guitar and music forums (and the uses thereof)????

[baz]

Before I kick this off "I'll get me coat" (and sort out my tin hat).

Obviously we're all different and one man's meat etc......, but to me owning and playing guitar is about one thing........MUSIC!!!!..

If not then isn't having all the gear and technical knowhow a bit like owning a car and spending all your time polishing it but never driving anywhere.

What's the point of this question?

I just cant understand why visitors (and possibly some members) read sound file threads but then do not access the music file. To quote a current example I have a track posted on general access which has had over 240 hits but the music file (on box) has only been accessed just over 40 times.

This is not in pursuit of personal vanity. I just find it completely baffling. OK so someone might read the covering text and think I'm not going to bother with this one, but 5 out of 6?.
If I visit a soundfile thread the first thing I do is have a listen, then read the thread and then decide whether there's anything of value I can add by commenting.

Do other members have the same experience and how about some comments from the non-listeners.


Regards

Baz

[stevebutler]

It's possible that someone might visit the first time to listen to the music file and then revisit another 5 times to read the comments as the thread grows longer. Also, sometimes I will open a thread and realise I've already heard the soundfile and not listen again.

[mojolomjl]

Hi Baz,

Could also be that we are right in the middle of the peak holiday season. Some of us log on and look at some messages but have not got the time to sit and listen to music for any length of time.

Best regards,

Maurice.

[allclaphands]

Hi Baz
You can take of your coat and remove your Tin Hat.
I notice that a lot of members come on to look in
and keep abreast of things and not comment on
anything.Fair enough that's there choice its pleasing
to think that lots of members look at a thread anyway.
I have posted a thread and not had one reply in the past
(are they trying to tell me something )Also like Steve
says I to look at a music file more than once and listen
to it again and again if I think It's Good.

Regards
Pete

[shadfan4]

It can be frustrating to see a large number of "reads" and also a fair few "listens" and wonder why there is no reaction. But that is the nature of the beast.

There are times when I simply do not have the time to listen to everything and comment on it, music is a big part of my life but not all of it, My avatar says, what I spend considerable amounts of money and time on, as well as my sailing. I am not the only one with lot's of other interests, so don't get too depressed about it.

I find I listen to certain posts and unfortunately have to stick to the old saying "If you can't say anything nice then don't say it", but I do look a number of times to the same post to see others reactions to a file and find no-one will actually say what they really mean and compound the problem by telling someone "it's marvelous etc" when it really needs a lot of work. My tin hat is now on.....

Mike.

[baz]

Hi Guys and thanx4 taking time to read and comment........... The point I was trying to get across wasn't the lack of comments (I can understand people not feeling moved to say anything either positive or negative) but the low ratio of "listens" to "reads".

Steve makes a valid observation that some people will revisit a thread to follow the development of coments but I doubt whether that would account for the 80%+ratio I quoted in my opening gambit.

I still remain somewhat bemused by what many thread visitors are looking for when they (for whatever reason) do not listen to the associated music file related to the thread.

Any-road-up............ I've aired the point and I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

again guys.

Regards...Baz

[asimmd]

Hi Mike

Well I am pleased you said this
"I find I listen to certain posts and unfortunately have to stick to the old saying "If you can't say anything nice then don't say it", but I do look a number of times to the same post to see others reactions to a file and find no-one will actually say what they really mean and compound the problem by telling someone "it's marvelous etc" when it really needs a lot of work"

I also stick by the "if you can't say something nice don't say anything rule",it sure saves a lot of hassle but it doesn't help anyone when the contributors say nice things about something that obviously need working on.

There I've said it now,so my tin hat and balaclava are ready in the hall,mmmmmmm
sounds like a song?

Alan

[allclaphands]

I think we might have to open up the emergency
supply of Tin Hats for members ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[harley]

whilst i agree with Mikes point, I consider myself neither knowledgeable enough nor technically capable enough to criticize anyones posts. I also believe that encouragement, in most cases, is a far better learning aid than criticism. I listen to and comment on every sound file in the members sound files and try to encourage the poster. I would rather point out what is good than highlight what is bad. There are plenty of knowledgeable people on here who can do that in a much more valuable way than i ever could.
regarding the number of views/number of listens ratio, I too revisit posts regularly to read other peoples comments. This is also the case with other types of threads. sometimes 100's of reads with little or no response. maybe a lot of people come on here to read?

regards
Ian

[bill]

Aug 5, 2013 13:31:54 GMT baz said:

I still remain somewhat bemused by what many thread visitors are looking for when they (for whatever reason) do not listen to the associated music file related to the thread.

again guys.

Regards...Baz

Hi Baz,

Well, I look at the description to see if there is anything that I might find interesting or that I might be able to help with. The sort of thing I might listen to would be an original composition, another would be if the poster makes it clear they want feedback (not just praise), also if the instruments or other equipment used are of particular interest to me at the time or the playing technique (slide guitar for example) or the effects used (overdrive, vocoder etc.).

Otherwise I don't listen because I don't have time to listen to every file posted but if I don't read the description I don't have any way of choosing any to listen to.

Bill

[ronb64]

Hi Baz,
For what its worth - it is not unusual with all forums to find a good number of members picking and choosing what they want to read or listen to. In fact isnt that what a forum is about.... freedom and choice to get involved / contribute, wherever and whenever one sees fit.
People cannot be forced to read or listen to things if they dont want to....
As the old phrase goes.. " You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink it".
It's all down to personal choice and to be honest 40 listens to file on a post with 240 hits is a good ratio.

Ron.

[baz]

Hi all and for comments.

I,m still not sure that I got my original point across...........lets try again

Why would you go to the trouble of accessing a music file thread and presumably read a string of what are generally pretty innocuous comments if you were unaware of what the MUSIC track actually sounds like in the first place

If its not the MUSIC what are all these readers getting from the thread. Is it just cos there's nothing on the TELE??

Still baffled


Baz

[mojolomjl]

[noelford]

I understand perfectly, Baz. To paraphrase, what you are asking is NOT, "Why people don't come into my shop?", but, " Why do most of the people who DO come into my shop, not look at what I have on show?"

Other than that, however, I have no idea why!

[ronb64]

Hi Baz,
I also understand perfectly what you are saying..... its called browsing....
There are a number of reasons why people may go into a music file post and not access the music file. Some of those reasons may be the following:
1. They actually follow that person and his/her work but didnt fancy listening to that particular track or they wanted to leave it for another visit.
2. They read the comments and then decided from the majority that they wont bother listening to the track - whether good or bad.
3. They maybe thought it was just another "me to "track and your initial post didnt offer anything new or exciting ( different ) to what others may have done already. ( a new way of doing it or done with new equipment etc etc. ).


You could take this another step further if you wanted to and that would be to ask why dont all the people leave a comment after listening to the posted track. I can guarantee it that everyone who listened to your particular track did not leave a comment. ( do we complain about that as well )

Let's just be grateful that they looked in the first place - that's my opinion.
Ron.

[baz]

OK ......I think that this should be put to bed............ to all who contributed

Bazz

PS....... This was not a complaint.......... Just a sort of raised eyebow shake of the head and we still didn't get a response from anyone who regularly does this explaining what they get out of it!!!!!!!!