Not an article | Private chat with Grant Website Article Submissions | Forum

Grant,
I went to the vBulletin web site and looked around and am in the ‘demo’ at the moment. It appears it is a Joomla / phpBB3 hack, I am not able to see the server side php so I’m guessing. If so it is very versatile software and easy to customize, anyway the usergroup system seems functional for the purpose of an article or forum type tutorial system. I see a top level tutorial section as the most functional for new visitors. Perhaps it could function as: in the forum a tutorial section ,in the tool making section a how to make tongs sub-section is started with requests for tongs tutorials and demos in a sticky open for comments. The individual tutorials / demos as separate threads locked to allow only the original poster posting / editing access into them when the tut / demo is ready it could be moved or promoted into the proper CMS tutorial section. As comments and questions are raised back in the forum a question raised in the comments thread” what’s the best tongs for a beginner to make?” good question, so a new sticky thread is started “easy to make tongs for a beginner”. As content is available the “beginner’s tongs” by NWBA forum members thread is started by the tutorial editing group and built form the comments. If/when the NWBA beginner’s tongs matures it is promoted into the proper CMS tutorial section as any other would be. The decision to move a tut /demo into the CMS perhaps promotion could be by general consensus and agreement, voting or just the recommendation of the editing group, as nothing is in stone updating and editing could be and ongoing process. So am I heading in the right direction? Or where would you like to see this going?
Bob

Grant,
I hope you don’t feel like I’m nudging you along, it’s not my intention. I’m just tossing out ideas at you, I know full well you spend a lot of time at administrating this site, you either love it or it soon becomes a pain. Adding a feature can be a difficult and if it is unused or worse misused all the work you put into it seems wasted, not to mention more admin work.
I just have the opinion that the web needs a web site that offers quality modern blacksmithing techniques and procedures for beginners. I may have missed it but I don’t think there is much of anything on the web (in the form of a useable collection), and that seems odd. Iforge may bring back their blueprints so the gap in tutorials may someday change, on the other hand there is something to be said for comparable redundancy. I’m sure that my perceived discrepancy will correct itself with or without my input.
I think I may have an ulterior motive, I want your site to be more popular than iforge, you on the other hand you may be hoping it doesn’t. So before I get your goat maybe I should ask, what does Grant want? At any rate if you want more input from me please indicate it as I feel like I’m pushing so I intend to leave you alone on the subject.
Oh, as always I forget to state what I feel is so obvious to me, your site is very nicely done, it shows your handling like a makers mark it is clean, balanced and well executed. I thank you for tolerating my presence :poop: or essence some might say and will do my upmost not to make you regret it :banghead:.
Bob

Grant,
I was looking at the number of posts I have made, I did not mean to flood the forum with my babble, I know many people can find me irritating to say the least. Web sites attract people from content, and if the content is wrong it can affect it. I do want the best for this site you have built, and you may have been gritting your teeth and shaking your head. What I’m trying to say is; I intend to limit my posts and mind my own business from here out. I do not want to apologize as my intentions are good, but if you’re wondering what to do I’d like to ease your mind.
Bob

Grant,
How are you today? This may be a hair brained idea, like that would surprise you. I was wondering if you think it would be a positive addition to the forum to take an undeveloped product, such as in my knife vice, ok you caught me, and publicly show the process from specification to material selection thru developing the tooling to manufacturing of the completed product. You and a number of others in this forum have an enormous amount of talent and experience, however, I know that does not preclude disinterest in such a project. I thought it would allow others a view into process they may never be involved in, and it may prove very inspiring, or it may end up a hairball. Anyway, I thought I ask you privately, you may be sick of me and would prefer my silence. If you think it would be positive and you think the knife vice would be a good product for the thread, you need to understand, it unfortunately must be an intellectual exercise, I am in an uncomfortable financial situation at the moment. Because of this the actual product will most likely be developed in a slightly less professional manner, unless I can convince David to purchase a manufacturing license.:bounce:
Bob

I hate to keep bugging you, I know ’then stop’, but I’m unsure how you want the tutorial section to work. Perhaps it’s obvious and I’m just too thick to see it, as you have probably noticed I need some guidance. I noticed more than one member interested in hinge benders have posted and when one person posts, well you know. I was thinking a hinge bender tutorial just might get some guys to show off their babies, ugly or not. How should this work? or should I shut up?