We can do better.

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
I love this group, but we have to shake this up. We're dying. I post something and maybe someone responds a week later. Maybe not. We need constant interaction, and let's face it, the thing that we all loved: This format. "looks around" it is a dinosaur. We can do better.

I vote for another format as we transition.

And for those of you who are not on face book, I just read Stefan Zweig's "The World of Yesterday" and I am still a twitter. An amazing book that I recommend to everyone.

 
I agree. We can make this easier for Paul to maintain with newer code. Just sent Paul some coffee!

Drink up, me matey! Thank you for all your donated efforts. We are truly grateful.

 
I agree Richard. And Janet, good question with several answers to it

Can only speak for myself- I check the board once a day but barely post anymore even though I constantly try out new recipes; they rarely come from here. Googling for answers to peoples questions has taken over for experience and knowledge. Blogs rule even though recipes I've tried from them often don't work. Many talented cooks have given up on the board because there are some that just must post in almost every thread claiming they know more. I am not a "trendy recipe" kind of person. I love good, solid tried and true food. Turning a recipe into that takes work; making it over and over again, tweaking until it is "right". Exotic ingredients come and go with the wind- try it once, put it on the shelf. On to the next "new" thing. I don't do that. People I work with bring food to share in the office. Boxed brownies, canned this, packaged that. All fine and their way of eating but I know that when I bring something truly homemade in to share they all go nuts and want the recipe.

 
Couldn't agree more. Unless we attract new blood AND keep know-it-all bullies...

...from coloring the forum with their own brand of googledge, we won't see growth, high activity, etc.

At Epi we suffered through a lack of moderation and the eventual destruction of a searchable database containing thousands of user-posted recipes, advice, techniques, menus, etc. It was difficult and, eventually, sad.

BUT, we did have a lot more traffic at Epi, since obviously the entire site and THEIR recipe database attracted tons of traffic. Some of that traffic clicked on the "Recipe Swap" link, and a handful became regular participants. A ton became "lurkers" who didn't post, but read the forum regularly.

I appreciate the fact that we have been able to stay somewhat intact, and Mimi and Paul are my heroes.

Michael

 
Richard, love your words... " "Love this group, but we have to shake it up"...

We have all been friends for many, many years. I recall when there was a post on Gails asking if our Michael was the restaurant that was destroyed on 9/11. I vividly remember crying in my office w that consideration.... (Fortunately, not)

Richard, you are right, We need to spark our group up a bit... Our friendships go back so many years, and hate to see them change....

Thanks for the kick in the tush!!

 
I think we need to keep in mind that we are aging...

Personally, I don't cook like I used to because of a back problem so I don't offer much anymore. But I love this place! Marilyn continues to entertain me every day and especially now that she's retired. I feel like I helped raise Michael in Phoenix boys and certainly you Richard. I read to John your amazing adventures in cooking. I don't want to change a thing but I realize I don't really deserve a say in it.

 
Thanks Cathy, I'm making your Mom's Pork Roast on Saturday. Not really a great idea for our hot

humid weather but it is my daughter's favorite and she is visiting for her birthday. Thanks for that recipe and all the others that you have posted. Don't give up!

 
I like popping in and have been trying to post more - I miss Susan and others who don't visit any

longer. I have been super busy with work, which is no excuse, and have been only cooking one or two meals a day. Mostly this is from my shoulder or food allergy issues or simply budget - SF is expensive! But I am always taking home recipes ideas from here. I love this group and want to stay connected.

 
Yes, when I returned recently, I was quite stunned at how long posts are lasting now.

Seems to me they were at the top of the page in less than 2 weeks. Now, it's 2 months or more. I think it's us. Are we getting old and tired?

 
Great suggestions everyone! Sometimes life intervenes smileys/wink.gif

We are moving, working and it's Spring. I agree with Orchid! Trying to do everything I once could do but asking, at this age, "Is this really what I want to do?" Love this "new Gail's" community and eating - especially with peak "summer" ingredients - but not cooking like we used to w/only the 2 of us. After Dh's gall bladder scare - low fat for us! Not actively trying new recipes - was never anything more than a joyful home cook. In the past 5 days since we closed on our new house we've only microwaved leftovers smileys/wink.gif This, too, will change but not until late fall when we anticipate everything will be completed. Still offering encouragement but posting new, involved recipes (and lurking) less. Colleen

 
Maybe I'm a good example of some of this. I hope it's not the bullying and I would hope that someone

would slap me silly if I do 'seem' that way. It is so easy to be misinterpretted or for communication to go awry, I think we need to be more lenient when there is neither face-to-face nor voice-to-voice going on. But sure, I do see some of that, no big deal. I think we can just not react if we are bothered.

But my life took me away, as Colleen suggested. I just had no one to cook for any longer and felt I could not contribute to this lovely group; frankly, it was discouraging to be taken away from enjoying the kitchen. I had felt as though you were all part of my everyday culinary life. Whenever I made a beloved recipe, I always remembered who posted it. But that life changed. I have friends here now and I am doing a little cooking but have other restrictions that are limiting my culinary adventures. And it's not just the cessation of the quarterly trips to Paris. Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

I don't know what happened to her but it sounds as though Angie is in a new life as well.

I hope any changes would only make Paul's efforts easier, rather than representing a challenge. How is Paul doing for revenues here??

By the way, I was chuckling last night in the kitchen as I had my head in the oven thinking about Marilyn's rhubarb pie. Does anyone remember the photo Marilyn posted of her kitchen...........there was a blackboard in the background with a very personal and hilarious reminder on it? Yep, totally unrelated but funny.

 
The request and someone answers with the all-knowning google...

Not.

I can google too. I'm looking for real experience from real cooks.

 
Thanks Orchid. I don't cook like that every day either...

but then, when the bug bites, I go into the kitchen for 3-4 days and start boiling stockpots of bones, vegetables, and meat to make the building block for my 19th Century dinners, starting the bread doughs to rise, and I am in love. There is nothing that can compare to that taste. I would never consider substituting store-bought salt-laden dried and powdered "bouillon" for the building basic building block of all my dinners.

But then I grew up with a German grandmother who cooked this way, so I know the difference in taste.

 
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