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This is just awesome - I joined in early 2014 as an absolute beginner - and at that time, I think the site had been running for about 5 years ( correct me if I am wrong Pierre - @Fiddlerman - I *believe* you kicked it off in 2011 )
Well, when I joined ( and I had membership of other sites and FB forums - now largely cancelled I might add ) - we had around 3000 members. At that time, it really felt like a close-knit community ( oh - it still does in many ways, I'm just, like others, not quite so involved becuse - thanks to the forum - yes - "I have moved on" in my fiddle playing journey) - it just seemed that back then, I "integrated" much more than I do today with folks on the forum.
Now, that is just because the forum is such an awesome place - it is not just me, others have "moved on" ( not those who have moved-on because they have lost interest, I mean moved-on because of what they have gained and drawn from sharing their own experiences during learning, and taking tips, help, and information shared by other members.
And I miss these folks !!! - like @Barry @KindaScratchy @Georganne @fiddlestix @OldOgre @DanielB and of course @so-many-others for their earlier regular contributions !!!
I look now at the forum stats - and the growth is quite astonishing. What DOES slightly annoy me is that we seem ( even from the days of 2014 ) to have a pretty much constant number of "active" contributors ( and I thank you all for what you share with us ) in spite of the membership having grown by around a factor of 8, from around 3000 to well in XS of 24,000
Anyway - that's just me, and it's all down to "social media" and I guess we collect the "passers by" - but it is still great to see all you active members - well done all you regular posters - Thank You All !!!
We are just over 25,000 members now, with closing on 100,000 posts, out of which, as a statistic, almost 1 in 7 are still made by Pierre himself - now THAT is dedication.
Just thought I'd share that...
^5s all you fiddlers and violinists ( and violists, and cellists 🙂 ) Yeah....
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Honorary tenured advisor
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I have belonged to a number of forums over the years on such other topics as ponds, gardening, greenhouses, online marketing, and other topics I don't even remember now. Social media has replaced the "forum" as the preferred method of communication for most people. For me, I still prefer the forum setting.
Also, it is not uncommon at all for any forum to have a relatively small core of regulars, a larger core of those who check in once in a while...some eventually falling away, and a huge population (the overwhelming majority) of those who post once or twice or never post at all.
Jim
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That is so funny you did this post, @BillyG. I was thinking about this the other night. I see so many new members, but rarely a post from them. It is so nice to see a new member and see that new member to continue the process by joining in. I started in Dec 2018. This site has helped me immensely.
What I have noticed is that, recently, there have been a few posts from people who have not been here in a few years. It is kind of neat.
I am not into Facebook, it is too free with what they assume a user wants to share, they become just bulletin boards for reposts, “Hey, I saw this beautiful quilt and thought I would share.” How about sharing a quilt you made with tips on how you did it, like you know, the purpose of the Facebook Group? Also, scroll down or up, that same quilt will have been reposted by others who have “discovered” it. That is generally how every Facebook Group I ever joined operated. No information is shared. One big show and tell of other people’s work, reposts of jokes, etc. No communicating. I consider it, “anti-social media”. Where is the socializing?
Now, it might be the format of Facebook. You cannot create different sections, ie, Breakroom, Reviews, Viola Talk, Learning Violin, Learning Cello, etc. It is just a hodgepodge on Facebook with no direction given to users who visit, and no encouragement to provide useful information because there are no categories to suggest that maybe I can contribute this to section of selecting material, binding tips and tricks, etc., or whatever might be possible categories in whatever Facebook Group.
I think the best format for information sharing and for actually socializing, is the forum format.
Thanks for your post, BillyG.
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LOL @Mouse - I get that 100% plus ( if 100% plus is even possible... hmm - you know what I mean...)
And thank you for your feedback! Much appreciated, 
In the earlier days, we referred to each other ( well, among the regularly active members) as a "part of the FiddlerMan Family" - that feeling somehow - to me - seems to have gone (just a little bit) in these latter days..... ( but not from my point of view - all regular contributors, over time, become to my mind "part of the family")
For myself as an admin on the site, as more and more members sign up, sure, it does become difficult for me to directly engage with those who actually DO make the effort to say "hello" - and for that I am sorry- as I mentioned elsewhere, many of us "move on" in our playing journey - and indeed that progress is thanks to what this forum has provided.
Although I'm an admin here, it's nothing special, I have no commercial or financial connection with fiddlerman.com, and I'm just another member. My "admin" status is only because it is ( well, it was in the past ) useful for Pierre to have someone in a different timezone to filter out / delete spam/inappropriate posts on the chat that was used back then ( I think it was something called "chatwee" or whatever- and seemed to be accessible to anyone on the internet, forum member or not, and back then, it attracted all sorts of unwanted posts)
So, indeed, thank you both @MoonShadows and @Mouse - the forum paradigm with something like WordPress behind it and a few/couple of active admins to cut the spam posts on chat (well, none on the new chat) and posts to the forum ( I've deleted quite a number recently which were just adverts) works just fine.... We cannot "do this" type of thing on FB or IG AFAIK.
Big ^5s to @Fiddlerman for setting this all up in the first place ! TY bro' !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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I like hearing new tunes and/or even versions of tunes Ive heard already. Especially members playing them. I think its understood this is a beginner forum but even some people that perform on stage post some more stuff. Its interesting to hear whats being circulated in different regions. Seems like there was more of that in the past looking at older post.
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I joined some other forum, Violin and Alternative strings or something like that. I posted an intro and got no responses out of 280+ views (nice friendly people) it looked like a nice forum but there is no action and no participation. This seems like a decent forum.
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The special benefit of the "forum" form, if you will forgive the wordplay, is that we can communicate at somewhat of a more intimate level, compared to social media, on a given topic. Additionally, there are rules of respect here... which I might add are completely voluntary to adhere to, and which, at least at Fiddlerman.com, I have found has been the most respectful of any forum to which I have ever belonged.
Social media has, in my humble opinion, become the trash of the Internet. No where can you go and expect so much disrespect, put-downs, distancing, inhuman and non-relationship fodder.
Although members here do come and go, like any other forum, we still do have many active members who have remained and continued to contribute in the most positive ways. Some take time off, as life does sometimes interfere with our normal activities. And I have seen them return and they are welcomed as though they never were absent.
Personally, one of the most beneficial aspects of this forum to me is to communicate with fellow musicians and share our frustrations, difficulties, triumphs, and achievements... which we each understand and relate to.
My violin teacher teaches mostly children, and although I do get the chance to talk with them and find out what their interests in music are, I do not have many adult musicians to share with. Perhaps orchestra will offer more of that camaraderie. I hope so. But it is nice to share with all of you these things that we all understand as string musicians.
From Day One of my violin journey... well maybe a few days into it, as I did have a brief detour at Violin.com forum (it did not take long to figure out that that is not my home), Fiddlerman.com has been my string family online. I hope to be here for many years!
- Pete -
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Geeze, @BillyG This is a truly great thread! Whodda thunk it! That did NOT come out right, but I am leaving it in, BillyG. It seems we all the pretty much the same as far as what we feel a forum is for.
I, too, started at the other forum and did not feel at “home” there. Came here and, from day one, felt welcomed and that I belong. I do not think I have ever posted so much on a forum before, you poor fools! 
I also never ever felt comfortable doing so. Believe it our not, I really kind of step back in actual life face to face situations with people I know personally. When I am with a few certain people we can have a blast and I do talk a lot, SURPRISE! LOL Usually in those cases with certain people, it is fun silly talk.
This forum is just a lot of fun, educational, interesting and the members make it easy to join into conversations. Granted, I have only been here since Dec 2018, but I do not see it ending.
My posts are long, I know, but whenever I type up a short email to someone, because they don’t want to read letters like people used to send before email, I get questions about everything I left out to make it short. I just put everything in now. They still ask the questions at times from emails, even though the answer is in the email. I just tell them to reread the email. 😂 I then get a reply, “Thanks, I didn’t see it.” They did when they were handwritten snail mail letters. Anyway, it saves additional posts explaining things that were left out to make them shorter.
Anyway, great thread, it will be interesting to read more thoughts from others and continued thoughts from those who have already replied.
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Although I don't post frequently, I do check in pretty regularly. I love reading how folks are making out in their journey, including both progress and frustrations. At one point or another we all seem to experience the same problems, and it is really helpful to know that you are not alone, and to hear how others have worked through issues.
I agree with your assessment of social media @Pete_Violin - I used to be on FB almost every day, and have pretty much left it altogether. I just got really tired of the nastiness that was around. I really never hear anything like that here, everyone is helpful, supportive, and just all around great human beings! I look forward to being a member for a long, long time!
Cyndie
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I'm not just saying this because I started this forum.
You guys are the BEST!!!
Thanks
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
I'm not just saying this because I started this forum.You guys are the BEST!!!
Thanks
Jim
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BillyG good post here early on having researched FB it was clear that it was all based on people attempting to pass themselves off as something they aren't,or claiming to have done things they really hadn't.
Latter on family member would tell me "you have got to get on FB it is so good" almost like they were addicted to cocaine or something,turns out its a dopamine high people get when they log onto their FB page to find yet another friends request from someone they will never hear from again after confirming the friendship request.
This happens on every social media site there is,at least here I can be the real me a total screw up LoL... 
I joined this forum back in October 2013 as I recall because I had gotten my first Fiddler man carbon fiber bow the same year,I lost my log in information in between then and this year as I had to have a tweek job on the ball socket on my left arm and didn't think I'd be able to play guitar again none the less violin good news the arm stays in place now I'm somewhat pain free and no longer have to readjust my shoulder rest every time I go to play.
I'm not sure about the rest of you but one thing I've noticed about this forum is it really seems more real and lively than any other forum I've been a member of I think its the true interest in three things our music and the instruments that makes the music and sharing our experiences in our journey.
And I won't mention that Pierre dose an awesome rendition of one of my favorite pieces of classical violin music the Chaccone in D Minor 
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🙂 Thank you @Tim317 - I agree with your sentiments regarding a lot of social-media sites. Glad to know you can feel-at-home here !
And good that the shoulder is giving you less trouble now! Fiddle on ! 
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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This is all good news BillyG. From my experiences with other sites, some of which have been around for 15-20 years. They stuck with it through the lean times. Sometimes I wondered why they kept up with it. I would come back 5 years later and nothing much had changed including user interest, then it seems things can tip in a good way. I know of one site that is now beginning to really gather steam just like Fiddlerman when it was sitting pretty much dead for the longest time. Not that the Fiddlerman site is dead by any means, just getting better.
It's probably best to rest on our own laurels unlike politics where the only way they think they can get ahead is to cut on the other guy. If you do something well and fill a needed gap you won't need to do that.
I guess I wasn't a good fit for the other site I was on. I won't repeat what happened because I posted about it elsewhere. I probably should have seen it coming a mile off.I didn't feel fairly dealt with. In my thinking I committed a misdemeanor and received a 10 year jail sentence from "them". I will say they are likely pushing more traffic over here unawares. Good for them....eh...good for Fiddlerman
I seldom ever check my Facebook anymore. I guess I should, because I have some family on it that only communicate there. I guess I'm too busy for the little unimportant snippets. I see what a FB addict looks like fist hand and it ain't pretty. A conspiracy theorist would say they are mining us all for information, consolidating farming and grocery chains, so when they clamp down on us they will have absolute control and know everything about us. If that happens I hope I'm gone by then.
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I wouldn't even use Facebook if it wasn't for my business. I don't have a personal Facebook site. I prefer forums for my topics of interest. What you say in your last few sentences, Tim....well, I'm hoping I'm pushing up daisies when that happens, because we are certainly heading that way.
Jim
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@starise SAID...
"..A conspiracy theorist would say they are mining us all for information, consolidating farming and grocery chains, so when they clamp down on us they will have absolute control and know everything about us..."
omg man! You've drawn the eye in our direction now! 
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That's not good...
We need a relaxing diversion.
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All better now..that was close.
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The More the Merrier!
Since this thread is listed under the "Forum Suggestions" Heading, here's my suggestions to help!
Think it's important to invite members to engage and help new members navigate the Forum!
Might be helpful to generate a generic msg when they 1st join, of "where to find...", point out tools and features of this forum - to MAKE SURE they can access what helps to keep us all linked. Include "Posting" tools/features - make sure members are aware of how they can edit/delete and LINK their posts to other, specific members. etc...
It took me a bit to figure everything out - can't assume people can find everything, because some things aren't easily seen or even not seen at all (depending on how individuals access the site) - some may get frustrated.
Think we'd benefit from more Headings - or maybe more in the way of "Subheadings" might be better. There's a ton of help and info, spanning quite a few years that gets kinda lost!
Some help/guidelines with organizing this?
And lastly, I think it's important to remind each other, once in a while, we are all students until the day we die... and Fiddlerman.com has a ton of aides (in different areas) for Beginner to Advanced Students!
Need to brush up on some skills?
This is a GREAT thread.
I LOVE THIS FORUM!
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Thanx to @Fiddlerman all you Members, too!
- Emily
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