Kindness and generosity on AGF

[Yrksman]

Imagine a life without acoustic guitars and like-minded friends to share them with?

Fate worse than death!

And, I might add, another contributor here helped me find a life changing treatment for a medical condition we share. How do you put a price on that?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Yrksman

And, I might add, another contributor here helped me find a life changing treatment for a medical condition we share. How do you put a price on that?

Icing on the cake

[Bridgepin]

This is a great place with lot's of great folks

[Acousticado]

Thanks for the kind remarks about us mods. Much appreciated. Before becoming a mod here, I had a deep appreciation for those who have gone before me, but I didn’t realize the scope of this multifaceted undertaking. It has been a great and profound learning experience. Ultimately, it’s the membership who makes this a wonderful, safe place, so thanks to all of you, especially those who understand that when we mods take any action, it is always an endeavor to do the right thing for the benefit of the community.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by woodbox

Scott wrote:

"It seems to me there should be a time where we could arrange some regional acoustic jams together and play, chat, nosh, etc. If anyone would be interested in SoCal in helping me put together one this summer, I have two excellent venues in Van Nuys and/or Pasadena."

I'm from way up North, but my Son lives in Burbank and I would make the trek to participate in an AGF event if it comes together.
I actually reached to a couple members last year about this very thing, but it didn't work out.
Count me in, and I'll arrive early to help set up chairs.

And speaking of gratitude toward Moderatators, I note our friend Glennwillow's comment.
Many of us know, but some may not, that he was a Mod for many years.
A steady hand and eye was he at the helm.
Thankyou Glenn for your service!!

And to combine these two, Glenn performed at my musicfest last fall, and there's been some talk about an AGF gathering.
If interested, please reach my way and let's see about doing this.
My place is open and suitable for a Northwest AGF Event.

Here here on Glennwillow. A real class act, and he knows I feel that way. Glenn was a mod when I first joined about five years ago. The soul of generosity and kindness, and a noted example of what is so positive about our little home on the web.

Wood, I live very close to Burbank. Going to PM you right now.

All the Best to Everyone,
Scott

[jaymarsch]

I'll add my appreciation for both the community and the moderators who are such an important part of the community. I tried to be a moderator once and my job duties at work got the best of me and I didn't last long in my volunteer position. But it gave me a taste of what it takes to do it well. I am hoping that when I retire that I will have to time to sign up again.

Lots of great folks here and I am honored to be a part of it!

Best,
Jayne

[J.R. Rogers]

I love this place. We are lucky to have the best moderators.

JR

[Charmed Life Picks]

JR, none of us would be here without you. Thanks so much for giving us a place to share our love and enthusiasm for acoustic music. I'm so grateful, and proud to be a long-time Sponsor here.

scott memmer

[Wade Hampton]

I’ve come late to this thread, but agree that the kindness and generosity of spirit shown here by so many participants is reassuring in a way that’s difficult to adequately articulate or express. I used to participate on the UseNet newsgroup rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic (RMMGA) which had no moderators and no way to limit those unpleasant souls addicted to vituperation and personal attacks.

It could get incredibly corrosive and soul-crushing to read the posts that plunged to those depths, particularly if you were the person being targeted, as I was more than once. It was almost always for the least consequential reasons, too: which brand of undersaddle pickup you liked, which strings you thought sounded best on your guitars.

RMMGA had its benefits, too, which is why I wouldn’t let the flame warriors drive me away. But it got downright appalling at times.

This forum, in many ways, offers all the best that RMMGA could offer on its most serene days, but without any of the hateful behavior that the RMMGA trolls got away with because there was no way and no one to stop them. For which I am deeply grateful.

I have had offline conversations with present and past moderators, like Kerbie and Glenn and several others, and know for a fact that in the private conversations they undertake when needed, they often get served a ration of grief from online bullies who see no reason to stop bullying just because there are rules against that here. Let’s just say that graciousness and civility don’t come naturally to some folks, and they SURE don’t like being told to correct their behavior.

Yet the moderators absorb a lot of wrath from those individuals so that the rest of us don’t have to.

So my hat is off to all the moderators on the AGF, past, present and future, for keeping this online community the cordially welcoming place that it is. Thank you for reminding us to keep to the better side of our nature, and not letting us lapse into the knee jerk savagery that seems to be the default setting on so many other online platforms.

Seriously, I am very grateful to all of you moderators, as well as to the many charter members and registered users who contribute to the vast amount of information shared and, yes, camaraderie and banter that occur here every day.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[perttime]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

I for one would love to see more AGF jam sessions, both in the USA and abroad. There is a sub forum for posting events, but unfortunately I don't think most of our members peruse that section on a normal/routine basis.

A jam would be cool.
You need a location that a good number of people can reach without too much hardship - and someone(s) to get things organized.

I've been following some jam projects on strat-talk and people seem to have great time there - and afterwards, watching the clips that get posted on youtube or vimeo. There hasn't been a time and place that suits me well, yet.

------------------

Originally Posted by schneidan

...
As to the Mods - having myself been a moderator for most of a decade, I can tell you it's tough and terrible a lot of the time. The mods here seem to have done a fantastic job, though, and the results have been a blast to comb through. Thanks for having me and for the job you do!

I think I'd die of the stress if I committed to being a moderator. I might not always agree with all moderators' decisions, but try not to make things harger on them.

[Charmed Life Picks]

I've heard from several members about having an AGF jam here in LA sometime this summer. Wade, with enough lead time would you consider flying down from AK to join us? That would be a special treat.

I have a very hectic summer ahead of me. Would one or two kind souls consider stepping forward to take a lead position on organizing this event along with me? If so, please don't PM me here on AGF but instead email me directly at charmedlifepicks @ gmail.

As an extra kicker, if the crowd doesn't get too large, I am committing to gifting a Charmed Life Pick to every attendee, to play at the event and then take home with them.

Scott Memmer

[Wade Hampton]

Well, that's a possibility, Scott, but it's really expensive to fly down from Alaska; about what it would cost you folks in the Lower 48 to fly to Europe. I already have a couple of trips Outside planned for this coming year, so I would have to look at the costs before I can commit. Thanks for asking me, though.

The other reason I try to stay in Alaska during the summer is the hot weather in your part of the world. I was born in Missouri, where it gets hot and muggy, and lived for a while in South Carolina, where it gets even hotter and muggier, so I know that I'm constitutionally capable of surviving the heat and humidity.

But I don't like it much, that's for sure, particularly after living more than half my life now north of the 60th Parallel!

So don't count on me, but please do keep me posted.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Dustinfurlow]

Really cool story from the OP. I discovered Blue Chip from this forum and couldn’t imagine playing a gig without mine nowadays.

I also never thought I’d make real friends here but I did! It was wonderful to meet a few members at Woodstock last year and it’s good fun to chat with fellow G.A.Ser’s who appreciate great guitars and occasionally look out for you when you are selling or thinking of buying.

Many thanks to the moderators for keeping this forum in check and making it a pleasant experience for all of us.

[Mike Sylvia]

Reading this restores my faith in humanity. I'm very honored to be part of this wonderful community.

Being new to AGF, I inadvertently broke a rule (nothing bad mind you), and was approached by a moderator via PM (you know who you are). He was extremely understanding, and explained to me my mistake. He was very professional, and friendly and I appreciated that very much.

I hope to become a helpful, and we'll liked member of this community.

[jazzguy]

Thank you for sharing this act of kindness and kudo's to the person who did it. We need more of this. Glad to be part of this community.