Anyone know how to get to page 1876? Tried to hit the “last” tab but that’s taking me back to page 1. I can go back five pages at a time and stopped at page 121. Have read lots of great and informative threads and interested in checking out some of the older ones. Thanks. Jeff

Not sure what just happened but hitting last this time got me to page 1876. Go figure

[www.rodbuilding.org]

at the end of rodbuilding.org/list.php....add "?2,page=1876" (just whats between the quotes)

Thanks Chris. I’ll go that method in the future if for some reason I’m not getting the last button to work.

On my Android device those buttons at the bottom have never worked. Always have to start at the beginning of a thread and scroll to the current/latest post.

Never really considered going to the very first page of this forum to see what kind of topics were being discussed. I just went to take a peek, and the number of views on those threads versus the number of posts to them, is staggering.

I understand the various reasons that would contribute to that, but even so, it's pretty amazing.

I'd just like to get to the most recent post on a thread, doesn't seem possible without scrolling from the original to the latest. App needs some work.

I don't bother using the app unless I need to post a pic, it's unstable and crashes if I type more than 2-3 sentences. Also no dark node and you're right about the organization- clunky.

I'm not sure of the app coding and how it all works with the obsolete coding on the forum but I think it would make the most sense to put money into just figuring out a way to save all the history on the forum and then revamp the forum with an update.

The website will almost always see more traffic than the app, and once it gets updated the app can follow - I think an updated format here would boost traffic. There are lots of FB groups with tons of activity and other forums that are active as well. The market is there for bringing people to what should be the hub >its in the freakin name< but this bulletin board style is just archaic to the next generation of builders. I'm sure the data is available to Aleks, but I'd bet there's been a number of new users since I first joined that have under 10 posts and aren't coming back, poke around a bit, create an "I'm a new builder" thread, maybe engage one more and bounce.

I've seen a few come and go, couple of posts and ghosts.

They probably found a FB group or more user friendly forum.

Building rods in MA, Building the community around the world

Tom built a remarkable forum in the face of all those who said his rules and procedures would cause a forum to fail. But it got to be the most popular ten times over and twenty+ years later it outlasted them all, never skipped a moment and beat the stuffing out of the Facebook groups and I guess remained so popular that somebody was willing to pay big bucks for it. Still seems to be doing okay although the sponsor list looks to have dropped by over half.

El Bolinger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't bother using the app unless I need to post
> a pic, it's unstable and crashes if I type more
> than 2-3 sentences. Also no dark node and you're
> right about the organization- clunky.
>
> I'm not sure of the app coding and how it all
> works with the obsolete coding on the forum but I
> think it would make the most sense to put money
> into just figuring out a way to save all the
> history on the forum and then revamp the forum
> with an update.
>
> The website will almost always see more traffic
> than the app, and once it gets updated the app can
> follow - I think an updated format here would
> boost traffic. There are lots of FB groups with
> tons of activity and other forums that are active
> as well. The market is there for bringing people
> to what should be the hub >its in the freakin
> name< but this bulletin board style is just
> archaic to the next generation of builders. I'm
> sure the data is available to Aleks, but I'd bet
> there's been a number of new users since I first
> joined that have under 10 posts and aren't coming
> back, poke around a bit, create an "I'm a new
> builder" thread, maybe engage one more and bounce.
>
>
> I've seen a few come and go, couple of posts and
> ghosts.
>
> They probably found a FB group or more user
> friendly forum.


But you're still here. Why?

> But you're still here. Why?

Can't speak for El, but I'm still here hoping for the final, definitive post on the relationship between rod spine and guide placement.

Joel Wick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > But you're still here. Why?
>
> Can't speak for El, but I'm still here hoping for
> the final, definitive post on the relationship
> between rod spine and guide placement.


That final definitive post has been made hundreds of times over the past twenty years here. You can either go with the facts or hang on to the old wive's tale. Guides placement determines if a rod is going to twist or not. Spine plays no role in that and spine has no effect on casting accuracy. It was all an opinion that one guy put in a book in the seventies. No proof, no data, no facts.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2023 08:10PM by Mike Ballard.

Joel Wick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > But you're still here. Why?
>
> Can't speak for El, but I'm still here hoping for
> the final, definitive post on the relationship
> between rod spine and guide placement.

Me too haha - I love when you pop up Joel


@Mike you were there when Tom told me I don't fit the demographic, that's why I'm still here. I'm turning 33 tomorrow, according to Tom I'm just about 30 years shy of being worth his time. But I don't fit any "typical" demographic - I was in drama club and wrestling, poetry club and Brazilian Jujitsu, I made honor roll and deans list and also broke a lot of laws and made some really dumb choices, I watch documentaries about infinity paradoxes and listen to heavy metal, I build fishing rods and make hip-hop music.

I'm not the right demographic for anyone Mike.


I'll say something like what I said in that thread - I'm taking nothing away from Tom or this forum. I never said or implied that, not sure why you keep inferring that.

I even almost added a preemptive defense of my comment expecting something like this. I have nothing but respect for Tom and clearly appreciate this forum, but me saying it's 2023 and things are changing and things could be improved does not equate to me bad mouthing him or the forum.

We could still be lighting candles for lighting our room or using dial up or not have penicillin or indoor plumbing or still be using only fiberglass rods if nobody wanted progress/improvement. There would never be an improvement in anything if there weren't people willing to say it, seek it, and work for it.

I'm stickin around Mike because I like it here and want to not only build rods but build the community, and I can still see and say how things could improve. Perhaps you would like to live in a house built in the 1800s that has never had any work done or been updated- but I'd bet my bank account you'd rather live in a house built this year - or that you could at least see how it's better if you wouldn't admit you'd rather live in it.

Ps. Gary Loomis still advocates for building on the spine - not just the opinion of one guy from the 70's, just sayin

It's all love fam, and Tom I got nothin but love for you too, and all the builders here - that's why I'm still here

Building rods in MA, Building the community around the world



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/2023 09:41PM by El Bolinger.

El Bolinger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ....but this bulletin board style is just
> archaic to the next generation of builders.

El...the tech behind the board may be a little outdated but the style is not.
It not too far off base from the ever popular reddit.

I hear you Chris, but this forum is still lagging significantly behind Reddit. Reddit still has better organization which is huge (categories that have subcategories and sometimes subcategories under those), a more accurate search function, the ability to PM and not use personal emails, and the fact that Reddit is an absolute catch all for all your favorite activities and interests makes the format work - and you can find absolutely anything that can legally be posted on the internet.

If Reddit was solely for one topic it very well may not have been as big a success or lasted this long, or it may have because it is still organized and individualized and efficient.

The search function is a biggun for sure, sometimes I search something and it pulls up hundreds of unrelated threads, or they may be related but I'd have to literally go through hundreds of those obscurely titled threads to find what I'm looking for which might be mentioned on page 6 of the thread and sometimes I search things that pull up almost nothing - I found the few topics barely talked about in 20 years haha.

Or go through the picture forum, then this forum with the same search - nothing lines up. I was curious about the AT Aero seat and found some beautiful work on the pics forum and couldn't find a thread about that work being done. I did find some helpful info about the Aero seat, but not about the cool stuff I was seeing on the pics side of things.

Also Chris, thanks for mentioning Reddit - because I did a quick search over there and there is definitely some cool rod building things happening over there.

Again, I;m not doggin this place - if its not clear that I appreciate it here I suggest you go through some of my previous posts. I'm grateful there is a community and a history like this available to me - but I can still see the overall benefit of updating this place. I'm pretty sure something like a refresh is in the works anyway seeing some of the things Aleks has mentioned before - but because the tech behind the site is so old it poses a huge challenge to a successful overhaul while preserving the sites content.

I do get it, why there's pushback to an update or change - nobody wants the home they grew up in to be torn down and rebuilt, its a strange feeling knowing it will never be that same old house again, but it will still be your home. There's no insulation in the attack or floor boards, the plumbing can only handle one faucet on at a time, and there's just not enough space to fit the growing family now that there are grandkids in the mix... you gotta do it for the kids ;)

Building rods in MA, Building the community around the world

EI

I never said that you nor anyone else wasn't worth my time. I simply explained that the custom rod building market depends mainly on persons from the age of about 45 and up. For every dollar a company spends trying to get just one younger person involved in the craft, that same dollar will get ten persons of the age of 45 and up involved in the craft. Even the general sport fishing industry has awakened to this fact.

One of the reasons I have been able to accomplish things that no one else in the rod building industry ever has is because I understand the demographics of the craft and therefore know where to put the time, effort and money to achieve the greatest results possible. Everyone then benefits, regardless of age.

...........

El...I'm with you...and agree pretty much with your assessment.
I rarely ever use the search function for information...old posts are old news.
I know there are some jewels back there...but I personally prefer to just re-hash a subject and get the current view/opinion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2023 09:39AM by Chris Catignani.

Chris Catignani Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> El...I'm with you...and agree pretty much with
> your assessment.
> I rarely ever use the search function for
> information...old posts are old news.
> I know there are some jewels back there...but I
> personally prefer to just re-hash a subject and
> get the current view/opinion.


The problem with that method is that many long time board users get tired of answering the same question over and over and over so they just stay quiet figuring that what you want to know can be found with a simple search of the previous posts on the subject. The archives serve a valuable purpose but you have to be willing to use them. Its not hard.

Mike Ballard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chris Catignani Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > El...I'm with you...and agree pretty much with
> > your assessment.
> > I rarely ever use the search function for
> > information...old posts are old news.
> > I know there are some jewels back there...but I
> > personally prefer to just re-hash a subject and
> > get the current view/opinion.
>
>
> The problem with that method is that many long
> time board users get tired of answering the same
> question over and over and over so they just stay
> quiet figuring that what you want to know can be
> found with a simple search of the previous posts
> on the subject. The archives serve a valuable
> purpose but you have to be willing to use them.
> Its not hard.

Its also not easy like I just explained above, its inconsistent and has gaps in results, if the builders here for a while don't want to talk about the same topic again then they are missing an opportunity to reach a new builder - because like @Chris I too would like a fresh perspective on things. I also poke around at some things from years back, and sometimes the perspective is the same and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the answers aren't found in the past but in the present - looking to the future.

Tom I was definitely being a little facetious and hyperbolic with the "not worth your time" comment - just emphasizing what you just explained. Which I do perfectly understand when it comes to budgets and marketing, but I don't know how connected you are with 16-30 year olds, and I can say that I'm in the thick of it working at high schools and colleges. I see the interest that some of these kids have for fishing, and my main point all along has been that the next generation of 45-85 year olds will be a different breed than you have ever seen. The next batch will have no idea what I cassette tape is never mind an 8-track. They''ll have never even touched a VHS tape, or likely even a DVD soon enough. They will only have known using a phone anywhere between 3-8 hours a day for absolutely everything. The previous generations of builders all had more in common than the next generation will with any previous generation, and the gap is largely centered around technology.

Building rods in MA, Building the community around the world



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2023 10:04AM by El Bolinger.

Mike Ballard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chris Catignani Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > El...I'm with you...and agree pretty much with
> > your assessment.
> > I rarely ever use the search function for
> > information...old posts are old news.
> > I know there are some jewels back there...but I
> > personally prefer to just re-hash a subject and
> > get the current view/opinion.
>
>
> The problem with that method is that many long
> time board users get tired of answering the same
> question over and over and over so they just stay
> quiet figuring that what you want to know can be
> found with a simple search of the previous posts
> on the subject. The archives serve a valuable
> purpose but you have to be willing to use them.
> Its not hard.

Mike...I am one of those long time board members too...
Anyone new to rodbuilding is more than likely gonna watch a video.
Currently there's a thread on Guide Choice for inshore saltwater rod...
Do you think an older thread would answer that question best?