I'm a regular visitor of Synthzone, and without doubt it has enabled the formation of a first class arranger community. Nigel, I'd be interested to know how large your SQL db file has grown, since despite the enormous archives it still works pretty quickly!
Although I host my own forums and site, I feel that synthzone is a compliment in its diversity and immense content and I am often advising my customers to visit here.
I know that running and maintaining large forums is an expensive and time consuming pastime, but the rewards are clear in the friendly community that develops.
I have no dislikes that are worthy of voicing here, as more often or not its the content and not the cover that matters when choosing a good book! Of course I could suggest many improvements, revisions and changes, but if it works why fix it!

All the best for the future Nigel!

Kindest regards
Simon Williams
SVPworld



------------------
________________________
___________________________________________
SVPworld.com
Visited our new forums? Why not!
forum.svpworld.com ... It's all happening!

OK .... everyone above has given what MY thoughts would be ... We often refer to each other as "family" ... well, in that regard, what family doesn't have disagreements and disputes from time to time ... AND, if you do have a disagreement with a S-Z family member, you don't have to be concerned about sitting next to them at the next family wedding .....
Again, THANK YOU Nigel ...
So, kids, let's keep on keepin' on, make beautiful music, and remember:
Peace, Love, and PATIENCE
t.
UD .... as much as I have been a NY Yankees fan and an American League fan all my life, I have to agree with you on the DH ... Baseball is like this forum .... it does NOT need to be changed ... especially with ideas like the latest 'All-Star Game' fiasco ....
t.

What I don't like is the immaturity. Now, I'm going to take my ball and go home.

Peter

hi all,most of us newbies wouldnt have a learned a half of what we have learnt if it had not had been from the sincere advice from this forum,can you imagine ringing up the store you bought your keyboard from for advice lots of times ,i dont think so,you are all a great bunch of mates ,thanks NIGEL for bringing us all together ,mike

After the Concert, uma bella pasta(Penne ala 4 formaggio) of course...
Chico

If this thread gets hijacked by us baseball nuts then Fran WILL delete it, but I'm with you guys, the DH rule is lame. Sing with me boys-----"Take me out to the ball game"

I also enjoy visiting this forum very much and enjoy reading the views of the members even though I don't neccessarily agree with all. I have also have picked up many tips here although I have playing to paying audiences for almost 40 years now. There is no doubt that everyone feels that this is a great international forum.

There are many things that I can list that I like but what was actually asked for were the dislikes!

I have only two and the first is that there are not enough non Yamaha owners posting here. At certain times it looks like a Yamaha arranger forum rather than a general arranger one. I myself am guilty of not posting very much and am part of the problem I guess. This maybe because Yamaha have sold more A/Ks than anyone else but it also maybe because there is no dedicated Yamaha Arranger Keyboard Forum whereas there are for Ketron, Roland, Technics and GEM here. Just a thought but what about starting one Nigel.

My other point is that many of the members here are based in the US. That's not the problem for me. I'm in the UK and feel a great affinity towards you yanks especially after the recent problems in the Gulf.

No, my problem is that you talk about sports which I don't really understand, about a game you call football but play with crash helmets on!!! - Another game that the girls here play that we call rounders that you play with short trousers, an oven glove and a stick - Lots of stuf about bears and indians with red sock on??? I dont mind OT subjects but ones that we can all contribute to please!!!!

Have I just committed Forum suicide? Aaaaaarrrggghhhh

Nigel,

Ok that explains it pretty good. I wouldn't ask you to change the colors for my sake. Color is such a subjective thing, you'll undoubtedly make someone else unhappy. Perhaps we can find you new software and write a conversion program to migrate the archives?

Thank you and Regards
Al

I was going to skip posting a comment here because I do have some honest thoughts on this topic that likely won't be taken as such. I'm very busy these days fortunately and I've enjoyed some of the past discussions here but I will be taking a less active role in the future. For some that will be a relief.

I've said this before but it's still true today: my biggest gripe here would be the lack of open-mindedness with some of the more senior members of this forum combined with the tendency by others to rush to defend the "honor" of another when a decent debate gets rolling. Nobody wants to waste time debating with a mob so good discussions here have been shut down or deleted because of this. The only path to progress is to challenge the assumptions of those who know the most, or think that they do. Crossing swords sharpens them. I love for my knowledge and presumptions to be challenged especially when I learn something in the process. Others seem to take that kind of challenge personally though, which turns intellectual debate into chest-thumping mush. Or group-hugging mush when it's all over, which serves only to move the conversation back into monotony. Boring each other isn't the hallmark of a good forum. I won't stay in any forum that doesn't allow a good brawl now and then.

And while we're on the subject of brawling let me say this: Yamaha and Roland and Korg can kiss my ass. You know, we all get real excited when Yamaha rep Steve Deming graces us with a brief thought or sentence (and to his credit nobody else has even bothered), but the instrument manufacturers and representatives more than anyone should be active in discussing the uses and implications of the instruments with end-users in a forum away from the 30-60 seconds you can sometimes get with them at noisy trade shows (most of which are closed to the public anyway). The tired excuse of "we can't talk about upcoming products or improvements" is a dodge that means they just won't talk with the consumer at all. I refuse to accept that. I have had good discussions in forums with the people developing the Eko that showed that it is quite possible for companies and customers to interact towards a common goal. In fact, that kind of open communication and platform IS the future of music technology. So if my next keyboard doesn't come from "the big three", that's their fault... I'd love to talk about it with them but...

For all it's good point I see what this forum could be, and it could be better. It shouldn't just be a place where newbies get answers but also where experienced players reevaluate their rigs and make their work lighter, smarter, and better. It should be a place where tempers openly flair in the light of realization. And a place where we could get answers on topics that only instrument manufacturers can answer. Parts of these things are available on different forums but there isn't one that has them all. That's why I'll keep bouncing around...



[This message has been edited by The Pro (edited 05-09-2003).]

This forum is what we make it individually and collectively..It is alright to disagree[I disagree with Pro on some points,nothing really important..as I disagree with others, even my friends]..If they realized I am always right there would not be disagreements..We all should lighten up..nothing on SZ is earth shaken..There is nothing wrong with sarcasm in a good natured way;even if you mean it and it is true[UD and Donny are fat, so what ,they know it...but they will step up to the plate to help the same sarcastic person that made this statement]...We all have to laugh at ourselves once in a while...It reduces high blood pressure and makes you a real person....I don't see anything wrong with this forum, it's all in our attitudes...