Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

When i can be contacted by anybody via email,when we want to share things among ourselves there is no privacy,I don't want to post here anymore, for all too see.

Ken: Anyone on the planet can read these posts and it is that way for a reason. All that is required is that you post with the view that it is public knowledge.

Ken,

My view is that if you are very interested on a bid, keep it to yourself, don't post your intentions, don't attract attention. Also bid last minute so people can't use you as a marker to assess the value of an instrument (example: Ken just bid so it must be a valuable bass... I will bid higher).

You are a respected and avid collector... and if someone see's your interest then they will think it is a good buy and then jump on board... giving you competition.

aside,

The privacy issue of this forum could be worse.

On the Official Ampeg forum there are a couple of guys who are pretty knowledgable... but who hate each other (one is pro tube, the other is pro solid state... hahaha). You post a question and one will answer, the other will then attack his views... and then they just begin talking trash to each other.

No one has to register to post so they constantly attack each other without logging in and then try to blame it on the other, each accusing the other of editing posts/changing login names/etc.

They can get really nasty and I must say that I almost died laughing reading some of their posts.

In the end all they do is scare away many of the normal folks from the forum.

Bingo!

On John's view regarding auctions, that is! And where have I heard that before?

Ken,

I read your posts with great interest. I have not bid on any basses, with the exception of one of Jeff Rath's 4003/5. Your knowledge is an incredible learning tool for me, but I understand your frustration. Maybe you could talk about stuff on eBay after the auction ends. I, for one, would hate to lose some of your in site because others are trying to snipe your bids. Most legit people here would most likely simply search eBay everyday to see what comes up. If you are bidding on something, it would definitely peak some interest for other collectors. I wouldn't mind waiting until the auction ends to hear about the good, bad and ugly of the auction and learn a bit about Rics at the same time. Most auctions stay online for about 90 days past the auction end.

yes Ken you are a resource here ... think twice before quitting ...

Ken,

I was in your position (I was going to pack it in)just a few weeks ago for a different reason and a few of my new friends on the forum talked me into staying. I'm glad I did. I'm not so sure they are!! LOL

Seriously, I don't post much in the bass section (I'm a guitarist who lurks) but I can tell you that I have much respect for your knowledge. I have a Ric bass and I have been able to learn so much from you and a few of the other great people in this section. Don't go. We need people like you here.

Brian

This is what I'm talking about dealers and who ever checking out the forum looking in the for sale section or looking to see what we have to say about things on ebay I looked up this guys name hes never left a post,Then he goes into my profile and gets my email address and emails me.Identity theft would be pretty easy here.....I don't want strangers emailing me....Forum members fine This guys not a Ric lover but a collector hes taking what we write and post and bidding against us,then emailing me telling me I'm doing something wrong... He told me he reads a couple of different forums.Pretty easy !!! When it gets to the point that its gotten to ,With people counterfeiting 68 4001s and using our words to snipe us in auctions ,then having access to personal info when i don't know who you are...Its not fun anymore.

hello-
i am a relatively new member of the rickresource forum. i enjoy it and
post on occassion.
currently, i am bidding on a bass at ebay (7350799558) and was
contacted by another bidder.
this bidder alerted me to a post on your forum by ken swearingen under
the thread "FG v63 on the 'bay". i am happy to forward you the email
from the third party if you would like to see it.
the post suggests that this aforementioned rickresource forum member is
running up the price without intention of buying.
this is obviously illegal. before i contact ebay, i wanted you to know
of this incident.
i am a fretted instrument collector and own my own guitar company so i
am well aware of the "culture" that emerges on forum sites. this,
however, is inappropriate.
thank you,

Wow. I had no idea that that kind of stuff went on. Now I really understand your frustration. I would like to thank you for all the knowledge that I was able to gain through your posts. I hope things work out and you decide to hang around because your knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Ken, I saw that e-mail on another of your posts so I did know the background. You have a right to be angry. But please take some time, think about this and don't withdraw from your friends as a consequence.

They are not the ones who wrote that ignorant, self serving e-mail.

John: There are many aspects of this Forum that never see the light of day.

Ken makes a good point that what we write is seen by others. It doesn't seem to me that going underground is the solution. Perhaps commenting after items that we are bidding on is preferable at times.

Would a separate location that is more secure be helpful?

i am the party referred to in this thread. i wrote the email to the admin and ken this morning as a result of an email received by someone watching the '63 on ebay.
answers to some comments/questions:
1. yes, i have posted in the forum. the statement made otherwise is incorrect.
2. it is not my intention to meddle in the forum, only to use it as a resource for my interest in rickenbacker. i will bid what i want to bid on instruments. it has little to do with anything else. my wallet doesn't expand or contract based on forum posts.
3. i play (and collect) the bass contrary to commentary.
4. my initial intention as a result of the initial email was to handle this off of the forum. i posted my phone number at the bottom of the email and had a conversation (which i thought was pleasant) with ken.
5. great site, sorry for the trouble.

Peter,we help each other out here,people that don't post that just check out what we talk about or are bidding on,are not out there for our benefit there out for themselves and use us against ourselves.

How did this guy find out about the v63 i was bidding on?this forum! the more positive things that were said about it the more he went off on the bid.These collectors[dealers] are feeding off us.