Recent Changes on Beechbrook.Com

[cottage]

Greetings all,

Here's an update of recent changes for Beechbrook.com. Since my early days of hosting PTE shows, a portion of the author's email address has always been displayed on the PTE Download pages. Today I have modified the code to show only the author's name. Email addresses and names are still required during the Upload session; however email addresses will no longer be displayed publicly. This is also true in the Author's Notes sections.

In my 20 years of working with Beechbrook, no one has ever complained (at least to me ) about this requirement. Today I simply removed it. Hopefully it has been seen as an asset in helping visitors make contact with show authors. Going forward, the PTE Forum may be the alternative method for making such contact.

Additional changes;

There appears to be little need for my PTE RSS Feed anymore, so as of today it will cease.

Of the tens of thousands of downloads from Beechbrook yearly, few visitors have opted to be automatically notified of new presentations. This maillist feature may be removed in the near future.

I welcome your questions and comments.

Best regards,

Bill

[trailertrash]

Bill, I dof my cap to you for what you do.

Andrew

[Lakelandlass]

Greetings all,

Here's an update of recent changes for Beechbrook.com. Since my early days of hosting PTE shows, a portion of the author's email address has always been displayed on the PTE Download pages. Today I have modified the code to show only the author's name. Email addresses and names are still required during the Upload session; however email addresses will no longer be displayed publicly. This is also true in the Author's Notes sections.

In my 20 years of working with Beechbrook, no one has ever complained (at least to me ) about this requirement. Today I simply removed it. Hopefully it has been seen as an asset in helping visitors make contact with show authors. Going forward, the PTE Forum may be the alternative method for making such contact.

Additional changes;

There appears to be little need for my PTE RSS Feed anymore, so as of today it will cease.

Of the tens of thousands of downloads from Beechbrook yearly, few visitors have opted to be automatically notified of new presentations. This maillist feature may be removed in the near future.

I welcome your questions and comments.

Best regards,

Bill

Bill, as you know I can only endorse Andrew's comments. I have always thought that Beechbrook is an excellent showcase for PTE.

Maureen

[David Porter]

Hi Bill,

I agree with all that is said above but as one who has opted for automatic feeds I think it would be a shame to lose it especially as not everyone who puts shows on your site also puts them on Wnsoft.

[Ken Cox]

Bill

I disagree with your move re the address – you are closing the door to personal communication with the authors – a step backwards.

When I download from your site I write a letter to 99% of the authors and I know other people do as well.

I do not like using forum mail and use it as little as possible.

But it is your nickel

ken

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Ken Afraid I disagree, the anonimity of Mediafire gives me the choice of going public or not, Beechbrook didn't. Now it's changed maybe more people will want to use Beechbrook.

Yachtsman1

[Ken Cox]

Available Files: 391

Active Files Download Count: 655658

Current Users Online: 17

does not look like it has bothered many people

in fact Bill used to have 7 pages, today he has 20

and he limited duration for regular shows to 30 days because the site was so popular and hi speed was not available in a lot of places

I snail mailed cd collections from Bill's site to members in Ireland and England because of their bandwidth problems -- shows were not near as big as they are now -- i think it took 6-7 cd's

ken

[colin hill]

Bill,

You have an excellent site and one which gives all users an opportunity to "showcase" their shows to a wide audience.

I use your automatic notification and would be sad to see this go as I am not always on your website to check out what is new.

I appreciate the service you offer as do a lot of other avid AV people.

Thank you for your efforts, much appreciated.

Colin

[cottage]

Thanks to those of you that took the time to comment on the recent changes for Beechbrook. As always I appreciate your interest. Hopefully in all the years of posting email addresses on the download pages, no one has suffered negative consequences because of it. I've heard from a few users that wish the PTE Automatic Notifications to remain. So they will !

I receive very few comments overall about the good verses bad of Beechbrook. Therefore I have limited data to rely on. I am always open to your views, suggestions and comments. If the current configuration works for the masses, I'll continue with this format. If there needs to be changes, well... I'm open to that also.

Regards,

Bill

[goddi]

Thanks to those of you that took the time to comment on the recent changes for Beechbrook. As always I appreciate your interest. Hopefully in all the years of posting email addresses on the download pages, no one has suffered negative consequences because of it. I've heard from a few users that wish the PTE Automatic Notifications to remain. So they will !

I receive very few comments overall about the good verses bad of Beechbrook. Therefore I have limited data to rely on. I am always open to your views, suggestions and comments. If the current configuration works for the masses, I'll continue with this format. If there needs to be changes, well... I'm open to that also.

Regards,

Bill

=========================

Bill,

I didn't post my view because I was willing to go along with your change, if that is what you wanted. I have you bookmarked so it is not difficult to get to your site easily and quickly. But I do appreciate the notifications. And thanks again for your hosting of our PTE shows. Super great benefit for all of us!

Gary

[Ken Cox]

Bill

does that mean you are going to reverse the code to show addresses?

IMHO, people did not want to object cause you might shut down an excellent FREE - AD FREE SERVICE

ken

[mhwarner]

And I would like to point out that if you use Bill's site at all (posting or downloading), there is a button at the top which allows you to easily make a donation of any size via Pay Pal for the maintenance and upkeep of the site. If you haven't ever contributed, think about doing so. We would hate to ever lose this excellent resource! Thanks again Bill for keeping it going!

[cottage]

=========================

Bill,

I didn't post my view because I was willing to go along with your change, if that is what you wanted. I have you bookmarked so it is not difficult to get to your site easily and quickly. But I do appreciate the notifications. And thanks again for your hosting of our PTE shows. Super great benefit for all of us!

Gary

Thanks Gary, and you're welcome !

Bill

[cottage]

And I would like to point out that if you use Bill's site at all (posting or downloading), there is a button at the top which allows you to easily make a donation of any size via Pay Pal for the maintenance and upkeep of the site. If you haven't ever contributed, think about doing so. We would hate to ever lose this excellent resource! Thanks again Bill for keeping it going!

Mary, I appreciate your interest in my site and your recent donation towards my maintenance and hosting costs. And I'm ready to host your shows whenever you are ready to release them.

Bill

[cagney123]

I agree with Ken about the return addresses. Just the other day I downloaded one of Maureen's shows and couldn't find an address to write her my thoughts.

I hadn't read this forum topic at that time. I searched the web, but there are many people with the same name. Anyway I just thought I'd chime in.

Thanks for having the wonderful site for PTE shows. I appreciate it whatever you do with it.

Jeff Lunt

[JRR]

Just getting into the discussion now....

I too appreciate Bill's site very much. (I do hope users are supporting Bill with more than just words) It gives us access to great work and ideas for more shows, and just appreciate the many wonders of the world.

I too, like Ken, do contact some of the creators (but I admit not as a high a presentation as Ken) and I would like to see an ongoing option.

If removing the address generates more shows to the Cottage, then in some ways I might be in support of it, but overall I think there is a need for us to have contact info.

[cottage]

Just getting into the discussion now....

I too appreciate Bill's site very much. (I do hope users are supporting Bill with more than just words) It gives us access to great work and ideas for more shows, and just appreciate the many wonders of the world.

I too, like Ken, do contact some of the creators (but I admit not as a high a presentation as Ken) and I would like to see an ongoing option.

If removing the address generates more shows to the Cottage, then in some ways I might be in support of it, but overall I think there is a need for us to have contact info.

Jim,

There has been absolutly no change in the volumn of presentations uploaded to my site due to the removal of public email addresses. I suppose those that object to having their email addresses shown on my site still refrain from uploading for other reasons. Perhaps a Forum Poll is in order to see what the masses say.

Bill

[JRR]

Jim,

There has been absolutly no change in the volumn of presentations uploaded to my site due to the removal of public email addresses. I suppose those that object to having their email addresses shown on my site still refrain from uploading for other reasons. Perhaps a Forum Poll is in order to see what the masses say.

Bill

Sounds good to me

Bring on the pole........

[cottage]

Sounds good to me

Bring on the pole........

Jim - Thanks. The Poll is now available in a new post under this same topic area. -Bill