I've seen a lot of posts lately about how things "aren't the same anymore" around here. A lot of depressing statements have been made about how people aren't as friendly or how our numbers are declining. "Well good!" I say!

I for one prefer the community we have now to what we had years ago. I still "lurk" and visit the page at least 20 times a day looking for new posts. Sure, there aren't as many new posts, but that actually makes it easier for me to keep up. And if you do a search for the REALLY old threads, as a group, we were a lot less empowered with our empegs. We had no Hijack, no way to update logos on the player, no way to download mp3s or backup content. Repairs involved expensive shipments to the UK. We were flooded with rude RioCar owners who paid $200 for a $1200 player and were pissed off that their cable needed replacing.

And yeah, it's tempting to say "lots of new software isn't the same thing as a friendly community" but we wouldn't have any of that software if it WEREN'T for the community. The empeg guys would have quit doing releases if people weren't interested (and knowledgeable enough to do beta testing) and going to meets. I assume HiJack did all that Mark Lord wanted it to do about 200 versions ago, but he kept adding features as people suggested them. Jemplode would have never evolved nor would Palantir been created.

Heck, even the guys from empeg didn't offer any solutions when some of us hit a wall by having too many mp3s. But just a few months ago, someone made a script that let me fix my player in about 5 minutes.

And those updates are still happening. We have someone making kick butt animations for our boot logos, someone FINALLY about to make a button kit. Memory cards coming. And the fact that these things are coming to a community that is 1/2 the size it used to be actually means more than it would have years ago. A person would have more of an incentive to make a button kit when the costs could be spread out across a larger base.

And there is true "community" happening too. Just last summer, in the heat of all that election muck, a fellow board member was VERY kind enough to drive to someone's house, pick up some speakers (big) I bought off of eBay then drive to the UPS store and have them boxed up and shipped to me. Just a month ago, I had several people suggest meeting up with me, the Off Topic whiner (as some have said), for coffee as I was in town for a concert (unfortunately, my living arrangments during my stay prevented any time to do this). I even get about 1 email every two months asking for tips on putting an empeg into a WRX. I imagine all of us have stories of kind things we have all experienced or done that wasn't visible on the BBS, but was a result of it.

I even got better advice here than on any Tivo board on how to hack my Tivo! Loren even burned a few CDs for me and mailed them to me for free! Another member and I have mailed eachother empeg stickers, Netgear switches, you name it. And they weren't even trades - it was just a matter of each one of us having stuff we knew someone else could get more use out of. All within the last few months.

I'll take empegbbs.com the way it is thank you!

I am not about to compare 'now vs. then', however I have recieved much information, and help (as well as a few friendly jabs along the way) from members of the board. Sending someone something I have that I have no use for and they do, is not only the right thing to do, but I know how excited I get when someone sends me something that I was not expecting. Yeah, I'm not expecting to get an Empeg bag sent to me, but I have mailed off some memory, drives, switches and, yes even a couple of remotes (one was a trade however)
Anyone else need a switch? Ha.

I bought my first mk2a after the firesale. Since then I bought two more empegs and convinced some friends to buy them too. Some of us have not contributed anything, but we have spread the empeg around to our friends. That way they end up in the hands of people who really enjoy music and can appreciate them.

In the time ive been here this board has changed, it isnt good or bad, but these things happen. I have learned a lot about audio stuff (not to mention other things I would have never been exposed ) if it wasnt for this bbs. Most of us are very grateful for the empeg and all the contributions others have made to it.

I have a new car to install the empeg into ( its a wrx so brad I may harass you about your install) .

I hadn't really noticed anything other than hugo and rob don't post too much anymore.

Yes, maybe this is a good time for us all to reflect on why we are here on this bbs.

I personally feel I am quite a selfish member of this community, I do take more than I give. I have tried to give as much input as I can on topics I have experience in, but I mainly lurk in the background.

More than the online relationships I have made with people it's the real life ones that matter to me. This is the only online community I have ever met anyone from in real life, other places on the net seem to full of one type of person ( I think you know what I am getting at here ) but I have found fellow empeggers to be on the whole welcoming and fun to be around. boxer has introduced so many different ways of looking at things that have lead me down many many different paths of beer and music sampling, without him I would have never figured out I don't really like beer and I am a cider man, and not all country music sucks as I quite like Alison Krauss.

andym was silly enough to introduce me to Nicola at the last Euro meet, and we are still very happy together to this day (see cheesy attachment), he also makes good company to discuss the many projects we both seem to have in our brains but never get the time to do anything about, most of my other mates start falling asleep at that point of the bbq

I was lucky enough to get a bed at Hotel Julf last summer before the meet, and shared some "interesting" times wandering around Amsterdam with a few well know empeggers All this amoungst numerous offers of help from all sorts of people about all sorts of things.

All these things go to prove I would have been a lesser person if not for the things I have learned here (Three Cheers for Tom!). And I have still got a neat box of tricks that still comes out on long trips, and still wows even after all these years.

But like in any community there is a pecking order, I am at the bottom, others are at the top. And naturally there becomes a time when people start to rub each other up the wrong way. There have been several times recently where I have had to bite my lip really hard to stop myself saying things I might later wish I hadn't.

But isn't this what makes a community interesting, why do we all have to get on all of the time?

We (Nicola and I) have made the decision not to come to the EuroMeet this year, we have a long trip to make to Malaga and back and feel its too far out of the way. We had planned to drop in for Ribs on the way down, but I think that will push the smart that little too far this time around.

So to sum up, I don't think the bbs is dead yet, we are just in a transition period, out with the old and in with the new, the empeg with become less and less a focus for our community, so lets go find something else to get all geeky about...

Cheers

Cris.

I can't really add anything more than Cris has said but I too have witnessed incidents that have made me cringe. One recently which involved a new member asking a perfectly reasonable question and getting berated by someone who really should've known better. To add insult to injury another, even more senior member of the board then asks people to go easy on him even though he was one who kicked off without provocation.

I've met some very interesting people on here, I remember traveling to Amersfoort in 2003 with my friend Steve seriously wondering whether I'd made the right decision to meet a load of people who I’d only ever conversed with on the ‘net. My work colleagues couldn’t understand it, my girlfriend certainly didn’t understand, that is, until she attended the following year and saw that it wasn’t a total out-and-out geek fest but really a chance for some like-minded individuals to get together and enjoy themselves.

I think the forum still has life in it. But nothing ever lasts forever and I’m sure there will come a time when this forum doesn’t exist, but life will go on.

I stumbled across the empeg years back (mk1) and decided I wanted one even though I didn't have a car! But in no way could I afford it. Then one Christmas Eve I made my weekly visit to www.empeg.com to gaze at my dream toy and saw the silly low price - unfortunately I was way way too late and after several emails to David/Rob I was pointed to the bbs and bought one for £450 (I still had no car).

I'm a lurker. I post nonsense. I have no real skills/info to pass on thats useful but I still try here and there. I get a real sense of trust on the board both Paul G and Rob R have done favours for me and I really appreciate the sense of community that I don't get anywhere else on the web. I love it

Ah yes Paul G. That mans generosity knows no bounds

Agreed - he needs some kind of trophy for the stuff he does And thats the thing about this bbs, everyone seems really genuine and don't do things for personal gain). I really hope to be able to return some of the favours one day.

And just when I thought it might be safe to come back.

Piss off, Andy!

We had one relative newbie ask for help without any info, get an answer from Tony, repost still without much info, and then I simply said for him to either provide more info or fix the problem himself. He gave more info, and I (and others) helped him considerably.

And for that, I CONTINUE to get nothing but snide side comments from PEOPLE WHO REALLY SHOULD KNOW BETTER. People who use Hijack.. and some who may not be able to use newer versions of it in the future.

Enough, alright?

Nice grown up argument Mark, well done. Smacks a little of the school yard, but if that's the way you want to play it. I think andym is right to voice his opinion, I tend to agree, I was trying to be positive but its getting harder.

Your tone seems a little unlike your usual helpful self, anything up ???

Anyway, if the future use of Hijack is on the condition that I have to agree with everything you say and not upset anyone then I'm off to remove it right now, doesn't really bother me, I'm only a light user.

And yes, everyone please feel free to ignore me in future, flame away, I know how much Mark has done for the empeg, and I am truly thankful, but that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion without feeling guilty.

Cheers

Cris.

Damn does everyone hate Mark now or what. I had not read the technical forum for a while but after I saw this thread I wanted to figure out what Brad was talking about and found the thread that started this.

While what Mark posted wasn't all that friendly it didn't sound any worse than the go read the faq responses by various people on here.

I think this is being taken way too seriously.

I'm sorry, who said anything about anyone hating Mark? I certainly don't! I don't think anyone does do they ???

You won't hear one bad word against anyone I have met on this bbs, I have fond memories of wondering around Amsterdam with Mark and others, it was a very nice introduction into the secret world of Geocaching in fact.

Sure there are quite a few people on here that I wouldn't want to share a bed with but no one is hating anyone here !!!

Cheers

Cris.

C'mon guys, just let it go. Shake hands and smile

Well, at the risk of pissing everyone off...everyone...GET OVER IT!!!! I mean, there was less discussion over the Bush/Gore election...Hey! If we can find a bunch of 'chad'ed cards, we could throw them at each other, and the one with the less papercuts wins! Sounds absurde? It sure does to me also!
Mark, you're a great guy, and I can take what ever anyone wants to dish out. You seem to hold your own pretty well, but I won't kiss anyone one the lips for hardware (unless it is really, really cool...or maybe a peck on the cheek for an empeg bag, and not that homemade one (paper sack)!

So how about we all start acting about 2 years older than my 4 year old grandson and talk about something serious...like Jack Bauer, and the season finale of '24'!

Hugs and kisses....
ladmo

This is the only post I'm going to make on this subject.

This community exists due to the people here, plain and simple. Many of the regulars here have met at least one other person at this point in the community. Why this issue is becoming personal is beyond me, expecially with the general good times that are had at the meets. At times I am suprised at some things here, but in most cases any major incident has blown over quickly as it should. But for some reason, several words strung togther earlier this month touched off something odd. I got broadsided a bit at E3 by another user expressing concern for the well being of this place. And it has taken me a bit of digging today to find where it came from. Theres a few threads now scattered across a few sections (some I haven't checked in over a month), and one reoccuring theme is present. People aren't letting this issue go.

Honestly, if people here want the community to die, then it will happen. The more negative things brought here will hamper the situation, and find ways to push more people away. And the opposite applies as well. If we act in a positive method, it will help to improve the general additude of the community as a whole, and keep things going longer.

For the sake of the community, please just drop whatever it is that caused the recent issue. I'm still confused by it, but at this point, I see no reason to keep digging into it after three weeks.


In closing, we are still seeing new users sign up here. Keeping the community in a shape that represents the way things were is a good thing. We all were new here long ago, and I'd hope we have the capability to not scare off the newer users joining us now 6 years after this board went live.

Hello All

As everyone probably knows, I've been more of a lurker here than a contributor in the recent past...but I still continue to visit every day after almost five years as a member.

With all of the BBS's I am a member of (7), this one continues to be the most civil, most productive and most open and friendly that I frequent. I have noticed a somewhat negative element appearing recently however I attribute that to evolution of the board and the broader membership it has attracted. I feel that in the end, the community will continue evolve and be stronger for it.

(and if this post appears rambling and not pertinent, I've had a few rum-and-cokes tonight )

When did YOU reappear? lol I thought you were exiled??

Any new guns?

Ssssssh

Sorry about that Andy (really).

I just no longer feel welcome on this BBS, and the ongoing negative postings directed at me are having an effect. Especially when they come from people I've met in person and shared the odd brewsky or two with.

Ahh.. those were the days.

I believe I'll take a break, now.

Good for you, Brad, starting this thread. I think it was much needed.

I just, for some reason, found myself rereading this thread. Maybe everyone concerned could do the same. It was nice to see how people all came together on this board and showed their true quality.

Just a thought...

What is going on???? This really is quite bizarre. I feel like one of those background people in the movies, and I'm just sitting at the bar when the action comes bursting through the front window.

I know my place. I'm pretty much useless in the forums here as a source of help when compared to the helpful people here. As such, I never read the other forums anymore because I can be of no help, and I've been content with my empeg for...oh...4.5 years. So I'm fine with just reading the Off Topic forum and getting help from the wonderful people here.

Imagine my surprise when, having been here every day, I suddenly see this stuff about how the BBS is in decline, everyone here is mean and unhelpful, and everyone is suddenly mad at Mark!

This message board is my most frequent stop on the web. I keep a tab open in Firefox all day long, and refresh dozens of times a day, and not just because I frequently have a question out there, but because I enjoy reading the threads here because they're actual conversations.

We're as strong as ever, people!

Rob, you'll *never* count as a "baddy" in my books. And do have a grand time at Amersfoort, folks. I'll be thinking of y'all, and so will your (hijacked) players.

Cheers

You're always welcome to come to the Indiana meet

*waves*

[waves]

Thanks, Laura. I think I'll be a last-minute definite-maybe as usual. September 23-25 are the dates I have in my calendar right now. Are those firmed up?

Cheers

Dates are now September 16th - 18th and since it's at my house, it doesn't matter if people come at the last minute. You can either stay here free or there are hotels near by.

What a bittersweet thread, how saddening and how sad......and yet how encouraging that people feel so strongly about this, the best of all possible BBS's: So diverse and shared by so many interesting people.

Throughout my personal and business career you have those letters, conversations and latterly emails where you wish you could pull the words back and swallow them - I'm sure that people in this thread must feel that way about things that they've posted.

Amersfoort is at the very top of things I look forward to each year and for my part, I shall be looking forward to picking up conversations and renewing friendships with people whom I know are friendly, accommodating and interesting: That's a definition of an Empegger - and there are many that I still hope to meet, either at the meet, or as as I make my way around the universe.

I recall meeting Jim Hogan a couple of years back, the first thing that he said to me was: "I know who you are, you talk just the way you post" and that for me sums it up, so many people that I know that I'll get along fine with because I know them from this, as I say, best of all possible BBS's.

I like this place, I probably visit it too often in the opinions of my employer, and many of the conversations are over my head - you don't want my playing with a soldering iron, and my Linux extends as far as fsdk'ing my emepg and only then with the instructions for the FAQ.

So I definitely get more from then I give to this community, I've always felt free to ask dumb techie questions and not felt looked down upon. Heck I've often asked questions after I've blown something up at work and you lot have saved my bacon.

Oh hang on, I have helped out others here, I mailed PCA batteries on a few occasions, and I felt a little bit of pride looking at some of his creations. Fantastic stuff.

As for someone feeling bruised...this place is actually very civil and that's a good thing, there are enough places out there with extremists. I think most people here have a healthy respect for others and accept that others can have different opinions.

I for one am mainly a lurker, but I feel some strong attachment to several of you people, none of whom I've ever actually met. I must say that it literally scares me that something could happen to this board. This is the ONLY BBS I'm a member of, and likely will be the only one in the foreseeable future. I must say, I haven't been able to check nearly as often in the recent past due to some personal problems so I have -=NO=- clue what everyone is upset about. It hurts me to see people that I respect angry at each other. I wouldn't know what to do if it weren't for the help of those on this board.

Mark, no matter what I owe you too much to ever be upset with you. (especially since I don't know why people are upset). But I want you to know that I think fondly of you at LEAST twice a day. (When I get in my car to and from work ) PLease know that you are certainly appreciated here.

As to the other aggrieved party, I don't even know who it is, but I can honestly say that there is no-one on this board that I wish weren't here.

Anyway, I'll quit dribbling on about nothing and start lurking again.