Where did all the smart, funny & nice people go?

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Michael_Joly
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Where did all the smart, funny & nice people go?

Post by Michael_Joly » Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:38 pm

hey folks, long time no post.

I was just wondering where everyone went? I check in here myself once in a while to see if the spirited, smart and self deprecating folks who populated the TOMB are still at it.

Seems like the place is a shadow of its former self. 2-3 new posts / day to "Gear Talk"? That's it? I'll be the first to admit I don't bring my particular brand of spunk here any more.

Maybe y'all have similar reasons as me ... got too busy with work ... trying to use the gear instead of talking about using it ... acquired enough knowledge to meet the goals we set for ourselves? Realized bulletin board type "communities" are essentially unsustainable and no match for real world interaction?

Maybe my rose colored glasses need cleaning - I've had them on since, oh, about 1989 when I was a USENET Rec.Audio.Pro contributor (that would be pre-web for those you born recently) - but didn't this place used to be A LOT more vibrant?

So how do you spend the finite amount of time you've got now? Time that was spent posting to the TOMB, say 6-7 years ago?

And feel free to tell me if I've got it all wrong. Best, Michael

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Post by joninc » Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:32 pm

over here ! :D

just kidding. it has been quiet lately.
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Post by JWL » Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:15 pm

Interesting question. I always thought the TOMB vibe was far superior to most other places on the intrawebz for recordists. It has been quiet for a while, fer shure.

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Post by Judas Jetski » Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:38 pm

I'm sure Facebook has had sort of a soaking-off effect on a lot of these on-line forums. Not surprising considering the less linear method of communication, which is more natural and therefore more comfortable (but perhaps not as good for technical stuff).
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Post by JGriffin » Thu Mar 12, 2015 9:27 pm

It's a circular thing - I used to be here much more often (and I'm not saying I was one of the good folks) and then things kinda slowed down, and I in turn showed up less frequently. I don't tend to start too many threads, so if there's nothing to read/respond to, there's little reason to stop by.
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Post by apropos of nothing » Fri Mar 13, 2015 6:18 am

I don't know if I count in the description, but I'm still checking in here. I consider it my home forum because the discussion has been in large part much more positive (to me) than the rest of teh intarwebz.

Yeah, FB is fine if you are a conventional person. Nuff said.

I have learned an inestimable amount from TOMB. I even sometimes use compression, now! :wink:

I have been hanging out on GS-Electronic. It is alright, but there are too many "what should I buy" threads, and not enough "how should I make" threads. I was on another forum for a little while recently, but I found the participants, community and intent not nearly as focused and nice as here.

Life creates life. Thanks for posting -- I would like to keep this place alive.
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Post by Michael_Joly » Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:48 am

Interesting answers.

Its funny, I started the thread and totally forgot to check it until now. So I guess there's another answer.

But yes, the TOMB, during its heyday, was THE definition of a vibrant and healthy community with none of the guy-answer, pissing contest bickering that defines Gearslutz - a stinking cesspool of uninformed parroting.

Gearslutz has become what its owner really set out to create - a lowest common denominator / high traffic volume ad revenue business (generating about $11,000 / month):
http://www.freewebsitereport.org/www.gearslutz.com

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Post by Judas Jetski » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:30 am

I had the thought recently that it's possible that the necessary base of knowledge has been spread to the point where you don't need to ask questions so much as UTFSF. It seems illogical on the face of it, but the more I think about it, the more likely it seems.

It's weird, though... I get the sense that the whole internet is starting to kinda suck. Which would explain the downturn in TOMB traffic--because this place does NOT suck.

Not just the internet, either. But kinda everything. Some sort of lull in the action, or null point of coolness. Like nobody's willing to put any effort into anything bigger than themselves, because as soon as they do someone else will come along and wreck it. *KOFF-Gibson&Tascam-KOFF*

EDIT: Also, I've started feeling weird about posting under "Judas Jetski" when the trend seems to be toward either using your own name or some sort of blank identifier (i.e. Judas538754 or what have you). It seems much more IRL-ish. Which in turn somehow seems a lot less fun.

I dunno, maybe it's just me. I'm in a pretty dark place at the moment.
Last edited by Judas Jetski on Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by kslight » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:34 am

I lurk and answer more than I post new threads here. Recently got tired of (again) the really negative and overly opinionated faction of Gearslutz. There are a handful of knowledgeable people that hang out there, but you're about as likely to get some kind of useful advice out of anyone else there as you would at Wal Mart. And yeah, the electronic section there is a constant cycle of new people wanting to buy something and long term people complaining that Roland doesn't make anything they want in 30 years, and then bickering about the companies that do make worthwhile products, etc...and very few of these people seem to make actual music.

I like TOMB probably because for the amount of users, there is a lot higher ratio of people that have sound advice and attitude versus Gearslutz is most of the time filled with the moms basement types that leave nasty uneducated comments all over the Internet just to say "me too."

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Post by Judas Jetski » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:34 am

cross-posted
New Judas Jetski EP up! andysmash.bandcamp.com

www.andysmash.com

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Post by Judas Jetski » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:38 am

kslight wrote:I lurk and answer more than I post new threads here. Recently got tired of (again) the really negative and overly opinionated faction of Gearslutz. There are a handful of knowledgeable people that hang out there, but you're about as likely to get some kind of useful advice out of anyone else there as you would at Wal Mart. And yeah, the electronic section there is a constant cycle of new people wanting to buy something and long term people complaining that Roland doesn't make anything they want in 30 years, and then bickering about the companies that do make worthwhile products, etc...and very few of these people seem to make actual music.

I like TOMB probably because for the amount of users, there is a lot higher ratio of people that have sound advice and attitude versus Gearslutz is most of the time filled with the moms basement types that leave nasty uneducated comments all over the Internet just to say "me too."
I've noticed the "highly opinionated knowledgeable people" effect on other forums myself. It sorta suppresses the desire to interact. Maybe it's a result of our little corner of the world 'going mainstream.'
New Judas Jetski EP up! andysmash.bandcamp.com

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Michael_Joly
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Post by Michael_Joly » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:48 am

Judas Jetski wrote:I had the thought recently that it's possible that the necessary base of knowledge has been spread to the point where you don't need to ask questions so much as UTFSF.
Agreed. The recording gear industry is really very very small - so answers to almost any gear-related question can be found by using the fook'n search engine. (hehe - I got voice call from a prospect in Liverpool one time - stopped me in my tracks. It was like talking to John Lennon on the phone).
Judas Jetski wrote: It's weird, though... I get the sense that the whole internet is starting to kinda suck. Which would explain the downturn in TOMB traffic--because this place does NOT suck.
This could be a symptom of the emerging "Internet everywhere / on every device" meme which started with smart phones and is moving to Google glass, Apple watch ... Folks won't have to do something as archaic as gather in front of a bulletin board screen.

Maybe the concept of a web-based "bulletin board" will turn out to be just another brief information flare up - like an industry based on selling recorded music objects (cylinders, '78s, '45s, LPs, cassettes, CDs. Full stop) or even selling files (as opposed to streaming services).
Judas Jetski wrote: Not just the internet, either. But kinda everything. Some sort of lull in the action, or null point of coolness. Like nobody's willing to put any effort into anything bigger than themselves, because as soon as they do someone else will come along and wreck it. *KOFF-Gibson&Tascam-KOFF*
oh boy, digital ennui! Yes, doing things outside of ones self interests is an antidote to the ennui that accompanies digital life. In fact, I just went through the process of becoming a Big Brother and I'm meeting my "Little" (as the organization terms the young person) today for the first time and I'm pretty excited to do things to enrich _his_ life.

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Post by JWL » Fri Mar 13, 2015 12:43 pm

Definitely some good thoughts here as well. I kinda have to go onto gearslutz at times for business but I really hate that snakepit. Facebook is probably part of the equation as well.

Plus, there are wayyyyyyy fewer "secrets" in recording techniques now, the common techniques are much more widely understood now than they were a decade (much less two decades) ago.

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Post by JGriffin » Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:23 pm

Judas Jetski wrote: EDIT: Also, I've started feeling weird about posting under "Judas Jetski" when the trend seems to be toward either using your own name or some sort of blank identifier (i.e. Judas538754 or what have you). It seems much more IRL-ish. Which in turn somehow seems a lot less fun.

I dunno, maybe it's just me. I'm in a pretty dark place at the moment.
As someone who recently changed his screen name to include more of my real name, I want to respond to this. I think it's totally fine to keep posting as Judas Jetski. I changed from dwlb to JGriffin for a couple of reasons: first, dwlb is only representative of a portion of my existence as a musician/engineer/designer type. Second, my purpose here is not to sell Donny Who Loved Bowling records (well, it's not just about that - please see purchase link below). Third, I imagined that posting under my real name would help me remember to not be a dick. I've certainly fallen into the habit in the past of being confrontational, snarky, or rude online and part of that is the relative anonymity of a screen name. Would I say that stuff that way if I was face to face, or otherwise accountable? Probably not. For me and just for me, I decided to try to change that. But I don't have any issue with people using screen names; it's one of the fun things about the internet!

Sorry to hear you're in a dark place. I hope you come through things okay.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."

"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno

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Post by kslight » Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:10 pm

I dunno if facebook commenting, trip advisor, yelp reviews...are an indicator of anything, it's that using real names doesn't seem to prevent a lot of people from being rude and confrontational. Not attacking you, just stating what I've noticed...too many people bitching and being awful to each other online, and feeling like they need to publish that.

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