Sell me on the Pub Forum, gentlemen.

[M Sparks]

I used to be semi-regular around here. I enjoyed having intelligent arguments and discussions with people. (Who could forget the battle royale over Pixel Aspect Ratios!) And there was always good gossip and information.

Now, it seems like most of info is kept secret, like the Pub Forum is some kind of Illuminati.

More annoying to me...the board has been overrun with...well, I'll try to be polite. Let's just say I read a whole thread arguing over the best way to pass HD over s-video cables. There's also WAY more overreacting (not that we all haven't done our share.) and a general lack of logic in many (most?) of the arguments people make. It's just Rant Central now.

So, uh...all the fine people I used to enjoy chatting with...are you all hiding from the riff-raff in the Pub Forum?

Oh, and I apologize to any Ladies who were left out of my subject header, but we all know this is a sausage-fest around here.

 

[SatinKzo]

So, what exactly are you asking? Seems like you are just complaining about the pub to me, but maybe I am not reading your post how you intended it to sound.

I won't try to sell you on anything, if you don't see any value in the site or even in the pub (which is just a nice place to really talk about anything not relegated to the pit) and some of the advance info that is posted there there is nothing anyone can say or should say to make you want to join up or donate monetarily to the site. That will just be a losing venture for all involved if you get 'talked' into joining and are disappointed.

 

[M Sparks]

So, what exactly are you asking? Seems like you are just complaining about the pub to me

No, I'm complaining about everything else. How can I complain about something I haven't seen?

I'm saying, SatGuys seems to have been overrun by people who don't really know what they are talking about. I thought maybe the people that do (who used to be the majority around here) were all hiding in the Pub.

the pub (which is just a nice place to really talk about anything not relegated to the pit)

So it's just general chat?

I guess I'm just looking for the OLD SatGuys spirit. I didn't really post for a year or two for various reasons, so maybe that's why it seems to have taken such a dramatic turn for the worse around here. If I had been here all along, it would have just gradually gotten more annoying and I might not have noticed.

If I toss in my $20 and don't find it, it's OK, because the old free SatGuys gave me a lot. And it's still the first place I'm gonna come for news. I just can't "hang out" here anymore just for the sake of hanging out. I would just be the jerk screaming at idiots in all caps, and I don't want to be the jerk.

 

[SatinKzo]

Ok I was interpreting you a bit wrong then. I thought you were an ex pub member and were not sure to join up again.

I can see where you are coming from, but as the site has grown it is inevitable that it will change. I enjoy the pub the most, but I venture out now and then. Maybe you and I just visit different forums here. I have started avoiding the dish forum for example, but frequent the FTA and Home Theater areas.

 

[jrp]

The value in pub membership is that you help support the site for all the good it can do you in the regular forums. The niceties of the pub are a bonus, and very nice ones at that.

 

[johnner1999]

The value in pub membership is that you help support the site for all the good it can do you in the regular forums. The niceties of the pub are a bonus, and very nice ones at that.

+1

I think Scott and Team charge for the Pub vs some sites that just ask for a donation! By having the Pub it makes you feel even better about spending some good money on a great resource!

 

[M Sparks]

The value in pub membership is that you help support the site for all the good it can do you in the regular forums. The niceties of the pub are a bonus, and very nice ones at that.

Well, my whole point is that the regular forums are aren't much good anymore.

I'm not trying to be a snob. I'm really down on things like snooty country clubs, but this site could use a snooty country club. If $20 keeps the bums out, I'm in.

 

[M Sparks]

Maybe you and I just visit different forums here. I have started avoiding the dish forum for example, but frequent the FTA and Home Theater areas.

Yeah, I'm a DISH man. No time for FTA and no money for high end home theater.

I just get so irritated reading all the misinformation and overreacting, I stopped posting regularly. There was so much action yesterday and today that I spent quite a bit of time here, and now I'm reminded why I left.

The fact that all of the posts here have been civil and reasonably intelligent makes me think I'm right that the smart people hang in the Pub.

 

[SatinKzo]

Civil? WHAT DO YOU MEAN CIVIL! I'LL SHOW YOU CIVIL! (Speaking of Civil, WTF happened to my folding sig panel)

Personally, I think you'd enjoy the pub. Not for the rumors or peeks at early info, but for the people. Like I said, the topics are all over the place, not a single thing is unacceptable outside of Religion or Political talk that tends to get heated and IMO just stupid so that is for the PIT. But just cause I don't get into those discussions, I am glad Scott has a place for them and from what I gather, people handle themselves fairly well down there.

Plus, being a supporter, you can sell your goodies in the classifieds for free. I love the classifieds here.

 

[jrp]

(Speaking of Civil, WTF happened to my folding sig panel)

Remaining civil — apologies for the hijack:

What did happen to the folding sigs? Not even a missing graphic question mark now.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

You should want to becomes a Pub Member because you want to help support the site and help keep the lights for others.

You should NOT join the pub just because you may hear some early rumors or because you get access to some private forums. You shouldn't even join the pub because you want to sell things in the classifieds section.

You should ONLY become a pub member as you have learned something or saved money and want to see it continue to live on.

It should be noted that we have a good number of ads, but unfortunately those dont nearly pay all the costs of keeping the site online. Just in the past few months we have paid over $12,000 for a new server and bandwith, some of these costs have come out of my own pocket.

Then figure in things we do that no one else does, such as go to cover Team Summit, Cedia, The Satellite Expo, ces and other things. All that stuff costs money to do and when we do them it costs us more in bandwidth charges.

All of these things are made possible by our sponsors, our pub members and by my loving wife who lets me do all this stuff and reach into our own pockets when we need a little more.

In addition there are times when we can say thank you, for example this past Christmas we had a huge Christmas Party and gave away thousand of dollars of prizes which all came from my own pocket. (I got a nice bonus at work and wanted to say THANK YOU to our members as we were hitting our 100,000th member mark.) We didn't have to do this but we did to say THANK YOU to our members and pub members.

So no I am not going to sell you on Pub Membership, instead I can tell you where the money goes and how it helps us keep SatelliteGuys alive for all.

When big news breaks yes the signal to noise ratio does go up but in a day or so it goes back down to a more normal level. Since we are one of the most well known Satellite Sites, when news breaks this is where people head to get updated. Sometimes I would like to tell some of them to shut the hell up, but then again remember that I was once like these folks coming to see us, people who are new and looking to learn more about this amazing technology. So we let them be, let them say their peace and move on. Most go away until more news breaks, but if we are lucky we get folks who becomed hooked on our friendly style and breaking news and talk which become regular members who then start to help out other members from the knowledge they have gained.

So there you go..

As far as the folding@HOME signatures go, I think the site that was hosting the signature files has went out of business. I will need to search for a replacement site for those signatures, however am booked with a bunch of stuff to do to get ready for Team Summit (I leave Thursday Morning)

 

[jrp]

As far as the folding@HOME signatures go, I think the site that was hosting the signature files has went out of business. I will need to search for a replacement site for those signatures, however am booked with a bunch of stuff to do to get ready for Team Summit (I leave Thursday Morning)

No sleep until you get that fixed!!!!!!

Nice explanation of the reasons for membership. Looking forward to your reports for team summit. We can live without our f@H sigs for the interim.

 

[IcEWoLF]

I love the pub members.
They are all great and very helpful.
You get many informations in the pub section that most people won't find out in weeks.
Overall you should try the pub membership, It's worth every penny.

This is coming from a guy "me" that barely wants to spend any money on anything.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I still have not found a solution to the folding at home signature, I am still searching for a solution.

 

[jrp]

I still have not found a solution to the folding at home signature, I am still searching for a solution.

Looks like it is there to me.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yup I took out the code from the vbulletin settings then readded it back in and now its working.

Strange.

Time to go get ready to leave for Team Summit!

Remember only support SatelliteGuys because you want to support SatelliteGuys.

 

[M Sparks]

I love the pub members.
They are all great and very helpful.

See, right here is all the info I was looking for.

Although Scott makes a good point...I don't want to downplay everything he does. His work alone is worth $20.

But I just haven't WANTED to come in the forums lately, unless there's something going on. I used to enjoy the conversation. And if I don't come to the forums at all, than all of Scott's work doesn't do me any good. I want other good people around.

It's like this...Sean Mota goes way back around here, and he said something today that is one of my pet peeve myths.

So I said "No...it's like this"
He said, "I didn't know about that, but did you know this?"
I said "Good point."

Everyone stays happy and we both learn something. But I haven't had too many conversations like that lately. Usually, the conversations end with my trying not to drop the C-Bomb. I'm getting too old to talk to idiots...my blood pressure can't take it. I'm hoping to have more civil conversations with the "great and helpful" people in the private area.

 

[Jimbo]

See, right here is all the info I was looking for.

Although Scott makes a good point...I don't want to downplay everything he does. His work alone is worth $20.

But I just haven't WANTED to come in the forums lately, unless there's something going on. I used to enjoy the conversation. And if I don't come to the forums at all, than all of Scott's work doesn't do me any good. I want other good people around.

It's like this...Sean Mota goes way back around here, and he said something today that is one of my pet peeve myths.

So I said "No...it's like this"
He said, "I didn't know about that, but did you know this?"
I said "Good point."

Everyone stays happy and we both learn something. But I haven't had too many conversations like that lately. Usually, the conversations end with my trying not to drop the C-Bomb. I'm getting too old to talk to idiots...my blood pressure can't take it. I'm hoping to have more civil conversations with the "great and helpful" people in the private area.

There are plenty of good and knowledgeable people here in the pub and in the other forums as well.
I have learned plenty and hopefully given good advice to others that have asked for MY help as well.

From reading your last post and the others in this thread, it sounds like you know all you need to know about this hobby and don't want to help others. (Too old to talk to idiots).
Once you look around for a bit, you will be able to determine who knows what they are talking about vs the others that just try to create controversy, (unfortunatly , there are those that want to do that) then again, this is an equal oppertunity site, very few scoldings and a very friendly place to hang out.

Jimbo

 

[LER]

The FAH server had a problem last night. See the frontpage of folding.extremeoverclocking.com

LER

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Damn, I thought I fixed something for once.

Thanks everyone for your support. Now I am headed to bed as I leave at 5am for Team Summit in Nashville.