Piano World Home Page Forums Restricted and Archives The Coffee Room The archives, Frank...

What is going to happen to the Archives, Frank? They contain so much priceless wisdom, humor and both personal and group history. I don't know about anyone else, but I had always intended to download many of the threads - even ones I hadn't read - for my files, to study and reminisce.

I understand your motives in shutting down the Coffee Room, I think. Indeed, the only real question in that regard is why now instead of earlier? I suppose sometimes the breaking point just comes rather suddenly even if the stressors occurred mostly in the past.

But it IS so little notice. That I find puzzling and a little unfair. By now alternate fora have been patched together with admirable speed. Again, the suddenness of the announcement, has dictated in a sense, which site is most apt to survive. That's because in the moment of choice, members go to the site which is ready and jgoo's site was prefabricated.

All other things being equal - relatively - members' preferences are dictated almost immediately by the critical mass of how many have already signed up. The most appealing site is the one with the most CR citizens already in attendance. A half day's lag time may have made all the difference in this outcome. I say this with the utmost affection and respect for jgoo - a fine young man whom it has been a privilege to watch grow and mature on this site. But Cindy’s site deserves consideration too – and Larry himself didn’t have adequate time to ready the option he wanted to offer.

I thank you, Frank, most sincerely for the hours (embarrassing in number) I have been fortunate to spend both on the Piano Forum and in the Coffee Room. I have learned an enormous amount from others and also even a lot on my own steam, by being forced to do research to answer erudite posts in debate. I had to review my French, my German and my Russian on occasion, to respond as needed. This is an amazing achievement - to galvanize me to do so much work! Pride surely is a great motivator. Seeing myself "in print" along with not wanting to make a fool of myself, has done me wonders. Also, being vastly behind the curve, this was my first Internet experience and that too has been an enlightenment.

But I do feel we haven't had quite enough time to catch our breath and create memories of what for many of us, has been a deep personal involvement. Years of this involvement. It’s a kind of investment. Even adults grow a great deal in a matter of years. I would have liked more time to create a scrapbook of memories - not easy even with triple or more these three days we were given, owing to health issues and related commitments. Brownie recipes, best beaches, investment advice, great summaries of political points for reference….

Or it possible that the archives could be maintained here or somewhere else - even on a pay per view basis?

Hoping that someone else remains at the fairgrounds among the popped balloons, crumbled peanut bags and the sticky cotton candy melting in the sun.

Doesn't anybody else care about the archives?

With warm regards for all. I am fond of all, well, almost all, of you. Some I would have to say I have learned to love. You have all been my teachers. I also have this pervasive sense of loss for the records of this long chapter of the great human tragicomedy – records which are also an important chapter in my own life.

Ariel

Ariel,

How nice to see you again...

Well, I actually saw you at Cindy's place a while ago.

Right you are.

Frank, how about preserving the archives in a password protected place or turning them over to another custodian who will preserve them?

There are a lot of connected people here whose connections depend in part on these pixels.

jf

Oh my. Ariel! I sure hope you still remember poor ol' me! (Or maybe even Aveu..who's first letter is the same as yours.)

Tom, quit fooling around.

Seriously, Ariel, where have you been keeping yourself? I have missed you. Oh, and about the archives. Think of it like a cherry blossom like the japanese.

Come on Gryphon...I thought you knew everything. Ariel has never been far from our hearts or our posts.

jf

You dopes. Ariel is one of your casualites. DUH!!

Anyway, she's in Cindy's room, as I hope will be others who just couldn't abide the incivility.

I hope you'll all come, exchange ideas, wit, humor, intelligence, and be nice.

Ariel,

Thanks for this moment. Please accept my sincere and humble apology. It can't make up for all I've done to hurt you.

But, it would mean a lot to me.

Tom

Tom, you have class.

jf

jf, I don't know what you are talking about, and it seems like you and your wife need to come up with one story. Or I'm just really confused.

Crash, JBryan, gryphon (oh, hi, Jack...) , many greetings!

I've missed you all.

I'm OK - thanks for asking. My back is in godawful shape (and I need a couple of operations - knees rusting out too. Just bad genes), but the main reason I bowed out was I was too addicted.

It was a hard habit to break, but I did poke my nose in invisibly now and again (thanks for the run-over-by-truck-speculations, gryph - couldn't you at least have sniffed a bit and wiped your eyes??)

more...

Amanda (I only went by Ariel so I could diss the piano dealersip in my small town with impunity)

I, for one, would pay money for a CD of the Archives.

Me too, Kenny. The blackmail potential ......

Hey Ariel.

And Frank, I know you are sick of all this, but Ariel brings up a good point. - There are some wonderful things in all of these pages. It would be a shame not to be able to access them - like you used to do with the threads you closed - made them read only. Any chance of at least having some sort of members only privelage for that? It would mean a lot to some of us. Maybe that is too complicated or expensive, I don't know.

Jodi

Gryphon, we are two people. We have two stories. Beyond that, i have not a clue what you are talking about.

jf

Actually, I would also pay money for a CD of the Coffee Room Archives. From the very beginning. But its way more that would fit on one CD, isn't it?

Jodi

Well I guess no forgivness for me!

Humph!

A DVD would probably hold it.

jf

Likewise, Kenny. Great idea. Is this computeristically possible?

I emailed Frank a link to this thread. i don't assume he reads everything. At least i hope he doesn't!

jf