Re: Ideas for CDC April 29, 2013 06:49PM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 294 |
Registered: 13 years ago |
Re: Ideas for CDC April 29, 2013 10:30PM |
Admin Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 3,567 |
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vamosarapiar
I can only speak for myself obviously, but I'm just spread too thin to be much more than an occasional participator. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing but respect for the grind—providing a grazing pasture for record and music lovers is no doubt compelling—but I'm responsible for a (paid/editorial) role on more than one other site and a mag and for that reason they take precedence for me on the "music writing" front (I know that CDC isn’t looking for a music writer, but at the same time, the time and energy is similar).
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vamosarapiar
It all seems to boil down to your question: "Why can't we get some newbs who want to ask good questions and learn more? I want this place to be for newbs and veterans alike, are we too snobby and therefore intimidating them? If so, how can we reach them? " I don’t mean to be snarky, but I don’t know, why can’t you? I personally know next to nothing about generating site traffic and following that type of data, but clearly getting them here in the first place must be the biggest issue? I'm sure people stumble upon this place as a result of random music Google searches ("artist X” + “release Y” + “vinyl") and your blog (I imagine your shelf plans generate some very nice traffic), but if you want to be welcoming to complete newcomers, there's gotta be a big bold sign that says "FIRST TURNTABLE AND GETTING STARTED" somewhere and a detour for other users. That subreddit is so popular because Reddit is so popular, redirecting some of those subredditors here will not be easy but if it’s suggested nicely and often enough, I think folks will end up here (I think just as many people are put off by the immediate contact newbness over there as they are by douchey “man you’re a noob” commenters). But if you want them here, I think you need to be prepared for a self-congratulatory culture, that’s what people want to hear. Even us—the few of us here that actually consistently buy and show off records—clearly like to hear “man that is dope!” and “what do you think of it? Should I buy it too?”, new collectors will want to hear the same thing and they’ll want a pat on the back for their latest picks. Pitch this place as an all vinyl friendly zone and maybe add a welcome message that will artificially hold their hand along the first two steps. My main point is that I can imagine someone stumbling on CDC and not knowing any of the music that is being posted on their first look, a lot of times that’s inspiring (“man, I need to be up on some of this stuff”) but more than often I think it’s off-putting because the very first step that needs to be taken is research (“there’s nothing here for me”).
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vamosarapiar
In any case, unfortunately I can’t be that other investor in CDC, I’m happy to continue poking around here and—and again, I really don’t mean to sound like a snarky asshole—but build it and they will come. I know it seems like the building is done and the infrastructure here is immediately welcoming, but nobody ends up going into an empty restaurant.
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vamosarapiar
... I think implementing a more noob-friendly welcome from the jump (again, first turntable, setting up a preamp, how to clean your records) will go a long way. Sorry for the long post, those are my two cents.
Registered: 11 years ago |
Re: Ideas for CDC April 30, 2013 07:29AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 349 |
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RChecka
They are primarily a British membership so I thought this place would be a welcome addition to the lack of American based crate digging forums. While neither they or we pigeonhole ourselves into our own locale and neither they or we discriminate against any countries at all, they draw much more Londoners for that reason due to the common ground while we basically get what we get, which is a good thing but there should be much more of it.
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RChecka
but they are justifiably satisfied with what they have and I think to some degree comfortable with the usual routine. Not to mention they are a lot more cliquey and I think that frankly many of them are uninterested in even reading perspectives that aren't their own. Of course this isn't a slam against the entire forum, it's just an obvious observation from another DWG member who sees it routinely from certain snobbier members. Many of those guys are really good people, a few who dwell there dwell here as well, so this observation is definitely not aimed at all the good fam at DWG, but I'm sure those who go there as well can see what I'm saying is true about the closed mindedness with certain key players.
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RChecka
OSHH turned into a clique and chased away a lot of cats that were there for years because they (we) could no longer fit in with the elitists and holier than though attitude that now reigns supreme. Troy L (that's right, I don't mind dropping names) thinks his shit, and his friends' shit smells like rose petals, they squashed not only troublemakers but took it to an extreme and banned those who simply disagree with them. In the process, they banned debate and basically only welcome their own personal yes men and those willing to stroke their egos. I couldn't even disagree with anyone there without getting the "God loves you and I pray for you to change" speech. They deleted a post I started because it had a pot reference in it and John G didn't think that a marijuana reference was relevant to Hip Hop (I can't even make this shit up, that's a joke but so true) That place seemed to turn into a ghost town over night due to these types of bad decisions, it is still there but it is a tiny little speck of a forum compared to what it was when they were open minded to outsiders and outside ideas. It didn't die, but it changed so much so that it might as well be dead since all independent thought and lively debate and even joshing around is dead. If we make the wrong decisions here, this place will also die.
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RChecka
or in your case Beatmaster, quiz Bob James on if he was actually Bob James or not via mind battle (I'll never forget that and I still don't know if it was or wasn't really him) or Grandmaster Mele Mel and other old School legends, they dwelled, you asked, they answered, it was really a cool place.
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RChecka
DJF the Hip Hop section was another sub forum I dwelled, they went down due to some royal fuckups by their Internet hosts, and by the time they fixed it, everyone moved on. If you go into that Hip Hop section now all you see is spaz boy Sigma talking about his scratching skills, a regular spam post by a dumbass so-called rapper, or a check out this guys scratch video discussion. Not one person in that forum besides a few who lurk actually knows jack shit about Hip Hop music and they still call themselves a Hip Hop sub forum. I hate to be a downer, but I when I saw all that happen to those places, I swore I would fight it from happening at this place, and I hope that I am not seeing the first stages of that happening. But unless things get better, unless regulars get more involved, unless growth continues upwards, the writing may be on the wall, and I can't fight the writing forever.
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RChecka
Why can't we get some newbs who want to ask good questions and learn more? I want this place to be for newbs and veterans alike, are we too snobby and therefore intimidating them? If so, how can we reach them?
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RChecka
I don't mind catering to new ideas and new cultures, but I don't know how to even begin to do so, so yes, I want specific ideas. I can install all kinds of language translation files that translates these English words to any other language, so I WILL do this, but that won't break down the barriers. That won't do anything to immediately fix anything, it's a small step that might help at some point but not anytime soon.
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RChecka
I also don't want anyone to think we are strictly a Hip Hop forum, all of us are very versed in all kinds of music. Sure we cater to Hip Hop, why wouldn't we? But I don't wanna scare away anyone who is a funk expert or punk expert or whatever. They are just as important to the real point of this place and that's discussion of music. You all know that Hip Hop uses elements of ALL genres so they are no less relevant here, it's all about the love. Can I make it somehow less intimidating to Non-Hip Hop heads?
Registered: 13 years ago |
Re: Ideas for CDC April 30, 2013 09:13PM |
Admin Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 3,567 |
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BM31
You're going to absolutely cringe when I say this...but you fam so I have to give you my opinion.
I, like many others have not talked periodic tables since I was in sixth grade.So right out of the gate for many,they will see it and immediately think about science, something complex.They do not have the where with all to dig the way you are laying it down.They see it as a confusing road sign that kicks you off the interstate and takes you into parts unknown.People love the simple and the familiar.A record, a turntable, a microphone,a bass bottom,etc..are images that people associate with.A periodic table makes people think.
Registered: 11 years ago |
Re: Ideas for CDC May 01, 2013 07:01AM |
Registered: 11 years ago Posts: 349 |