USACG forum health - Sounding-Board - Board Matters - Fender Info-Base™ (F.I.B.™) - Message Board - Yuku

Add Reply New Topic

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

USACG forum health

Author	Comment
bfurman	USACG forum health		Lead	[-]
Posts: 1238 Fri, Dec 8, 2006 04:23:51 Contributing Silver Member	Tags : None A little something to get off my chest. I know that USACG is doing decent business these days. They've got lots of OEM work, and they just moved to bigger and better facilities. They're moving up in the world. So why in the world is the forum participation at [what seems to me] an all-time low? I understand ebb and flow, but it's been this way for awhile now. I checked the USACG home page. Yep. The FIB link is still there right where I would have expected it. Surely customers would follow it if they had some questions.... Checking on other internet forums, there seems to be no lack of individual customers, and a good many pipe up in favor of USACG over various other makers. So why aren't they here? Does it somehow feel like an exclusive club or something? Are the suggestions not viewed in earnest, or are they otherwise inaccessible? In general, I feel like we've kept the sorts of "Do a search and go away" responses to a minimum compared to other sites. Ironically, I'm asking this at a time when I should scarcely be trying to contribute to these discussions. I've got a lot else going on in my life. Nevertheless, I feel conflicted. -Ben
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Invite Blocking Report Post	Reply Quote
nocaster	Re: USACG forum health	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 19008 Fri, Dec 8, 2006 09:38:08 The Big FIBer	Participation on the FIB as a whole is the lowest it's ever been. Initially, I thought the northern hemisphere summer had something to do with it, and the fact that we fail to attract many new regulars. On the whole, I think the small number of old hands have little new to say, in respect of starting threads, and understandably devote the majority of any spare time to posting on boards where there are a lot of participants and a lot of new threads. Here, it's harder work. After five years, I also struggle to keep this place going. Naturally, I have other interests and other concerns. And I would have hoped to not have to try and generate topics of interest after so long, but it seems I still have to, in order to stop the place dying completely. Maybe whats not inviting is the general lack of vibrancy, and maybe its obvious that Im going through the motions trying to keep the place alive? As to the USACG forum, I don't know whether my personal battles with a couple of former members have had a lasting affect or not. But I'd also like to see the forum appear as one of the menu items on USACG's website. But, of course, that's not up to me. I dont think the USACG forum has any issues as far as appearing to be exclusive or anything like that. There havent been many folks talking about new and exciting new projects lately, and the questions have been pretty mundane. The biggest topic of discussion lately seems to have been helping a member choose a Les Paul, which is hardly on-topic for the forum. Basically, your guess is as good as mine, but Id say its because the forum is so quiet and thats simply uninviting. And unless something changes, I suspect itll only get worse. Aide toi et le ciel taidera (Aid thyself and heaven will aid thee)
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Invite Blocking Report Post	Reply Quote
nocaster	Re: USACG forum health	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 19008 Fri, Dec 8, 2006 10:32:21 The Big FIBer	I can also add that while general FIB readership is averaging at about 2/3 - 3/4 what we had come to expect, readership of the USACG forum appears (as I only usually check the FIB-wide stats) to be down to between 1/2 - 2/3. Aide toi et le ciel taidera (Aid thyself and heaven will aid thee)
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Invite Blocking Report Post	Reply Quote
bfurman	Re: USACG forum health	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1238 Fri, Dec 8, 2006 19:45:17 Contributing Silver Member	Thanks for the reply, nocaster. I'm glad to know it's not just a vague feeling, but it still saddens me that there isn't more interest, particularly from newbies. I'm as guilty as anyone of devoting more time to TGP because of its non-brand-specific appeal, but if I were a new USACG customer I'd still click on the FIB link and come here first with whatever questions. The problem with posting a "what's best for me" query at places like TGP is that there is so much diversity and divergence of perspective that it's less likely to generate any meaningful recommendations. The familial environment here presses more quickly to the heart of the matter. For my part, I'll try to be more proactive in steering people over here whenever I post a response elsewhere. FWIW, this place is nowhere near (not even in the same universe) as draconian as the Carvin BBS has become. That place is also such a "fanboy" site that I could see people tiring of it very quickly. (At least I did.) Still, the atmosphere here is quite different. I even think we've given Warmoth a fair shake despite our collective preferences for their competitor. I think the Wilde-Gate still does alright because at least people keep coming back to ask wiring questions. There also seems to be less available experience with BL products out there in the wide-open internet, so Bill has a good niche carved out here. The product options are also more streamlined and less open to subjective interpretation. -Ben
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Invite Blocking Report Post	Reply Quote
nocaster	Re: Re: USACG forum health	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 19008 Mon, Dec 25, 2006 06:51:16 The Big FIBer	Sorry for the tardy reply!... The Custom-Gate and Wilde-Gate will survive, but the rest of the F.I.B.(tm) is really struggling to maintain any attention. And as Fender guitar and amp discussion was and is the raison d'tre for the board as a whole, I am of course extremely disappointed. I also believe that our collective amp, speaker and signal chain knowledge (and approach) is second to none. I don't know why, but despite the vastly increased number of participants at the TGP, there is a certain lack of clarity in the amp/speaker/signal chain department, which is where I almost exclusively spend my time there. Aide toi et le ciel taidera (Aid thyself and heaven will aid thee)
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Invite Blocking Report Post	Reply Quote

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Quick Reply

Fender®, Squier®, Telecaster®, Tele®, Stratocaster®, Strat®, and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). All other marks are the property of FMIC or their respective owners. F.I.B.™ is not affiliated with FMIC or any other manufacturer or reseller of guitar products.

Contact Administrator - Find ez/Yuku-boards