163 replies to this topic

[david i]

Hi David,


I tried to be humorous with the CS forum situation in FPN, but I am not a native speaker and it probably went wrong, Sorry for that. Making a joke in a foreign languages needs a perfect command of that language, and I clearly don't posses it.

I was joking with the fact that a forum about CS clearly ignores the vintage pens on behalf of the modern ones that are in no way affiliated with the "old CS"

I was not suggesting the creation of more forums, With time we will for sure evolve to that, but for now FPG is very good like this.

I promise I'll do my best, with the litle knowlegge I have, to contribute to the European Part

Best

Vasco

Well, I like them there Geeks too

-d

[piscov]

Hi David,


I tried to be humorous with the CS forum situation in FPN, but I am not a native speaker and it probably went wrong, Sorry for that. Making a joke in a foreign languages needs a perfect command of that language, and I clearly don't posses it.

I was joking with the fact that a forum about CS clearly ignores the vintage pens on behalf of the modern ones that are in no way affiliated with the "old CS"

I was not suggesting the creation of more forums, With time we will for sure evolve to that, but for now FPG is very good like this.

I promise I'll do my best, with the litle knowlegge I have, to contribute to the European Part

Best

Vasco

Well, I like them there Geeks too

-d

Dam, I cannot make a correct post today.... its better to go ink a pen with my new OMAS EXTRA grey and write in Portuguese!!!


PS original post corrected to FPB

[AndyR]

I note with great interest from Wimbo's recent (non-self-deleted) post on FPGeeks that just two members have recently been responsible for well over half of FPN running costs - and we also see one of those members can no longer provide the finance.

Given the concerns expressed here regarding the moderation of the FPN CS forum over the last five or six years or so, is it reasonable now to speculate who one of those two members might have been..........?

I also find it strange that in the past, FPN outages have been referred to and explained on the more benign Pentrace forum - but nothing at all on there so far this time as far as I can see.

Andy

Hi Andy,


.....so CS pulled the plug !! I mean stopped "donating" . Strange that after the change the CS forum was devoid of Mary's "here's the new xxx" topics we all loved so much.

Regards
Hugh

Actually, I am not necessarily convinced that it is the CS side that will longer provide the funding, though it would seem to be a 50:50 chance! Though it was some time ago now, I do seem to remember there was a typical CS 'new product' topic posted in the CS forum by Mary just before things went tits up last time, rather than in the place that would seem to be prescribed by the new regulations. No doubt everything will become clearer over time.

I was more interested to see that it was finally admitted that there were two major member donors, contributing between them something like a massive $12k per year if you believe the figures we have been given. Looking to see which other topics caused admins to become especially twitchy might give us a clue to the other major donor. Noodlers springs to mind, any other suggestions? Of course, Wim could halt all speculation by telling his us exactly who these contributors are or were.

Andy

[AndyR]

Maybe now we can i invite that moderator to school us on CS with a forum here!!! Its really what its missing at FPB . I cannot survive without those topics....

Don't worry, Vasco, your ironic humour was immediately appreciated in some quarters and the same idea had crossed my mind!

I did in fact invite Mary to come over here to respond directly to the points I raised here last year and I promised her that whatever she wanted to say would not be deleted. Unfortunately she didn't appear, nor did she reply to my (polite) e-mail but even worse, she didn't see fit to correct the errors in her brochure either.

Andy

[david i]

Yep. Wasn't worried Vasco was agitating for new fora (not that FPB objects to such agitation), but it seemed like a nice opportunity to explore growing our European axis (no pun intended).

-d

[Hugh]

I note with great interest from Wimbo's recent (non-self-deleted) post on FPGeeks that just two members have recently been responsible for well over half of FPN running costs - and we also see one of those members can no longer provide the finance.

Given the concerns expressed here regarding the moderation of the FPN CS forum over the last five or six years or so, is it reasonable now to speculate who one of those two members might have been..........?

I also find it strange that in the past, FPN outages have been referred to and explained on the more benign Pentrace forum - but nothing at all on there so far this time as far as I can see.

Andy

Hi Andy,


.....so CS pulled the plug !! I mean stopped "donating" . Strange that after the change the CS forum was devoid of Mary's "here's the new xxx" topics we all loved so much.

Regards
Hugh

Actually, I am not necessarily convinced that it is the CS side that will longer provide the funding, though it would seem to be a 50:50 chance! Though it was some time ago now, I do seem to remember there was a typical CS 'new product' topic posted in the CS forum by Mary just before things went tits up last time, rather than in the place that would seem to be prescribed by the new regulations. No doubt everything will become clearer over time.

I was more interested to see that it was finally admitted that there were two major member donors, contributing between them something like a massive $12k per year if you believe the figures we have been given. Looking to see which other topics caused admins to become especially twitchy might give us a clue to the other major donor. Noodlers springs to mind, any other suggestions? Of course, Wim could halt all speculation by telling his us exactly who these contributors are or were.

Andy

Hi Andy,

I'd agree Noodlers would be the other prime (commercial) candidate and given the hullabaloo over their inks and the subsequent "rules" they must have had some sway. I would think a number of other major pen companies probably contributed in a minor way, Sheaffer comes to mind as Jim didn't like too much "bad press" about modern Sheaffers either, of course not in the same league as Mary. Certainly if I was an owner I'd have been asking a lot of pen companies for a bit of support if their product was getting a bit of "free" promotion. I agree if Wim "came clean" and simply said company X gives Y in return for Z because we need the money then we all know and that's the end of that. As to CS, given the failure of economies in most western countries to climb out of financial difficulties it has to be tough going I would think.

Regards
Hugh

[piscov]

There are clever ways to ask and remind forum members that they need to contribute. Imposing is not the way to go.

I am a member of a very friendly and well run Machinists forum and there at the beginning of each month they put a target for donations and track it until that target is met. That is done very clearly in the home page. So each time a member enters the forum he is reminded of that in a gentle way.

Here is the image and as you can see on May the 2nd, they already got almost 50% of the monthly target donations!!!





This is in my view because the forum is so well managed and so friendly that all of the members, including me feel ownership of it. Also contributions are made public!

I would even suggest such thing to be done here, on FPG and especcially on FPN. Set a monthly target, show it, keep track of it and list the donations made by members.

Just my 2 cents... for this discussions.

FPN had better alternatives than the one followed: I understand the need of funding but changing old ways by force is not the way to go... In my country we have a saying " An old donkey will not learn a new language"...

BR

Vasco

[Frank(Federalist Pens)]

There are clever ways to ask and remind forum members that they need to contribute. Imposing is not the way to go.

I am a member of a very friendly and well run Machinists forum and there at the beginning of each month they put a target for donations and track it until that target is met. That is done very clearly in the home page. So each time a member enters the forum he is reminded of that in a gentle way.

This is in my view because the forum is so well managed and so friendly that all of the members, including me feel ownership of it. Also contributions are made public!

I would even suggest such thing to be done here, on FPG and especcially on FPN. Set a monthly target, show it, keep track of it and list the donations made by members.

Just my 2 cents... for this discussions.

FPN had better alternatives than the one followed: I understand the need of funding but changing old ways by force is not the way to go... In my country we have a saying " An old donkey will not learn a new language"...

BR

Vasco

+1 Vasco!


This is the way my pen forum has been run as well! We have a "contribute" button on the bottom of the Homepage.

The Forum Host acknowledges whom made recent contributions (available for members to see). I also acknowledge member contributions frequently- we are currently doing a "pen giveaway" in return for member contributions. We did a similar event last year!

This information should be made available for members to see!


Regards,

Frank

www.thefountainpencommunity.com

[jjlax10]

I note with great interest from Wimbo's recent (non-self-deleted) post on FPGeeks that just two members have recently been responsible for well over half of FPN running costs - and we also see one of those members can no longer provide the finance.

Given the concerns expressed here regarding the moderation of the FPN CS forum over the last five or six years or so, is it reasonable now to speculate who one of those two members might have been..........?

I also find it strange that in the past, FPN outages have been referred to and explained on the more benign Pentrace forum - but nothing at all on there so far this time as far as I can see.

Andy

Hi Andy,


.....so CS pulled the plug !! I mean stopped "donating" . Strange that after the change the CS forum was devoid of Mary's "here's the new xxx" topics we all loved so much.

Regards
Hugh

Actually, I am not necessarily convinced that it is the CS side that will longer provide the funding, though it would seem to be a 50:50 chance! Though it was some time ago now, I do seem to remember there was a typical CS 'new product' topic posted in the CS forum by Mary just before things went tits up last time, rather than in the place that would seem to be prescribed by the new regulations. No doubt everything will become clearer over time.

I was more interested to see that it was finally admitted that there were two major member donors, contributing between them something like a massive $12k per year if you believe the figures we have been given. Looking to see which other topics caused admins to become especially twitchy might give us a clue to the other major donor. Noodlers springs to mind, any other suggestions? Of course, Wim could halt all speculation by telling his us exactly who these contributors are or were.

Andy

Hi Andy,

I'd agree Noodlers would be the other prime (commercial) candidate and given the hullabaloo over their inks and the subsequent "rules" they must have had some sway. I would think a number of other major pen companies probably contributed in a minor way, Sheaffer comes to mind as Jim didn't like too much "bad press" about modern Sheaffers either, of course not in the same league as Mary. Certainly if I was an owner I'd have been asking a lot of pen companies for a bit of support if their product was getting a bit of "free" promotion. I agree if Wim "came clean" and simply said company X gives Y in return for Z because we need the money then we all know and that's the end of that. As to CS, given the failure of economies in most western countries to climb out of financial difficulties it has to be tough going I would think.

Regards
Hugh

I think its more likely the modern Italian manufacturers and Chatterley pens that are supporting them. I also think Chatterley Pens/Pentime and other dealers of modern pens are involved.

Other posters have mentioned childishness. Here is an example: there has been topics running for more than a year where people describe just how great a particular dealer like Goulet Pens and Edison Pens are and how wonderful it was to buy from them. The unfortunate end of this is that the common denominator becomes not a particular piece of knowledge or interest, but the fact that they all got packages with blue bubble wrap and candy.*

*I am not trying to dispute the success of these companies or how well they are in fact run

[vintage penman]

Stipula as producers of the FPN LE pens, and a favourite of Wim may well be in the frame. I somehow doubt that the likes of Aurora, Delta, Visconti and the other Italian brands are involved judging by the parlous state of the Italian economy.

Who pays for FPN (or how much) is something we will never know, nor in my case really care about. It is however quite interesting to see all this speculation......even public laundry washing !

[Hugh]

Out of interest in my last post on "geeks" I linked to some early posts in the pinned Conway Manufacturing topic, the view count has now exceeded 5,000 in that topic. I'm amazed so much interest has been created by the FPN problems. Actually I'm starting to feel a bit of symphony for Wim and co. , I never expected the problems to be so great.

Regards
Hugh

[Deb]

Actually I'm starting to feel a bit of symphony for Wim and co.

You mean, like a solo violin playing a haunting lament for poor, poor Wim?

[Hugh]

Actually I'm starting to feel a bit of symphony for Wim and co.

You mean, like a solo violin playing a haunting lament for poor, poor Wim?

Geez...I'v been hanging around with Jon for too long..of course it should be "sympathy"..

[JonSzanto]

Geez...I'v been hanging around with Jon for too long..of course it should be "sympathy"..

If you had said "I'm banging the drum for change!" you could pin it on me!

Seriously, though: the technological struggles they seem to be enmeshed in seem to be so massive at this point. I can't remember *any* example of a site being this thoroughly hosed, and while I certainly don't set aside my issues with person or persons involved, I also wouldn't wish this kind of stress or difficulty on anyone. I realize I can be a Pollyana at times, but on some basic level, we're all human, and times like this can take an awfully big toll. In this regard, I very honestly wish for a good resolution.

[Hugh]

... but on some basic level, we're all human, and times like this can take an awfully big toll. In this regard, I very honestly wish for a good resolution.

I think that sums it up very well Jon.

Regards
Hugh

[79spitfire]

I doubt seriously that Noodler's provides financial support for any forum directly. While interest in Noodler's products is provided by 'word of mouth' (forum posts mostly) I don't think he has the margins to provide half the funding for a board that claims to take $12K a year to operate.

[FarmBoy]

I doubt seriously that Noodler's provides financial support for any forum directly. While interest in Noodler's products is provided by 'word of mouth' (forum posts mostly) I don't think he has the margins to provide half the funding for a board that claims to take $12K a year to operate.

Even if Nathan does provide support, he doesn't moderate the ink forum...

[david i]

Having watched behavior this week over at FPG a moderator of FPN's ink forum who also is a founding Admin there, I begin to understand the rumored apparent insanity of the Ink Forum at FPN.

regards

d

[Inkysloth]

Having watched behavior this week over at FPG a moderator of FPN's ink forum who also is a founding Admin there, I begin to understand the rumored apparent insanity of the Ink Forum at FPN.

regards

d

This is all so convoluted and incestuous someone needs to draw a diagram...

I signed up to FPN and just thought it was a nice friendly place where people talked about pens, paper and inks in detail that family members and partners wouldn't tolerate. And then this seething underbelly reveals itself. A bubbling mire that rivals anything seen in the House of Commons!

[FarmBoy]

Having watched behavior this week over at FPG a moderator of FPN's ink forum who also is a founding Admin there, I begin to understand the rumored apparent insanity of the Ink Forum at FPN.

regards

d

This is all so convoluted and incestuous someone needs to draw a diagram...

I signed up to FPN and just thought it was a nice friendly place where people talked about pens, paper and inks in detail that family members and partners wouldn't tolerate. And then this seething underbelly reveals itself. A bubbling mire that rivals anything seen in the House of Commons!

Said diagram would be allowed here but not many other places.