From Digitalscream & TTony

Guitar_Slinger

Can't blame you... it must take a lot out of you and we should take it as a warning shot to behave.  Even you lurky lurkers.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Frets.

rsvmark

To both of you. It was a pleasure to meet you at the guitar show. Thank you for your dedication and hard work- despite how you feel right now, the tributes above are a clear indication of the appreciation from members.

For me, I have benefitted from advice from the community and I have tried in my own way to contribute back. The values you promoted are alive and well, and I for one will continue to participate in my own small way. For that you should be proud of what you have achieved.

paulnb57

Really sad news, but I guess inevitable.....I'm not sure what the answer to the issues is, but all I can do is thank Tony and Lee for their efforts and wish them well.....

CloudNine

Please don't let the few people who are arses when you try to moderate their behaviour, detract from the massive respect I guarantee you both have from the vast majority on here.

I fear for this place if you both leave. Go hard line, if you don't like something you see, delete or instant ban, no warnings, discussions, or any of the other bullshit that takes up your time. And I agree, a few 100 frets before selling would clear up some of the problems there, although might limit growth I guess.

If not, thanks for everything guys, you have created something fantastic and as has been said many times above, something you should be very proud of.

John_P

I hope it’s just a break and even if you take a back seat for a while you still keep posting - as well being owed a debt of gratitude for running the place you both post valued contributions to a range of discussions.  

I would suggest adding a few more mods with specific areas to focus on - they can help plug their area and steer conversations and Dave you getting involved in a lot of trivia that must be exhausting to deal with.  

As for the classifieds - I’d happily pay and see the annual August donation drive as a similar.  
There probdbly needs to be a few discussions about more members and an open classifieds vs more community and some kind of access system - imo post counts or fret counts would be a good idea but I’ll go with whatever the Modmins decide and try to show more gratitude going forward.   

rawk100

You've built a great forum here, long may it continue. I hope you come back soon feeling refreshed.

bigjon

Thank you both for the tremendous amount of thankless voluntary hard work you have put into making this place as good as it has been. Enjoy your well-deserved break.

fretfinder

You’ve done a great job with this forum I reckon and you should be proud of it. Enjoy a break but hope to see you back again one day maybe. 

Legionreturns

LuttiS said:

...beyond any admin rolls. 

Is that like a tFB club sandwich?  

Just to echo what's been said above... I started as someone looking for guitar playing help and advice, unlike the pretty common route in via classifieds, and you've both been awesome people to get to know, quite apart from your herculean efforts to keep the good ship FB sailing through some seriously choppy waters of late. 

Thank you both, a million times thank you, and please take note of the outpouring of positives above. Even if you sack off holding the rudder,  please stay around. You're both like the...err...life jackets? (Think that metaphor may have run it's course!)

Respect 

digitalscream

Just to chime in, since I let Tony do all the hard work on this one...we really do appreciate the thanks and well-wishes from everyone, but after five years of barely a day off...it wears a little. Actually, it's been wearing a lot lately, so taking a break seems like the sensible course of action.

Now, if we're to return, it'll be because we've come up with a plan to solve the issues and behaviours we see as problematic. Unlike previous rule changes, this won't be a case of, "Hey guys, we're thinking about these changes - what are your thoughts?" but rather, "We're making these changes.".

I'd hope you'll all trust us to do what's best for the community if that happens, rather than have another epic thread discussing the merits of the plan. For the majority of you, it's likely that not a huge amount would change. We have to consider our own sanity, though, and it's reasonably likely that anybody who strongly objects will be given directions to the door and the opportunity (although not obligation...) to stroll on through it

In the meantime, I'd hope you'll all stick around for The Roland and Jalapeno Show (thanks, lads), which will be playing during the intermission.

Axe_meister

I've been around since the intermusic days, through the music radar days and now on the fretboard. Personalities have come and gone there, people have shown passion in their arguments, some people have been sucks throwing insults around.
I wonder if the work would be worth it if this became a commercial enterprise, especially around the classified area, e.g. similar to reverb.com or Gumtree.
Unfortunately the number 1 rule is open to interpretation, one man's dick is another man's flacid member. (I'd personally have a no insults rule, but that is just me)
The forum has likely reached a tipping point in terms of numbers of members and functionality with a different approach to ensure continued success.
But thanks for all the good work, this is the only forum/community I come back to again and again even though I hardly ever venture outside of Off Topic/Politics/behind closed doors. 

richcol

This is a fantastic forum so massive thanks and respect goes out to you both. Hope you enjoy the free time.

thumpingrug

digitalscream said:

I'd hope you'll all trust us to do what's best for the community if that happens, rather than have another epic thread discussing the merits of the plan. For the majority of you, it's likely that not a huge amount would change. We have to consider our own sanity, though, and it's reasonably likely that anybody who strongly objects will be given directions to the door and the opportunity (although not obligation...) to stroll on through it

Wholeheartedly support what your doing and any changes you feel are needed.  I think at times you have been a bit lenient on some persistent rule breakers and if you want to introduce a tougher regime you have my backing.   I still think you should expand the number of mods to take some pressure off, Im not sure how @Jalapeno and @Roland are going to managed tbh and wish them the best of luck.   Seriously if you do think about recruiting just let us know where to send our CV's as I'm sure some of us would be willing to wield the banhammer.

Mick

Thanks for all you've done guys, it's appreciated.   Hopefully after a much deserved break you'll come back and help out again.   I felt exactly like this when I was "the" moderator over at Digital Camera Magazine.  I was quite relieved when they decided to close the forum.  Hopefully that won't be the case here though.   Good luck to you both. 

poopot

digitalscream said:

Now, if we're to return, it'll be because we've come up with a plan to solve the issues and behaviours we see as problematic. Unlike previous rule changes, this won't be a case of, "Hey guys, we're thinking about these changes - what are your thoughts?" but rather, "We're making these changes.".

I would say “don’t go in the first instance” and “make the changes to YOUR forum as you see fit now”...

have a cull!... or at least cooler the folk that are just “taking” all of the time!... 

Gassage

U

Mick said:

I was "the" moderator over at Digital Camera Magazine.  I

Tony, Lee, look on the bright side- we just finally found J-Con's multi ^^^

Every cloud and all that...

stonevibe

Thank you for all the effort and hard work you have both put in. Go take a break and hopefully everyone will be sensible moving forward.

I'm always happy to mention the forum everywhere I go, online and offline (in the real world), love the raffles and think you have built a great community, even if we are all flawed.

Cheers, boys!

Phil_aka_Pip

@TTony @digitalscream all I can say is Thank you ... and if I say "I'm sorry you feel that way" it's genuine (and not as I've heard it from management types: "I've got you down as a troublemaker and you'll be out as soon as I can arrange it"). It must be a real disappointment to conclude that what you spent so much time and effort in putting together has turned out to be something you are just not proud of, but if you feel the need to step backwards from it, then GO! with my blessing, and the hope that soon you'll want to return. PM on the way to Tony.

Mick

Gassage said:

U

Mick said:

I was "the" moderator over at Digital Camera Magazine.  I

Tony, Lee, look on the bright side- we just finally found J-Con's multi ^^^

Every cloud and all that...

I no understandy ?

DrJazzTap

Thank you for all your hard work. Five years wow. I wouldn't last five days! I can't imagine the trivial shit you guys have been dragged into time and time again. 
Once again thank you. I hope you come back and suitably kick ass. To do all of this for free I tip my hat to you!