I got to tell you guys and this is as good as any time. I really need to rangle in the principles of the forum. It was originally started to support the main web site. It has grown to its current proportions on its own traffic and the members promoting it.
That is a lot to say for any forum. It was not built on another forum closing or a company starting a drum forum for its customers. I also did not go to other forums and contact people privately by PM to come to this forum. Or worse yet visit other forums and promote the forum with links.
So with that said, it has really changed in the last 6-8 months and I have noticed it. It could very well be a natural progression of any forum to morph into a vibrant community with regular members that do answer a lot of the questions.
I will say this, I never wanted it to be a let's have a forum fest or wear a t-shirt kind of community. Worse yet, name tags at drum events so we can all take a photo together :( sorry guys, just not where I ever intended it to go.
AND so far we have not crossed that road yet.... Sorry to the guys that might like that kind of stuff.
We (I) are all pretty "Nerdy" when it comes to vintage drums and there is no reason to take it to the next level in my opinion.
I will say I also do not like the links to eBay auctions, the check this dealer out, or look at my shiny drum and tell me how wonderful it is...
That is why the gallery is there, to show the drums and there is limited posting in that section.
I do like looking at other drums, drum projects, personal drum stories and most important documenting the history!!!
I just spilled my guts..... SOOOooo.....
I have to thank everyone for relaxing a little bit on this post, not everyone knows the proper or best way to make an introduction to a new community. So I will give the poster the benefit of the doubt up to a certain point.
In regards to appraisals, that is another story and I can cover that later.
I have to say, we can't agree on everything and the forum is moving along rather nice, I let things run without much interference at all. There still has not been a banned user. (Even though it has come up more in the last 6 months then in the last 4 years)
I do know there have been some PO'd members and problems with recent posts. I really do not like to see these things over a forum. Lifes to short and if we can make it to the age of the original poster, then we have to let a few things go.
In fact I have/had 4 friends in their 80's who were good buddies, I let a lot of things slide and give them a lot of leeway in life. I feel they deserve it. They feel like they deserve it.
That was my "old person" respect comment....
Thanks everyone and I will probably end this post as is.
David
