Drummer Cafe Profiles

[Chris Whitten]

That is exactly the point I was trying to make Chris. 

Yeah, I got it.  :)

This is a general observation (directed at no one in particular).

It's important to make posts understandable in plain English.
There are a lot of Drummer Cafe members who don't have English as their first language.
By the way, I sometimes find it hard to keep up with all the American street talk that pervades the net. Stuff off current TV. We often don't see the same shows for at least a year, if ever.
Also, regarding tailoring replies to a specific age or demographic........
It's a nice thought, but many guests continue to read the replies for weeks and months afterwards.
If someone is looking for advice on a new kit at a Guitar Center in Arizona for example, many more people reserching new kits (not living in America even) will read those topics with great interest.

[Matt Self (Gaddabout)]

If someone is looking for advice on a new kit at a Guitar Center in Arizona for example ...

... I'll have the billy club ready in case that ever comes up. ;)

[George]

When I surf the Cafe I sometimes check out a members profile.  I normally do this when I am unsure about a topic or try to understand a topic from the posters point of view.  Knowing a person's age and location would make it easier to put a post in perspective...

You're definitely right. But in this world wild web how should anyone be safe giving more than some vague info about themselves? As I've been enjoying this cafe for quite a couple of weeks, I would surely give my full name and details to members here, but not for the internet, which is a dangerous thing. Still, in my messages, I think I do tell a lot about myself that people can know here and answer my questions and reflect my answers more easily.

...If someone's a beginner and they're 13, I'm probably going to advise a different course of action than if they're 35.

Sure. But you can see a lot from their composing a sentence. And from the facts that they're stating or asking. And any beginner can behave as they were real rock stars, or any "old" people can ask questions as they were young and inventious beginners. Of course this is not good until we meet at a real table in a real cafe, and everyone gets reveiled, but that's quite impossible on the net around the globe.

I was using arthritis as an example.  Arthritis is the one pain I don't have right now.  I am sure I will before long. 

Me too. (This is just an example for getting information about a person hiding with no practical information in his/her profile.  ;) )

...have you ever seen some brand new member that knows nothing about Chris, for instance and start to argue with him about drumming? ::) That almost become funny at times.  I know Chris doesn't find it funny. ;).  I would like to see more info.

Well, there really was (or is?) somebody here that thought I didn't know. And I was (and still is) a brand new member here. (Sorry, there's no more info, the rest can be taken just reading through the whole database for the past few weeks since I've been a member.  :) )

I did find it interesting, that while I was anonymous (across several drum forums), people did assume I knew virtually nothing about drumheads, or the drum recording process, just because my age and location wasn't available and I was a 'newbie' on the forum.

I guess it gave you perspective inspiration to take part in those discussions - the incognito state can be funny, depressing, and just as well challenging.

I prefer members to read the words, not read between the lines.

Yes, as for practical advice (in drumming, for example), they'd better take the words of a sentence for what they mean (I mean what the sentence means), but if we're talking about profiles and people, the meaning between the lines is what I think counts.

...if anyone has problems reading this go ask a 13 year old.

Yes, or maybe a 6 year old. 13 year olds are almost adults in this fast age.

At first I thought I understood your conversation (getting quite private at this moment), but then I gave up.
And maybe I shouldn't have got involved, but Louis's starting post got me interested in the topic, and I thought I could carry on with adding something. Now I'm not so sure. (What do you think?)

[Chris Whitten]

(What do you think?)

I think we largely agree.
Which is why I enjoyed reading your post so much.  :)

[Louis Russell]

I agree that you can post too much information about yourself on the internet.  I don't think that posting age and state or country would compromise oneself but it would be a tremendous help relating to a post. 

[George]

Thanks, Chris.  :)

Yes, Louis, if we expect that the world is true and as honest as us, we could post anything, and it'd help so much. (But can we trust in that?)
By the way, after all these talks I consider putting up a photo of myself instead of that stupid 'G', like you and other members do....

[Mark Counts]

Well, there really was (or is?) somebody here that thought I didn't know. And I was (and still is) a brand new member here. (Sorry, there's no more info, the rest can be taken just reading through the whole database for the past few weeks since I've been a member.  :) )

And maybe I shouldn't have got involved, but Louis's starting post got me interested in the topic, and I thought I could carry on with adding something. Now I'm not so sure. (What do you think?)

Sorry George,
I enjoy reading your posts also.
                 Nutty

[George]

Thanks, Nutty.
Some day you, Chris, Louis and me should make up a big quartet.
You three will be playing the drums, and I will sit and enjoy listening.  :)

[Mark Counts]

Thanks, Nutty.
Some day you, Chris, Louis and me should make up a big quartet.
You three will be playing the drums, and I will sit and enjoy listening.  :)

Nah, If you are there, you can play my drums and I will watch. Or maybe I could play congas and a shaker or something?
                           Nutty

[George]

Thanks again; I would try them with pleasure, but the problem is that I can't play, really. I only do the talks, that's all. I'm trying to play all the time, but my skill is rather questionable. That's why I'm here, trying to learn something from you all.

[Mark Counts]

Thanks again; I would try them with pleasure, but the problem is that I can't play, really. I only do the talks, that's all. I'm trying to play all the time, but my skill is rather questionable. That's why I'm here, trying to learn something from you all.

Well, I do play but you and I are here for the same reason. I am also trying to learn. 8). I never took a lesson until this past year. I felt I could do the job but I didn't feel that I was improving.  I thought it was time to see what more knowledge could do for me. Truthfully, I did a seach about a drum question I had and I found this forum.  I got the answers that I was looking for and I have been here ever since. These guys that learned how to do it right way have convinced me that nothing can replace a good teacher.  I am finding out after all these years, it is never to late either.  Good to have you here George.  I think we can all learn something from each other. ;D.
                                  Nutty

[George]

I think we can all learn something from each other.

Yes, this is amazing with this cafe. I've never seen anything as wonderful as this in any other forum on the net.
You know I got here by accident, I was just trying to buy a kit after more than twenty years of absence in the drumming job, and I was looking everywhere to get good advice, I looked up all kinds of shops and forums, I was searching for weeks as I didn't have a large budget still I didn't want to get a low end kit, etc. etc. (people who have answered my posts may get fed of my telling the same story in several threads)  - anyway, it's really great to be here, even though I come from quite another end of the world, where conditions (life, music, career. etc.) and the way that people think is a bit different from how and what most members post here.

...nothing can replace a good teacher.

Well, the best teacher is always yourself. You yourself know what you want to learn and how to work it out. You get advice from 'teachers' (which might simply be anybody that knows something better than you, and you accept their advice), but it's you that accepts it or not, and practises it or not. I think we all need teachers - good teachers, who never prescribe anything, they just advise, and they can bear if someone doesn't care for what they're saying. (This is another thing why this forum is so good.)

As for playing:
When I was about twenty, I was playing with various bands for about five years, gigging and everything, and I thought I could play quite alright, and everything was fine. Now that I'm playing again, and I'm slowly getting back to the level where I was that time, I realise that I was never able to play well, and however much I practise now, I will never play really well, even though I will soon play better than ever. But I don't mind, I do it and enjoy it to a certain extent. This is something like what Ian Anderson said: too old to rock and roll, too young to die.  :)