ISSUE # 61 HAS ARRIVED

[Muskrat Portage]

Yep, mine arrived at lunchtime today, couldn't get the wrapper off fast enough.
Muskrat

[Deactivated Member]

Hmmm, it must be on the newsstands by now. I really should re-up, although I always end up buying a couple of duplicate issues when I'm in Scotland.

Are there no considerations for "OMG Does he ever stop..." members?

[Bullie]

Wooohaa... Yesterday my copy showed up. Sometimes it feels as one lives in the middle of the desert, and the only way to get there for the postman is by waterskiing. Or perhaps the antarctica, and deliveries are only available during the time of year when the temperature is over 35 degrees C.

Well, less than a month later than releasedate this time...

[MGillespie]

Are there no considerations for "OMG Does he ever stop..." members?

Wasn't there a reward offered for reaching gold status a couple of years ago? I seem to recall some members mentioning when I first joined the forum that they received a year's subscription...

Mark

[Deactivated Member]

I wonder whether the threshholds for each level shouldn't be increased over time. Two years ago, there were only a few Gold members, most of the postings were directly related to whisky and the accolade actually meant something - now there are 34 Gold+ members and plenty of threads that bump up the postings level for very little effort. Perhaps the ten most prolific posters should be Gold, the next ten should be Silver, the next twenty Bronze and the rest have no status label. Status could go down as well as up.

[Di Blasi]

I finished reading mine last night. Now to wait another month or so for the next issue. Oh, what to read...

[les taylor]

Nick Brown wrote:-

I wonder whether the threshholds for each level shouldn't be increased over time. Two years ago, there were only a few Gold members, most of the postings were directly related to whisky and the accolade actually meant something - now there are 34 Gold+ members and plenty of threads that bump up the postings level for very little effort. Perhaps the ten most prolific posters should be Gold, the next ten should be Silver, the next twenty Bronze and the rest have no status label. Status could go down as well as up.


Nick there is a problem with this suggestion. To illustrate even OMG sometimes make posts that are frivolous. Would we need the moderator to knock back some of the posts because they are not seious enough? or if they have gone off topic like we have here, are they not to be counted as a legitimate post?

Or does a post have to be of a certain length? Would we be in a word count situation to make a post valid? Even a small distillery with a small amount of output is as valid as a distillery as one of the big boys.

Do you not think that those who are not really serious about the subject will get bored and go away. Or is this a cosy club and it does not want anybody new to join.

I hope my reply to your comments does not give offense as it was not intended to do so. Worth thinking about though.

[Deactivated Member]

Les - No offence taken. I have no problem with others joining a club. I wouldn't want to reduce frivolous comments, but at the same time I think Gold membership should mean something. I don't think it does right now as it only takes some posters three or four months to achieve. My solution would keep the cachet because the membership would be limited and lose-able. I see from posting levels that my proposal would reduce both of us in status from Double Gold to Silver, but I suspect that is a more honest assessment of where we would both fit in.

[Deactivated Member]

Wasn't there a reward offered for reaching gold status a couple of years ago? I seem to recall some members mentioning when I first joined the forum that they received a year's subscription...

Mark

Yes, but that was indeed before the precious-metal inflation Nick refers to. There was the choice of a year's sub or a couple of Glencairn glasses. Matt mentioned here once that the office supply of glasses ran out a long time ago, and the reward was quietly dropped. I look on it as an incentive program to try to encourage people to make this a lively place. The program was successful beyond anyone's dreams, and is obviously no longer necessary. I don't think anyone envisioned what these forums would eventually become! Had they known, they might have scotched the whole idea (pardon the expression). Midget ponies indeed.

This would be a propitious moment to thank the magazine for making all of this amazing glorious fascinating absurd infuriating folderol possible. Among other things, the great weekend I spent in Victoria a couple weeks ago would never have happened without it, at least not for me. I have made some great friends here, hopefully lifelong ones, and I am very grateful. Next to that, the monetary value of a year's sub is insignificant.

As for reclassifying memberships, I'm not sure there's any real point. Perhaps the upper echelons could be redone on a basis other than precious metals, without disturbing the existing gold-silver-bronze levels. I have no specific suggestions at the moment, except that the number one poster perhaps ought to be identified as "Mr Tattie Heid His Own Self".

[les taylor]

Thanks for your comments guys. Some people are obviously more prolific than others. Probably OMG has made Gold status again since christmas. To restrict postings is not really the answer either.

Does not the fact that there are now so many Gold members indicate the success of the forums. With more people contributing, raising topics there is going to be more to comment on.

It makes you think about the Olympic games where the Gold Silver and Bronze idea comes from. 100 years ago the events taking place would have been far less than today. So there may have been say 50 Gold Medallists from the whole games. Now with so many events relays etc. It has not devalued the games but enriched it through its variety. Also its appeal is greater because of the inclusion of minority sports.

So surely with this forum with the growth in interest of single malts plus the introduction of broad band to so many it will grow further. In my own case two years ago we were only just getting broadband. Hence we would not have had acces to this place before then.

I only discovered the whisky mag itself when we stayed in the Port Charlotte Hotel in 2005. I had not heard of it before then. Many of you guys had been members of this forum before then. I don't know where it leaves us but there is always going to be change. Even this homepage changed 24 hours ago.

[Di Blasi]

I think however we post, however many times we post, content, or whatever is the best judge of what kind of members we are, how we present ourselves to each other etc. Just some thoughts. I need a whisky.

[MGillespie]

This would be a propitious moment to thank the magazine for making all of this amazing glorious fascinating absurd infuriating folderol possible. Among other things, the great weekend I spent in Victoria a couple weeks ago would never have happened without it, at least not for me. I have made some great friends here, hopefully lifelong ones, and I am very grateful. Next to that, the monetary value of a year's sub is insignificant.

Amen to that! Thanks to Matt and all of the gang for making this possible...

Mark

[les taylor]

Di Blasi wrote:-

I think however we post, however many times we post, content, or whatever is the best judge of what kind of members we are, how we present ourselves to each other etc. Just some thoughts. I need a whisky.

I have to agree with Di Blasi. There have been some posts this week which on the surface seemed funny. As the week has gone on some behaviour has in my opinion gone beyond the mark. I can feel a return of what has happened to the forums, coming on. Sadly.

[Deactivated Member]

Civil discourse will foster more civil discourse. I've come to the conclusion that the proper response for anything else is no response at all. Agreed?

[Elagabalus]

Is this is a joke? Is there actually an argument fomenting regarding "status" in relation to number of posts?

Nick Brown how old are you?

Who cares about anyones status?

Jesus Christ!

[MGillespie]

Civil discourse will foster more civil discourse. I've come to the conclusion that the proper response for anything else is no response at all. Agreed?

I'm not responding to that!

Mark

[Deactivated Member]

Civil discourse will foster more civil discourse. I've come to the conclusion that the proper response for anything else is no response at all. Agreed?

I'm not responding to that!

Mark

##$%#$%!!!!!

[MGillespie]

Gotcha!