New jukebox coming soon

[64Guitars]

The admin team still has to work out a few issues with it, but we're planning to introduce a new "Best of Songcrafters" jukebox.

The idea of a Best of Songcrafters jukebox has been suggested several times in the past. I've always had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I think it would be a lot of fun. It could bring some needed excitement back to Songcrafters and get people more involved with the community. And it would be a great way to introduce new members and prospective new members to some of the best examples of our members' work. On the other hand, the idea of voting on what's "best" and ranking each other's work seems wrong. I fear that some members wouldn't be included in the jukebox, leaving them feeling very discouraged about their music and possibly even giving up. We don't want that. We've always supported and encouraged all of our members, regardless of their musical skill and experience. So we don't want to start suggesting that some members are "better" than others. Everyone's music has value.

This has always been a fundamental stumbling block for me to the idea of a Best of Songcrafters jukebox. But a couple of days ago, I had an idea. What if, instead of ranking each other's work, we each rank our own work? That way, no one needs to feel left out or that their songs aren't good enough. Everyone can be in the jukebox, provided they meet the criteria which we'll decide later.

Here are some of the things we're still considering:

• The jukeboxes will probably be annual and the first one will probably be for 2012. So start reviewing your songs that were recorded and posted in 2012 and try to decide which one you think was your best. Eventually, we'll probably do similar jukeboxes for earlier years. But 2012 seems like a good year to start with since most of our current members will have posted some songs in 2012, but not necessarily in previous years, depending on when they joined Songcrafters.
  
  
• Each eligible member will only be allowed one song in each jukebox and once the jukebox is made and their song added to it, they won't be able to change their mind. So choose carefully.
  
  
• To be eligible, you must have posted a minimum number of songs in the given year that were recorded and posted at Songcrafters in that year. We're not sure what that minimum will be just yet. If we set it too low, we could end up with hundreds of songs in each jukebox. I don't think that would be good. If we set it too high, too many members might be left out. A side-benefit of requiring a minimum number of posts is that it means the jukebox is a sort of reward to our most active members. And, hopefully, it will encourage our less active members to start recording more often and posting their songs so that they can be included in next year's Best of Songcrafters jukebox.
  
  
• We're not yet sure whether the first jukebox should be for all song types, or if we should have separate jukeboxes for Originals and Covers.
  
  
• We're not yet sure what the deadline will be for submissions. We want to make sure we allow enough time for everyone to review their song posts and choose the one they feel is their best or best represents their music.

When we get all of the details worked out, I'll post an official announcement. I just wanted to let you all know what we're planning so you'll have something to look forward to, and to get you started thinking about which song you want to submit as your best for 2012.

If anyone has any thoughts, questions, ideas, or concerns, post them here and we'll consider them.

[Blooby]

On the fence as well as I fear this has the possibility of driving a wedge in the community.  By the time I finished reading your well-considered post, I thought, "How friggin' cool is that?"  Actually, it manifested itself as, "Yoicks, where did I put down that Guinness?"  The sentiment is in there somewhere, though.

As always, nice job.

Blooby

[T.C. Elliott]

I like it. It's a nice balance between respecting/promoting older songs and encouraging activity on the site. I doubt I'll have enough songs to be included in the 2012 juke, but when it comes to 2010 I'll definitely be in the mix. *evil grin* For the record, I'm good with that.

Looking forward to it.

[Hilary]

Hmmm - I don't like the idea much, it seems a bit elitist to me. I think it might put potential newbees off (the beginners at least). Surely the "On this Day" jukebox already highlights older songs.

If members want to highlight their own favourite songs - could there not be a section in their own jukebox?

[Redler]

Thumbs up!! It'll be interesting to see/hear which tune a certain member rates to his/her best song!

Kari

edit. typo

[IanR]

I think that the change is worth trying - just make the minimum number of songs something the average poster has reached.  I think that what we will get is a really great set of songs and everyone is included.  Give it a go and ask for feedback.  It is likely to give some of us ditherers a bit of a goal to aim for.

cheers,

Ian

[Hilary]

I think that the change is worth trying - just make the minimum number of songs something the average poster has reached.

How are you going to work out what the average poster has reached, we are such a varied bunch surely the parameters would be too wide. This will mean we are going to have to reach a certain quota for posts for the year or be excluded - will there now be a song count tally for each poster? (potentially divisive) Will there be a lot of rush posts at the end of the timeframe in order to qualify and stack-up the boards?

Couldn't we have something at the end of a year where we just vote - or even put a link on a thread - to our favourite SC songs (not your own though) if you want a kind of honour roll for Songcrafters.

I don't want to spoil everyone else's fun - I'll either be excluded because I haven't met my quota or abstain - that's cool

[64Guitars]

Hmmm - I don't like the idea much, it seems a bit elitist to me.

The idea is to allow any member who has posted a sufficient number of songs to submit one of their songs for the jukebox. How is that elitist? 

It's completely voluntary. Anyone who doesn't like the idea isn't required to submit a song.

I think it might put potential newbees off (the beginners at least).

Funny that you should mention newbies, as several newbies have actually requested such a jukebox in the past. As they pointed out, there are several thousand songs posted here and they can't possibly listen to all of them. So it would be helpful to have a small collection of songs that offers a good sample of each member's music.

Hopefully, the jukebox will include some songs by beginners. So other beginners shouldn't be put off. Hopefully, they'll be encouraged. If other beginners can get their song in the jukebox, then so can they.

How are you going to work out what the average poster has reached, we are such a varied bunch surely the parameters would be too wide.

It's simple arithmetic. For example, if we find that 300 members posted 3000 songs in 2012, then that's an average of 10 songs per member. I can determine the number of song posts and the number of members who posted them with a database query.

This will mean we are going to have to reach a certain quota for posts for the year or be excluded - will there now be a song count tally for each poster? (potentially divisive)

I'll calculate a song count for each member but I won't necessarily make that information public. Although, I don't think it would matter if I did since it's already quite easy to see how many songs a member has posted. Just look in their jukebox or click on the "My Latest Song Posts" link below their avatar.

Will there be a lot of rush posts at the end of the timeframe in order to qualify and stack-up the boards?

Perhaps. But, since the number of songs and the number of members posting them varies from year to year, it follows that the minimum song count will probably vary each year too and won't be decided till the following year. If people don't know what the minimum song count is ahead of time, how will they know how many songs they need to post at the end of the year to qualify?

Couldn't we have something at the end of a year where we just vote - or even put a link on a thread - to our favourite SC songs (not your own though) if you want a kind of honour roll for Songcrafters.

No! That's exactly what we don't want. As I said before, any kind of voting or ranking of other people's songs is going to exclude some people and make them feel unappreciated and unwelcome. As Blooby said, it could drive a wedge into the community. The only fair way to do it is for each member to choose his or her own song. That way, nobody's judging anybody else and everyone gets a fair chance to be in the jukebox if they choose to be.

The only people who will be excluded are those who haven't posted a sufficient number of songs. I think that's fair since we want to showcase the more active members and encourage the less active members to record more often and post their songs. That's why we have festivals, to encourage people to record something new and post it. The Best of Songcrafters jukebox will be one more way of encouraging people to participate more in the community.

If it's any consolation to those who will be excluded, I might well be excluded myself since I only posted 7 songs in 2012. And I'll almost certainly be excluded from previous years since I only posted 3 songs in 2011, 2 in 2010, 2 in 2009, and 1 in 2008. But I'll hopefully be included in the 2013 jukebox since I've posted 8 songs already this year and hope to do a few more before the year ends.

[Bluesberry]

This is a wicked good idea 64G.  I love the idea that each of us, pick our own favorite song, that we crafted, from the year, and these all go together in a jukebox.  One song from each member, the one we like the best,  Damn fine idea.  That would be a wonderful jukebox worthy of many a listen.  I can see taking such a song grouping and burning to a CD for the car.  Fantastic.  I am personally more enthused by original songs than covers, so I would vote to only have originals, but that may restrict some folks who do more covers than originals.  I like the idea of this jukebox representing the cream floating to the top of the original music created here, it really would be a hell of a collection, worthy of many plays.  Lets try this.  Great idea.

[Hilary]

On the average thing - what I meant was if 1 songcrafter posts 1 song in a year and another posts 30, 15 is the average but hardly representative of the posting habits, especially when there are a lot of 'drop out' members on this site.

As I said, I'll either be excluded or I'll abstain - that's cool.