Where Oh Where has our BT Gone

BUBBAFRGA

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Just for clarification I visit BT and BN the same amount....just there is normally more traffic on BT but as some has said some of the traffic is useless for Bonsai. But then again Harry makes me laugh sometimes which for me is also good..................
 

milehigh_7

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I always figure the site belongs to the admins and if I don't like it my choices are:

1) Smile and nod and just play along
2) Just find somewhere else to go
3) Start my own site.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I always figure the site belongs to the admins and if I don't like it my choices are:

1) Smile and nod and just play along
2) Just find somewhere else to go
3) Start my own site.

And there, in a nutshell, is the impetus behind starting this site :) Not that I had an issue with other sites out there - I just felt something was missing and wanted to try to create it.
 

milehigh_7

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And there, in a nutshell, is the impetus behind starting this site :) Not that I had an issue with other sites out there - I just felt something was missing and wanted to try to create it.

Not to be a brown nose but in all honesty thanks for the option. I know its not free and I know being an admin is not all sunshine and roses.

I used to frequent another site that shall remain nameless and I really enjoyed some aspects of it. I got to have conversations with Colin Lewis, Herb Gustfson, Jerry Meislik, Ernie Kuo, Pedro Morales and others. I thought it was so cool that the people that wrote books would actually talk to beginners.

There were some who were not at the level of these others but were so negative and condescending that I grew weary of it and left.

At least most people on this site are friendly most of the time. Yea we argue a bit but so does my family. ;-)
 

Bonsai Nut

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So when it comes to the duties of a moderator instead of comming down on the side of truth they will almost always come down on the side of their buddies, Or, they will tell both people in a heated discussion to cool it but they will particularly single out just how bad you were---when you did not even light the fire.

BTW - I want to make sure people don't think I am badmouthing other bonsai sites by allowing this thread to exist. The information expressed herein is the opinion of its authors, etc, etc. I have never had an issue with BT and I don't doubt there are plenty of times when people have been upset with this site or my management of it. Moderation is not an easy task, and may not always be as black and white as it appears on the surface (as you would know if you ever saw the personal mails I get :) ) More bonsai = better. More bonsai communities = better. More knowledge sharing = better.
 

Vance Wood

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BTW - I want to make sure people don't think I am badmouthing other bonsai sites by allowing this thread to exist. The information expressed herein is the opinion of its authors, etc, etc. I have never had an issue with BT and I don't doubt there are plenty of times when people have been upset with this site or my management of it. Moderation is not an easy task, and may not always be as black and white as it appears on the surface (as you would know if you ever saw the personal mails I get :) ) More bonsai = better. More bonsai communities = better. More knowledge sharing = better.

You are correct; you have never bad mouthed any other site. You have always been fair and given people plenty of rope if it is their intention to hang themselves as demonstrated earlier. However, and this is just my opinion, not the case with all other sites who will take no prisoners when it comes to lambasting this site and some of the people who post here.
 

subnet_rx

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I like this site, but more bonsai communities = better? Not necessarily. You break communities up and you break up centralized places for knowledge sharing. If you had 100 communities with 5 people each, would that be better? The fact is, if you had forward looking administrators that really cared about the community, they would take a non-biased approach to moderating. Meaning, if you have a problem with the current moderators, then create your own sub-community within the current one and have your own moderators. That way, all the posts and knowledge stay in one place. That would be the best solution.

The next best is a few communities that gather along certain lines or niches for specialized information in a field. The problem is, with each new community you create, you get diminishing returns on the usefulness to the overall community. What good is a long post about the special care involved with a jaboticaba if you can't find it?
 

Vance Wood

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I like this site, but more bonsai communities = better? Not necessarily. You break communities up and you break up centralized places for knowledge sharing. If you had 100 communities with 5 people each, would that be better? The fact is, if you had forward looking administrators that really cared about the community, they would take a non-biased approach to moderating. Meaning, if you have a problem with the current moderators, then create your own sub-community within the current one and have your own moderators. That way, all the posts and knowledge stay in one place. That would be the best solution.

The next best is a few communities that gather along certain lines or niches for specialized information in a field. The problem is, with each new community you create, you get diminishing returns on the usefulness to the overall community. What good is a long post about the special care involved with a jaboticaba if you can't find it?

It's the old turn the station gambit. I remember when I was a kid we had three TV stations and most of the time there was nothing on. Today we have three-hundred channels, some dedicated to single issue subjects and there is still nothing to watch most of the time.
 

BUBBAFRGA

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And there, in a nutshell, is the impetus behind starting this site :) Not that I had an issue with other sites out there - I just felt something was missing and wanted to try to create it.


Thank you for what you do for our Community--BONSAI.....I know it is mostly a thankless job.
 

subnet_rx

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It's the old turn the station gambit. I remember when I was a kid we had three TV stations and most of the time there was nothing on. Today we have three-hundred channels, some dedicated to single issue subjects and there is still nothing to watch most of the time.

Yes, basically what you create is a another need, which much like TV, is a guide. Someone that compiles all of this information on 300 different bonsai sites, and makes sense of it to a person seeking the knowledge. Problem is, those other 300 all are competing for that person, and 99% will disagree that your site should be the gateway to them. It just becomes broken. Dictatorships aren't necessarily a bad thing as long as you have benevolent dictators with the future of his people always in mind.
 

Mojosan

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Back to the original question - where HAS BT gone? The server "busy" page is all I've gotten for 3 days. Does anyone know Matt? or have info on what has happened?
 

irene_b

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Back to the original question - where HAS BT gone? The server "busy" page is all I've gotten for 3 days. Does anyone know Matt? or have info on what has happened?
I sent a email to Joanie and am waiting to hear back from her.
Irene
 

irene_b

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I don't know. I'm just getting over the stomach flu and haven't heard
from Matt. Joanie
 
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Strangely, there seems to be only about 3 people that care that BT is down. The community goes forward still, all the bonsai have not died, the world still turns, and the other forums continue to continue.



Will
 

FlyBri

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Strangely, there seems to be only about 3 people that care that BT is down.

It would seem that about the same number are gloating about BT being down. That's hardly in the Easter spirit, now is it Will? What would Father Jim have to say?

Tsk tsk.

Fly.
 
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