[pianotech] Pianotech list and web forum stuff

[Mike Spalding]

Phil,

Thank you for posting this very thorough status update.  A lot of my 
negative feelings regarding the HL forum software come from not knowing 
whether or when they might be changing / fixing the features which 
aren't working for us, and I suspect many others have felt the same 
way.  Your news that "Higher Logic is going through a big upgrade right 
now, scheduled for release at the end of July", and "There are other 
items on their plate scheduled for release by the end of the year. One 
of them I am told is a vBulletin type feel to the site" gives us hope 
that the site will become easier to use, and that it will be worth the 
effort to get behind it and learn it.

While I sympathize with your desire to be a "behind the scenes 
volunteer", that's not what we need right now from the HL forums liason 
and project manager.  More detail regarding the planned revisions, 
regular updates on progress, and a formal channel for 2-way 
communication between you and all forum users is what we need.  Perhaps 
this could take place in the User Help Group, or maybe it would make 
more sense to create a new discussion group, how about "Forums Software 
Development"?.  Please give this idea some serious thought.  One example 
of additional detail we'd like to know:  When will there be a 
comprehensive Help file?  Also, if as you posted in June the VBulletin 
look and feel was a high priority and scheduled for the August updates, 
why is it now scheduled for end of year?

thanks for all you're doing

Mike


On 7/4/2011 10:27 PM, Phil Bondi wrote:
>  Hi All.
>
>  Never in my tenure with this organization has there been such
>  passion about the way we communicate. Bravo. Honestly.
>
>  Grab a beverage - this may take awhile.
>
>  To those who have written privately recently..there is no us vs.
>  them going on here. If it appears a subject is being avoided, I am
>  respecting the on going discussion I am in regarding this list in
>  particular. It's called "not violating a trust." My apologies if
>  that appears to be negative or mysterious in any way. There is no
>  intention of that. Ever. Not from me. Those that know me know me to
>  be a straight shooter - you know what I'm thinking. Those same people
>  also know they can trust me with any private discussion, and that is
>  exactly what has been going on - private discussion.
>
>  Since I've become the face of this on going discussion, I feel it is
>  my place, with permission, that I speak as freely about this
>  subject.
>
>  You all have heard about why we are moving into the 21st century
>  with office software and tying it into community/web forums/etc.
>  While we were exploring new software for the HO, we also saw the
>  possibility of tying everything together..which we still can, and
>  keep pianotech the place to discuss piano maintenance, not what Phil
>  Bondi said.
>
>  There's a big picture that some of you see and understand, some
>  don't, and some don't care. There is no way that one piece of
>  software, be it pianotech at ptg.org from the list serve or pianotech at
>  the Higher Logic web forum that is going to please everyone. What
>  we're after is content - positive content, and ease of operation.
>  Have we made mistakes in getting the info to all of you? Blame me. I
>  am the face. I'll take the hit for this one. I took on the role to
>  ease the Home Office of the real possibility that this turnover might
>  be an awful lot of work while they get comfortable with their side of
>  the transition, Member Max. For those following all this, Jim Moy has
>  said it best to date. The whole idea of this changeover is to have
>  Member Max and Higher Logic locked into each other. They do. They
>  actually do it well. I can hear some of you laughing now, that's ok.
>  You're entitled. Again, I'm the face telling you that this list as
>  you know and love it is here, and is going to stay here.
>
>  One of my concerns from the start was ease of operation. Mistakes
>  were made by me in getting the word out to as many as possible. Some
>  got it in the beginning, some didn't, got help, and are a part of
>  that community, and some didn't want to believe that we disrupted
>  this seamless(hardly, but thank you) way of communication. It has
>  become more seamless over the years with the tireless work of Andy
>  Rudoff and Ron Berry. These two have worked hard at making pianotech
>  and every mailing list on the present server easy. Please thank Ron
>  when you see him in KC. Truly he deserves it. I regress..back to the
>  subject:
>
>  Ease of operation for some was not a problem. Those people actually
>  have been a great help to us on the Higher Logic side..again the
>  spirit of volunteerism alive and well. Unfortunately, that did not
>  satisfy the people who didn't understand or did not want to
>  change,etc. I have always been here to help, as have others. As
>  others make the transition to HL, I will be there to assist as
>  needed. I don't have all the answers to your questions, but I will
>  tell you what I know. We can keep pianotech at ptg.org right here,
>  continued to be sponsored by the PTG. It has become much less of a
>  labor intensive job over the last 3 years. We can also have a
>  pianotech list at Higher Logic. I am convinced where there's
>  content, there will be discussion, and when I say content, I mean
>  pianos, not anything to do with me. I need to fade into the sunset as
>  quickly as possible and go back to being the behind-the-scenes
>  volunteer I've always wanted to be. Nothing would please me more than
>  to see as many of you to be as happy as possible, and keeping
>  pianotech here is the best way to make that happen. Those that want
>  to use, explore, utilize the pianotech list at Higher Logic are
>  encouraged to do so. You may find it to your liking. Many do.
>  Personally, I have no email coming to my inbox from HL except for the
>  Board Of Directors list. I find that a huge improvement to my way of
>  life. Logging on to a web site is not a big deal for me, and contrary
>  to popular belief, I am no where near as computer savvy as some of my
>  comrades on the ECC. I just have a bigger mouth!
>
>  Where there's content, there's discussion, be it here or on Higher
>  Logic. Higher Logic is going through a big upgrade right now,
>  scheduled for release at the end of July. One of the enhancements is
>  the speed in which the site loads, a concern of many, and my biggest
>  beef with them. If it takes too long, people get dis-interested.
>  Improvements are being done to the library portion also. There are
>  other items on their plate scheduled for release by the end of the
>  year. One of them I am told is a vBulletin type feel to the site.
>  That has been another concern of many of you. I wish I could make it
>  all happen tomorrow. I wish I could tell you that the ease of
>  loading pictures is high on their list. It's there, but they feel
>  they have bigger fish to fry at the moment. There's a mobile app that
>  a few people have expressed an interest in. All of this is in our
>  future with Higher Logic. I know my NYer has been tested!, and your
>  continued patience for the improvements we all want is appreciated.
>  They are being heard and communicated.
>
>  Again, where there's content, there's discussion. Let's get this list
>  back to what we all know it can be. The rug is not going to be pulled
>  out from under you. Frankly, the passion is back - let's direct it to
>  the pianos.
>
>  -Phil
>
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>  **