Suggestions & Ideas you have for the Community

[AndyR]

I hadn't noticed this thread!  

I've put some replies in the voting thread that kinda overlap with what's been said here.

I think I know exactly where 48's coming from - he's even using the same words I was reaching for "maintain" and "balance".

What I love about this place is how people at all stages of the musical journey are comfortable chucking their offerings into the ring. That's a very enviable situation to have developed.

I've been in situations in the past when I'm longing for a jam, but people wouldn't play with me... and afterwards I find out from their other halves, or similar, that they didn't think they were good enough to play with me... WTF??!?!!

The last band I was in, we decided we'd get another guy we knew as lead guitarist, and I'd do rhythm, freeing me to do the singing, frontman, etc, better. Now, the guy we were getting in was a friend of ours, but I knew him mainly as a budding guitarist who used to sit in the audience for the last band. When we formed this new band, our job was to get together round my place and show him the songs, get the sh1t going, etc... He wouldn't get his guitar out of it's case until halfway through the second week!!!!  

It was this guy who explained it to me. He finally made me understand that not everyone is as confident in their own abilities as I am in mine. He's a far better lead guitarist than I am or ever will be. I can walk all over him on chords/rhythm, but he can make his guitar say things that I don't even understand... But he didn't know it - he was sat in the room thinking "I'm not worthy"...   I just wanted to get playing, and I was wondering if he didn't like the songs maybe, didn't know what it was... somehow we got over it, can't remember how though (alcohol might have been involved )

That's what I'm worried about, there are loads of people like this guy - talented and creative people who don't realise how talented they are, who don't realise that the level they've reached already is "far enough" - that they can stand up, do their bit, and people are going to go "wow, that's good".

This forum seems to have hit the balance needed somehow in this respect, so that everyone feels comfortable and feels able to join in.

I'm happy to go with the majority decision, I can cope with any format the boards change to, but what about some others who are less confident than I am?

The only thing I have to disagree on was (I think) 64's (sorry if it wasn't you) bit about collabs. When I create something original, that is complete, finished, I want feel confident that I can post it as "my work" and that no-one else will feel free to add to it without asking me first - I'm sure there must be others who feel the same.

The way it works at the moment on this forum is superb. But if it were changed so that "finished" and "feel free" all end up in the same pot, we'll need some forum guidelines about asking permission of the copyright owner(s) before adding to their recordings - it'll be a bit cumbersome, and some of the creative freedom we're experiencing now would have to go.

[Bosko Schwartz]

Andy, I understand what you are saying, but I am not sure how it pertains to my original idea, which was to merge all current MP3 boards into:

1. Originals
2. Covers
3. Collaborations

Your story was cool and I can relate to that -- I bet a lot of us here can in some way or another.  In your story, up until maybe a couple of months ago, I would have been the guy that thought he was too inferior to jam with you.  Now, after posting a few songs in this forum and receiving incredible compliments I never dreamed of, I have A LOT more confidence in my abilities, almost to the point that I would now be the other guy in that situation.

So my point is that I just don't understand how merging all the boards into the above 3 categories could change the already extremely encouraging and non-competitive nature of this forum in any way.  Why would this change make people any more afraid to post their work than they would in the forum as it is now?  The only thing I am trying to do is to get rid of the current segregation between the Boss recorders used, and I just don't see any correlation to the quality of one's work (or their confidence in themselves) and the Boss recorder they use to produce their music.

As for collaborations, I agree 100% with you.  I am not sure who said otherwise (I don't think it was BB).  In my suggestion, the only place we would post work that is meant to be collaborated on is in the Collaborations board, which should be maintained exactly as it is now.  In the other two boards, all work posted would be "safe" from other people's contributions, unless, of course, a collaboration is agreed upon by all parties involved.

Hopefully I have clarified; if not, let me know!

[Pine]

Pretty clean and simple plan Bosko...works for me. Is there a vote on this somewhere?

[Bosko Schwartz]

YES!

https://songcrafters.org/community/general-discussion-b8/forum-consensus-on-the-'post-your-work'-format/0/

[Bluesberry]

I still like the idea of breaking out instrumentals, guitar jams, incomplete songs, rough sketches, etc from the "original songs".  I would like to see this site celebrate and encourage songwriting and original songs and lyrics and singing.  For me that is the ultimate goal and challenge and I would like to see these wonderful original songs not buried under the avalance of other posts that we see on a daily basis.  I would like to log on, first check the latest original songs, then check out the instrumentals and jams and noodling stuff, then check covers, in that order.  I think having all original songs in one thread would encourage songwriting from many members, which would make this a pretty special forum.  Write a song, sing and play it, post it where you will get noticed and get lots of listens/comments, and it will not get buried too fast.  That is the way I see it anyway.

[SteveB]

Sorry, but I've always been an awkward cuss, and so, just like someone picking at a sore I come back to this 

Take a look:

 

The rest of the 'Topics content' from all the other recorders lumped together is easily dwarfed by those in the Micro-BR section. It seems therefore, that if there is a problem with the way that this part of the site is structured, then it might well be that it is the sheer volume of traffic being generated in the Micro-section. How subsumimg all the recorded work from all BR-Recorders into one section would be helpful I fail to understand. To illustrate, how many posters from the Micro-section have travelled to the BR-532 section to listen to the single posted topic there? Well, there have only been 12 replies so it suggests not many. And where would this little gem of posted-music lie after a couple of hours in a combined music thread, well, several pages down, probably. I therefore maintain my opinion that the site should be left as it is - in the general sense of keeping the recorders separate.

[Ferryman]

To illustrate, how many posters from the Micro-section have travelled to the BR-532 section to listen to the single posted topic there? Well, there have only been 12 replies so it suggests not many. And where would this little gem of posted-music lie after a couple of hours in a combined music thread, well, several pages down, probably.

Well, the flip side of this is that it may go down the page farily quickly but at least lots of people will listen to it and possibly comment. And if you reply to people's comments, it will stay on the first few pages for a few days. I haven't been to the BR-532 section and I probably won't. I try to get to the other sections but my time is so limited I rarely do. I only found what Bosko and Blooby had been up to on the BR-1600 (producing great music!) due to a post on the MBR section that linked me back to the BR-1600 section. I just feel it's a pity that posters on those boards don't get the feedback that we do on the MBR board, and I know some of them share the same frustration.

Cheers,

Nigel

[AndyR]

Bosko - I just realised what I missed out of my ramblings

I prefer the

1. Originals
2. Covers
3. Collaborations

option myself!

I even like the additional split out the instrumentals from BB - that's kinda the way I think as well, BB.

I've always been a "if they (Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, SRV, Freddie Mercury) can do it, then obviously I can as well..." so I'll be sticking my attempts in no matter what

But because a few others have said or hinted "hang on a mo, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable..." it made me pause and and wonder. So far, I've reached the conclusion they could be right...

Interestingly though - it just hadn't crossed my mind that you might have been in the "I'm not worthy" boat yourself just a while back, and it's posting on here that did it for you . Having just been through that eye-opening "hey, I can do it!" moment recently, your experience and belief that things would be ok, is a very good argument for "don't worry guys/gals - you'll be alright in the new format..."

[The Reverend 48]

I have spent a lot of time thinking about my worries regarding the impending
Forum changes and I know I am risking being shouted down....

Here is my opinion

I now am firmly against losing the MBR post your work section........

I understand all the reasons and arguments regarding all BR's doing broadly all the same things and the other categories not being as popular as the MBR
However I believe the MBR was Created and Marketed to a totally different sector of the market. The design and features are geared toward the musician that wants to use recording as a tool to improve their musical skill...It is only when you hear the full production that can be achieved thro the shiny box that it's full potential can be heard.......

The site was originally set up for MBR users and as such has had a simple caring almost naive feel to it which encouraged users to push their skills and develop their recording techniques ( It worked cos I bought a '600).....

The addition of the other recorders on to the site has only enriched the musical and technical depth of this site

However back to the post your work...As a newbie with no experience of playing in a band Jamming or recording, when I first viewed this page there was stuff I could relate too and this coupled with the friendly nature encouraged me take that first massive step and press the red circle and post.

With the creation of one area to post all recorders the balance between simple stuff on the MBR that a newbie can relate too and the full production stuff will inevitably change........

My concern is that there is a danger that the newbies will not take that step and indeed existing members maybe discouraged from posting simple stuff.

This is my opinion, I would be grateful if it could be viewed as that........

What ever format is chosen....I will still be here!
Mike

[Pine]

That's a really good point 48. MBR's are a  long way from the other models and are SO different that perhaps they do deserve a unique category....after all, that what this site was founded on eh?