The old forum

Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator
edited August 2016 in Forum Announcements
Hi guysI have run this forum for many many years and regrettably chose the wrong platform to develop it. In my attempts to future proof its development I ended up on this platform which is both costly and in my opinion not at all user friendly.I was unable to move away from this platform because of the sheer volume of data involved and complexities of separating the information that could be moved away.My early days of running my own forum were hugely rewarding and found incredible pleasure sharing my experiences but as the internet grew I found it very hard to ignore the few morons that spoil the experience. I wanted to give you a heads up to provide opportunity for anyone who wants to set up a new forum to do so - this site has long since passed its sell by date and I can only apologise for choosing such a poor platform.There are plenty of free / minimal cost forums that would enable anyone who has the energy to set up a new site.IF someone wants to take on the mantel I would be very very happy (and proud) to link to the new forum owners and if you can get your act together quickly enough I would be happy to email the user base of this site to tell them where to visit the new site.I would love to "sponsor" a site in this way - I just cannot justify the cost and mental energy required to think about how to develop a site that is clearly not working the way I want it to.IF someone wants to take over the running of this site in its current format and will take on the costs - that is 100% fine too.Thanks again everyone for your input and it will feel very odd not having a community of my own but I know I will be a lot happier in myself when its all sorted out.

Comments

  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Posts: 355Member

    This is very sad news!! While I'd love to help I definitely don't have the time these days to take on such a project, which is a good part of why I've become a less frequent visitor myself. 

     

    I would at the very least say all are welcome at thefretboard.co.uk for another UK-centric guitar forum.

  • Jack LawlorJack Lawlor Posts: 4Member

    Hi Richard,

    Sorry to hear your closing the forum, I'd be gutted. I wasn't a regular or anything but I do make some nice looking websites and can add forums to them. All my websites are powered by Wordpress if that's what your looking for? You can see my main one, www.jacklawlor.co.uk if you like and decide if that's something you could get behind, though it is a mismatch at the moment with the Angel courses I'm currently selling, which I'll change when I get back home in a week. I have to say, I would love to start a guitar community and am pretty good at improvisation atleast. Contact me on the website if you feel it would be the right thing, thank you,

    Best,

    Jack

  • SmartySmarty Posts: 403Member

    Oh no! 

    Totally understand your reasons. I can only imagine the time and effort something like this takes. Sadly, I neither have the skill or the time to make a contribution on taking over the site. 

    Thanks for hosting the site in the first place though,  Rich. It is hugely appreciated - even though I rarely post these days (I'm just too busy with "life"). 

    It's been a pleasure.....

  • CrowmanCrowman Posts: 11Member

    Quite right to call the wreckers 'morons'. Idiots with brains that are less than pea-sized have caused the closure of at least 3 forums or guestbooks that I used to use. I can only assume they're utterly without talent and only have an infantile desire to destroy. All we can do is pity them. All the best for your own future. Thanks for the time and effort you expended in the past.

  • Kevin PeatKevin Peat Posts: 3,232Member

    On the old format there used to be a window where you could contribute to Richard's Guitars on a monthly basis for upkeep (around £1 a month) which I think I still do (I haven't stopped it but I'll have to check my account)

    I can't find the link anymore. If money's the issue then I'm sure all members will be happy to help out. 

    Thank you Richard, for a great site. Even if it folds now you'll have achieved greatness in the field of guitar blogging. 

    I have run my own blog in the past and know the effort that is needed. This one seems to have existed organically which is the mark of a truly great forum.

    Such a pity.  

    If you do decide to fold then at least give us a few days to say our goodbyes. 

    Regards

    Kevin. 

  • Kevin PeatKevin Peat Posts: 3,232Member

    PS, This minute you have 55 visitors viewing this site. 

    That's very good indeed. 

  • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator

    If any of you feel its worthwhile, I would also be happy to look at exporting 2 or 3 of the main sections (electric / acoustic / totally not guitars) back into traditional forum format?  That may be a perfect way to keep everyone in touch who want to stay in touch.  Only if you guys feel its worthwhile.

    This would not be half as complicated as trying to pick out all the forums and content on the site and I could easily set this up.  This site costs me £90 a month but is cumbersome and un-intuitive for what its supposed to do.

  • Annoying TwitAnnoying Twit Posts: 2,771Member

    I drifted away from the forum, but it's still sad that it's closing.

    Last weekend I cycled from Gloucester to Leicester. Stopping for a late lunch in Stratford-Upon-Avon, I found the road out of Stratford, and what do I see but Richard's Guitars. Unfortunately it was lunchtime and you were closed. Another day maybe. 

  • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

    I have made friends here. REAL friends, though we have never met. Keeping the site going, even in a much reduced format, would be great.

  • Kevin PeatKevin Peat Posts: 3,232Member

    Yup

    Reduced format. It shouldn't take £90 a month to keep going. I ran mine for 8 years for nothing. 

  • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator

    So did I!!  Until I started using this platform!

  • Mark PMark P Posts: 2,314Member

    It would be very sad to lose the contact with the forum members here, and to lose one of such a few UK based guitar sites.

    Richard - if you were able to revert to that reduced format idea rather than closure I'm sure it would be great news for forum members. The idea meets with my approval for sure.

    It's been very good of you to give us all the opportunity of meeting and sharing and debating views and learning so much about the hobby of playing guitars over the years.

    Shame that the new format that promised so much has turned out to be so wrong. Seems to be often the case with computer based systems - every "improvement" we have had made at work for the past 5 years has only succeeded in massively increasing workloads.

  • Paladin2019Paladin2019 Posts: 1,607Member

    I joined the forum in 2002 and was a contributing regular for years. I sailed into the sunset in 2009, but popped in a couple of times after that only to find that "you can't go home again".

    Still, it was very sad to get that email this morning. I and many others put a lot of ourselves into this community over the years, and losing this place is truly the end of an era.

    I'm not sure why I felt compelled to come back and post here today, nobody needs my understanding or approval (although Rich, you have it for what it's worth). Maybe I just wanted to say a final goodbye.

    Or is it au revoir?

  • MegiMegi Posts: 7,207Member

    I will be very sad indeed to lose this forum - like Jocko, I've made friends here over the last 5 or so years - it actually seems longer than that somehow. But it's become a valued part of my life. I think back to some of the forum "silly-ness" with affection - such as all the various times we egged each other on into doing "just one more guitar build", and indeed admiring the results. And of course the Shine SIL-510 craze, which I bear some responsibility for. There has been the odd bit of disharmony, but in the main, it's been a peculiarly civilized corner of the internet, and a bit of a refuge for me at times, I will admit. And that is really down to the lovely people who post on here, and must also have something to do with how you've ran the place Richard.

    So I really do doff my hat, and say a huge thank you Richard for providing the forum over the years, and if it is possible to set up the reduced minimal version, I'd be very much up for that - the thing that I really hate to lose is contact with all the other forum members on here - the community as it were - that's far more important to me than any of the thousands and thousands of words I must have typed in.

    For the record, I do occasionally post on thefretboard.co.uk as "Megii" (with an extra i) just in case this forum does go down, and anyone wants to make contact. But I'm really really hoping a more basic forum can be put in motion, to keep this community going, as I've not found anywhere else like it.

  • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator

    Guys..... Its so lovely to hear affectionate commentary toward the community - It genuinely does make me feel very humbled and RESPONSIBLE.  I would never want to take away something that meant anything personal to you guys - the community has always been very personal to me - even when not personally contributing.

    I already feel a lot better just in having voiced my feelings and making you guys aware of my intentions.

    A little like when I closed my old business down and was able to see more clearly post "event" I feel the same now the morning after.

    This morning I contacted my IT guy and explained that I definitely want to get rid of this cumbersome and expensive format.  I want to go old school and if we can bring some content across then great but if not - ce la vie (is that how you say it?).

    I would be very proud to continue the forum in its new format - can't see you guys going homeless now can I!!!!?

    I am normally pretty good at finding positives from negatives so lets just see if I can do that here.  

  • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator

    Just to highlight my anger with this bloody site.  I cannot even see how to reply to your comments personally?  Is the site broken or something - its SO sh*t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    SO THANK YOU ALL for your kind comments - I would reply to you all personally but I have no idea how to!

  • JockoJocko Posts: 7,107Member, Moderator

    We hear you, Richard. Thanks.

  • onemanbandonemanband Posts: 94Member

    Not being very IT literate, I have never given much thought to all the work and time involved with running a forum, I was also unaware of the "third party platform" issue that I now realise is the foundation on which a forum is built and which I presume is why some sites appear very alike. 

    I apologise for taking your hard work for granted Richard and truly endorse all the kind comments above.

    Good Luck.

  • Pete_BPete_B Posts: 563Member

    TBH I preferred the old forum, and hope you will revisit it. I like the people here and will miss them if you take it down.

    There is no Mojo!
  • AlidoreAlidore Posts: 528Member

    TBH I preferred the old forum, and hope you will revisit it. I like the people here and will miss them if you take it down.

    Pete.

    “There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.”
  • Derek_RDerek_R Posts: 1,721Member

    It's been good, and I'll miss it when it's gone! Thanks for all the hard work, Richard, and I'll endeavour to pop in and say hello next time I'm in Stratford. All the best to all my virtual friends I've made here. Hopefully our paths will continue to cross elsewhere on the interweb.

    Cheers

    Derek

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member

    I'd like to be associated with the comments of the previous speakers.

    This is just a nice place to come visit because the people are nice.

    In any event thank you Richard.

  • SteerSteer Posts: 132Member

    I would be sorry to see the site close. Thanks for running it over the last few years. 

    I think one simple flat forum might work better, rater than the current format with loads of sub-forums, many of which are not used a great deal. Too late now, I appreciate. 

  • RomanMRomanM Posts: 474Member

    Richard please introduce "donations" functionality. Some easy link or button. Paypal does it. Every little helps. Would hate to loose contact with the community.

  • Screaming DaveScreaming Dave Posts: 799Member

    Hi Richard,

    I can only echo the thoughts of the many members who have posted here and say that I, too, have great affection for it, even if I sometimes wander off for a while.

    I also feel that I have made some friends here and, although it seems a strange thing to say, no enemies!  This is by far the friendliest guitar forum I have come across.  Every other one is soulless or clique-y and often prowled by members who seem intent on picking a virtual fight with anyone they can - none of that here, I'm pleased to say!  I don't know if anyone on here uses SixString, which is a social networking app for guitarists, but that gets quite brutal sometimes, with people even creating second IDs so they can stalk people who have blocked them or deliver abuse with impunity.  And the moderators seem to tolerate it (or even, I suspect, partake).  The point I'm trying to make is that it is the way a forum is run and moderated that makes it a fun, interesting and friendly place, and that is down to you, Richard, so many, many thanks for your hard work in providing this playground for us all.

    I can appreciate how much effort it is to run something like this, and would totally understand if you don't want to continue, but the idea of continuing this forum in a simpler, cut-down form appeals to me greatly, and I would happily contribute if necessary.

    Thank you, whatever you decide, Richard.

    Screaming Dave

  • HobbioHobbio Posts: 21Member

    I've not posted for a while, but I check back in every so often. I'll be sad if this place goes entirely. I hope to see this community continue in some way.

    The new format did put me off a little bit, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Something simpler (and cheaper for Richard!) certainly couldn't hurt.

     

  • SilversharkSilvershark Posts: 36Member

    I joined the site in January this year so have no idea how the previous forum looked or operated but given some of the other comments on this thread I can believe it was easier to work with than the current one. I'm a lefty player and was (still am) a subscriber to the LeftyFretz site but, as far as I can deduce, its administrator had similar issues to the ones that Richard faces. The forum still exists but it is effectively dead since the link to it from the main site was removed and consequently forum traffic has dwindled to nothing. I joined Richard's forum because it has a lefty sub-forum but there is also very little traffic on it, most users seemingly preferring the Facebook page. Personally I can't stand Facebook and find it impractical for serious discussion.

    I'd be sad if this forum had to close and would prefer to see it survive if possible in a reduced, simpler format. The forum clearly has a great bunch of members and it would be sad to lose touch with them. Hopefully things will work out.

    Jim

  • LesterLester Posts: 1,730Member, Moderator
    edited August 2016

    No doubt Richard wants the forum to reflect the way he works - delightfully friendly service, personal attention to detail. For me Richard's success is reflected in my having bought 5 guitars from him.

    I have never met other forummers in real life but I feel at home amongst friends here. My impression is that the guitar builds and mods are among this forum's most valuable assets so that would be the section I would suggest should not be lost.

    My experience of forum software leads me to think that SMF is among the easiest to use and would be ideal for this forum. I am sure Richard's computer bod will know what he feels is most suitable.

  • Kevin PeatKevin Peat Posts: 3,232Member

    Still - 90 quid a month is a lot of dosh to be paying out, if it's not generating enough internet sales to cover it.

    We're a bit like people who sit in coffee shops for hours with an empty cup !

    OK. We can't go buying guitars all the time but I think most of us would be able to chip in to the cost of the site if it needs it.  

  • Richards GuitarsRichards Guitars Posts: 589Member, Administrator

    Please check out the the new update!  You have inspired me!!

    http://forum.rguitars.co.uk/to...ure-i-need-your-help

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