Blogs, (was Piano Accordions vs Melodeons)

[Accordion Dave]

I'm not quite sure what a "blog area" is.

This message board works fine on my Web-TV, thanks to Theo helping me get set up.

Computer people seem intent on creating new words. I believe "blog" is a lazy abbrevation of the word "web-logue". "Blogs" tend to have way too much infomation and cause this antiquated Web-TV to freeze up.

[petefoth]

That's great to hear Accordion Dave! I too think that variety is so important. Your comments also remind me that I've put a 'Wish List' request in to Theo for a members blog area. Your posting, as well as being relevant to the topic, is the kind of blog item that I think should be shared and made available within this forum. Its really good to hear what people are upto in their melodeonising/accordionising lives. What do you think? Please let Theo know as well as me.
AL

But everyone in this forum can already see Dave's post, and reply to it if they wish. They can also send a link by email, or embed a link in a web page. What extra does adding a blog area give that isn't already available to forum members?

[HallelujahAl]

But everyone in this forum can already see Dave's post, and reply to it if they wish. They can also send a link by email, or embed a link in a web page. What extra does adding a blog area give that isn't already available to forum members?

I would agree - yes, we can all link in and through a variety of sections within this forum (that being the very function of 'forum').

But a 'weblog section' within this forum would be yet another platform and would extend the forum in a number of exciting ways. The key thing from my point of view would be that a members blog area would increase the community aspects of this forum. And yes, we can all go off to god-knows-where blog site and create our own blogs - but here is where this particular (or should I say peculiar?) melodeonising community is to be found and thus it would make sense that, for those of us for whom the melodeon is an important part of our lives, we should have the opportunity to share in this manner with each other. It might also help to deter a tendency to thread drift! A prime example is this - and of which I am ashamed to admit that I am frequently guilty of 

Also, this forum acts as a hub for much melodeonising that goes on (particularly in the UK - I don't have any experience of any other part of the world). The creation of a blog section within the forum could only further enhance that - so it'd be good for the members and good for the forum too.

A members blog section would furthermore enable members to freely talk about and discuss their own stuff in a way that is, at the moment, sometimes difficult to do even in the 'General' section. And members would also have the freedom to select whose blog they may wish to follow on a regular basis. I think there are many other good reasons why a blog section would be good for the forum - but here is not the place 
Regards
AL

[ukebert]

I think that a member's blog section would be quite an intriguing proposition, I'd like to see it initiated.

[Theo]

It might also help to deter a tendency to thread drift! A prime example is this - and of which I am ashamed to admit that I am frequently guilty of 

Thread drift can only be avoided by members thinking before posting, and being sufficiently self-disciplined to start a new thread rather than adding comments in a different place from the topic they are referring to.   The last few posts here being a good example Al! 

I completely fail to see how having an additional feature like a blog would make any difference.

[Theo]

Your comments also remind me that I've put a 'Wish List' request in to Theo for a members blog area. Your posting, as well as being relevant to the topic, is the kind of blog item that I think should be shared and made available within this forum.

But Al,  Dave's comments are already shared and made available here in this discussion.  I'm puzzled??

[xgx]

You could always put up a poll to gauge interest (then ignore it )

Whether 'tis nobblier in the mind to

Blog on

or Blog Off


(I'll go for Blog Off ...)

[Theo]

I don't think a poll would be particularly helpful yet.  This topic is here for people to give views on the subject.  The flexibility, and give and take, of discussion is likely to be far more illuminating than the rather cut and dried approach of a poll.

[xgx]

The advantage of a poll is that it does trammel the respondent into making a for/against decision.

I suspect that most have an ambivalent attitude to the yes/no blog question ...that tends to stifle debate

[waltzman]

I thought this was a blog.  I must be missing something in the definition.

[HallelujahAl]

But Al,  Dave's comments are already shared and made available here in this discussion.  I'm puzzled??

Theo I think my comments are being lifted somewhat out of context - I was referring to the kind of personal information and material that Dave was sharing with us as being exactly the kind of material that would also be of interest within a blog section. Remember the original thread was about Piano Accordions etc. I guess I was trying to cross-link threads in my usual ham-fisted way!

The idea of a member log section would be to allow another kind of space to be made available for members to share their lives, activities etc. It's really not a big deal - just an opening up of this forum a bit more and providing a bit more space for melodeonistas to share what's going on. It's not an either / or situation. It's called choice. I make it as a suggestion. After that it's upto the good guys, like Theo etc to see whether it's practical and or desirable.

thought this was a blog.  I must be missing something in the definition.

No, this forum is not a blog, but I've not been given a reason yet as to why it cannot provide weblog space for members?
AL

[petefoth]

OK here's my $0.02 worth!

I definitely think
a: there is no need for a blog section
b: having such a section would be a bad thing.

Some reasons
1: To me the only difference between a blog and a forum is that, in a forum anyone can initiate a new discussion, whereas in a blog only the blog's owner can initiate a new discussion.
2: Within the forum, I can, if I wish, start a new topic called 'petefoth's blog' to which I can post whatever I want, whenever I want (a bit like a blog). Other registered forum participants can post replies (a bit like a blog). Anyone on the net can read the initial post and all replies (a bit like a blog). Forum members can be informed by email when new posts happen, can store the topics url in their bookmarks/favourites  (a bit like a blog). I can write about anything I want in this topic, melodeon related or not (a bit like a blog). If other forum members aren't interested in what I've written then they can choose not to read subsequent posts (a bit like a blog).
3: Having a separate blog area means that someone (Theo?) needs to set the area up and it needs to be maintained and stored on a disk somewhere. More importantly, it's *another* place I have to look to keep up with Melodeon-related discussions.
4: I am generally interested in what most of the people here have to say about melodeons and related matters. I am less likely to be interested in what they have to say on other matters less related to melodeons. If another participant set up a blog (which they can do in any number of places on the web, without using melnet's resources or taking up Theo's time), I'd be very happy for them to post a link to their blog in a topic here. I may or may not check it out and, having checked it out, I may or may not continue to visit it.

To summarise, melnet (including the forums) works very well for me as it currently is and provides a range of melodeon related stuff that I would be hard pushed to find anywhere else. It's capable of changing and responding to newly perceived requirements for new functionality, (such as the Instrument database and the Melodeon Videos section, which rpovide stuff not readily available anywhere else on the web).  I see no need to spend time and resources on watering down the site to provide functionality not related to melodeons, which is freely available in a number of places on the web. If a discussion is melodeon-related it can go in the relevant forum (along with a reasonable amount of thread drift which is part of the joy of forums  ), if it's not then it can go somewhere else.

I guess that means "count me as a 'No' in any poll" 

Regards

Pete

[Rees]

4: I am generally interested in what most of the people here have to say about melodeons and related matters. I am less likely to be interested in what they have to say on other matters less related to melodeons.

I totally agree. I find blogs a bit like Facebook. A lot of people navel gazing and then telling the world about the fluff they find therein. Boring, boring, boring!

[HallelujahAl]

I find blogs a bit like Facebook. A lot of people navel gazing and then telling the world about the fluff they find therein. Boring, boring, boring!

Some people like a bit of fluff

But like I said, some blogs would no doubt be boring - no different to some of the threads and discusions we currently encounter. And you make your choice accordingly. But some you might wish to follow - or even create your own - and personally I'd definitely tune into your blog Rees!  

And the advantage over FaceBook is that it wouldn't be FaceBook! Given that the technology is freely available (see the blog add-on for SMF that Theo has turned up: http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1209 ).

It would be nice to have the choice don't you think?

AL

[petefoth]

Given that the technology is freely available (see the blog add-on for SMF that Theo has turned up: http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1209 ).

The technology may be freely available, but setting it up and running it takes time and computer resources

It would be nice to have the choice don't you think?

There is already a choice; if I want to initiate or contribute to a discussion related (however loosely) to melodeons, then I can post in the appropriate melnet forums; if I want to set up a blog, I can go to any number of places on the web which provide that service (many of them, for free I believe). If I think my blog - or particular posts on that blog - would be of interest to other melodeonistas, I can publicise it/them by posting here.

Regards

Pete

[ganderbox]

I think Mel.net strikes a nice balance between being informative and being friendly. Serious posts on quite involved melodeon topics sit happily alongside wit, sarcasm and general silliness, and it all works really well. Some of us know each other personally, many don't, and it's rather nice to keep a bit of anonimity. I'm not sure that many of us really want to get more personal.
As per another thread, this is a great site. It's certainly the first forum that I have ever got so involved in.
I'm not sure that it is really healthy to be spending huge chunks of our waking hours on websites, though, when we've all got lives to lead...and melodeons to play. It's quite enough sometimes just to keep up with the threads and throw in our tuppence-worths.
I think blogs would just be too much. Most people wouldn't have the time or interest, and I think it could end up detracting from the postings on the normal threads as the focus would be split.
If it ain't broke, don't mend it!

[HallelujahAl]

I think it could end up detracting from the postings on the normal threads as the focus would be split

This is the only argument against, so far, that I think really holds validity. Some sections may find themselves defunct as some thread topics would automatically migrate to a blog format. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

For example, I might want to put the topic I started about the restoration of my Heligonka Box onto my blog instead of putting it into the instrument repair section. Obviously if I had specific questions about certain techniques or repairs I would use the repair section. But generally speaking I might prefer to put it up as part of my ongoing weblog, keeping everything is one place rather than having bits of conversations going on all over the place. A blog would also give one the freedom to go into much more detail about anything at all. Generally I'm sure it would all be essentially melodeon related as we are, to one degree or another, all melodeon players of a sort. 

For example, performers / touring box players would be able to share, through the blog space, what was going on their world. Restorers and specialists may wish to blog their stuff. Idiots like me who get to play in an extremely wide variety of weird and wonderful places and situations on a very regular basis would have somewhere to legitimately share all that stuff with people who may actually be interested in the melodeon.

And yes, of course it could be done through one or other of the sections currently available. But why not have it as a section - an extra space in which members can choose whether to participate or not?

Yes, it could all take place somewhere else and not this forum - but I think that'd be such a shame - as this forum is where one hell of a lot of melodeon players and interested parties hangout already. How many members are there to date? I think it's worth looking at.

Regards to you all, and whether you agree with me or not on this issue, I know that we do agree that really is one hell of a good forum!

HallelujahAl

[Rees]

I think Mel.net strikes a nice balance between being informative and being friendly. Serious posts on quite involved melodeon topics sit happily alongside wit, sarcasm and general silliness, and it all works really well. Some of us know each other personally, many don't, and it's rather nice to keep a bit of anonimity. I'm not sure that many of us really want to get more personal.
As per another thread, this is a great site. It's certainly the first forum that I have ever got so involved in.
I'm not sure that it is really healthy to be spending huge chunks of our waking hours on websites, though, when we've all got lives to lead...and melodeons to play. It's quite enough sometimes just to keep up with the threads and throw in our tuppence-worths.
I think blogs would just be too much. Most people wouldn't have the time or interest, and I think it could end up detracting from the postings on the normal threads as the focus would be split.
If it ain't broke, don't mend it!

Thank you Pauline, well put.
As a person trying to make a living from tedious repairs, sales and teachings of melodeons whilst desperately searching for interesting paid gigs, the last thing I want to do is write a sodding blog. I love this forum for its homegrown integrity and mutual support. Blogs are shite. Sorry Al.

[xgx]

Rees... we do need a 'chuckle' button as a matter of urgency

Theo: check out the 'moticons on (if it works)
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/misc.php?do=getsmilies&editorid=vB_Editor_001

[Rees]

Theo: check out the 'moticons on (if it works)
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/misc.php?do=getsmilies&editorid=vB_Editor_001

Wow, good moticons! I can't work out how to use them.... erm,  Lady de temps, help!
Well, she has been a bit quiet lately.