ProSoundWeb Community

Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => SR Forum Archives => Archived Threads => Topic started by: Evan Kirkendall on January 11, 2011, 11:40:19 AM

Title: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Evan Kirkendall on January 11, 2011, 11:40:19 AM
6 years ago I was just another teenager with a small PA trying to pick up gigs on the weekend. I knew how to plug in everything and make noise, and I knew that the vocals had to be on top of the mix. But, that was about the extent of my knowledge.  6 years ago I stumbled onto the LAB, not really knowing what I had at my disposal.  I slowly learned that this was not merely a website with some random sound dudes posting bullshit, but rather, it was a community sharing their love and passion for their job. The wealth of knowledge and friendships that made up the LAB set it apart from any other forum on the internet.

But now with the LAB ultimately headed for its death, I have decided to take an indefinite hiatus from the LAB, and move on with my life. It’s been a fun 6 year run, and I will be forever grateful for the knowledge I picked up from this site. Without the help of my fellow LABsters, I doubt I’d be in the position I am today. I’ve met some incredible people along the way, and made some life long friends from the LAB. The LAB has connected me with local sound guys I otherwise would have never met, and it’s allowed me to meet a lot of other sound guys in other states/countries too.  I’ve spent the past 6 years of my life with you guys, and it’s been a good run, that’s for sure.

It’s a shame to see such a great resource go to waste. I thank everyone who has taken the time to teach me, help me, and get my foot in the door in this industry. I hope to continue my progress in this industry and continue to work my way up the ladder as the years go on.

I wish everyone the best, and I wish the best to Pro Sound Web and the powers above. It’s uncertain what’s in store for the next generation of PSW, but I am glad I was able to ride it out as long as I did.

I’d like to personally thank Phillip Graham, Andy Peters, John Roberts, Tim McCulloch, Ivan Beaver, Bennett Prescott, and Art Welter for all of the knowledge they’ve shared with me. I’d also like to thank the LAB for connecting me with locals Tom Manchester, Jim Bowersox, Matt Viv, Paul Lipp, Tom Brandis, Ryan Lantzy, And last but not least, I’d like to thank everyone for being so much fun over the years.

I'll be floating around other internet forums, and will be checking PM's here until the site is gone for good.

You can always reach me by email: Evan dot Kirkendall at  gmail dot com


Take care!
Evan
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on January 11, 2011, 12:45:10 PM
It is disturbing to watch this slow motion train wreck.

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.... Squashing dissent does not correct the root causes.

Good Luck to us all..

JR
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Adam Whetham on January 11, 2011, 12:58:26 PM
John Roberts  {JR} wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 11:45

It is disturbing to watch this slow motion train wreck.

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.... Squashing dissent does not correct the root causes.

Good Luck to us all..

JR



+1
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Art Welter on January 11, 2011, 01:01:26 PM
Thanks, Evan.
It was fun being part of the Magnificent Seven Laughing .

Art
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Tim McCulloch on January 11, 2011, 02:10:47 PM
+1

The jack-boot treatment here at the end confirms my suspicions that the ownership of this site is misguided at best and utterly clueless at worst.

I'll miss you guys, but I hear of alternatives lurking around the corner.

Tim "disgusted" Mc
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Chris Gruber on January 11, 2011, 02:18:30 PM
+1 Evan. I have learned so many things from so many people on here, including you. I think that slow motion train wreck describes this best and I am also looking forward to the "Other" options that I am sure will pop up. Losing all the knowledge is the true tragedy though. Good Luck with all you future ventures Evan and We'll see you around. Peace.
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Pat Latimer on January 11, 2011, 02:18:37 PM
Tim McCulloch wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 14:10

+1

The jack-boot treatment here at the end confirms my suspicions that the ownership of this site is misguided at best and utterly clueless at worst.

I'll miss you guys, but I hear of alternatives lurking around the corner.

Tim "disgusted" Mc


Please, please, let us know if there are alternatives. I really hate this. The knowledge I've gathered from this place has been invaluable. To see it ripped away with a fell keystroke is disheartening to say the least. That's all I have to say about that. I feel a "lock", coming on soon.

Pat "wish there was another way" Latimer


Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Scott Raymond on January 11, 2011, 03:21:13 PM
Art Welter wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 12:01

Thanks, Evan.
It was fun being part of the Magnificent Seven Laughing .

Art


You were in the movies too? Wink

Scott

P.S.  This is in your neck of the woods...ever seen it?


http://www.taosskivalley.com/member/338/Ice-Music-in-the-Cel estial-Sphere?
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Ned Ward on January 11, 2011, 11:20:39 PM
Tim McCulloch wrote on Tue, 11 January 2011 11:10

+1

The jack-boot treatment here at the end confirms my suspicions that the ownership of this site is misguided at best and utterly clueless at worst.

I'll miss you guys, but I hear of alternatives lurking around the corner.

Tim "disgusted" Mc


I'd venture that if enough fed-up folks emailed these "people" who are responsible, they might change their minds.

Advertising Inquiries
Mark Shemet
Senior Online Sales Manager
email mshemet@prosoundweb.com

Editorial Inquiries
Keith Clark
Editor
email kclark@prosoundweb.com

Executive Publisher
Kevin McPherson
508-663-1500, Ext. 264
email kmcpherson@ehpub.com

ProSoundWeb is owned by:
EH Publishing, Inc.
111 Speen Street, Suite 200
P.O. Box 989
Framingham, MA 01701-2000
Phone | 508.663.1500
Fax | 508.663.1599

I'm sure the ad sales manager will be thrilled by the lowered page counts he'll have to try to get ad dollars for with the new site. Really makes that ROI kind of hard to accomplish.
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Ned Ward on January 11, 2011, 11:37:50 PM
here's the copy of the email I sent to the above-mentioned gentlemen. Feel free to copy and use if you'd also like to respond.


Dear Sirs:

As one of the users of the PSW SR Forums, I've learned a ton of information from other LABsters as well as been able to help out others. It's been a site I visit at least 4x a day, spending at least 1 hour on the site total.

While I understand there may have been financial reasons to change over to a new server, I think you'll find that it's being handled in a less-than professional manner, with little to no caring for or understanding of what the users want.

Archived discussions - the current srforums.prosoundweb articles, be it in the LAB, LAB Lounge, Road Test, Basement are a treasure trove of searchable (by google) information that allows most of our questions to be answered by searching - no members of this board like or tolerate having the same question asked over and over again. Please make the effort to have these old messages archived and made part of the new board.

Ad pages taking over 1/3 of the page, poor layout - the "new" software feels like we're back in 1998, but also takes up so much space for web advertising that it makes it difficult to read on laptop screens or smaller. Most of your viewers are reading these on a gig - on a laptop, ipad or iPhone. I can understand you're hoping to monetize your web investment; like every other company, good luck. The people this site attracts either aren't interested in the articles or they've written them or better.

I'd suggest that you peruse some of the feedback people have to the new site at forums.prosound.web as well as the number of people who aren't planning on making the jump; I would surmise that unless your company does some serious effort in customer relations, you're going to find your ad manager has even lower page counts to use in selling ad space.

Great sites will get great page views; the current site leaves considerable to be desired (i'm putting it as lightly as I can) and your ad revenue will decline and continue in February when you shut off the old site - people will not just simply migrate because you tell them to, but will find better sites that are managed better and are more customer-focused. A new site without the great information from the current PSW is just another site, and all of us are too tired to repopulate the entire thing for you gratis.

Heck, I'm sure if you asked users if they'd pay a nominal amount ($10 a year) you'd be able to recoup significant costs, moreso than your paltry ad click revenue actuals.

Regards,
Ned Ward
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Mike Butler (media) on January 11, 2011, 11:58:45 PM
All the best, Evan. See ya on Facebook and everywhere else.
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Grant Conklin on January 12, 2011, 02:13:51 PM
Evan was banned for this?  Seriously?

Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: TJ (Tom) Cornish on January 12, 2011, 02:31:41 PM
Jeff Wheeler was the one banned, and for a lot more than this - he was actively attempting to undermine PSW's operation here.  I may have missed something, but I believe Evan is just expressing his opinion that the forum is not worth his time anymore in light of recent changes, and is not banned.  His post was before Doug announced that content would be retained, so hopefully he and others will now make the choice to stay, since this was the major sticking point.
Title: Re: Closing up shop- A formal goodbye
Post by: Doug Fowler on January 12, 2011, 02:49:16 PM
Grant -


We will put up with only so much of "if this shit continues I'm out of here", or "here's a poll, who wants a new forum", or (insert any counterproductive garbage here).

Evan was clearly disgruntled, made his feelings known, dismissed himself from PSW and he won't be returning.

Too bad he couldn't wait five minutes until I could put up the announcement about preservation of the old forums in some searchable fashion.

Whatever.  Good luck, Evan.

-doug, PSW moderator