So Talkbass Has A Store Now...

[/\/\3phist0]

When you turn on your TV do you see ads? Yes...

But, when you turn on your TV, do you see an overlay on the screen where you can click and buy that product or other products on the cable providers store?

Yes actually. Pay per view, on demand, and preorder a digital download..

 

[Downunderwonder]

IMO the question is "what is talkbass.com"?

Originally, it is what many of us turned to as a follow on to the email list "the bottom line". That was the really the first place bassists could find useful information that wasn't dictated by advertiser pressure. Bass Player magazine did OK under jim roberts but has since felt at times to be less-than-free with information and lost credibility. If you wanted to figure out how to put together a decent rig for 5 string bass, it was TBL then it was talkbass.

Many of us have contributed dollars and more importantly our knowledge and experince to support this site as a knowledge base. The store, while a minor thing, undermines the essence of what this is, at least what it is to me. I post here to help people learn and succeed as musicians. I dont do it to add gravity to what could become a merchant site. IMHO the TB branded gear is fine but commercial products available elsewhere are off key. If your family wants to get in on retail, they could start another site and play by the same rules of engagement that jason does.

My $.02 as an old timer.

I am a relative newcomer but this is exactly how I see it.

 

[neckdive]

Listening and agreeing with you.

I've been thinking about this since I was notified of this. Maybe I wouldn't have reacted as I did if I was contacted before the launch. There are things we could have / could do to work together.

I am open to spending more to advertise on this site and others.

The only reason I chose to not post as much info here is simply to not continue to build content for someone else's site that is obviously open to doing what I do. As you said... the link at the top doesn't mean as much.

I fully appreciate the fairness principle that you are upholding on this issue. But your knowledge and reputation on TB trumps any perceived convenience of buying strings at a TB store (hint... having a direct link is not functionally more convenient than going directly to BSO via Google or other search engine). Any strings sold at the TB store will likely have zero affect on BSO sales.

Jason, you are beloved by a lot of folks here so my humble suggestion is for you to cool your jets, sleep on it and get back in the fold tomorrow. You're well-respected here because of the things you say and write so there is no need to take that away because of a simple hyperlinked word buried deep in the TB navigation.

It's never late to do the right thing.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Your presence in the forums is a far heftier advertisement than a single "we've opened a store" email. One email and one alert compared to thousands and thousands of posts that advertise your business, which you do not have to pay for. Technically you bringing up your VIP program in this thread is a violation of the CUP but that was even allowed to stay.

It's really a simple matter if you look at it without emotion. Will your customer base grow, stay the same, or lessen over the years if you cease all posting here over the years? It's pretty clearly going to be lessen. Probably to a large degree.

We get advertising dollars for banner ads from lots of companies, including bass stores and companies. That doesn't stop Jason from Fodera or Dave from Genzler from posting in the forums as they know their presence means more potential customers and, what's most important, they like talking with the community. If you feel your business will be negatively affected, and have no wish to communicate with the forum if it doesn't benefit your business, then I guess there's nothing we can do.

The announcement left me feeling a bit put upon, kind of like a solicitor knocking on my door.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

I fully appreciate the fairness principle that you are upholding on this issue. But your knowledge and reputation on TB trumps any perceived convenience of buying strings at a TB store (hint... having a direct link is not functionally more convenient than going directly to BSO via Google or other search engine).

Jason, you are beloved by a lot of folks here so my humble suggestion is for you to cool your jets, sleep on it and get back in the fold tomorrow. You're well-respected here because of the things you say and write so there is no need to take that away because of a simple hyperlinked word buried deep in the TB navigation.

It's never late to do the right thing.

Thank you. Will be messaging the owner privately to setup a chat sometime soon.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Tolerance of spam is closer to zero than Paul realised.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

The announcement left me feeling a bit put upon, kind of like a solicitor knocking on my door.

A small ad on the internet left you feeling put upon? You're either massively over-exaggerating or you just started using the internet yesterday.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Bumper stickers were too nice for my old car.

Bumper stickers held down the side moulding on my 72 valiant

 

[/\/\3phist0]

A small ad on the internet left you feeling put upon? You're either massively over-exaggerating or you just started using the internet yesterday.

Wow, really? Nice snub. I have banable comebacks, but they'd only exist for a moment in time and the insult was more than childish thank you.

 

[Selta]

A small ad on the internet left you feeling put upon? You're either massively over-exaggerating or you just started using the internet yesterday.

Bryan, your repeated down putting of people here in this thread is really not becoming of a mod / admin. Can you stop the childish behavior, and instead maybe respect that people DO have feelings and opinions that actually should be taken into consideration?
If someone tells you they are hurt by something, your immediate response should not basically be "Nu uh, you're wrong".

I'm very disappointed in what has come to surface of the administration here.

 

[Downunderwonder]

On the DB side we have the Golihurs dispensing free advice. I hope TB shop doesn't want to cut their lunch.

It's a delicate business providing a free forum and making it pay. When a good part of the good stuff on TB comes from commercially motivated posters and the rest comes from the regulars doing it for love, you gotta tread carefully.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Wow, really? Nice snub. I have banable comebacks, but they'd only exist for a moment in time and the insult was more than childish thank you.

It's not an insult. There are ads on nearly every page of the internet. Every day you see thousands of them. The signatures of some people here are far more elaborate ads than what you saw from TB.

 

[sissy kathy]

On the DB side we have the Golihurs dispensing free advice. I hope TB shop doesn't want to cut their lunch.

It's a delicate business providing a free forum and making it pay. When a good part of the good stuff on TB comes from commercially motivated posters and the rest comes from the regulars doing it for love, you gotta tread carefully.

Given the cost of DB strings I doubt that 'the store' will be in a position to offer those strings for the foreseeable future.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Lord forbid you tick off the commercially involved experts that hold up the amps forum for love.

 

[Downunderwonder]

It's not an insult. There are ads on nearly every page of the internet. Every day you see thousands of them. The signatures of some people here are far more elaborate ads than what you saw from TB.

big fail there big fella.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

It's not an insult. There are ads on nearly every page of the internet. Every day you see thousands of them. The signatures of some people here are far more elaborate ads than what you saw from TB.

But none of them come as an alert, which emails me. I do not come to this forum (edit ** Pay membership for )to attract unsolicited, advertisements. In email no less, and because it comes from a party I trust, I cannot filter it out like spam, now can I??



Knock knock , "want to try out some brushes, perhaps you need a Bible?

Oh and Bryan, calling someone naïve , is generally accepted as a personal slight, aka an insult, akin to calling their intelligence into question.

Gee what's next telling me I have an ugly bass ?

 

[flojob]

Man yall are super sensitive haha
Yall need folks on an Internet forum to listen to your opinion and consider your feelings? Haha man up. Serious.
Cause yall pay a few bucks a month? some of you folks with these opinions don't even contribute monetarily...now yall talk like should have a say so because you been bumming around here for years haha
I'd be a horrible businessman. I'd be telling all you chumps to kick rocks. It's this man's business

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Bryan, your repeated down putting of people here in this thread is really not becoming of a mod / admin. Can you stop the childish behavior, and instead maybe respect that people DO have feelings and opinions that actually should be taken into consideration?
If someone tells you they are hurt by something, your immediate response should not basically be "Nu uh, you're wrong".

I'm very disappointed in what has come to surface of the administration here.

I'm responding as a 14 year member here as well. It's just saddening to me that a number of people who use the site freely clearly by their responses show no respect to the amount of time and investment that goes into it.

 

[sissy kathy]

I'm responding as a 14 year member here as well. It's just saddening to me that a number of people who use the site freely clearly by their responses show no respect to the amount of time and investment that goes into it.

You may be a 14 year member, but you're a member of the TB staff. You are supposed to be uphold the standards of behavior here. One of those rules is to treat everyone with respect. Because you are staff you can't expect that you won't be held to a higher standard. Your years of membership don't count nearly as much as your status as a staff member.

 

[Selta]

Man yall are super sensitive haha
Yall need folks on an Internet forum to listen to your opinion and consider your feelings? Haha man up. Serious.
Cause yall pay a few bucks a month? some of you folks with these opinions don't even contribute monetarily...now yall talk like should have a say so because you been bumming around here for years haha
I'd be a horrible businessman. I'd be telling all you chumps to kick rocks. It's this man's business

Sounds like Paul should consider you for mod / admin duty - you'd fit right in with what I'm seeing from Bryan!

I'm responding as a 14 year member here as well. It's just saddening to me that a number of people who use the site freely clearly by their responses show no respect to the amount of time and investment that goes into it.

If Paul doesn't want this site to be free, he should consider putting it behind a paywall. I used to be a supporting member - after today/tonight, I'm very glad that I no longer am. I am fully aware of what it takes to run a site like this, I've done it plenty before (actually, a site that has ~4x the members of this one).

Respect is a two way street, though, and so far I'm seeing very little of it from the top down. First, a prominent vendor posts his objection to how things were handled, and how TB has become competition to him... and he was treated very poorly. Several users have come out either in support of that vendor, or with their own input, and have also been treated in a manner that was in poor taste.

I like this site. I like a few members of it. I've met a lot of people here from it. I used to sell gear on here, which benefitted me (and TalkBass, since I paid for that privilege). But, honestly, with 240,000 members (considerably less actually active), I think that some folks over estimate the positive impact and reach that talkbass has (let alone the rep it already has in quite a few circles).

Again, I fully realize that this is Paul's gig and he can do whatever the heck he wants. That doesn't mean that treating vendors and individuals is OK, nor does it mean that people expressing their opinions are wrong. Perhaps, before responding, the admin and mod staff should have a call or whatever you use for group communication and discuss how to actually proceed, before going farther down the hole and treating more people like crap. In the mean time, Jason should likely do similar, and give it a day or two to sink in and evaluate his options.