Just read it is closing on Friday!!!!
Walter

Sorry to hear that the Technote Forum is closing tomorrow (Friday), but I can understand why they couldn't compete with this superb Forum. Competition can be healthy, but the fittest (and Synth Zone is the one!) will always survive! I sincerely hope this Synth Zone Forum will never suffer the same fate!!! To me, a day without Synth Zone's Technics Forum is like the proverbial day without sunshine!

Ted

Hi Walter,
Just read that myself last night. Bit sad really but no great supries as the usage seemed to be getting less & less. The thing is that many of the things that made the Techplus Web Club such a great site, have been dropped!!! What ever happened to the Knowledge Base.? That was a wonderful site, where you could just quote a subject and all techplus magazine articles on the subject were displayed without having to know year, issue or whatever.When this site was discontinued we were promised a bigger & better site at the end of the year!!! Ha !
Bigger & better advertising yes, but service?? ( now that I'm firmly in "Rant Mode" I may as well continue )The Techote site now is devoted to Sales, Sales Sales, and not too efficiently at that. For example, this months Magazine has a Midi File workshop in which music notation software is mentioned and one is told that it is obtainable from Technote. OK I thought
I'll see how much that is.Well it may be available, but if you go to the website it's a well kept secret folks. Whats New section? nope.Software section? nope!! This is not the first example of this sort of thing I have noticed ( it happened with SD cards too, but don't get me started on their prices for these )and it's disapointing. The point is that the main purpose of the Webclub ie: instant comunication is being totaly ignored, and the first line of comunication seems to have reverted to "snail mail". Doesn't sound like forward thinking to me!!!
Well thank goodness I found the Synthzone site, where there's lots of forward thinking and helpful advice and Bill even tells you jokes .Thanks for your company people.
Regards
Eddie

I think it's a prime example of 'Shooting themselves in Both feet'
I've just had a look at the forum and again, no explanation for the action being taken - I think we've been along this road before.....
Long Live SynthZone
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Willum

[This message has been edited by Bill Norrie (edited 06-20-2003).]

Just another example of not providing what the customer wants.

Graham UK

I echo your comments Ted... I spend more time on S-Z than any other site... Admittedly, a good portion is spent on the Gen Arr Forum site, but not a day goes by without a visit here ....
Keep up the great work, Nigel and BeBop...
t.

Hi All,

For what its worth, this is a copy of my e-mail to Technote this morning.

Gentlemen:

The attitude, services, and competence of Technote are falling rapidly.

It saddens me to see your support forum close. It is yet another example of YOUR actions alienating your friends and customer base. My opinion of course, and evidently not shared by you.

Over the years I have bought thousands of pounds worth of software and accessories from you. I have recommended your products to fellow keyboardists on your forum as well as the SynthZone and Yahoo Technics forums. So I have not only been a good customer, I have been a strong advocate of your products - working in the background of course, but nevertheless there for you. As the saying goes, there is no better advertising than word of mouth advertising.

I guess the closure of your support forum is a business decision as was the case when you opened Technote sales offices in my home state of California and in Florida. But I am lost for any logical reason to close what is in reality the last vestige of SERVICE to your customers. The Technote forum was my first introduction to support forums on the net after I purchased my KN. I was so pleased to be able to listen and talk to other KN owners about my keyboard. I learned so much, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU HAD A SEARCHABLE DATA BASE. It was immensely helpful to be able to search for, and get answers to my specific queries without having to scan the whole data base of daily entries.

YOU discontinud the Webclub, the free disks, and the searchable data base. I used that as well to obtain answers to my questions. As you are well aware, manufacturer's manuals leave an awful lot to be desired. It is great to have a service I can access to get answers.

My inital attitude toward Technote was very positive and supportive because you were "meeting my needs" as one of your loyal customers. The only thing you offer me now is SALES. I know you are a business and businesses exist to make money. As a former businessman, I am acutely aware of that. But SERVICES at no cost to the customer are an integral part of any business. You discontinued the Webclub, then modified the support forum such that it was only a shell of its former self, and now you are discontinuing it altogether. The only SERVICE you offer now is an answer to my question if I telephone or e-mail you. What a shame!

Your actions are alienating me now and that is hard to do because I am by nature a loyal person when I am treated properly. Your business may suffer from your actions, or perhaps not. Only the future will tell. One thing for certain, however, and that is that I have gradually lost services that were very valuable to me as a keyboardist as you continually pared down those you originally provided for us, and that alienates me - a loyal customer.

Up to this point I have come straight to you for my keyboard software and accessories. I may or may not purchase items from you in the future, but you can bet I will shop around now before I buy anything from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Charles "Chuck" Piper

Hi Chuck.
Very well said, I agree. It's like locking the shop door and boarding up the window and still expecting the customer to bring you the business.I have just renewed my subs to the techplus mag. which I think is excellent but it still only meets a very small part of the overall needs of the customer and then you have to think,if they don't get the sales figures they need, how long will that last. I for one will now have no reason to visit the site again. A potential customer lost.!!!!!!

I've been happy with their magazines and their products. I'm sure I'll buy more from them down the road.

The Technote Forum closing is certainly not the end of the world, but they did it the same way they did before when the changed the Forum.....without a word to us. I don't like the way they make these sudden changes without a word of notice.I don't understand why they can't post a message if they planned to close the forum. Just a few words would have been nice. I see the Forum is now gone with no access to it anymore.

Marilyn

Hi Chuck, Very well put and your comments echo my sentiments. I just wonder if you got a reply? - I very much doubt it

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Willum

Chuck and Marilyn,

I have been a Technote customer for a good many years with excellent service from Graham Tilney.

Both of your comments hit the nail on the head as far as I am concerned.

Sad day when you lose an old friend.

Fran in Florida

Nothing ever really changes Brian, we the paying public are only allowed to know what"Big Brother" wants us to know, especially if money is involved, let it go over your head and enjoy the real reason we all talk on this forum the MUSIC
take care
jan

[This message has been edited by kozykeys (edited 06-22-2003).]

Hi To All.
I would just like to clarify a point and hope that it is taken in the right spirit.
I have never deleted any posts which I have made on this forum and only make comments to help the contributors as best I can and if at all. The point about the other forum is,(and I hope that it will be water under the proverbial bridge)we all have something to say about the way in which it has been run recently and in my opinion it is something that Technote will live to regret because there are plenty of other similar businesses
which offer suitable quality products usually at cheaper prices and the many prevoius potential customers will now have no reason whatsoever to visit the site again and this will cause a considerable loss of revenue. I have been in business for over 40years and there are parts of a business that have to be carried on regardless of profit in order to support the whole.
All the best to you all.
PETER B.

Good Morning to All from the UK:

I've been away in Suffolk the past three days. Upon returning I began catching up on SynthZone posts and read the additional comments by KozyKeys and Peter Bentley, and the controversy over possible censorship on this forum. During my absence, Tony Smith of Technote International, responded to the e-mail I posted above. In fairness to Technote International, and Tony Smith in particular, I want to post his reply. It is the fair and gentlemanly thing to do. I appreciated Tony taking the time to respond. Perhaps this will clear the air to some degree over this contentious issue.

Warm Regards,

Chuck Piper

Dear Mr Piper

I must point out that our commitment to Technics owners all over the world is not in question. We are merely making some fundamental changes to our site and feel that the majority of customers are preferably using the synth-zone forum for their discussions. We feel that they specialise in the forum activity and I personally think they offer a great service to all keyboard owners. I will updating our site to link to synthzone for customers discussions, but by customers reaction they prefer this so I see this as giving customers what they want. By simply removing the forum does not mean we are closing any doors, far from it in fact.

Technote specialise in dedicated software and other products which has always been our main business. There are no changes planned for Techplus, and from general reaction we feel we are supporting almost 3000 Technics owners with this publication sucessfully. So I do feel we are doing our bit to provide you all with a quality publication backed up by a great range of products. I understand that we cannot please everyone's needs, but I must stress that our commitment to giving customers a quality service is our highest priority. We are not supported in anyway by Technics and as such we have to remain a profitble company like any other third party company in order to continue providing both the service and products we produce.

We look forward to continuing being of service to you and all our customers around the world.

If you wish to post this message please feel free to do so.

Kind regards
TONY SMITH
Managing Director
Technote Int Ltd

This is my reply to Tony Smith. The matter is closed as far as I'm concerned.

Chuck

Dear Tony,

I've been away in Suffolk the past three days and did not have an opportunity to read your reply to my earlier e-mail until late last night shortly after I got home.

Thank you for your personal reply. I appreciate it very much. I have always been completely satisfied with products I have purchased from Technote International including software, books, footswitches, the organ work station, the CD recorder etc.

The fundamental changes you are making to your website will hopefully improve it further. But I think in all honesty you must be acutely aware you have alienated people because of the manner in which you handled the initial changes to the forum service, and the manner in which you closed the remnant of that service this year. By "manner", I mean the abrupt closure without any advance warning, explanantion, or discussion with the users of that service. Whether you agree or not, whether you care or not, it is a fact that you had the best Technics forum on the web two years ago and we as users felt we were part of a "Technote family". The absence of any sense of "family" on the part of Technote management was clearly and abruptly evident to us in the way you handled the initial changes to your forum and its subsequent closure. And it is a fact that the success of the SynthZone forum is due to our feeling that we are indeed a "family" of Technics instrument owners. Nigel, Bebop, and SynthZone have given us a home. Technote had that home but gave it away and all the GOODWILL that went with it. We felt your management decisions regarding the handling of your forum service were arbitrary and arrogant and we didn't appreciate being treated that way.

Techplus magazine is indeed the flagship publication for Technics keyboard owners and you do produce quality products. I have said so publicly and in personal e-mails to you. However, had I been in your shoes I would have kept the forum, recognizing the goodwill it generates, and in consultation with the users, would have been looking for ways to improve it. But then I have a different approach to management and am not in your shoes.

Tony, I've said what I feel and this closes the matter as far as I am concerned. I wish you success personally and professionally in the future.

Most Sincerely,

Chuck Piper

Thanks for keeping us informed Chuck. It is important that Technote are able to continue providing support products for Technics owners.

I can understand Tony's position that they felt that there was no point in continuing the forum. It was not directly helping their business and may have actually been distracting for them. If they are selling a product of interest to you, you will still check it out whether you read about it here or there. Because Synth Zone has no direct commercial interest in music products it is easier to take more of a hands off approach to running a public forum like this. This seems to be the main reason they decided to close their forum. It really can be tough to run a public forum on the Internet. And I know that from experience

I wish Technote much success with their ongoing business. It is in our interest that they continue to succeed. There are not a lot of third party Technics support businesses around so it is very important that they are able to continue. Please continue to support them as they are an essential source of Technics keyboard products. The fact that they are closing their forum is not an issue at all, and will allow them to focus on more important work.

Don't know about the rest of you but I think this thread is pretty much done now ...


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 06-25-2003).]