Revitalising the Forum

[josh93248]

A lot of people have been saying that the forum has been going downhill and members have been leaving or going quiet.

I may have only recently joined but I have enjoyed my stay quite a bit and don't want to see this forum become a virtual wasteland.

To that end I open the floor to any and all suggestions for improvements on the forum.

My personal suggestions:

A Moratorium on threads about rankings of pieces' difficulty and quality:

I know that this is a common thread type that drives some people mad, so I please ask that people at least try and reduce such threads and create them less often and WHEN YOU DO, please make it interesting, add further questions and try to create some different dimensions to the conversation.

I suggest that more experienced members and pianists please comment more:

I humbly ask that those with more knowledge share their ideas more and stick around, this place will make a comeback if we try and improve it. And please, can we go a little beyond little self-satisfying jabs at the less knowledgeable?

New Threads:

We could use more new threads and threads with real potential for interesting discussion, especially by older members. Even if topics were covered long before a good conversation can always be revived and gain from having new people take part.

I recommend we treat newcomers with a little more respect:

Not that this is a huge problem as mostly people ARE pretty decent but it seems we get quite a few members who come for one question and... that's it. Now this will probably remain the case but maybe, just maybe we will retain more for interesting discussion if we welcome them a little better.

I suggest we all try and think through our posts more and make them more substantive:

Thal and Hinty may be fond of their little pokes and jokes but that doesn't mean we should all be like them. Imagine a forum filled with nothing but clones of Thal! I find that thought both scary and hilarious but unproductive. Anyway, frivolous, empty posts dilute the interest of reading through any of them.

I would like to refrain from bashing certain young contributors who we all know have been part of the problem but have said things to the effect that they would like to clean up their act. They are still the most active members so they are most likely part of the solution here.

[pencilart3]

This sounds excellent, I second everything in your post. And please don't even mention a forum where everyone is a Thal!!!

I might also add that people should be posting more in the audition room. That is, IMO, the most useful board on this site. It also proves that some of the people can ACTUALLY PLAY the piano.

[dogperson]

If I can offer a suggestion to your excellent ideas?

_ do not revitalize a 10 yr old post to include your opinion
-When an OP asks a question, ask yourself if you are among the members that should reply.  If you haven't learned it well, the answer should be 'no'.  If a new member asks about rating difficulty of, for example Chopin etudes, don't reply if you have only tacked one.

And because this is so personal to me, kindly refrain from comments to adult beginners about the small percentage that will survive.   This is a subcategory of Josh's initial comment about losing new members.  We have lost several adult new students after one question and the responses we provided. 

IMHO

[pencilart3]

_ do not revitalize a 10 yr old post to include your opinion

Could there be a function that will lock the post after, say, 5 years of inactivity?

[josh93248]

If I can offer a suggestion to your excellent ideas?

_ do not revitalize a 10 yr old post to include your opinion
-When an OP asks a question, ask yourself if you are among the members that should reply.  If you haven't learned it well, the answer should be 'no'.  If a new member asks about rating difficulty of, for example Chopin etudes, don't reply if you have only tacked one.

And because this is so personal to me, kindly refrain from comments to adult beginners about the small percentage that will survive.   This is a subcategory of Josh's initial comment about losing new members.  We have lost several adult new students after one question and the responses we provided. 

IMHO

I totally agree. Also thanks for saying my ideas are "excellent"

On the posting on ancient threads thing I think it would be better if people just created new threads on more or less the same topic if they really want to talk about it. It's harmless and it means it doesn't come with the baggage of a long dead conversation and if the thread doesn't take off, no harm done.

As a teenage beginner I also heartily agree that all snobbery concerning "Who will survive" can go fudge itself in a dark corner with sandpaper tissues to clean up the mess... of Fudge...

[kevonthegreatpianist]

If I can offer a suggestion to your excellent ideas?

_ do not revitalize a 10 yr old post to include your opinion
-When an OP asks a question, ask yourself if you are among the members that should reply.  If you haven't learned it well, the answer should be 'no'.  If a new member asks about rating difficulty of, for example Chopin etudes, don't reply if you have only tacked one.

And because this is so personal to me, kindly refrain from comments to adult beginners about the small percentage that will survive.   This is a subcategory of Josh's initial comment about losing new members.  We have lost several adult new students after one question and the responses we provided. 

IMHO

a 10 year old post could be fairly useful, just don't go immature and become the old Pianostreet me

[Bob]

Just find something you're interested in and ask for advice and give your ideas on the topic.  Then it's more interesting for you.


Although there might be others ways... I've found the "what are you listening to now" thread interesting.

[chopinlover01]

I think we should also have a more active moderator who can go through and delete the spam that happens to pop up all the time.
At least in the piano boards anyways.
I'd be happy to do the job *subtle hat-to-the-ring throw*, though I suspect there are some people more qualified than I.
Seriously though, there is a lot of spam here and I can't think of a single active moderator.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I think we should also have a more active moderator who can go through and delete the spam that happens to pop up all the time.
At least in the piano boards anyways.
I'd be happy to do the job *subtle hat-to-the-ring throw*, though I suspect there are some people more qualified than I.
Seriously though, there is a lot of spam here and I can't think of a single active moderator.

get the old pianostreet people who left and delete my old spam from august

[ted]

I suggest that more experienced members and pianists please comment more:

We could use more new threads and threads with real potential for interesting discussion, especially by older members.

I have to plead guilty to reticence in this aspect and I shall try to post more. Thirteen years of posting on piano forums, however, have taught me that my approach to piano music is highly personal and unorthodox, and I have to be very careful about generalising from my own experience. I would hate the thought of setting a young player off in a wrong direction.

[josh93248]

I have to plead guilty to reticence in this aspect and I shall try to post more. Thirteen years of posting on piano forums, however, have taught me that my approach to piano music is highly personal and unorthodox, and I have to be very careful about generalising from my own experience. I would hate the thought of setting a young player off in a wrong direction.

I wouldn't worry about it so much, all you have to do is explain that you're a very individual pianist and your suggestions aren't mainstream and you should be fine. Also I think there could stand to be more variety in the responses people get.

[josh93248]

Sorry to double post but Dogperson made the excellent point that it would probably be worth us all looking at and responding more to audition room recordings that have no or next to no views.

This I think would help retention of members.

Now I know there's a lot less than stellar recordings typically found in the AR but consider this:

Those who are just starting out and are not so well developed can be helped THE MOST by judicious and helpful input. The right words at the right time can help and even those on this forum who are less experienced can probably help the absolute newbies we often find in the AR.

[diomedes]

Agreed, on my end of things I value providing factual information to people who are dedicated to piano, music and learning. That is significant if it helps. If it doesn't then it looks like I have an unusual way of doing strange things to simply make myself feel better. I do notice when my efforts go towards nothing and then I adapt.

However, I've been giving recitals almost every weekend, learning new repertoire while doing it too, so almost all brain cells are dedicated to what matters, preparation for performance. I'd hate to waste an audiences  time.

And, yes some activities on this forum are beneath childish behavior. I log on, I log out. Recently, the immaturity just is not worth my time. It'd be nice if certain members exercised a little self awareness.

I'll continue to stick around, if there are people willing to learn I'm here. If people are cluttering the forum with time wasting compensation for lack of having social outlets, I'm going to put that time into my own learning.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

A Moratorium on threads about rankings of pieces' difficulty and quality

Absolutely. I'd wager that the vast majority of the time the people who volunteer an opinion haven't actually played, to give the most notorious example, all of the Chopin etudes. (I know I haven't.)

I suggest that more experienced members and pianists please comment more:

I humbly ask that those with more knowledge share their ideas more and stick around, this place will make a comeback if we try and improve it.

Agreed, but if threads are full of, in some cases, asinine chit-chat, experienced pianists are going to find it hard to bother with them.

I have to plead guilty to reticence in this aspect and I shall try to post more. Thirteen years of posting on piano forums, however, have taught me that my approach to piano music is highly personal and unorthodox, and I have to be very careful about generalising from my own experience. I would hate the thought of setting a young player off in a wrong direction.

I empathise considerably with this. I suppose I'm now an "experienced pianist" but my own personal development, which has been to a significant degree self-taught, leaves me wary of offering advice which may be inappropriate to those with a more conventional musical education and career path. Giving no advice is better than giving bad advice.


I think it's worth pointing out that users do come and go; it is the nature of any internet forum. There have been a few pianists on this forum whose opinions I find of genuine value and interest, and whose playing I respect immensely. Sadly, most of them are no longer active here, but there are still recordings of real merit in the audition room, and I'm pleased to see Nils has stickied the "exceptional recordings" thread.

Oh yeah.. and thread necromancy. How tedious: unless it's a thread of outstanding merit, just let it be.

[visitor]

also, these things go in spits and spurts so usually just waiting it out serves to reinvigorate the deal, even if some members 'leave' or go silent, they are usually lurking (see the huge number of 'guests' vs log ins), or they are simply reborn as a 'noob' like a phoenix rising from it's former ashes to live a glorious life anew (lol, and usually there's 'multiple forum personality syndrome' playing into the deal as well  )

[pencilart3]

(lol, and usually there's 'multiple forum personality syndrome' playing into the deal as well  )

LOL, so true.

[dcstudio]

I vote that we mass boycott the ridiculous posts of some of our more ridiculous troll-members.  Just refrain from commenting--as entertaining as some of them are... I am embarrassed to say that sometimes I log in to see just how out there the posts are... 
  

the  multiple personality disorder thing just creeps me out...  when you know they are talking to themselves and validating their own posts...in the hopes of what?   that is disturbing.  I had a noob repost a vid I had put up once 3 years ago...c'mon...really?  The account was brand new...lol.

[ffchopinist]

Hey guys, I'm a new-ish member here (only made a few posts thus far), and I'm actually debating whether or not to bother sticking around and posting here due to an experience I've just had on my thread.  

Can you some of other forumers help me out?

I posted a thread in the Piano section, Student's Corner (https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=57534.msg639122#msg639122) to try and get help on something piano-related (specifically to get tips on how to play fast octave scales when I could only play octaves comfortably from the edge of the keys)...

However, I have been unfairly bashed on the thread with inappropriate, off-topic, and offensive posts by another person (@desherron).

This forumer has bashed me on the thread I started about octaves for "trying to be like a man" (in terms of trying to play these Liszt and Rachmaninoff pieces), told me "women should stop obsessing over size" and focus on "cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children" , "he is an enemy to feminism," and then started to bash the country I live in (USA) while making inappropriate comments about "black men" and "white men."

I'm not here to debate about gender issues or politics with anyone.

I'm just trying to get and give advice on playing octaves and was met with blatant racism, sexism, and more.

I'm appalled by the amount of sexism and racism I've been met with on my own thread, which was started with the purpose of trying to get advice on piano-playing.  I had posted an updated a few days ago with some friendly tips that I found worked for increasing my hand span...   and then proceeded get attacked and see my thread in the piano forum degenerate into a political / gender discussion... which is NOT productive.

Moderators and fellow forumers, please help!

It's people like this who are ruining the community for those of us piano lovers who are sincerely trying to improve our skills and learn from / contribute to this community in a positive way.

Is there anything we can do to get people removed from this forum, blocked from certain threads, unproductive posts removed, etc.?

I'm trying to decide whether or not this forum is a waste of my time, or if I should be looking to another forum or give up on forums altogether when it comes to trying to find fellow piano-lovers and pianists to share tips with and chat about music-related topics with.

[visitor]

Hey guys, I'm a new-ish member here (only made a few posts thus far), and I'm actually debating whether or not to bother sticking around and posting here due to an experience I've just had on my thread.  

Can you some of other forumers help me out?

I posted a thread in the Piano section, Student's Corner (https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=57534.msg639122#msg639122) to try and get help on something piano-related (specifically to get tips on how to play fast octave scales when I could only play octaves comfortably from the edge of the keys)...

However, I have been unfairly bashed on the thread with inappropriate, off-topic, and offensive posts by another person (@desherron).

This forumer has bashed me on the thread I started about octaves for "trying to be like a man" (in terms of trying to play these Liszt and Rachmaninoff pieces), told me "women should stop obsessing over size" and focus on "cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children" , "he is an enemy to feminism," and then started to bash the country I live in (USA) while making inappropriate comments about "black men" and "white men."

I'm not here to debate about gender issues or politics with anyone.

I'm just trying to get and give advice on playing octaves and was met with blatant racism, sexism, and more.

I'm appalled by the amount of sexism and racism I've been met with on my own thread, which was started with the purpose of trying to get advice on piano-playing.  I had posted an updated a few days ago with some friendly tips that I found worked for increasing my hand span...   and then proceeded get attacked and see my thread in the piano forum degenerate into a political / gender discussion... which is NOT productive.

Moderators and fellow forumers, please help!

It's people like this who are ruining the community for those of us piano lovers who are sincerely trying to improve our skills and learn from / contribute to this community in a positive way.

Is there anything we can do to get people removed from this forum, blocked from certain threads, unproductive posts removed, etc.?

I'm trying to decide whether or not this forum is a waste of my time, or if I should be looking to another forum or give up on forums altogether when it comes to trying to find fellow piano-lovers and pianists to share tips with and chat about music-related topics with.

use the report thread link in your topic/reply and also send nills a pm w a pasted text of this. it's a shame and i'm sorry you experienced this. we are usually a jovial lot but there's a few very vocal turds that mess things up some times.  i hadn't look at your topic yet but will see if i have anyting useful to add and try to help if i can.

[ffchopinist]

use the report thread link in your topic/reply and also send nills a pm w a pasted text of this. it's a shame and i'm sorry you experienced this. we are usually a jovial lot but there's a few very vocal turds that mess things up some times.  i hadn't look at your topic yet but will see if i have anyting useful to add and try to help if i can.

Thanks so much, @visitor, and it's nice to meet you.  I tried doing a search for Nills, and I'm trying to figure out if this is the right person:  https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=1716

Is @nilsjohan the person you're speaking of?  If so, I'll send him a PM.

[timothy42b]

Or we could just bring back piannissimo, gyro, and Nye. 

[visitor]

Thanks so much, @visitor, and it's nice to meet you.  I tried doing a search for Nills, and I'm trying to figure out if this is the right person:  https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=1716

Is @nilsjohan the person you're speaking of?  If so, I'll send him a PM.

yes, sorry for not being more clear before. he's the top of the food chain here, his deal, make him aware of the issue and work with him to find a resolution.

[ffchopinist]

yes, sorry for not being more clear before. he's the top of the food chain here, his deal, make him aware of the issue and work with him to find a resolution.

No problem, and thank you! 

Hope we can eliminate the racist / sexist / nationalist comments here ( just saw this guy started bashing Latins and Americans, too, with his comment of "No wonder your civilization is dying under both long continuing constant and recent flood of Latin (in States) or Arabian (in EU) refugees and immigrants."

Unbelievable!  ... and the rest of us are just trying to learn about playing octave scales and have no interest in racist debates.

Anyway, thanks again for the tip, @visitor.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with blatant racist / sexist behavior attacks in the piano threads, feel free to chime in, as well.  (Hopefully the best course of action isn't just to have everyone turned off by racist remarks to avoid Piano Street altogether....I can certainly see other newbies or even veterans reading some of these comments and subsequently giving up on ever making a post altogether due to finding it a waste of time or just plain offensive.)

[adodd81802]

This may be a bit of a weird one. But i'm unsure on the point of "Quoting" other members, what is the functionality exactly? why do we get bulked down on what others are saying rather than answering the OP.

One thing that i find out threads especially any that are particularly popular is the last few comments you read are very often not about the question and regarding another users comment, an argument, a pointless comment, race, politics, or just stupid pictures. I think the mentality is very wrong to be answering your question by slandering another users comments. I enjoy a joke, but i'm here because I want to be a better pianist and I care about others being great pianists too that happens to find my thoughts or methods insightful, If I wanted an argument or a joke i'd join a facebook page

All of us are here for the same reason, we aren't Rubinstein, Hoffman, Chopin, Horowitz, hell we aren't even Lang Lang separately we are normal people with different backgrounds, views, opinions, and they build on what works for us as pianists, whether hobbyists, amateurs, semi pros or .... "Lang Lang's" in the making, but collectively we all have a lot of knowledge here, the point of answering a question, whether right or wrong is to be accurate to the question and to voice your reasoning behind it.

If it's wrong it's wrong, the answer should be based off experience, about knowledge about opinion. If you disagree, let it go, just provide your own answer and own reason, the OP will follow what works for them whether you like it or not - even if they know it's wrong. That's humans for you

i'm relatively new here, i've had some arguments already! it's not put me off though - By day I'm IT support Analyst so I am a very very patient person I've also had some wonderful comments and feedback so I have continued to throw my comments here and there and I enjoy helping others it's in my nature.

I do like the community here, I purposely look for certain users in threads because I know I will learn a lot from what they have to say and I hope no matter what your age, sex or background you're on here for the same reasons I am.

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Is there anything we can do to get people removed from this forum, blocked from certain threads, unproductive posts removed, etc.?

ask chopinlover. he'll probably remove me, not that I'm that bad of any sort, really 

[chopinlover01]

ask chopinlover. he'll probably remove me, not that I'm that bad of any sort, really 

I'm not actually a mod, you know, though I would love to be one 
Also, Kevon, my personal distrust in you doesn't mean I would ban you.
@FFChopin- I'm sorry you had to deal with that twatwaffle. Nils is the only one who can do things about this.

[rubinsteinmad]

ffchopin: If you think a comment is inappropriate, you can click on the "report to moderator" link. You don't have to try to get people banned just because they decided to be stupid.

[ffchopinist]

I'm not actually a mod, you know, though I would love to be one  
Also, Kevon, my personal distrust in you doesn't mean I would ban you.
@FFChopin- I'm sorry you had to deal with that twatwaffle. Nils is the only one who can do things about this.

Thanks chopinlover01! It's nice to meet a fellow Chopin lover. Maybe you should apply to be a mod... seems like we need more around here.

@adodd81802 - I completely agree with you in terms of being here because I/we want to improve our skills as a pianists (and hopefully share any tips I learned about how to play octaves - which was my entire point of my starting my initial thread about playing octaves and my trying to steer it AWAY from politics / race. I don't care to discuss politics or race here at all, and I think most others don't care to on this forum, as well, at least not in the Student's Corner or Piano threads. Friendly debates in the piano threads are OK if they're about things like music if they foster a community of learning and sharing of musical ideas.)  

I am just a lifetime learner who is passionate about piano and hope to gain some tips on playing octaves and share any tips I happen to learn along the way with others to be helpful.   Like you, I hope others are here for the same reasons.

Anyway, I've left my feedback on this topic (as solicited by the OP) and shall subsequently put the topic to rest and let the moderators figure out what to do with it if anything.... and I am moving on again to try and make another attempt to talk safely in other threads about what we're all here for, which is music.   It's a shame that this particularly sticky topic has had to take up as much time as it has already.... hope to chat with you about music in another thread soon!

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Thanks chopinlover01! It's nice to meet a fellow Chopin lover. Maybe you should apply to be a mod... seems like we need more around here.

@adodd81802 - I completely agree with you in terms of being here because I/we want to improve our skills as a pianists (and hopefully share any tips I learned about how to play octaves - which was my entire point of my starting my initial thread about playing octaves and my trying to steer it AWAY from politics / race. I don't care to discuss politics or race here at all, and I think most others don't care to on this forum, as well, at least not in the Student's Corner or Piano threads. Friendly debates in the piano threads are OK if they're about things like music if they foster a community of learning and sharing of musical ideas.)  

I am just a lifetime learner who is passionate about piano and hope to gain some tips on playing octaves and share any tips I happen to learn along the way with others to be helpful.   Like you, I hope others are here for the same reasons.

Anyway, I've left my feedback on this topic (as solicited by the OP) and shall subsequently put the topic to rest and let the moderators figure out what to do with it if anything.... and I am moving on again to try and make another attempt to talk safely in other threads about what we're all here for, which is music.   It's a shame that this particularly sticky topic has had to take up as much time as it has already.... hope to chat with you about music in another thread soon!

im a fan of Chopinzo, it's just that I'm more creative in my username