http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YImIvmtuHAE&feature=kp​

The title of this thread says it all and it's really sad that I even have to make this post but a lot of you are so stagnant that I am left with no choice. I was actually querying member data on AudioZ the other day and I looked at the list of people on AudioZ that signed up and never made a post or a comment and it was so much greater than those that did that it was fucking unbelievable. I know many people on both AudioSex and AudioZ sign up with the idea in mind that they will just consume, stand by the wall and never contribute anything...whether it be a thought, some help for a member, a release, a changelog, etc. and I'm here to tell you that it is easier but you will not be getting the most out of these forums. *no*

No risk, no rewards. Those that take an active role or any kind of initiative know that better than anyone that I take care of them, just ask Evorax or Kontakt Guru or Xsze. Ask all the people that I make the rounds to offering them coupons and other bonuses. Evorax was just picked for a $99 library coupon Someone was donating. Think he's giving that puppy away to someone that never contributes. Xsze just got a month of Uploaded and a surprise bonus for all the work he puts in here (it was a really nice gift too), ghostinthemachine won a 3 month coupon in a VIP contest giveaway. Gave a month away to those working on the AudioSexed album not that long ago either. It's not because I had to, they truthfully contributed without expecting a thing but I wanted to do something nice for them exactly because of that and because that's the kind of person I am. I want you guys to challenge yourselves and step up your game. I want to see new people making comments that center around helping instead of begging, bitching and moaning. I want to see people posting tutorials, bringing back interesting videos, sharing music, participating in group buys, posting releases, starting discussions and helping others. You convince yourselves that you have nothing to give or you're not as knowledgeable about things but those aren't the real limits, the real limits are all in your mind. We have people that can barely move their arms doing more for these forums than all the healthy guys coming through this place. Complacency is death and I want to see signs of life here. We're not here to carry those that fall behind so learn to fish because it's nobody's responsibility to bring back a catch for you every time because you refuse to participate. *no*

On that note because 99% of the posts asking for detailed Kontakt library help from our resident guru are coming from people that are signing up for this express purpose and never lifting a finger even after someone repeatedly spent so much time helping them I am forced to make some changes otherwise I will basically have to start paying the guy considering how much mail and sheer number of posts he gets on the topic. Now in order to get the in-depth help that you are seeking you will have to earn it by becoming a more advanced member first. Not looking for anything crazy but I am looking for initiative, otherwise you're basically just insulting our forums and using Kontakt Guru as your own personal Kontakt genie and that's not cool. I'm sure many of you will think that this is unfair but not any more so than how you're acting. KG has been nice enough to answer all your questions for this long and in the end nobody owes you anything, it was a gift to begin with. Think of it like you get to give back a little something for all the help you've gotten in the past. Like when Don'tFearTheReaperV4 received some help and was so taken aback that he opened a thread on useful resources for music theory...now that's what I'm talking about. So roll up those sleeves folks and let's really see what this thing can do. I extend to you a challenge which if you accept I promise you one thing: you won't regret it. *no*... and who knows maybe in the process you will become part of something greater than yourself.

 

Hello there. Great post.

Something I am wondering about... I sometimes keep pretty quiet in the forum or the AudioZ site, but I have helped people simply by reading their posts and then sending them a private message. I have given uploaded coupons and also given advice (not so much about music, but about software in general and hardware). I really prefer to do this, possibly because then I get a million requests from others. As you said, people can take you for granted sometimes.

I am wondering if you also keep track of people like me, that help people privately or is that, as the names says, private?

While I'm at it... I have a lot of drumless tracks and multi-tracks that I'd like to share (I am mostly a drummer), but I have them on Google Drive, can Google Drive links be shared here?

Thanks for the great work, website and forum.

The Demon

 

Heheheh.....
Love it...

 

I'd imagine most people have simply convinced themselves that others know more than them or they think they will be heavily judged and put down as some members, the usual vocal minority, can be quite brutal & clickyleet (clique-elite).

The posting of a newly found resource site (or even a well known 1, but of a new bank just put up) such as that recently posted/shared @ Professional Kontakt Buildz was so very much appreciated by myself and no doubt others who hadn't come across it yet.
Sidenote: The place has a damn bank based entirely around a fr1ggin Dumpster! ffs - now where the heck else are you going to get that I ask you? Unless you spent a day recording it yourself then another 2 or 3 compiling it let alone finding a suitable dumpster in a location suitably quiet enough to record.
Its such crazy mad bonks 'n bashes that are (to my mind & ears) extremely useable - go check it out for yourself, if nothing else it can sew the seeds of inspiration and trigger some wild tangent ideas. (i find it far better to listen to the odd (and I mean ODD) noise as an inspiration rather than an entire track.) Aside from that wacky excursion He has recently posted something from the awesome Legowelt if that raises your interest .. nuff said?

In another (less inspiring though related to my original point) instance someone shared a free soft that again was appreciated by far more than the 1 clickyleet that just had to jump down the persons throat ranting "its old news" blah blah.
These people need reminding of 3 things:- 1/ their age 2/ this isn't yt comments & 3rdly not everyone has the time to scour the net or that some members are just starting out or a 1000 & 1 other reasons why information shared is far better than assumed to be common knowledge.


Posts like yours Catalyst assure people their input, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated and as valid (if not more so) than the self appointed SuperStar's passing out negativity.
Its a pity those guys, who no doubt are very capable musicians, aren't redirecting those efforts into putting that knowledge down in positive tutorials or similar helpful endeavors.

Any wottsits, Thanks for expressing your encouragement to us to give a little back. Its not fallen on deaf ears.



---------

The moment I have anything of value to offer be assured I'll be posting.
I'm extremely rusty having been away from knob twiddling for 2 or 3 years but wd40 has been applied.

ps aka AuralVirus.

*UPDATE*
I may not have expressed my 1st point very well - "complaining" about the so called clickeyleet was not meant as a moan but to point out how such a small insignificant numbner of people that are more vocal than most can colour an entire site to a newcomer such as my self - this person was 1 of the few people leaving comments and if that's all you see you can get easily & understandably get the wrong impression of the entire site through that 1 (or 2) persons inconsiderate actions, no matter how just or correct their opinion maybe it left an impression on me and no doubt others.
You can see why some may be hesitant to leave any kind of post when they can see those kind of actions (going seemingly un monitored) on a number of posts. I must point out, fortunately, this was not here but at AudioZ even though the sites are related and thus such actions should be strongly discouraged.

 

Catalyst and Turk, well said! You guys really brought up some inspiring points about what being a forum member should be about.

 

My fellow AudioZers, ask not what your AudioZ can do for you, ask what you can do for your AudioZ

 

Unfortunately, similar to real life...
Wake up guys!! It's not so difficult to bring your little participation.

With a drop from each one, we can do an ocean.

 

Have to agree with Olymoon, and an apathy of social integration. A good way to start maybe is replying to posts asking for a review of a song or piece of music. A simple "yes, I like" or "No, don't like the drum fill in the middle" for example. You don't need to break the song down to individual tracks and dissect the mix completely with a 20,000 word reply. You could then perhaps suggest another drum fill pattern or synth sound, and away you go - participation.

 

They're all able to contribute somehow, no matter the excuses they find to bring to table.
How are they able to attend this forum so often but they're not able to contribute even if the money is not what they exclusively need to do it.
They also don't need to be full of wisdom and knowledge to participate on some topics and give at least a simple opinion about something (i.e. a posted song), as SillySausage said. because every opinion is important, no matter how good or bad is that particular listener.

 

Wow I just spent the last hour writing a response and hit refresh by accident and it's all gone.

I will give it another go in a few minutes.

 

Ouch

 

I went through a similar thing once That's why i had to buy a new keyboard.

 

Well, I don't think this is unfair, it's your ship, so you set the course. I don't necessarily agree with all of it though.

Of course offering hundreds of thousands $ worth of software for free will attract a lot of people that aren't here to socialize or be part of any community, they just want the goods. That's a given fact, no way around it. Having a community based around a wares site is a rarity anyways, although a very cool one (assuming audioz led most ppl to audiosex, not the other way around).

What I don't agree with is the sentiment that people asking for help aren't contributing anything, on the contrary, there's a good chance that 10 or 100 other people are struggling with the very same issue, whom will also benefit from the accumulated knowledge of forum based correspondences. If not this generation, then the next generation of audiosexers. So even if the guy asking only did it for his own selfish desire to learn, and the guy answering for some reason wasn't motivated by the joy of helping others, but only aiming for a free gift basket from Catalyst (not saying anyone feels this way, but not supporting the idea that incentives should be necessary either though), still the community as a whole would have benefitted.

Another thing I've noticed as a staffer on a harm reduction forum for more than a decade is the cyclic nature of forum activity. A majority of new members don't know a whole lot and therefore ask many questions (or better yet, stays silent and reads a lot.), but given guidance and time they'll eventually become great knowledgable and helpful assests that help out the next generation of newcommers. Some our best mods were once annoying kids with stupid questions.
The same goes for the audio world, where the learning curve is a lot steeper and longer than just learning to do drugs without killing yourself lol. And even the most knowledgeable person may need a good question to kickstart their fountain of endless wisdom, for the benefit of all mankind (at least the parts of it registered here lol).

Don't expect a return on your investment (in peoples journey down the path of music production) from day 1, that's like sowing a seed and then yelling at the sprout all day about not contributing to society. Be patient, give it time, light, water and nurture and some day you or someone else will surely reap the fruits. Grow KontaktProtégés for humanity, dude lol.

Not adding much here, just trying to ram up my postcount so I can earn the right to ask Kontakt Guru a question someday... someday!

 

I think I'm going to grab a few zzzs before I respond. I'm awfully tired from the day and I feel that my second version of the response I initially wanted to post wouldn't have the same energy after all these ungodly hours. That first response was simply perfect and I'm so exhausted that I can't even finish right now. I will however do so after a little catnap.

 

Here's not about investment interests or giving help in a chase for getting awarded for it. Is about improving this place/comunity which is like a refugee for the poor people. You express yourself like you would point out a business or something like that, because only in this sort of situation your argument about "sowing a seed" would be available.
Believe me, i didn't tried to contribute for getting prizes in exchange, i also wanted unconditionally when i was new here, to give a little donation to this forum from every song i sell for a living, without a loud announcement topic to show off my intentions, because everybody would misinterpreted my intention thinking that i've got asked by Catalyst or other admins to do it for their benefits, which wouldn't be true and i also couldn't prove that i say the truth so that's why i had to remain silent... but the most surprising thing was that Catalyst didn't accepted my money, so what that means? That they seek for getting rich on poor people's backs? I don't think so... *no*

They keep this place alive and i saw for myself how much work they put in it, sacrificing even their rest/leisure for us so that's why i thought about donations, because they fully deserve to be stimulated and i try to express my opinion as objective as i can.

 

Ehm, ok. I was apparently unclear. I was in no way talking about a business investment (and just to be clear I wasn't talking about horticulture either lol) it was a figure a speech, a metaphor if you will. What I meant was this: writing a helpful reply to someone takes time, energy and effort. You could say you invest your time, energy and effort into helping another fellow human. And my point was just that you can't expect to get something of equal value in return from day 1. But maybe on day 700, the person you took the time to help out on day 1, has become knowledgeable so he can help you or someone else who's on day 1 of his learning process.
(not sure that made it more clear than my initial post, but i tried)

 

As far as i know, this problem isn't something new. What if today is the day 700? The lurkers should start to get in the game. *yes*

 

Then I will gladly try to help you if i can? ;D It's a perpetual thing ofc, but I'm positive that someone who was a non-contributing leech 700 days ago have contributed something recently Of course lots of new non-contributing leeches have arrived in the mean time, but lets see in 700 days if they haven't contributed something as well. Maybe I have too much faith in humanity today, I blame the nice weather! lol.

 

"I want you guys to challenge yourselves and step up your game.
You convince yourselves that you have nothing to give or you're not as knowledgeable about things but those aren't the real limits, the real limits are all in your mind."

Just wanted to thank you for all the time and energy you put in, your loving attitude and for challenging statements, like the ones above.
God bless

 

I know that a site like AudioZ attracts so many people but as like on every forum/site there are always some who only want to take advantage = grab the nuts and go! In some cases - if you're a contributor - you get requests and questions through PM's… I almost read all and then decide who "deserves" a reply. I don't mind so much about offering help on an open thread, regardless if then dozens of PM's arrive. I'll make a selection anyway.