the many many phonograph forums

[OrthoFan]

I noticed a couple of references to 'Phonland', I think you meant Phonolist, on Yahoo Groups....
Dave

No, I think he means Phonoland -- http://www.phonoland.com/ -- which also started up about 10 or 12 years ago, and is still active, but the attention there has switched to the electrical era phonographs, radios, and jukeboxes--mostly from the 1960s through the 1980s.

There is still an acoustic gramophone forum on the site, but it draws few hits now.

[brianu]

I actually think this forum is incredibly active, all things considered. we're not really discussing current events or any sort of subject matter - for the most part (aside from maybe a few ebay listings) - where changes and updates occur frequently and thereby draw the related commentary. so far as the level of activity is concerned, it just seems to go up and down like everything else, but on average it certainly seems "active" so to speak. I don't read matt's edison board all that often, but was up until recently a(n infrequently posting) member on the other US proboards board... there was actually a thread there not too long ago about how dead it had been there, how no one had been posting (which certainly seemed to be the case, looking at the various threads and the dates of the last posts)... and someone there even indirectly referred to this forum with a comment to the effect of, the TMF would not be nearly as active were it not for all the tedious banter about ebay listings and craigslist (although without that, I can't really see how to regularly find and discuss the various phonographs floating around out there - we can only have so many among ourselves). no matter. I guess it does come down to a personalities thing much the same as any non-virtual club of sorts... the common hobby interest only gets you so far. my only concern for all of it was really just the (apparently, but perhaps not so) needless splintering of the resources, and how that can compromise the more or less sum total of the knowledge base, if that makes any sense... especially if the various groups are all just building a resource base of basically the same subject material.

and thanks for the link steve, I'll have to check out that new UK board now.

Brian, I went back and read that entire thread you mentioned and I didn't didn't see where any one made a comment about this great board? Maybe I missed it in the reading of it. As for your missing post, we've only deleted two posts from one person in the two years that ATM board has been around and no other member has ever said their post disappeared on them. My other two Admins didn't remove your post. Only you and the three admins can delete your post. Try posting it again because their is not any "mysterious editing processes" going on at ATM. Just don't talk about nobody's mama!

As for lots of phono boards, I enjoy them all and they all have their own personalities. Summer is slow for posts on most boards.

Old Steve has really breathed new life in the rebirth of his board. I always love to catch up on it.

well that's good to know, and thanks for letting me know. there was a thread about a sonora supreme on your forum, and I took the time the other morning to type up some comments on it, which seemed to reach the thread. then later in the day those comments were no longer there, and my PM to you didn't receive a response. but I'll take your word for it and retract that statement regarding the editing, which was probably an overstatement out of frustration. and the thread regarding the ebay/craigslist discussions was at:

http://victrolagramophones.proboards.co ... thread=708

I was referencing the fourth comment down, and I only imagined it was referring to this forum given the amount of discussions of ebay and craigslist machines that occur on the TMF virtually every day.

aside from that though, this thread was aimed more toward the number of phonograph forums at this point - when there used to be just one or two - and what effect if any that has on the accumulated base of knowledge that's generated by the discussions on them, whether that base might be better or worse perhaps with fewer, if not more, sites such as these.

[Brad]

I think it is as simple as too many forums for too few folks. After the implosion of Dan's board, three rose from the ashes. Each assembled a core group with a few bouncing around between them. I personally found that it just took too much time to survey the various forums each evening and I would not bother read similar threads. I pretty much settled on following just one forum and that's that.

[Shane]

I am actually curious as to how many phonograph boards there are out there. Some of the other boards I hear mentioned from time to time I've been unable to find. I know of Dan's "new" board, and the Edison phonograph board, but that's about it. Anybody have a list?

[Phonofolks]

Still, I think Dan's original board during the heyday has been the best board out there to date. Yes I think this board is a great board with great discussion and feedback, but the discussions, the knowledge, the information and the enthusiasm on Dan's old board cannot be matched. There was constant discussion where ten minutes wouldn't go by where someone would make a comment on a topic or a new topic was created. It wasn't until things went wrong and spun out of control when all that ended. What made it even more sad was when the board was taken down all that history and discussion was lost to cyberspace never to be retrieved again. Like the Edison factory that burned to he ground much was lost, but out of the ashes came this board a few others. It's great to have the Talking Machine Forum and maybe we all can have the same enthusiasm we once had. Hey if we are lucky maybe the enthusiasm can be greater.

[Steve]

I'm not sure how many phono forums (fora?) are necessary but each has sprung up at different times to cater for slightly different interests in different markets. The UK forum predominantly caters for the UK market which is so completely different to elsewhere and the US in particular.

Over on the UK forum right now, for instance, they're discussing 'their' market and the way the trade is slipping. This has no relevance here so I believe it is one valid reason why an independent UK forum is absolutely necessary and vital for UK collectors. Over there you'll find own brands of machines like EMG that never made it overseas. Again, discussions on the merits of these machine will probably be of little interest to non-UK collectors.

I think a UK / European phono forum is essential today as the number of collectors dwindles. The market might well be flooded with machines in another 15-20 years as the older generations die off and no one steps in to take their place. Will we see disc machines for sale on every street corner? I might just have to wait that long to find out.

Until then, I shall enjoy reading the content of this forum and the others.

[Zeppy]

Still, I think Dan's original board during the heyday has been the best board out there to date. Yes I think this board is a great board with great discussion and feedback, but the discussions, the knowledge, the information and the enthusiasm on Dan's old board cannot be matched. There was constant discussion where ten minutes wouldn't go by where someone would make a comment on a topic or a new topic was created. It wasn't until things went wrong and spun out of control when all that ended. What made it even more sad was when the board was taken down all that history and discussion was lost to cyberspace never to be retrieved again. Like the Edison factory that burned to he ground much was lost, but out of the ashes came this board a few others. It's great to have the Talking Machine Forum and maybe we all can have the same enthusiasm we once had. Hey if we are lucky maybe the enthusiasm can be greater.

Well, I think there are several reasons for the loss of enthusiasm. I think the entire experience of blood sports that occurred at the collapse of the former boards jaded some, and let's face it, the economy has had its effects as well. Fewer people are shopping, looking for new things, fewer people selling their things because of a depressed market. Hobbies go dormant as purses tighten. Less shopping around, less things you stumble across to talk about.

I think once the economy recovers, peoples' interest will come out of hibernation, and things will pick up again.

[Shane]

I have to say I do agree with the bit about Dan's old board. I could ask a question on there, and most of the time, someone would respond with a useful answer within 20 minutes. I learned so much over there. This board is great as well, just not quite as intense and involved.

[JohnM]

Part of the reason that discussion was so lively on the OTVMMB was the Sybil-like multiple personality postings by some of the members. I am certain that many members of that board were actually a small number of members pretending to be other members. Does anyone recall the 'Greek chorus' phenomenon on that board wherein if a question was asked by someone and if it was answered by one of a selected few, the congratulating and adulation of the answer-provider by the same group of members would go on for several posts on a thread. If the question was answered by someone not anointed, the thread would often stop abruptly, or, the responder might be attacked (again, by the usual suspects) and their character called to question because suddenly even their politics was baited inappropriately or their ability to endure the 'good-natured non-PC kidding' and ridicule by the admin and his real and imaginary sycophants. I suspect that a lot that went on at the OTVMMB was really smoke and mirrors to drive up the view count and stoke a few mighty big egos. The loss of years of collective knowledge and its dilution before that by the actions of a cult of personality was irresponsible at best. It was lively because it was administered obsessively (read pathologically), and I for one do not miss the hostile environment and nasty culture of that board in the final stages of its long decline. My memory of the depredations of that board and the perpetrators is not so short that I am now nostalgic for it.

[gramophoneshane]

Oh, and please don't forget gramophoneshane's forum, everybody:

http://www.australiangramophone.proboards.com

Thanks for the plug Steve, but not even I check that board LOL.
Sometimes I'll look in every 2 or 3 days, but there have been times I've not checked it for 2 or 3 weeks.
My initial hope for my board was to get a few Aussie collectors to post info & pics of aussie off-brand machines. There are sub-forums for US & UK machines etc, but I wanted to concentrate on our home grown machines more, so as not to distract from the US & UK forums.
However, Australian membership is pretty thin on the ground, and there was hardly any interaction between members.
It kind of put me off a little, because I felt like it was an "ask Shane" board, where someone would post, and in most cases, I was the only person that would respond to anyone. My knowledge of gramophones & phonographs is poor at best, so a lot of the time, I felt I was not really qualified to answer certain questions, or to attempt to carry on a conversation that I know little about.

It also appears that Aussie collectors aren't too keen to share information anyway.
One member mentioned an Aussie magazine that I never knew existed, which was being published in the 1980's or 1990's (I think from memory). I asked the member about the magazine, whether they were being reprinted for sale, or if there was an online source where the magazine could be viewed.
I was then told in no uncertain manner, that the couple authors put a lot of work into the magazine, they have to make money off them, and if any of the information was to appear online, there'd be hell to pay! And I was told that the national library had copies on the shelf, so if I wanted to read them, go there.
Now, I can fully understand that the authors have every right to make something from all the blood sweat & tears that obviously went into them, but I couldn't quite understand how the authors would make money from a magazine that hasn't been published for years & years.
If reprints were available, I'd be more than happy to add them to my collect, & sure other collectors would too, but it would seem if I want to read them, I'll have to drive for 14 hours each way to do so
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed that "sharing" doesn't seem to be on the Aussie menu.
For this reason, I really appreciate the US & UK boards & their members, and their willingness to share information with like minded collectors, instead of treating the hobby like some sort of Pandora's box.

I've actually thought about deleting the board once a week for the last 3 months, but it seems a bit of a waste after the work I put into it. I also thought about doing a copy & paste of some of the threads (mostly spotlight type stuff), and posting it here or on the UK board, but most of it would be of little interest to international collectors anyway.
Marcel's been the most active member as well, & I wouldn't really feel right deleting his work either, so the board is basically laying dormant.