[Danny Richie]

Gary Dodd has been slowly making a transition from insider secrete of the industry to a more well known industry source for high end tube gear.

As a favor to Gary, and to the audio community, I have been posting some info on his new products every now and then in my forum.

I think his following in the industry has increased quite a bit in the last year including a small customer base of regulars here at AC.

If the rest of you guys are interested do you think you could be supportive of him having his own forum here?

He also has a new web site up that may still be a little bit of a work in progress but will soon be loaded with more info and pics.

http://www.doddaudio.biz

[Sa-dono]

I see no reason for him to require a Circle at this point in time. Gary (gld) has been a member for nine months, and has had a grand total of nine posts. Talk about a great resource for Audio Circle so far.

Maybe there could be a Dodd Audio Owner's Circle, but I am unsure how many owners reside here, or how active they would be. I would recommend he become more active here, as I am sure he could provide a wealth of information, before he has his own Circle here.

[theborg]

We seem to be going through a bit of a transition at the moment... the faq might shortly require manufacturers to have some level of activity in Market Square before getting a circle. The goal is the same as it's always been, which is to have active circles that form a "community" of users (product owners, enthusiasts about a particular area, and so on).

This shift seems to be primarily a result of the feeling expressed by many that it's getting kinda crowded in here, circle-wise. Also, I think Admin might like to not have to archive dead circles any more, as it can be quite painful when that happens...

This is definitely not a matter of "us" saying who is good and who is not. For the purposes of making a forum-based website work, it's much better to have a "few" active forums than a lot of comatose ones. So, whether a manufacturer has a circle or not is no reflection on the quality of their product --- it is simply a question of whether they can make a circle "work" in the above sense. (A good product helps, of course, I am just making the point that it is not the actual criterion for obtaining and in particular keeping a circle.)

It would be great if Gary would participate a little more for a while, and then start his own poll I expect the voting results so far (7-3 against) simply reflect the growing general feeling that prior participation is the main requirement for a new circle.

[azryan]

I know I wondered if Gary was really up for posting as much as having your own forum seems to demand -whether per AC rules or just the demand of poster's questions might put on 'im.

Perhaps a statment from him personally about wanting to have a forum would make a BIG diff. in the minds of people here?

As for him only posting a few times here already.
Hmm... true, but if you look at most of the guys behind their own company forums, they seem to mostly just post about their own stuff and field questions people throw at 'em.

Some of them wander out to the general forums, but few and far between so I really don't see Gary's limited time here as being a reason not to be given the chance to be given the time here with his own forum and his own products.

Guys like Gary aren't just shmoes like me who wasting time here. They're the guys running the businesses that keep us geeks rolling along.

'IF' he's willing to do what he's got to do to keep his own forum, I say let him.

I really think hearing from him would make a big diff. though in people's minds.

[zybar]

What is so wrong with proving yourself first?

When new people start posting, they have to "prove" themselves and build up a reputation before people take what they say seriously.

I think this should be absolutely required for people who will have their business enhanced by having their own circle on the forum.  Let's face it, time spent on the forum is equivalent or better than spending money on advertising.

The fact that it is others lobbying for Gary to have a circle and not himself says it all for me.

George

[azryan]

"-What is so wrong with proving yourself first?"

Well, like I just said before you posted this question... what's wrong with it is that it doesn't seem fair to Gary when other forums were opened for people who don't hardly (if at all) post anywhere but their own forums, and about their own product (since most of the forums here have come from HD forum).

Gary doesn't seem to be a big internet/forum type guy, but if he wanted to handle his own forum he shouldn't have to post random 'stuff' on assorted forums for a certain length of time -or whatever you think he should do to 'prove himself' when no one else had to do that.


"-The fact that it is others lobbying for Gary to have a circle and not himself says it all for me.-"

I just said that I think it'd be best if Gary post something himself so I think we at least somewhat agree on that, damn...

It was only 3 months ago that you posted you were talking to Gary about his amps and specifically asking me to tell you how they sounded and worked since Gary was going to send me a pair.

Pretty lame IMO that you're so harsh and unfair to him now.

[rosconey]

what he said didnt appear harsh to me-
yes in the days of YOR , AC  started some forums from scratch, but times they are a changin.

there are too many forums that arent active why add more.if he shows that he wants too be here all he has to do is start posting-

[JoshK]

Its not harsh or lame at all.   The whole idea around a manufacturers forum is that the manfucaturer fields questions from their potential clients and happy customers can converse, etc.  But you said it yourself, Gary isn't much of an internet guy so then why should we make him a forum if he isn't going to meet criteria #1.  

We get so many requests for forums and most of them would just take up space, so we really want to focus on forums where a community of critical mass is created for the benefit of all to read.  

If there were a lot of Dodd audio owners they could start an owner's circle and discuss amongst themselves but without Gary's active participation it really can't be a manufacturer's forum.

[zybar]

Man if you thought that was harsh...you should have seen me with a vendor this afternoon!!    

But seriously, tha fact that I was interested in Gary's products has nothing to do with the criteria for getting a Circle.

To take it step further, I personally feel that many of the vendor forums should be removed for lack of participation.  But I don't run the site...

George