# Yahoo Penturners Group



## Gary (Feb 13, 2005)

I just made my first visit to the Yahoo Penturners Group. There are a lot of knowledgable people posting there and a great library of files. However, as a forum site...it sucks! In order to read a post, Yahoo makes you go through a pop-up advertisement first. Each message you try to read...a pop-up advertisement that you have to close first. I'm a member of other woodworking forums with banner advertising, but this is the first time I've seen the pop-up ad before you can read the post. _*IAP...how sweet it is!*_


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## Gregory Huey (Feb 13, 2005)

Gary I belong to that group as well and it can be a pain at times. Sure is a lot easy to get around here.


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## timdaleiden (Feb 13, 2005)

Well Gary, 

  You are not the first person to become annoyed with that forum style. That (the ads) is how Yahoo keeps it going free of charge. For a free forum, it really isn't that bad. The traffic/posting has dropped to a mere trickle from what it used to be. I think most people have migrated over here. 

  The Yahoo files area is filled with terrific information, accumulated over a number of years. Rich has recently reorganized it to make things easier to find too. 

  Yes, this forum is superior in many ways, but how are we getting all of this for free????  Well, we wouldn't be getting it for free if it wasn't for Scott and Jeff. 

  I hope everyone remembers this when they present their opinions about the forum details. I also hope they keep this in mind if a link is presented again on the front page to Logo items for sale. 

 We take up a lot of cyberspace here, and Jeff should not have to foot the bill for all of us. Scott, Jeff, and many others have have given freely to all of us, and we should not take it as a given. 

  If nothing else, send Jeff a note, and ask if he needs help with anything. 





> _Originally posted by Gary_
> <br />I just made my first visit to the Yahoo Penturners Group. There are a lot of knowledgable people posting there and a great library of files. However, as a forum site...it sucks! In order to read a post, Yahoo makes you go through a pop-up advertisement first. Each message you try to read...a pop-up advertisement that you have to close first. I'm a member of other woodworking forums with banner advertising, but this is the first time I've seen the pop-up ad before you can read the post. _<b>IAP...how sweet it is!</b>_


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## PenWorks (Feb 13, 2005)

What I was impressed with most about the Yahoo site, when you join, the "REQUIRED" reading.

If you actually read all of it. It covers 75% of the questions a new & experience pen turner would ask. I learned more reading that stuff. It was great reading. 

I wish Jeff or Scott would set up an account for donations. To many of us take for granted the work and expense to run this site. Just think, if you woke up tomarrow and the IAP was not here.

Anthony


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## jwoodwright (Feb 13, 2005)

We are very lucky to have this site.  Thanks Jeff and Scott and all the others.  Adding a IAP Cap to my collection...[]


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## timdaleiden (Feb 13, 2005)

Just to be fair and balanced, Rich has been in charge of the Yahoo group for many years. He has been praised and threatened, from what I have seen. For the most part, he has kept his cool. He has tried to elevate the art of penturning, which benefits us all. He has done this free of charge. 

 Some may deride his efforts, but I think he has inspired the creation of this site. So, thanks Rich, if you are listening. []






> _Originally posted by penworks_
> <br />What I was impressed with most about the Yahoo site, when you join, the "REQUIRED" reading.
> 
> If you actually read all of it. It covers 75% of the questions a new & experience pen turner would ask. I learned more reading that stuff. It was great reading.
> ...


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## Gary (Feb 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by penworks_
> <br />What I was impressed with most about the Yahoo site, when you join, the "REQUIRED" reading.
> 
> If you actually read all of it. It covers 75% of the questions a new & experience pen turner would ask. I learned more reading that stuff. It was great reading.
> ...



There was a lot of info there, but I'm not going to visit a site where I have to close a pop-up advertisement before I can read each post. Banner advertising is one thing, but that pop-up is too obtrusive.

As for a donation account for this site...I'm fine with that. In fact, I would go one step further. I would gladly pay a monthly fee to keep this site as it is.


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## Gary (Feb 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by timdaleiden_
> <br />Just to be fair and balanced, Rich has been in charge of the Yahoo group for many years. He has been praised and threatened, from what I have seen. For the most part, he has kept his cool. He has tried to elevate the art of penturning, which benefits us all. He has done this free of charge.
> 
> Some may deride his efforts, but I think he has inspired the creation of this site. So, thanks Rich, if you are listening. []
> ...



Then Rich needs to move over here.[]

My issue isn't with content. In that respect, it's a great site. But, spare me those pop-up ads.


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## PenWorks (Feb 13, 2005)

I agree Gary, we have it so much better over here. I don't visit Yahoo for the same reasons. But I like the idea of the "Required Reading" We should impliment that here.

Anthony


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## Tom McMillan (Feb 14, 2005)

This site is absolutely great, and I very much appreciate the efforts of all here.  I do miss Rich's and some others input, though, so I do keep tabs with the Yahoo Penturners---Rich and others at the Yahoo site I value very much---and I like to stay abreast of what they're doing.


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## its_virgil (Feb 14, 2005)

Yahoo penturners started in Nov 1999 with 186 posts. The high month was March 2002 with 1959. Jan 2005 produced 1449 posts. 

The posts can be read via individual emails or a daily digest that is emailed. Posts need not be read using the AD ridden popup online forum. I choose to read them at the Yahoo group site and don't find the popup ADs that annoying, although our way here on IAP is much, much nicer. Thanks Jeff for making this available!

I also see many of the same people on both forums. With a little work our archives will grow. We are only a year old and the Yahoo group has been around since late 1999. But, our archives of useful info such as tips, tricks, links, etc will only be as good as we make it. Each of us can contribute to making our archives of useful information a great resource. But, we must do it. Not wait for someone else. Post your links, tips, tricks, how to's, finishing instructions, pen making instructions for that special pen, or any information that could be useful to others.

Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## Fleabit (Feb 14, 2005)

I too think a donation link should be installed on the homepage.  I don't have much money to spend, but I can always scrape a few dollars here and there to randomly donate.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 14, 2005)

The content is great.  The interface is terrible. I don't mind the adds, I just want to be able to pull up an entire thread and not go reply to reply.


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## Rifleman1776 (Feb 14, 2005)

You are at a much better place here.[^]


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## DCBluesman (Feb 14, 2005)

Remember our forebearers with respect.  Without Rich and the Yahoo forum, the IAP might never have been born.  I've never joined Yahoo (I have a hard enough time keeping up here) but I know that many of you came here from there.  That alone makes the Yahoo group a good place.  Jeff makes this place even better.  FYI, I think I have Jeff about convinced to let us donate to the cost of maintaining the site.  Hopefully we'll have that "Donate" button soon.


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## Gary (Feb 14, 2005)

> _Originally posted by DCBluesman_
> <br />...FYI, I think I have Jeff about convinced to let us donate to the cost of maintaining the site.  Hopefully we'll have that "Donate" button soon.



Thanks, Lou. Keep after him. As you can see, there are a number of people here that would like to help with a contribution.


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## jeff (Feb 14, 2005)

Thank you all for the very kind words. Lou is absolutely right.  You can all thank the Yahoo! Penturners group (and Scott!) for motivating me to start this group. I posted a suggestion there (see message 39173 in the archive) that the group might be better served someplace with a more modern interface and a decent privacy policy (Y! sells your details).  I was politely told to go away (and privately flogged in email), so I shut up and fired up penturners.org which has turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I'll get the donations button up again soon.  []


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## Deere41h (Feb 14, 2005)

Jeff .... Thank you for all you have done and are doing to keep this site what it is.  I will gladly donate to keep this site going.  As you can tell I am fairly new to the site and don't post alot because there are so many others that have more knowledge than I do.  But this is a great site for keeping up with new ideas and trends in pen turing.  I am a member of both but find I spend much more time here because of the knowledge available and the ease of use.  Thanks again for all you do!!!


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## Scott (Feb 14, 2005)

I also belong to the YAHOO group.  I have a lot of friends there, and I count Rich as a friend!  I still get the posts there in digest form, but I think the very best way to read the Yahoo Penturners Group is right here on this site!  If you go to the main page here at Penturners.org, and look in the left hand column, there is a search feature for the Yahoo group.  Using that feature you can read all the messages since your last visit with not only the ads stripped out, but also without a lot of the other stuff, like when somebody forgets to trim all the previous replys from their message!  When I want to catch up quick, that's what I do!

And while I'm at it I want to thank Jeff too!  I've always said he's the one who does the real work around here!  He's a guy who really can make dreams come true!

Scott.


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## opfoto (Feb 14, 2005)

I agree with all that has been said. I am also a member of the yahoo group. The only reason I don't go there as much as here is because of the popup ads. I do see some of the same posters in both forums. The help I have received is better here for me, minute for minute this is the real deal. Experienced, Helpful group + Time saved (no popups)= Well worth the price of the Donate button. I would be glad to support. Thanks


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## Gary (Feb 14, 2005)

You said...Yahoo search feature. Do you mean the Yahoo Message Feed, or am I confused (which is quite possible)?





> _Originally posted by Scott_
> <br />I also belong to the YAHOO group.  I have a lot of friends there, and I count Rich as a friend!  I still get the posts there in digest form, but I think the very best way to read the Yahoo Penturners Group is right here on this site!  If you go to the main page here at Penturners.org, and look in the left hand column, there is a search feature for the Yahoo group.  Using that feature you can read all the messages since your last visit with not only the ads stripped out, but also without a lot of the other stuff, like when somebody forgets to trim all the previous replys from their message!  When I want to catch up quick, that's what I do!
> 
> And while I'm at it I want to thank Jeff too!  I've always said he's the one who does the real work around here!  He's a guy who really can make dreams come true!
> ...


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