On 2002-06-30 19:15, Teri-K wrote:
You make some interesting points. A small number of us have been here since 1997. Maybe we’re gluttons for punishment, die hards, or that devoted to the music.
Or maybe…maybe some people just constantly find new inspiration in discussing the music and the instrument and helping others.
Hey, maybe you’re one of those people. If so, congratulations, and I look forward to interacting with you in the future.
Been around here awhile. I have learned so much from the people on this board. If ‘stuff’ gets in the way, sometimes, sobeit…Let the education and fellowship continue… If only the world of hammer dulcimers had a community like this…
The best of weeks to you all.
Cheers.
Byll
Well, I made my point but forgot another really important one.
I sincerely like the people I have “met” at this Forum and wish to say so. The line of reasoning in message before was actually arrived at prior to Whistleworks note, but I was reminded of it by thread subject.
I had previous pondered that fact that old timers might really be tired of hearing the same questions over and over. They might wish to stay with their peers who were learning at same level because it is something else you can share in common. I bet some will and some won’t.
I had no idea C&F went back so far, TeriK. Thanks for hanging in there for newbies benefit.
I had never been on a free Forum prior to C&F though I had used the Internet a lot. I was on a “managed” Forum (QuakerRoots, a genealogy site) but it was never allowed to go spinning OT.
It’s a very different kind of experience. The very knowledgeable dominate while newbies and lurkers keep pretty quiet. You can be forced off the Forum very easily by too much deviation. Maybe that is some people’s cup of tea. But I was informed early on at this site that it belongs “to us,” which was a new experience for me.
Maybe that freedom goes against some people’s nature, who would prefer a proprietary hierarchy. That is very much in character of many people.
Also, I think there is a wall you can hit of total shareable knowledge. At a certain point, you have to play the dang thing and all the talk in the world won’t help that. I think that many of us can’t play as much as we’d like, but are in proximity to computers, especially at “work” and communicating with fellow whistlers is the next best thing, after listening to recordings of course.
Maybe Kev (Dazedin LA) who can get analytical about such things, would break down by percentage the comments made. You would find whistle technique, keys, brands of whistle, abcs of tunes, recent performances etc etc in a mixture. And the OT stuff may or may not be dominating to the extent that Whistleworks noted.
Best wishes to all,
Lance aka Weekenders
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-06-30 22:11 ]
On 2002-06-30 09:04, Whistleworks wrote:
Oh, I won’t be like some and just flame away and say “I’ve had it” and never return to this website, but I do not nor will I ever care about those who will no doubt be critical with me regarding this posting.
Hey Bob, you’re a nice guy and it’s always fun to play together at Bishops. I don’t quite follow what you say here, however. Being critical of another person is a form of respect. Those we don’t care about we write off or ignore. When people actually bother to try to set you right, it is a sign that they consider you worth the effort. That has certainly been my experience in music. When you watch really experienced musicians and how they treat younger players, you can tell whether they consider the younger player worth the criticism or not. If they’re never going to get it anyway, why bother?
Perhaps some of the younger or more infrequent posters on this board should know that we owe you, Bob, a couple of proverbial chiffboard staples, namely “techno crap” and “orfice”. They rank right up there with “lamer”. I just mention it because some of the older chiff & fipplers don’t always give credit where it’s due.
Best,
/bloomfield
[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-07-01 10:43 ]
On 2002-06-30 19:15, Teri-K wrote:
But, what was most important was the advice of those who had been playing for a number of years. You shouldn’t feel sorry for those that have left, but feel sorry for those they leave behind. No forum can carry on with what it is designed for if the knowledge base keeps leaving.
T
I’d just like to point out…I’ve been here less than a year, but I’ve seen a bunch of “new” people join who have played the whistle for years, but just recently discovered C & F. So I think the knowledge base is just fine.
I agree, Cees.
I’ve been here a couple years myself. As with all internet forums, people come and people go for a variety of reasons, and the forum changes. That bugs some people more than others, but it’s the nature of the beast.
There’s a tendency in many forums for some ‘established’ oldtimers to feel like they’re the keepers of some secret knowledge. It’s easy to feel insulated in a very tiny community, and easy to forget that there’s a whole lot of wisdom that exists outside the established group, too.
The same kind of thing must exist in many small-knit communities…my local session’s the same way. When I first showed up, I had 6 years of whistling under my belt..but they still sometimes are surprised when I know something, or can learn something quickly..because as far as they’re concerned, I’ve only been whistling a year or so (when I started going to the sessions). When we were discussing finding a fiddle player for our band, one of the band members pointed out reasons why the three main session fiddlers were unsuitable. My retort: “There are 4 million people in Houston. You think we’ve only got 3 fiddlers?”
While its always sad when someone with good knowledge leaves a forum, poster turnover really is the nature of the beast with internet forums, and all we can do is try to keep the place as welcoming as it currently is, so that other people with good wisdom aren’t turned back at the door. I don’t see this as any great danger here.
Greg
On 2002-07-01 11:39, Cees wrote:
I’d just like to point out…I’ve been here less than a year, but I’ve seen a bunch of “new” people join who have played the whistle for years, but just recently discovered C & F. So I think the knowledge base is just fine.
[ This Message was edited by: Wandering_Whistler on 2002-07-01 11:53 ]
Greg makes some excellent points. I would only add that communities on-line exist without the benefit of face-to-face contact, so the visual dimension of the conversation is lacking. The potential for misunderstanding is therefore larger and should be taken into account when posting.
That said, I notice that the original poster hasn’t had anything to say in this thread since he began it. It’s as though he tossed a cat into a dog convention, and then stood back to watch what would happen next.
I don’t think there’s any point in getting too worked up: Things change. Everything changes. It’s built in.
On 2002-06-30 09:04, Whistleworks wrote:
So for those who have more mirrors in their homes than necessary, be as critical as you like. It will only publically display your continued insensitivity toward others.
Goll, I only have 2 mirrors in the house, both in the bathroom, and one of those I got because my then-lodger complained she couldn’t dress without one. The other is over the sink, which I use for shaving. Beauty may only be skin deep, but ugliness goes right down to the bone in my house!
A collegue at work (who used to hear me play guitar on the stairs) today gave me a round of appluase for a whistle tune I was playing! I post this only to share the joy of whistle recognition worldwide.
Yaay for me! Yaay for Chance! Three cheers for all the C&Fers, new and old! Hip hip, Hurrah! Hip hip, Hurrah! Hip hip, HOORAH!
Gee, Lance, its been a while since I’ve been called “analytical”.
This is one reason why I created the Matrix…to try to pull together in one place an easily accessible index of the “Pure Drop” topics, hopefully making it easier for newbies and everyone to find info that interests them.
It would certainly be hypocritical for the President of Dazed Industries, Creator of the Amazing FippleShield to criticize OT discussions and posts, (ugh, do I really average 3.5 posts per day?) but I have noticed that having created a core of Matrixed threads, few of the posts during the past few weeks are “Matrix” worthy, (and by that I mean threads that cover material not substantially covered by previously indexed threads or covering topics likely to be sought by the Average Beginning Whistler). Certainly there are a lot of topics still to be included, but there also certainly is a lot of repetition.
The possible exception to this is the recent line of threads regarding whistle reviews, but Ive been mulling the best way to index these and havent come up with a good solution.
In general, though, Ive noticed that even though a lot of core Pure Drop topics have now been indexed and are accessible in the Matrix, I think it likely that human nature is what it is, and people are still going to be drawn to seeking fresh discussion on these issues…I think there is some kind of human need to participate in a discussion of time-honored topis that are on our minds, and I guess the Chiffboard is as good a place as any to fulfil this need.
As for the OT stuff, well, yeah, just dont read the stuff that doesnt move me…hey, Little Pink Houses for You and Me, baby. There’s plenty of threads I dont follow once Ive read the first page, even though they continue to rack up hundreds of hits. Even so, I do enjoy keep in touch wit Y’all, and I do enjoy the particular melange of humor that seems to characterize the Collective of Whistlery.
And about negativity on the board, well, all I’ve noticed is that eventually we do get tired of ragging on Loren and then everyone calms down. 
So its all good.
Oh, and anyone who disagrees with me is a big fat smelly LAMER!!!
Kev/DAZEDINLA
SO EVERYONE STOP READING AND GO PRACTICE YOUR DARNED WHISTLES!!!
The](http://www.geocities.com/whistleannex/index.html%22%3EThe) Whistle Annex, Home of the Chiffboard Matrix
[ This Message was edited by: DazedinLA on 2002-07-01 12:25 ]
[ This Message was edited by: DazedinLA on 2002-07-01 12:28 ]
I think we have a worthy successor to “It’s Sickening” being born!
On 2002-06-30 15:21, Wandering_Whistler
wrotepost: “Hey, I did xxx!”
reply: “Good for you!”
Hey Greg, this is a family board. I certainly won’t read any posts from people bragging about making “those” kind of films!
x x x
Mark V.
Teri
I freely offer an apology. Reading through this thread the first time, I was in too much of a hurry and read stuff into your first post that was totally out of context.
FWIW, I’d be surprised if some of the ‘departed’ are as gone as you suppose. I find it difficult to believe that someone with an interest in music and the whistle could turn off the attraction so readily. There are many among the old-timers who don’t speak much anymore, but maybe that’s just because so many of the newer arrivals also have interesting things to say.
:roll:
I am a newby both to this forum and to the whistle. But let me say that this forum is a model of politeness compared to the Flamenco board I have been a member of since its beginning about ten years ago. The Flam. list is well named because about every 3-6 weeks it erupts in a fever of name calling, slander, deliberate obtuseness and profanity, usually initiated by the same 2-3 people. Believe it or not, one member was actually physically asaulted by another member because of something that was said on the list. They are real crazies over there.
There will always be newbys, asking the same newby questions. There will always be some OT stream of consciousness posting. It’s human nature and part of the attraction of a forum like this. I think some people come to think that it is their right to have interesting and educational banter on a forum like this. But, people, we don’t own this forum or others like it and we also get it for free! For free I can put up with a lot of baloney.
Mike
[ This Message was edited by: burnsbyrne on 2002-07-01 13:12 ]
I think you’re absolutely right burnesbyrne. I totally second what you say about civility on this board, although I have been physically assaulted several times by Tighress, with various whistles. (I should start a thread on the topic: A Burke Brass Wide Bore Pro Session High D hurts a lot more than a Walton, even a Walton C.)
On 2002-07-01 12:23, Walden wrote:
I think we have a worthy successor to “It’s Sickening” being born!
Sorry, Walden, I think you didn’t understand what It’s Sickening was about (while it still was about something). Don’t worry about it, it’s just as well. But this little thread is nothing like it.
Hey! No fair making me laugh out loud at work 
On 2002-07-01 12:26, markv wrote:
Hey Greg, this is a family board. I certainly won’t read any posts from people bragging about making “those” kind of films!
Mark V.
On 2002-07-01 12:57, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
:roll:
My sentiments precisely.
Dale
I’d like to say a couple things.
The first is, if you have time, go to http://www.flute.com, and browse the message board there. It’s mean, juvenile, and occasionally obscene.
The second is, Teri-K, please stay! You are one of a handful of people whose learned responses in prior topics prompted me to search under “Teri-K” and read everything you’ve ever written! I am one newbie who really, really appreciates your input, in writing and music.
Thank you whistleworks for your thoughts. I’ve often thought that many of my posts were kinda “me..me..me”, but have never really figured out how to write a reply otherwise. I will continue to work on it.
Thank you also for providing me (there I go again with the “me” stuff) the chance to share some of my (dangit) thoughts about this board. I’ve been reading the board for almost a year and posting to it for about 4 months. I find that the overall caliber of people here is outstanding. The insight, humor and compassion that I find here help round out my life. The whistle is merely the glue that binds this community together…not its only purpose. I find myself worrying about the Deadwood fire and how Anna is doing. I wonder how Mack Hoover’s recovery is coming. I was bummed when I heard of Gemm84’s crushed flute and TelegramSam’s cracked fipple. Amused at Dale’s constant search for the answers to the world’s great whistle mysteries. Laughing out loud when the “lamer” thing reared its ugly, yet extremely comical head. I also learn a lot about whistles and music…types, techniques, and theory. I’ve even had the privilege to meet or correspond with some of the C&F members…all very fine people.
Off topic or not, I think that this place is full of wonderful people, with wonderful thoughts and ideas.
Thanks to each and every one of you.
Eric
On 2002-07-01 12:27, Chuck_Clark wrote:
TeriI freely offer an apology. Reading through this thread the first time, I was in too much of a hurry and read stuff into your first post that was totally out of context.
FWIW, I’d be surprised if some of the ‘departed’ are as gone as you suppose. I find it difficult to believe that someone with an interest in music and the whistle could turn off the attraction so readily. There are many among the old-timers who don’t speak much anymore, but maybe that’s just because so many of the newer arrivals also have interesting things to say.
Chuck:
No need for an apology, but thank you. We’ve all done the same.
On your second point: I sincerely hope you’re right.
T