[Paul V]

The title says it all really. Having talked to several members, I can see that there is a strong element of disappointment in the direction that this site has taken. There are a number of selfish posters with their  brief reviews and at times pointless and sometimes antagonistic contributions  that do little to support the true spirit of songwriting. This place will fade and disappear unless contributors contribute generously and politely. This decline has been happening for a long time. I'd love to be surprised and see this forum return to what it once was but sadly, I don't believe that it will.

Paul

[PaulAds]

Yeah...a real shame.

It's not really my place to have made suggestions or offered ideas on how to get things back on track...although I think several of us have tried...but it seems as though the forum has just been left to drift slowly into oblivion.

We keep trying to resurrect things, I suppose because we love it and don't really want to lose it, but it does feel like trying to swim though a swimming pool full of marmalade.

I think we just have to accept that it's basically gone.

We can still visit from time to time...listen to the bleeping of the ventilators, life support machines and monitoring equipment, perhaps take a bunch of grapes or some hard boiled eggs and nuts...sit with it for a few minutes, thinking of happier times...and then trudge off up the road with a tear in our eyes, half-wishing that there'd be a power cut during the night and the generator isn't working.

[shadowfax]

Well I'm not around because my studio is packed up to move to the Czech Republic..problem is it's been delayed until end of September..nightmare not having my studio to hand!!
sold my soundbooth last week and various other stuff I'm not able to take but looking forward to putting a studio together in the new house and getting back to music..miss it loads..could play something on the phone but refuse to listen to such crappy quality so will wait till all sorted. hence no comments.

@PaulAds
@Paul V

[Boydie]

Due to real life demands, I have not been able to give the forum the attention it deserves, but I wanted to keep it operational to support the members

I have also noticed a few forums much quieter since Covid, perhaps the increase in social media channels and/or demands of real life

I am not a developer and do not make an income from the forum, so I am limited with what I can do with regard to feature enhancements

I can and do moderate it though, and have always favoured a "light touch" and private "reprimands" and reminders to those not following the rules- so it is happening

Please use the "report a post" feature or just drop me a PM if there is stuff going on you are not happy about

When I return from my summer hols, I will be upgrading my studio setup, so I should be personally more active on the forum soon - and perhaps we can tempt some of the old crew back!

[pompeyjazz]

@Boydie Its got nothing to do with Covid, just the attitude of the contributors. You get out of it what you put in and I think that a lot of regulars just got totally pissed off with giving great feedback while others just popped in, told us how great their music was and then disappeared into oblivion. I love the forum and have made some lovely friends on here but I’ve got no time for the egomamiacs

[Elvis Nash]

Due to real life demands, I have not been able to give the forum the attention it deserves, but I wanted to keep it operational to support the members

I have also noticed a few forums much quieter since Covid, perhaps the increase in social media channels and/or demands of real life

I am not a developer and do not make an income from the forum, so I am limited with what I can do with regard to feature enhancements

I can and do moderate it though, and have always favoured a "light touch" and private "reprimands" and reminders to those not following the rules- so it is happening

Please use the "report a post" feature or just drop me a PM if there is stuff going on you are not happy about

When I return from my summer hols, I will be upgrading my studio setup, so I should be personally more active on the forum soon - and perhaps we can tempt some of the old crew back!

Then you should charge $30.00 a month for members ,  its Nothing , oh Yeah free .You need your own promotion to promote songs , VIA Youtube FB ,  whatever .We want free sites you work for free , sounds like Communism . Charge to work , simple logic . lets do the math , 100 members 3k. You want love buy a dog . competition is brutal  promoting songs


" You get what you pay for " , which is nothing to whoever owns this site.

[Elvis Nash]

Yeah...a real shame.

It's not really my place to have made suggestions or offered ideas on how to get things back on track...although I think several of us have tried...but it seems as though the forum has just been left to drift slowly into oblivion.

We keep trying to resurrect things, I suppose because we love it and don't really want to lose it, but it does feel like trying to swim though a swimming pool full of marmalade.

I think we just have to accept that it's basically gone.

We can still visit from time to time...listen to the bleeping of the ventilators, life support machines and monitoring equipment, perhaps take a bunch of grapes or some hard boiled eggs and nuts...sit with it for a few minutes, thinking of happier times...and then trudge off up the road with a tear in our eyes, half-wishing that there'd be a power cut during the night and the generator isn't working.

your a funny dude man with that sarcastic humor , Crippled in a wheel chair site , well $30.00 a ,month will take care of that , Its a miracle the sites walking.

[adamfarr]

Hey there - still here - just got no songs right now. I did get a bit discouraged with some comments but that says more about me... I learned most things I know here, and maybe it's true that people don't take so much time to be constructive these days. (present company excluded!). Anyone fancy a collaboration for old times' sake?

[Nick Ryder]

Hi all.

This is an interesting thread.

I only joined here just over a year ago, and to be honest if doesn't feel much different in all that time. However, I have looked back at posts from several years ago and it did seem more vibrant back then with many more members contributing.

I always assumed that there was an unspoken etiquette whereby if a member posts a song expecting feedback, that there should also be an expectation that the member would offer constructive feedback on others work.

But I also think that as a song writing forum, it should be so much more that a 'look at me' forum. There is so much more to talk about than the Feedback on Finished Songs section.

Discussion, feedback, information all leads to great threads and ones which some of us can learn from. If this forum is to succeed, I'd encourage more participation in these types of thread as we all benefit from them.

[Elvis Nash]

Fans that listen to your songs are going to say "You stink like rotten eggs , Or that was great I enjoyed the listen " . They will compare you to major artists.
That's how it works , So you better get tuff skinned . They are not songwriters on forums . With a Zero membership fee's.

[popitup]

The title says it all really. Having talked to several members, I can see that there is a strong element of disappointment in the direction that this site has taken. There are a number of selfish posters with their  brief reviews and at times pointless and sometimes antagonistic contributions  that do little to support the true spirit of songwriting. This place will fade and disappear unless contributors contribute generously and politely. This decline has been happening for a long time. I'd love to be surprised and see this forum return to what it once was but sadly, I don't believe that it will.

Paul

@Paul V  . . . yes, another thought provoking thread, glad to see you back here ! I'm a busker, so I can't comment on the decline you're observing here on the forum, I only know that when I do come here, I'm always impressed by the quality and range of songs presented here. Yes, I spend most of my time in the Finished Songs area. It's a peer to peer forum, and I'm always interested in how my fellow songwriters create, mix, write lyrics, produce, and even how they critique.

I always find the critique of other writers songs difficult. I always try to be positive and helpful, and when I just don't care for it, and don't have anything useful to add, I keep silent, move on. Maybe that's a wrong approach, but I am no expert or impresario producer. I am here to learn and share what I have learned.

It seems to me only a short time ago someone here commented on how they thought the forum was very vibrant again, and made a comment of appreciation about that, but I'm a busker, and know not of the glory days here. Hopefully, when summer is over, everyone will return here from the beaches, back into their studios, and a flourish of new songs will magically appear here.

Like me, others may "pop in" more occasionally because we have bills and day jobs . . . and for myself, being in a very different time zone makes a livelier interaction trickier to do. Doesn't mean we don't like it here, just a slight disconnect. It seems there are only a handful of songwriter themed peer forums in existence on the internet, as far as I've found, and I like this one very much. So, I'll resolve to spend more time here . . . just don't roll your eyes too much at my more shallow posts:)

[PeteS]

Late to the party as ever, this is an interesting thread. 

I've been pretty absent recently, only popping in for the odd listen and leave a few comments every now and then. 

Why do I do that?  Partly, I have no music to share (well that's not completly true but none I have polished enough!), partly I didn't find anything inspiring and partly because real life gets in the way.  But I will always come back because I'll never forget how much I have learnt from the guys on here, if I go back to my first post over 4 years ago, and then listen to the first songs I produced which were at the start of 2020, they are nowhere near as good as what I can produce today, and a lot of that is down to you guys. 
I really hope we can keep going as I enjoy it when I'm here and will try to make more of an effort going forward!