How about a different Minstrel network site?

[RobMac]

I feel you guys would enjoy using a Minstrel Banjo social network site
such as those made by Ning. I set one up a few months ago for the
baroque guitar and vihuela which you can view (some restricted areas
to visitors) at this address: http://earlyguitar.ning.com/

We could have all our videos, photos, soundfiles, discussion forum in
a user-friendly area which is much smaller and more focussed than
BanjoHangout, and more visual than this google group. Setting up a
network takes about one minute.

You might not be able to view the personal pages - they include a
personal mp3 player which you can populate with your own mp3 files.
Visitors can click on this and minimise it while viewing other pages.
In other words, you could have your very own radio player, playing
your recordings. You could also have conversations between individuals
on their own personal pages, and there is a method of sending private
messages as well.

On the other hand, you might be perfectly happy with things the way
they are.

What do you think?

[Timothy Twiss]

Hey Rob, that seems like a great spot. Does it require
fees....moderator....maintenance??
tt

[Rob MacKillop]

There are no fees unless the video vault gets overloaded. But as the memory is huge, and we insist on links only from YouTube (or similar), there is unlikely to be an issue.

 

Whoever starts it off will be Moderator, but with the ability to invite more moderators to form a team. I've been moderator for the early guitar group for six months or so, and after the initial setting up and tweaking here and there, I haven't had to do anything.

 

Maintenance - no issues so far. I don't know how Ning manage it, but there are no advertisements at all, and no-one has reported any sp*m or scammers.

 

A colleague runs the Ning lute site. They have over 300 members, and so far have had no issues worth mentioning. Likewise the cittern site. In fact, we all used to have email discussion lists, and I wondered whether lute players would be interested at all in a social network group. But they are! They seem to love the place. Some still use the old email discussion list because it is more familiar, but the vast majority have given the thumbs up to the new site.

 

I could set one up for a month's trial. If the consensus is that it is no good, I could take it down in a couple of clicks. But I do think a more experienced, long-standing member of this here community should initiate it, if only because I am new to the whole minstrel thing, and, who knows, it might be just a passing fad...

 

Rob MacKillop

2008/9/25 Timothy Twiss <milfor...@comcast.net>

[trapdoor2]

Sign me up! I really, really, really, really (really) dislike this
format. I've been snooping around your links to the 'ning' sites and
they look pretty sweet. How is the editing function for posts there?
Here, you cannot edit a posting once sent...a feature I dislike with
some intensity (as I make more than my share of mistakes). Can one
insert pix into one's posting?

===Marc

[Timothy Twiss]

It sure would be nice to have all those things in one site. I am in favor of
it.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom-B...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Tom-B...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of RobMac
Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 2:19 AM
To: Minstrel Banjo
Subject: How about a different Minstrel network site?

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, there's only one way to find out...I've created this: http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/

 

You are all cordially invited to Sign Up and start adding your photos, soundfiles, videos, scores, events, etc, etc.

 

I would appreciate it if one or two of you offered yourself as joint Administrator. Let me know, and I'll set it up. As administrator of the early guitar site, I have to say that you will not be busy!

 

If, after one month, we decide it is not a good idea, let me know and I'll take it offline in a minute. However, I've a feeling you might like it!

 

You might be worried about the future of this google discussion group. My experience is that they can both exist and complement one another.

 

By the way, I was wrong - the Ning site DOES have ads - Google ads - down the right-hand side. Believe me, they are unobtrusive. I never noticed them!

 

Rob MacKillop

[Timothy Twiss]

I’m in! I’ll dig in when I get home from work.

Thanks

tt

 

---

[RaiseTheHatchet]

just signed up

On Sep 25, 4:32 pm, "Timothy Twiss" <milfordmu...@comcast.net> wrote:
> I'm in! I'll dig in when I get home from work.
>
> Thanks
>
> tt
>
>   _____  
>

[Daniel Partner]

Sounds like a great idea to leave the internets of the twentieth century
behind.

> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.7.2/1690 - Release Date: 9/25/2008
7:05 AM
>
>

[GCA]

Okay, so far I'm enjoying Ning. Thanks Rob.

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, the Ning site has just been going for a few days. A few people have emailed me saying they like it a lot, but I hope the membership grows - especially from guys here, as I think both are complementary. The site will improve greatly when people upload more videos, mp3 files, and photos.

 

Regarding the Forum - my experience with other Ning sites is that it is reserved for more social commentary, whereas the email discussion groups such as this Google one are reserved for more serious discussion. There's no reason why that should be, but it's fine by me.

 

Eventually it will be great to have all the videos and soundfiles on one site, rather than dotted all over the internet. Banjo Hangout is a great place, but it is so big, finding minstrel-related things is hit and miss, in my experience. So, feel free to upload all your old videos - in fact don't upload them. All you need to do is provide a link from YouTube. It only takes a few moments.

 

Rob