This is a lesson I learned when I was 16. I worked as a “lot boy” for a marina. Cleaning up, moving stuff around, stuff like that. An old guy in grubby work cloths would come by almost daily with his lunch kit in hand and he would stare and stare at a boat that was worth then about $26K. This was the mid seventies, so that was a LOT of money. You could buy a house for that much in those days. Actually, you could buy a house and a car to put in the garage!
The sales people didn’t bother with him, as he didn’t look like he was capable of putting together $26 let alone $26,000! Finally, one day he asked me if he could buy the boat, so I took him into the sales manager’s office. They talked for a while, and then the old guy opened up his lunch box and pulled out $25,000 in cash and said that was all he had and could he get a deal. Well, of course he could, and the deal was made.
Later the manager dragged me into the showroom where the sales guys were hanging around drinking coffee and paid me a 3% “commission” in cash using $10 and $20 bills (it took a while to count out) while he lectured them on not judging a book by it’s cover. That was almost two month’s pay for me in those days. So it left quite the impression on me. I don’t know if the other sales people took it to heart, but they never let anyone on the lot without talking to them ever again. And they made darn sure nobody talked to me, either!
Anytime you have questions or concerns about Kalmbach policies (especially those beyond the print magazine), the best course of action is to call our Customer Service Department at 800-533-6644 M-F during regular working hours.
Our Customer Service people are top-notch, and they do a great job of logging reader comments and suggestions so the company has a good sense of what the readers think.
What’s up with that comment? Do you feel like your only getting pennies on the dollar? You faithful posters crack me up. “I’ll quit posting just as soon as I want to” untill then I’ll let ya’ know how you should run this outfit! “Next time Kalambach makes a descision run it by the daily Post first?”
I think what he’s really saying is don’t complain to him.
Matt, people only complain when they care. When they stop complaining, they start walking. When enough people don’t care, there won’t be a need for the magazine. You’re the editor. YOU are the public face of the magazine. It’s YOUR picture we see on the editorial pages, and so we talk to YOU. If you pass the buck, we’ll just pass on by.
Let me try this another way. I care enough about the magazine to participate in threads like this. I’m a subscriber. The loss of the access code does not affect me. But I can see that it’s a message to the news-stand buyers that they aren’t as important as subscribers, and that’s just wrong. You’re telling them that you don’t care about your news-stand readers.
I’ve asked you by email and PM to attend to another matter that I have deliberately kept off the boards, as I’m not interested in airing the dirty laundry in public. You haven’t bothered so much as to answer me directly what you are willing to do on my behalf. By not responding, you’re telling me that you don’t care about your subscriber and forum members. Just what do you care about?
Bill, Respectfuly submitted, This is another one of your backpeddling post s’ to one of your WTF! something should be done now! why Us? ! Yadda Yah! Fix it or I’m outta here post?Where you now have a middle of the road attitude? And you seem to Understand the jist but not the Jack? Just leave Bill. I’ll pay for you missed issues. What’s the $ amount, send me a innvoice? I for one hate to have an" A " poster unhappy? Move on and be happy in a place where you are loved. If it’s not here spend your money elsewhere? It’s a no brainer?
Sounds like a worthwhile project to me! What say we make this the next Group Build, for the entire week of Sept. 10, and see how many different answers we get to the same question?
First, I never said I would quit posting here. Second, I have respect for Matt and when the Editor comes out and says we should call the corporate offices, it means he has no say in the matter IMO. I work in a corporation, when my boss says to call the big boss two cities over - I know what it means, big boss made the call - talk to him.
I have been purchasing every issue faithfully at my LHS since my subscription ran out. Bill said it best, it should not make us second rate customers. I may not be as tactful as Bill and call it as I see it. I’m not telling them how to run this ‘outfit’, I said that their decision has upset a long time faithful customer. I have not missed and issue since I started reading it in '95.
I know how the math works, and subscribers increase the bottom line. I see it as a way for them to try and increase subscriptions through the web access. Will it work? Not in my opinion. It could hurt in overseas sales over time, but likely do nothing but get under the skin of a few dozen folks here who speak up.
Kind of funny how it’s the same people that speak up when decisions made affect everyone, then get hacked up for speaking up.
Did I miss something? Where did Bill or Drew or I ever say we would quit posting? We posed a question to Matt who has ALWAYS stated that all we had to do was contact him anytime at editor@finescale.com. Just check the very first post in this section.
As I stated earlier, I have done this with no response what-so-ever. So, what is the next logical step. Post something here. At least you will get some kind of response.
I don’t know who you are and I don’t really care but, I have bought and subscribed to FSM since issue #1. And I still have every copy. So, don’t go preaching to me or anybody else about crying because we are not faithful to the magazine. You’re right. I could spend my money on a better magazine and I do. But I keep hoping, that one day, FSM will get back to the magazine they once were.
And I do have many reasons, none of which I will go into publically. I will let my subscription lapse at the end of February and at that time I will spend my time on the “other” forum. I have no intention of stomping off mad, as some have done, and I’m looking forward to receiving the last few issues. Maybe they improve enough to make me reconsider buying future subscriptions, but I probably won’t be coming back to the forums. When I do sign off, I will state my reasons then, but with no hard feelings.
Really the only reason I’m not leaving now and accept gulfstreamv’s offer, is my personal goal of 5000 posts before I go. That’s approximately 100 posts per month. Should be a piece of cake! [:-^]
If you ask me, this “premium content” isn’t exactly premium. Unless I’m missing something with it, it isn’t any all that special. Kit reviews and a handfull of downloadable articles? That’s not exactly something I can’t get for free using a search engine. How about every article is available for download?
My subscription also expires in February of 08 and it is highly doubtful I’ll be re-upping it either at that time.
Heck of a goal compadre’. My goal is to actually see a pic of a model you A/B’d with your LG. But you don’t post pic’s of models. What a shame, From what I read your a pretty good airbrusher/ modeler. May the next three months be good to you. P.W. [(-D][(-D]
Bill may not post his models and most likely has good reason for not doing so BUT, UNLIKE YOU SIR, he doesnt troll the forums looking for someone to ridicule and to hararass by email just because he didnt like what was posted. Bill will always give a polite and tactful response and that’s 100% more than you ever do.
I’ll tell you this… Bill is a BETTER MAN and Modeler than you are. He proves this day after day helping modelers here with thier questions. He goes out of his way to help modelers here regardless and always gives 100%. While you sit there and give NOTHING but grief to members posting on particular threads. I havent seen you post a pic of a model in a long time and you sparsely even help other modelers here and when you do it’s always with a crappy attitude to the topic where instead of offering differing advice you attack the person giving the advice.
If modeler here has airbrush or compressor problems Bill is the man to talk to, he has a wealth of knowlege about them. Can you say the same for yourself? I strongly DOUBT IT! There is more about these forums than posting pictures of your work. Maybe you will learn this when you stop trying to provoke and lure posters out for you to ridicule or attack and stop acting like an [censored]. Someday that chip on your shoulder is going get knocked off and I seriously hope I am there to see it when it happens just to say. “I told you so!”
AMM, I couldn’t agree more. I really don’t know what gulfstreams problem is, I really don’t care either. I think in time though this site is going to be full of people like him and most of the helpful modelers (like Bill) will have moved on. How very sad.
Exactly, ogrejohn. I have only been back “in the game” for a little over two years, but these forums have been both a Godsend and an enormous encouragement to me, knowing that someong like bgrigg or jtilley or J-Hulk or EdGrune - to name just a few of the people who have helped me out - are always willing to lend their expertise or hard won knowledge to a fellow modeler. And now that I’ve learned a little and made some of the same rookie mistakes, I’m happy to pass on my little crumbs, and honored that people can find some value in them.
That is one of the best characteristics of our hobby - no matter where we live or what language we speak or write, we all share the common passion for building models, and that translates universally across the globe and for all time.
I think you are also correct in that some of the steps Kalmbach has taken in the last year, especially with regards to this forum, are having the result you predict - some of the best, most helpful or most capable modelers are going elsewhere. And that is the real tragedy in all of this.
Wow guys. I don’t know what to say! I appreciate your support. I know I had friends on the forum, but now know just how good they really are!
I do have my reasons for not posting pics of my builds. I don’t build for anything other than my own pleasure, and have no need to display my work for others to view. Besides, I’m not as good as you all are! Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned off forums like this (and mostly FSM) and I’m very happy to share that knowledge with others.
However, this is taking this thread off topic (yeah, like I’ve never done that before!), and the real issue here isn’t how one member treats another, but how unfair it is that magazine buyers plunk down the money and don’t have full access to the website. Karma will take care of the rest.
Bill, I completely understand where you’re coming from and agree with many of your opinions regarding the FSM forums in general and the magazine. Those who have been around the forums for any length of time can quickly identify those members who are helpful contributors. IMHO, you have consistently demonstrated that you are one of these members.
I too have recently begun to limit the posting of my models on this forum. Not because of anything to do with their quality, but because these forums seem to be shifting away from focusing on actual models (not a good thing, IMHO). When there are 30,000+ members on this site and under 300 on the other site I frequent, I have to scratch my head when the exact same post (completed, progress, or modeling question) garners only 5 or 6 responses here and over 20 on the “other site”. For this reason, combined with the rampant expansion of personal opinion, sarcasm, and disrespect toward other members, is why I’ve shifted away from posting on these forums.
I agree the removal of the “access code” from the magazine certainly “seems” to lead one to believe that FSM has a different - and somewhat disturbing - view when it comes to newstand buyer vs. subscribers. While I continue to subscribe to the magazine, the fact that it grants access to a very limited amount of online content has absolutely nothing to do with my decision. I do so simply to save a few pennys. I understand why some people would opt to “pick and choose” which issues of the magazine they wish to buy and retain. Not every issue of FSM has material that interests every modeler…it just can’t be done. Implying, in ANY way, that these part-time buyers are in some way substandard, does not project a favorable image of FSM or Kalmbach. The removal of the access code could lead some modelers to develop this opinion.
I guess we’ll just to wait and see if FSM chooses to readdress this decision…
I too will concur that BGrigg has been very helpful and contributing member to these forums and always helps keep the discussion and debates from getting out of hand. He is one of the main contributors to these forums and it’s a shame that so many like him are no longer here.
From a subscribers point of view,( I finally got my Oct issue today thank you by the way) I don’t really look at the “special perks” all that much. I do really appreciate the thought from FSM that they want to do something special for subscribers. I am afraid that it might be taken badly by some though. Kind of the reason for this thread, right? So if we were to put the subscribers to a vote I think most would say the lower price is thanks enough, open all aspects of the site to all who purchase the mag. That would be my vote.
As far as the lack of response from the people from FSM to PMs sent, well I guess Matthew, you will have to answer that one.
On the issue of certain ones that post just to stir the pot and being a general PITA… Well I guess everyone that’s here will just have to [troll]
Bill you don’t owe anyone any kind of reason as to why or why not you don’t post model pics. It’s no ones business but your own. Can’t think I’ve ever posted any of mine either. I just can’t bear the thought of so many people getting sick and being scarred for life.
That’s all, sorry if anyone takes this the wrong way. I tried to be as reasonable as possible.
Just to clarify a couple of points, there’s no change planned for the forum. All we require is registration, like we always have.
And the best way to reach me is via e-mail: editor@finescale.com. I don’t get to the forum as much as I’d like, and a question in a post or a PM might get overlooked. (See the “Hotline to FSM Headquarters” post at the top of this section.)