The Future of the Country Forum

[EmersonDrive13Rocks]

I've been done regularly posting on this forum for a while now and while I have really enjoyed it for the past 2+ years I'm tired of reading all the same posts over and over again. Will post occasionally if I like a song and stop by to read a few forums once in a while but not nearly as often as I used to.

[musicbuff78]

I have a recommendation for you which you can do whatever you please with.

I know there is alot of tension in the boards right now and has been alot of talk about clutter.

Don't you think that the "month" Favorites and Weekly Predictions threads could either be placed in 1 single thread instead of monthly/wkly?

Furthermore, couldn't those go into a different forum completely?

[Ten Pound Hammer]

As the person who introduced the chart predictions and monthly favorites threads, I have no problem with moving them into singular sticky threads.

[kw9461]

I'm all for stickiyng the monthly faves thread, but not the weekly predictions thread. That would really make for a cluttered thread and it might be confusing with Chart Projections and Chart Predictions threads both stickied. I really don't think either is a problem right now, but that's just my $.02.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 3, 2009 21:15:59 GMT -5 musicbuff78 said:

I have a recommendation for you which you can do whatever you please with.

I know there is alot of tension in the boards right now and has been alot of talk about clutter.

Don't you think that the "month" Favorites and Weekly Predictions threads could either be placed in 1 single thread instead of monthly/wkly?

Furthermore, couldn't those go into a different forum completely?

Weighing in late here...I'm very sorry that I didn't do so before this week's Weekly Predictions thread and this month's Favorites thread were started.

First, thanks to Steelo for the suggestions. I think it makes sense to have a single thread for predictions; doing so would also create an easily accessible archive of everyone's weekly predictions. I also have no objection to having a single Favorites thread. We would just need a thread starter to edit the thread title of each thread to reflect the relevant week or month (and I could help out with that).

On the issue of stickying, we've had some express concern in the past about not having too many stickied threads. I'm just thinking out loud here...the Weekly Predictions thread would presumably never get bumped down too far (maybe to the second page), so it could easily be found again. On the other hand, it is closely tied to the purpose of this forum, moreso than the monthly Favorites thread, which would get bumped down further. I don't have a strong opinion on the issue of stickying the threads, and would like to hear from some more of you on this.

[musicbuff78]

I also think that predictions and favorites threads could go away from here completely and go somewhere like the polling place, but again, thats just my $.02

[EmersonDrive13Rocks]

I'd like to figure out what exactly is this message board supposed to be about since when I original joined it was to talk about and follow the chart progress of songs but now I have absolutely no clue what the heck this forum is about??? Can't even posted any relevant chart info without getting someone upset. Can't post Billboard #'s, Mediabase #'s, Itunes #'s, or sales #'s without someone making some snide remark about how useless that information is.

[leilamaurizia]

I just now posted some statistics in Martina's thread and you know how I found them? From a "listening party" thread from way back when we used to have them. So again, I say: I miss those listening party threads. Can we bring them back?

Currently, the listening parties are all lumped together in the "Upcoming Albums" thread. And any discussion on albums of the artists are posted in the thread of such artist's most recent single. I suppose the argument made previously that resulted in such a change is that: the artists can have their album/ listening party threads outside the country forum; more specifically, in the main artists' threads. However, most country posters do not venture outside the country forum. I do, but I don't even open the country artist threads outside, in the rare times they are made, because I know that I won't see the 'regulars' there. And I don't really care as much about the drive-by posts and emoticons of the other posters who have a fair-weather relationship with country music.

Moreover, Pulse for me is a repository of statistics, charts and other data that I normally don't find elsewhere. So it's always useful if they're organized and easy to find. I myself 'deposit' my 'organized data' here. I don't even keep 'personal copies.' The current set-up is not conducive for record-keeping. A lot of you probably don't care about that, but is it really too much of a bother to have listening party threads? All album reviews from posters and professional critics alike can be posted there plus non-single specific/ general opinions plus albums/artist statistics, etc.

Any votes for or against? :) And how does this even work? The first to get 3 votes of either NAY or AYE wins?

[sbp17]

I'm with you about the Listening Parties. I don't think there was any concern with any of those threads expressed by anyone. I just think kevin59, who started a majority of those threads, was trying to be respectful of the the discussion that was taking place concerning what's more appropriate here on this forum. (I don't want to speak for kevin59 though.)

I personally like those threads.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Mar 26, 2009 8:27:50 GMT -5 leilamaurizia said:

Any votes for or against? :) And how does this even work? The first to get 3 votes of either NAY or AYE wins?

Whichever one of us is closest to the actual retail price without going over, I think.

[43dudleyvillas]

Mar 26, 2009 11:12:17 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Mar 26, 2009 8:27:50 GMT -5 leilamaurizia said:

Any votes for or against? :) And how does this even work? The first to get 3 votes of either NAY or AYE wins?

Whichever one of us is closest to the actual retail price without going over, I think.

BWAH!

There isn't a formal mechanism for decisionmaking-- my preference is to let people discuss their way into something close to a consensus, which is also why I haven't acted on Steelo's suggestions upthread, either (if you have feedback on those, please do speak up). The problem with that, admittedly, is that I've been slow to actually act.

We've had the listening parties discussion before -- I miss those threads, too (especially because our Search function doesn't always turn up what we need). But I believe the concern is forum clutter and the likelihood that this would result in two threads per young female country pop/pop country singer on the first page of this forum. So that is an issue that I would like for us to talk through, in addition to any other thoughts folks have about leilamaurizia's suggestion.

[leilamaurizia]

Mar 26, 2009 11:11:00 GMT -5 sbp17 said:

I'm with you about the Listening Parties. I don't think there was any concern with any of those threads expressed by anyone. I just think kevin59, who started a majority of those threads, was trying to be respectful of the the discussion that was taking place concerning what's more appropriate here on this forum. (I don't want to speak for kevin59 though.)

I personally like those threads.

That's 1 AYE!

I can always count on you, sbp! ;)

Mar 26, 2009 11:12:17 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

Mar 26, 2009 8:27:50 GMT -5 leilamaurizia said:

Any votes for or against? :) And how does this even work? The first to get 3 votes of either NAY or AYE wins?

Whichever one of us is closest to the actual retail price without going over, I think.

Hee!


If there are no violent objections and/or dudley doesn't put a stop to it, I'll PM kevin59 and request that he start up the listening party threads again beginning next week (i.e. Keith Urban). In the alternative, I can start them myself or anyone can do it, for that matter.

Now, who says democracy is dead?

ETA: Ooops, saw dudley's post after I posted this.

[kim8]

I vote for listening party threads too! I like being able to discuss albums.

[joey2002]

Mar 26, 2009 13:09:01 GMT -5 kim8 said:

I vote for listening party threads too! I like being able to discuss albums.

same here, although i'm rather new here compared to everyone else...

[fischbone]

I would like to place my AYE vote as well! I loved those threads and I actually listened to some music(and enjoyed) that I wouldn't normally listen to.

[bamafan2102]

I started an album review thread a while back but it was seldom viewed. I love reading other peoples opinions on albums. Maybe someone could start another review thread and keep all reviews in that thread, Or maybe the thread could be Listening Parties/Reviews.

[bigbluenote]

I greatly enjoyed the album review thread as well. I think I even posted a few. Well, if I didn't, then I know I planned to but didn't get around to it before I forgot. That would be a good thread to sticky (the idea that most people are opposed to)

[musicbuff78]

I think too many stickies looks tacky.

[bamafan2102]

It really dosen't matter to me what the board"looks" like. Just as long as the information inside the board is good. Are the listening party threads going to be combined for every album or is one going to be made for each album? Also once the album is released will the thread name be changed to an album thread or stay as a listening party? Not a big deal but just bored and being picky.lol

[leilamaurizia]

Mar 27, 2009 22:27:22 GMT -5 bamafan2102 said:

Are the listening party threads going to be combined for every album or is one going to be made for each album?

Huh? :) As per our old practice, each major new album will get a listening party thread.

Also once the album is released will the thread name be changed to an album thread or stay as a listening party? Not a big deal but just bored and being picky.lol

The thread name will still say "listening party," but it's really just an album thread. So anything non-single-specific about the album or artist can go in there.

[bamafan2102]

I was really just picking with Steelo. It's been a while since we have had a spat. lol. Sticky threads are okay to me but only if they are really popular. The last review thread was good for a few weeks then dissapeared. The Listening Party thread will work just fine for reviews as well as let everyone know that the album is available for their listening pleasure. Thanks for doing it.

[Zazie]

I'm stunned to see that Americana is no longer part of the title of this forum. I've enjoyed the millions of Americana-related posts over the years, and I will sorely miss them. Life will go on somehow.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Mar 28, 2009 20:22:20 GMT -5 Zazie said:

I'm stunned to see that Americana is no longer part of the title of this forum. I've enjoyed the millions of Americana-related posts over the years, and I will sorely miss them. Life will go on somehow.

Major bonus points for subtlety, again. I've been trying to keep track of your subtle humor points, but I've had to do it by hand since the eggcrate display only goes to five digits. (I've also had to keep track of my "so obscure, only I'll get them" joke points by hand.)