Official Luthiers Forum!

I just had an Idea.
I am fairly new here but I still feel and hope you wont mind if I gave some ideas for the forum to be better and grow. !

How about a Instant messanger posibility !
1.Lets say Arnt is online and so am I, I can then Click on "Arnts Avatar" and get a instant messanger window, where we could chat directly !.
And to go on ! 2. Lets say your in your shop, and your stuck, you go online and click on whoever you know is ok that you click on haha and you could directly get help or advice. you can even have a webcam so you can see and show your building "error" and give advice and/or just talk !. In, lets say MSN, you can allow whoever you want to be on your "ok" list and block those you feel not ok.

Got this thought as, I recently wanted to PM someone who was online at the same time as I, he needed to talk to me and I to him, had no phone Nr etc. How easy it would have been to just click on his name.

Just an Idea. look forward on your input on this matter.

Lars

I think the forum software might have some or all of that feature in it already. We will have to look into it and see what is involved in turning it on.

I think that is a great idea.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Great idea!

I think it sounds like a good idea too. The only question I might have about it would be whether, or not, it would take away from the discussion threads, because, you know, and I know, that everyone wants instant answers, and might resort to the instant message method vs the post a thread method. That's just speculation, but thought it was worth mentioning, though the sentence probably needs some work to be coherent. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to tell if it was having a deleterious impact on thread posting. I still think it would be a nice feature.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Yes...we can take fighting with one another off-thread!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I have no clue....... but I suspect, at least it would make sense to me that this feature, chat, can be enabled and disabled by each of us. This way those at work won't have a Photoshopped picture of a Manatee with their face on it popping up on their work computer when the boss is in their office discussing the quarter's shortcomings......

If it can be individually disabled I am all for it.

We want to keep this sort of thing in the main threads, anyway, Hesh.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

This might be a good way to pick up chicks.

Mike

Too funny just last night I was thinking that a webcam broadcast would be a cool feature. Even featured broadcasts of tutorials. Although I guess not having the sound or ability to type as you're doing the tutorial would make it not as helpful. Watching a grainy shot of someone sand for 2 hours may not be all that helpful or riveting. I'm talking myself out of my own idea.

The IM idea is a good one.

Darrin

I don't see how that would help the forum. People would be having private chats and none of that would be archived for others to learn from. Private chats can be handled off line with web cams. The reason I put my last youtube video question out there was a way of having the question put out there and others could see and hear. Todd Stock has been trying to get others to put some videos out there and there hasn't been any takers. And quite frankly I got less then expected response to my YouTube Question on bracing and voicing question.

In your user control panel under board preferences you can check "Pop up window on new private message:"
That will bring a PM right to the top of your screen the moment you get it.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Been there, done that!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

LARS, you're a genius!

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Yeah I agree its not my cup'o tea, but its there for the taking!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I'm conflicted on this. A very similar thing can happen through PMing. There, no record for the group at large exists. People go offline and out of view and talk, make deals, do business, etc. Stuff that would make no sense to do "online" in front of the community (thus my silly "chicks" comment, though no one picked up on it). Yet, with PMing, there IS a record. It may not be visible to all, but it is recorded. I am not sure if IMing is recorded in the same way. Perhaps Lance should let us know. Are these indeed private conversations? Is there a record? And, as a group of likeminded folks concerned with building guitars, do we really want this feature in this kind of community? I am leaving a lot unsaid. Fill in the blanks as you see fit.

Mike

I am sorry If I have caused a problem !! not my intention !!

I did not meen the IM "instant Messenger" to be something to be used instead of posts, I ment it to be used more in times of trouble like when your stuck and instead of continue and make an error, like cracking a side and to glue on something in the wrong way etc, you could just right there and then IM someone online and instant get a reply, (or turn on the web-cam and show what you meen in realtime). Not hopefully get a reply in a near future.
Also I did not meen it to be a "chat window for all to chat" more like I said, a complement to the PM. I´ve read so many times that a person "just made a big mistake" or " Oops it happened again !! " etc, what if the person, in the moment before he went like "I´ll try, or cross my fingers, here we go", could see who´s online and just ask an instant question in realtime.
I dont see this as an very important thing, just a compliment to the already exellent PM. I dont think anyone would want to use it in a wrong way ? Also there could be rules involved to prevent it from being used in a wrong way, just like for religion and politics.

about web-cam implement, I was merly thinking that like in the above statement or as realtime classes for a small fee, beneficial both to the forum and the luthier. was an idea to. but as saying this I am afraid to go out at night .


It would be easy to see if that was so.- If the posts are getting lower as the IM is implemented, then it would be taken away from the forum !.

Lars.

But they would be getting lower if it's a question that is of value to the forum. I crack the side ,is this how I fix it? Then you are assuming someone who knows the answer is one line? For instant help I would think that you would be better off to get someones phone number to call and then hope you don't get call waiting. It would be nice to get instance answers to questions but that's just not how the forums works. And it's also nice to get more then one opinion in some situations, that the value of the forum don't you think?

I do agree to all you say Chris, and I see this might be a delicate topic. Although If I have the glue in my hand and right there and then feel the need of advice, then I would settle with 1 persons opinion, as long as it solves my situation. I am not sure to many of you guys would want me calling you, asking advice ! I think most would go like - search the forum. Chris would it be ok for me to get your number, and give you a call if I am in need of help ?? Also, to call someone, your never sure if its a proper time to call etc, but if a person is online, you more or less know, he´s available.
It was all just an idea !! I love this forum with or without an IM. .

(its all written with a smile, so please do not take anything I say the wrong way)

Mike. I can see your fears, but my thought was not for this to be used in that manner, more like a last resort, or help needed fast. But like I said, I do think this forum is great the way it is as it is to.

With the deepest respect, Lars.

I'm not for or against. And I do not think we have to worry about predatory activities here. I Think Chris said it the best. Someone gives you an idea in public. Others comment on that idea. You make a decision. Perhaps you the go offline with that person for details beyond the normal discussion path.

Mike

Lars, your question is a good one. We have a PM system. We have HAD a PM system since our last version of software.
We will continue to offer that feature to all registered members.

I think its a great feature.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I thought it was something Lars meant as a casual conversation tool. Something with a more efficient navigation structure would lend itself to that. You wouldn't interrupt your browsing by needing to go to a new screen to see who sent you messages, go to a new screen to see the first message, go to a new screen to then reply to that message, get directed to your outbox, redirect to your inbox to get your next message, and eventually call up luthiersforum.com again to get to the main forum.

I hear ya James, you are correct, it is a bit cumbersome.
What Lars is suggesting is a great idea and something we can put on our list of considerations.

Right now we have three projects in the works, improvements for the OLF. It will take some time to roll out, but we think that it will really help us grow our community and more over, attract some more of the higher end luthiers out there that tend to shy away from open forums for various reasons.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lars...I understand your need fully. There are several builders whose IM (Windows Live Messenger) I have shared for years. Often, for just the reason you state, we have communicated individually or as a group. Live messenger also has a free voice feature where folks can speak in real time. And it also allows you to know if someone is online should they wish to be identified as such. PM me if you'd like more details.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Seems to me that, "in terms of this form" the only difference between an IM service and existing PM is a service fee and instant pop ups that I find very annoying anyway. How fast PM works depends on the attention of the sender and recipient. Not a bad suggestion though Lars, more of a case of not thinking of PM as a instant message routine, though it can be.

OK folks!
Here is a quick work around.
If your game, go to http://www.google.com/support/talkgadget/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=86171 and sign up for google talk.
You will notice under my Signature I have a line that says "Chat with Lance"
If you click that it will open a chat box that is directly linked to my google acct. It prompts me that someone wants to chat. NOW if you have a gmail account, it is fully integrated with that and works seamlessly. It might be pretty cool!

Im headed to lunch right now, but if you wanna give it a try, ill be back in a few.
Lars, how this would tie in to your idea is (IF) you see the ONLINE button over the persons avator is ON then you can click there chat link and bam! Your linked up in real time chat.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com