Forum Familiarity and Pessimistic Feelings

[Kon-Tiki]

It's over 30 % by now..................

Thank's for the new site - Norway love it ................!

[Alan Prudhoe]

The "5000 members" on the old MSN site included many many multiple registrations (which were encouraged then) to get around the individual storage limitations.

The "active" membership was certainly nowhere near 30%.

Well Done and Congratulations to Bob & Co. who have done an excellent job.
I think the new site has got off to an excellent start in terms of atmosphere, access and content.

[asimmd]

Well it's already been said that the same questions repeated over and over again gets very waring.

I know people are joining all the time and there may be the need to ask these questions.
I'm not going to say they should use the search facility,interacting with other members
is good and should be encouraged.

There is a question I would ask though,after all the Shadowmusic sites,the questions and the arguements
have been forgotten,is there really anything to learn regarding the Shads?

There are many knowledgeable people on this site who will give informed replies to specific questions but
I can't help thinking that it's all been said before.

If the site is not to stagnate,maybe it's time to open it up a bit and while not losing site of
the fact that it is primarily a Shadows site,I feel it could/should be expanded on.

Alan

[RalphG]

I agree with what Alan P has just said about multiple registrations on the MSN site. I innocently registered twice because I forgot my password from the first time! I spotted other obvious multiples.

On the last site, I once went through the members' list and noted that a lot of people had been inactive for a long time and that some hadn't even visited the site after registering.

Joining here with delivery of a proper name makes for a more genuine membership list.

As well as registered members being online I have noted up to seven guests online at the same time, so I think we can easily inflate the actual readership of the site well above the membership list number.

It is right that age and health are catching up with many of us. Apart from the A category artists, promoters are battling more and more to justify the costs of putting on Golden Oldie shows. Without giving away names (because I'm trying to help them!), I've just been asked to do an interview with a chart-topping act for a magazine to help put bums on seats on a major tour this autumn.

But Derek has put it into perspective what this site is all about and the hard work that has gone into it.

Let's make the most of being among like-minded lovers of Shads/instro music and enjoy it!

[ScouserJoe]

Hi,

They said in the news this week that for some reason people always feel 'down' during this week in September - the period of the autumnal equinox - now that summer is over and the nights are drawing in for winter. Perhaps that's why Steve is feeling the way he is.

He has some interesting points which I can understand, but, given the enthusiasm of the people behind the contruction of this new site, I am confident of its continued success and usefulness to all Shadows fans for a long time to come. When one considers the speed with which it was all put together from scratch, I think Bob has done a fantastic job and should be congratulated. As with most things, you can't please everyone all of the time, and modifications and improvements with regard to the appearance and functionality of the site will come over time. We must be patient. Personally, I think this is the best, and friendliest (so far) of all the sites - the result perhaps of the requirement of us all to provide our real names and the determination of the 'membership secretary' and management to ensure the we are apll real people and that we all behave.

There is an inevitability that content will replicate over time. We are all learning - even those who won't admit it - and there are occasions when some advice from others is most useful. I always know that, if I have a question then this is the place to come, and I usually get the answer. The Shadows' music has lasted a lifetime and given the number of younger members who have joined and contribute, it will do so for a good while yet. So in that respect, I would resist any proposal to widen the subject matter out beyond the realms of Shadows' music or related instrumental styles.

Finally, I would mention once again that for those such as I who live in remoter areas of the country, this site is a most valuable resource through which to meet like minded people and to learn more about the music we enjoy so much.

Keep up the good work.

[asimmd]

Hi Ian

I understand what you are saying but the point remains.

In all the years that the Shadows site has existed,do you not think that all the questions
anyone could possibly have would have already been answered?

I must admit that I only liked the Shadows because they played instrumentals,and at the time when I was
growing up,I wanted to play guitar and Shadows music was something I could use to learn the guitar.

I started playing when I was 12,and I had the same guitar Hank started with.

I am now 62,and I really don't have any questions regarding Hank or the Shads that would
interest me or aid my playing.

Alan

[ScouserJoe]

Hi Alan,

We have a lot in common in that we both started playing at a similar age and we are both at the same milestone in life now. You are most fortunate and probably, from a playing perspective, a very gifted guitarist if you feel that there is no longer anything that you might read here that would interest you about Shadows' music or aid your playing.

I thought I knew a lot - until I first visited the MSN website. Then I realised just how much I didn't know. I continue to learn more almost on a daily basis and I am sure there are other members, new and old, who will feel the same. I will never turn my back on any opportunity to learn however small that might be.

However, good luck to you in your decision to extend your interest and knowledge of music to other styles and influences.

[SELEDA284]

Many thanks to all you gentlemen for the (mostly) encouraging replies on this thread, (perhaps the 'autumn equinoxe syndrome' has kicked in for some ! )
Happily for all of us, it seems the majority of you are finding things of interest on this site, in the many topics, & for the first week of existence I think this site has done pretty darn well. Personally speaking, I am finding lots of the topics very intersting to read, & am contributing whenever I can, & am certainly in it for the long haul.
Keep it up fella's, & hopefully our lady members will join in on some of the topics too. Its all there for us all to use, whatever part of the world we're in.
Cheers

[asimmd]

Well Ian

I feel you have misunderstood what I said.

I learn something new every time I pick up my guitar.
There is always something new to learn,something I want to do better or just something
I want to change,learning never stops.

I was saying that I thought all the facts regarding the Shadows and Hank had already been said
and that given the ammount of time this site had been open,there must surely be a point
where it starts to repeat itself.

I have never been into facts about the Shads except to know when the next single or was released,
I had a standing order with our local record shop for Shads stuff,as did many others.

I still play Shads tunes but I also like to play different stuff as well,I am even trying to write my own tunes,
which is proving more difficult and time consuming than you may think.

Alan

[Bojan]

There are always new and interesting things people on this forum can say to each other, or learn, and not only about the Shadows and their music, but also about each other, our music, our gear, our different playing styles, photos, stories, jokes, and so on ... This is a place where friends can get together and communicate about a wide variety of topics, not just music. It's kind of like a pub "where everybody knows your name." And there will never be a shortage of topics, some of them even silly.

Cheers!