Chiff and Fipple Forums

Well, as I expected, this seems more-or-less to have stabilised now. I'm still more than happy to go on adding to it, though - I don't view it as having any fixed end.

As for Terry's suggestion, there hasn't been much discussion and there doesn't seem to be any demand for or interest in it, nor offers of help with it. Whilst doubtless it would be of great service and I certainly like the idea, I'm not going any further with it, at least for now - too much work to do it properly (as I would wish it done) and I have better things to do that I hope will make an even more useful contribution to the community (as well as my wallet), i.e. getting on with fixing up some of the old flutes that are awaiting my labours (and melting my credit card).

Gordon, thanks for your suggestions - and I'd welcome any further additions you can suggest. I prefer Terry's idea in some form if anything beyond the present format is to come about - but it won't be changing now in the short term. I don't want to get into classifying makers myself, and I certainly don't want simply to duplicate Brad's list, as I've already said - pretty pointless! I think more of the makers than you suggest offer quite a range of flutes - certainly many of the "period" specialists rather than the ITM specialists do, though many of the latter also cross over various possible "boundaries" of style. Browsing the websites is also a pleasure in itself! I'm not in the market to buy new-made flutes myself, but I thoroughly enjoy (and learn much from) going through the websites. I think anyone who is seriously looking to buy (and spend a fair whack of hard-earned dosh) would be doing themselves a favour to research through the list pretty thoroughly, regardless of how sure they might be of what they are seeking to start with.

UP: this thread is very useful, should be kept in the first page of the forum...

up again

I like Terry's idea of describing each maker's work, but I think the long form is *much* easier to read than the short form (abbreviations). I think it'd be easier to use if there were two separate lists.

The main problem is how to present the info, so here's my suggestion of how to go about it.

1. JEM would start a new thread which just contains the listing of flute makers.
2. JEM would add a second message to that list-only thread. In that message he'd create a list with descriptions so any maker who wants to provide that data can be included.
3. The list-only message would also include the URL of this current thread so people will know where they can discuss the list.
4. Once the list-only thread has both the simple list and the detailed list, a moderator would close the list-only thread so no one can add any new messages.
5. A moderator should also make the list-only thread a sticky.
6. The discussion-only thread (the one I am writing in) would only be used to discuss the closed thread with the list. So, its first message would be edited to eliminate the list but describe the project and give a URL to the list-only thread.
7. I don't think this will be necessary, but JEM may have to become a moderator of this forum so he can continue to edit the closed thread.

Before JEM begins any of that, he'll need to have a moderator agree to assist with this. They should agree in advance that the new list-only thread should be closed and be made a sticky, and that the moderator will delete any non-JEM messages added to the list-only thread before the moderator gets around to closing that thread.

Azw, thanks very much for your interest, support and suggestions. As I've already said, I'm not really either willing or in a position time-wise to do a lot more work on this. Despite a high and ongoing hitrate (busier than a couple of the existing stickies?), there have been very few contributions or reactions to this aspect of the discussion here, so I am inclined to believe that the majority of users/visitors are happy with the resource in its present form - a simple list of currently active (so far as I know) makers with their website links (if any) as the only supplementary information. I assume now that most folk are happy to browse extensively if they have special requirements, as indeed I would advise them to do. If they want other contact details or product information, they have the usual methods of seeking that, web-based or otherwise. (A phone call is never a bad idea!)

I'm very happy to continue to maintain the list in its present form, adding, removing or updating entries as I discover changes for myself (without any systematic research) or have them drawn to my attention in the now established way. I would be delighted if Dale and the mods would either accord a version of the list Sticky status or somehow incorporate it into the main site like the Whistle Makers List, perhaps with a link from the header of this Forum. I have no wish to become a moderator. I think the idea of keeping this thread as an active one for discussion and, if it were possible, locking the putative sticky save for allowing maintenance of the list is quite a good one, if there were any way that could be set up to allow me to do the maintenance without needing greater special access status than that, so that it didn't become a chore for anyone else. (It's all my fault !)

I know there is quite a lot of resistance to expanding the number of stickies in the top of the Forum's first page. azw's suggestions have given me the idea that as an alternative perhaps a link to this thread (or to a new, "clean" version) could be posted permanently in the header space of the Forum page on the line and font size of the "Main Website" link and maybe also in the FAQ section? I think a response from the mods would be welcome here!

I don't think phpBB has the capability built in, but it would be neat to have a link at the top of the flute forum for a "library" of valuable articles. Your list would clearly be one of the articles.

There is a simple way to have just one sticky at the top of the thread. There could be one sticky for the flute forum which contained links and brief descriptions for a few of the most helpful threads in the flute forum.

It's a bit of a hack, but it would clean things up and it would be easy for a moderator to add or delete items later. I think I'd also close that new sticky thread so it doesn't collect any replies.

I stumbled (as I do from time to time - latish sesh last night!) across a new (to me) maker today, though it seems he's been at it quite a while! I hadn't even heard of him, but his flutes certainly look very nice! Russel Serov in Australia - added to The List. Anyone have one of his or experience of them or him?

Re: most recent posts from myself and azw, would any Moderators be kind enough to comment?

Interestingly, I just Googled the title of this thread and it didn't come up in the first three pages (as far as I got), which I found a bit strange as other less relevant things did.

EDIT: just tried it again with the 4 words initially capitalised as they appear in the title - (typed all lower case before) - lo and behold, it comes up on 2nd page of search.

jemtheflute wrote:Re: most recent posts from myself and azw, would any Moderators be kind enough to comment?

It would be better managed as it's own web page.

jemtheflute wrote:Interestingly, I just Googled the title of this thread and it didn't come up in the first three pages (as far as I got), which I found a bit strange as other less relevant things did.

EDIT: just tried it again with the 4 words initially capitalised as they appear in the title - (typed all lower case before) - lo and behold, it comes up on 2nd page of search.

technique innit!

Just a bump whilst doing a minor update, and especially regarding this thread's status as discussed in the last few posts...... moderators?

Just found Jem's Youtube videos on flute and whistle.
Well done.

up again.

does anybody know the price of a keyless flute by thomas aebi? (please don't answer that i can contact him...)

jemtheflute wrote:Just a bump whilst doing a minor update, and especially regarding this thread's status as discussed in the last few posts...... moderators?

Noted, Jem. I'll bring it up for discussion.

Edited to add: Voilà ... Thanks, Dale.

Nicely done.

Thanks Dale and MTGuru!

azw wrote:I don't think phpBB has the capability built in, but it would be neat to have a link at the top of the flute forum for a "library" of valuable articles. Your list would clearly be one of the articles.

There is a simple way to have just one sticky at the top of the thread. There could be one sticky for the flute forum which contained links and brief descriptions for a few of the most helpful threads in the flute forum.
.

That's actually an excellent idea. Seems to me.

I think there's some merit to having the maker's list on a separate webpage, although there's nothing that would preclude it appearing both on the forum and off-site. The advantage, I think, to off-site listing is that stuff posted only here only spottily gets picked up by search engines for indexing. I'm working with jemtheflute regarding an external location for the list as a subdomain of chiffandfipple.com.

It would be great to have a list like that of whistle makers and some of the other instruments represented on the board.