The Time is Near Again

[Indyrod]

Darren, our webmaster has all ready began sounding the death blows to this forum, as he usually does this time of year. With this being what might be a very eventful year for King Crimson, and it's fan base, let's try a "get out the vote" type of Poll to convince him, this membership wants to keep the forum alive and we want to continue another year.

Please show your support, and maybe again, he will allow the forum to continue. It's a bitch it's up to one guy, but he can pull the plug and seems even more relentless this year in doing just that.

Make your opinions known in this poll, please...

[Indyrod]

You know my vote, I want it to continue and I will financially support it as best as I can. I will also provide a means for members that wish it to continue, that do not have a Paypal account, as I did last year. Everybody that pledged the 10 dollars last year with my offer, came through immediately with cash payment via the snail mail.

I get a lot from this forum, there is none like it, that mix music, opinions, and many other subjects in a no-holds barred format. That's what I want in a discussion forum, and that's why I truly believe ProjeKction serves a purpose and is very worthwhile to its membership. Unless you want only Planet Crimson around, there will be a huge void if this website disappears and you all know it. We are what we are, and this is what it is, and it needs to continue. That is my belief, and for that, I will continue to support it and enjoy it.

[vrooom]

Just let it die...

However, I have been mulling around the purpose of this site. When it was originally created (over five years ago now in the form of FraKctured - then ProjeKction) it was intended to replace a missing DGM Guestbook and to act as an alternative to KCNN, which had become a place for the intellectuals of the community to prove how clever they were, rather than to discuss King Crimson.

Now we exist in a time when the DGM Guestbook is back and a lot of populist discussion happens at Planet Crimson (not sure about KCNN, though I heard that had died like the ET newsletter). Any form of discussion here is minimal and, when there is any, it's not of any real value to anyone. From my perspective, I am sharing an environment with around 20 die-hards who appear to be waiting for something to happen. I do my best to post whatever news I find and try and stimulate discussion but for what? Nothing...

So I proffer that ProjeKction, in its current form, has outlived its usefulness. I also have major issues with the amount of spam that comes this way and the time taken to delete bogus members that are created by web bots. It is an unnecessary job that no-one, myself included, particularly wants to do. Scott suggested I upgrade to the latest version of PHPBB, but if I do that, I'm going to have to find a way of reprogamming the Portal hack to make it work with the new forum software and I have neither the time nor inclination to do this for a dead forum.

The idea I have mulling in my head is to reject the forum format in favour of a blog-style news page with any latest links, YouTube stuff and reviews displayed on a day-by-day basis, giving you guys who want to comment the chance to comment when you feel like it. That's my idea.


Darren

[MarkSullivan]

Any form of discussion here is minimal and, when there is any, it's not of any real value to anyone. From my perspective, I am sharing an environment with around 20 die-hards who appear to be waiting for something to happen. I do my best to post whatever news I find and try and stimulate discussion but for what? Nothing...

So I proffer that ProjeKction, in its current form, has outlived its usefulness. I also have major issues with the amount of spam that comes this way and the time taken to delete bogus members that are created by web bots. It is an unnecessary job that no-one, myself included, particularly wants to do...
The idea I have mulling in my head is to reject the forum format in favour of a blog-style news page with any latest links, YouTube stuff and reviews displayed on a day-by-day basis, giving you guys who want to comment the chance to comment when you feel like it. That's my idea.

Darren

I voted that I'd support the site if it continues. I think Darren is overstating the lack of discussion; we get some discussion going when there's something worth discussing (and sometimes when there's not). And there should be more actual KC activity this year for discussion fodder.

But I understand the frustrations with the technical issues, and the fact that much of that work has fallen to Darren. The blog-style news page could accomplish a lot of what this site does. I would hope that stuff like those great KC interviews would remain archived and accessible.

[vrooom]

The blog-style news page could accomplish a lot of what this site does. I would hope that stuff like those great KC interviews would remain archived and accessible.

The plan would be to integrate any existing reviews/interviews into the new scheme. Again, my issue with this place is that it needs radical simplification. There are too many sub-forums and some areas like the old diary sections are completely redundant.

Of course, I'd hire Mark to write a regular "What I'm Listening To" column as I think this would be of general interest to the readership.


Darren

[jtmack]

Like Mark said when KC fires up and starts playing it'll bring new life to this place. As alway I will support this place. I have fun here and for the few bucks it cost to keep it going it's a deal...

[Indyrod]

I'm not sure what technical issues you are referring to Mark, the slowness of the site awhile back had nothing to do with this site, it was the provider.

And the problem of spam bots Darren mentioned are being handled by three other Admins too, so this is not all on his back as in the past. I delete a large amount of those bogus memberships, and try to improve the filters as much as I can. I'm sure Dog and Fred are doing their part also.

Of course Darren is putting down the discussion, when it occurs, he's not saying much of anything positive about the site, period. I don't understand that myself, but then I guess it's hard to understand Darren's motives at times. But imo, I hope the members come to the rescue like they always have, and convince him otherwise. That blog-style news page sounds ridiculous to me, I can't believe that idea is even being considered. This has never been a news web site, it's been a discussion site that also features news. The fun and interest is discussing the news and reading and writing reviews, and discussing the history of King Crimson and other bands of interest. If Darren doesn't want to redesign the portal page to upgrade to the newer PHP, then leave it like it is. I don't see any particular problem with anything myself, just a few minor inconveniences.

[vrooom]

Whatever, Indy...you've done your fair share of scaring people away. Maybe I should just go off and do my own thing? Yup, maybe I will...


Darren

[Indyrod]

I will also provide a means for members that wish it to continue, that do not have a Paypal account, as I did last year.

This is now off the table for now. sorry.

[vrooom]

What's off the table? Eh? What table? Anyone?


Darren