about that topic, yes?

player
April 23rd, 2010, 10:37 PM
An Open Mic Part 2?justa thought

ibanezjunkie
April 26th, 2010, 11:50 AM
i have an idea, maybe make thefret more of a 'music' forum rather than just a 'guitar' forum. Im sure alot of people already here, and people who will join in the future, will be into multiple instruments. Also, try not to become TOO like HC, i remember a pets thread in the amp section once. ^_^

msteeln
May 9th, 2010, 03:49 PM
I somehow managed to miss the 'HC is gone' thread, so this is all news to me, and it ain't good news. What an foolish move by HC, I rarely saw the stupid/rage reviews some complain about, so the user review section was of great resource for me. This new version is nothing compared.

Look's like a similar user review site would be a worthy addition to an existing forum like we have here, if HC won't bring it back in some worthy form, or a whole new site devoted to what we've lost could be of value, but it would take a while to generate a decent following.

Other than that, I like The Fret as it is and can't think of anything at the moment to improve it.

kiteman
May 9th, 2010, 04:42 PM
I somehow managed to miss the 'HC is gone' thread, so this is all news to me, and it ain't good news. What an foolish move by HC, I rarely saw the stupid/rage reviews some complain about, so the user review section was of great resource for me. This new version is nothing compared.

Look's like a similar user review site would be a worthy addition to an existing forum like we have here, if HC won't bring it back in some worthy form, or a whole new site devoted to what we've lost could be of value, but it would take a while to generate a decent following.

Other than that, I like The Fret as it is and can't think of anything at the moment to improve it.

I agree. I bought a keyboard and I see no support in any 'guitar' forums I frequent.

msteeln
May 9th, 2010, 06:34 PM
I agree. I bought a keyboard and I see no support in any 'guitar' forums I frequent.Yeah, they covered a lot of ground very well, kind of a one-stop info shop. I really hope they recognize what they've thrown away and bring it back. But we're on the outside looking in, so who knows what brought about this sad decission.

Robert
May 9th, 2010, 08:06 PM
I can easily add forums for
-Keyboards
-Drums
-Vocals
-Lighting and Stage gear
-Food and Drink

Any interest for having such forums, guys?
Reviews like HC had is a bit more work, but it's not impossible.

Robert
May 19th, 2010, 04:30 PM
Ok, some new forums added today. Let's see if they get used!

Your feedback is welcome.

kiteman
May 19th, 2010, 04:41 PM
You're the man Robert. :dude

Spudman
May 19th, 2010, 07:15 PM
Thanks Robert :dude