Walk with Me

[Back2Jake]

As a scroller, is it important to you to "know" the designer of the patterns you use to create your projects from? Do you like the idea of having access to and talking with a designer on the forums or by email?

I've noticed on some forums there are threads where questions are asked of designers or authors. In some cases these questions go unanswered or take a very long time to hear back from the designer/author.

I remember back years ago, (before forums) when I was working on a couple patterns by a favorite designer and I tried to reach her when I had a question. It turned out the question went unanswered and I didn't do that project after all. It gave me the feeling that she didn't care after she had made the sale and although I still liked her patterns this feeling remained with me.

Do you think designers/authors should be more interactive and mingle among the scrollers on forums?

Take care
Toni

[Marsha]

Toni, this is a very interesting thread you have started.

When I was learning how to do compound cutting I quite simply did not understand the concept, but I really liked the idea of being able to make a chess set on the scroll saw, so I had to contact Diane Thompson to find out what I was doing wrong. It was very important to me, that I was able to contact her by email, and she answered my questions immediately. She was very encouraging and I've been able to go on and do any compound pattern I've attempted.

So yes, I like the idea of being able to contact the designers, although I don't think many of them actually have the time to surf the forums to see if someone has a question for them. I do think they should be available by email, and they should be willing to answer pattern specific questions.

Personally, if I had a question for a specific designer, I don't think I would post it here, I would look for their website and hope to find their email address available.

Marsha

[Greenfield_Bob]

The other magazine's forum use to have some of the designers listed in there, so you could ask questions, but I see they have all been taken out of their forum. I guess it didn't work out.

Bob

[Back2Jake]

So yes, I like the idea of being able to contact the designers, although I don't think many of them actually have the time to surf the forums to see if someone has a question for them.
Marsha

Well, if I were to take that personally, I might simply sum it up with Owch! I mean, sheesh, afterall I am not retired, and at 44 years old, I have a rather young family, a job, volunteer, have other interests outside scrolling and design. Yet, I make time to be here and answer emails.

I am pleased to hear you were able to contact Diane and that she was able to answer your questions, making your learning easier.

I personally wouldn't expect a designer/author to simply sit around and wait to see if someone has a question for them, but contribute to the online scrolling community. We are lucky here, we have a number of designers who frequent the board.

[Jediscroller]

Personally, if they can't be bothered to "mingle" with us I can't be bothered with their patterns. By this I don't mean that I expect them to belong to forums or post on them. I've seen a couple of designers comment on various forums and they reek of arrogance and conceipt which are 2 qualities that I despise (fortunately, there are very, very few that fall into this category). There are several designers who don't bother with forums but welcome phone calls and/or e-mails and will gladly help out. I don't get the hero worship (lack of a better term) that I see quite often on forums for various designers. They're just scroll saw patterns after all.
On the other side of the coin, the very best designers (at least in my opinion) are always thrilled to get to talk to fellow scrollers and are very down to earth. Ted Buzzelli, Sheila Landry, yourselves, Dirk Boelman, Bruce Worthington, Gloria Bryan, Andy Deane and many (most) others all fall into this latter category.

[PeteB]

Toni, I think it's great that you're active in the forum, and I urge you to keep being interactive.

For one thing, it's good for your business. As a case in point, my main interest is in making puzzles and I have been to precious few pattern designers' websites. Even so, I have visited your site on the strength of your postings here. You may have what seems like a fairly inconsequential interaction in a thread such as this one, but remember that each of these threads receives hundreds of views, can be picked up by an interested party from a web search, and may have a life of several years.

Interacting with your customers and the scrolling public will sharpen your skills as a designer. By soliciting feedback in the form of photos of your customers' finished works as you have, I imagine that you have learned a great deal about key points to include in your instructions, for example.

I have been active in a couple of car-building forums for the past few years, and I would say that the companies that have participated in the forums have prospered more than those that haven't. Not only are they more in touch with what their customers want, but the personal interaction increases customer loyalty as well.

Something you could do to save time is to pick one forum to do most of your posting on, but visit around from time to time. Word tends to get around that "Toni Burghout hangs out over at wherever.com".

Just my $0.02!

Pete

[lucky788scroller]

Toni asked "Do you think designers/authors should be more interactive and mingle among the scrollers on forums? "

My reply is " If they take their designing seriously, and DO want to be successful, they better! " Dale

edit.. After rereading the complete thread, I take that back. No, I dont think they should feel obligated to be active on forums, but they should be able to be contacted somehow, whether by email, or phone, or at the very least, mail. The first fretwork clock I did , I was in about the same situation as Marsha was, I was totally confused about one part. I looked up Ray Wilckens phone number and called with my questions.He guided me through my confusion. Later that evening, dan Wilckens called ME to make sure I understood it and everything was fitting as planned. That is above and beyond what a designer should have to do for his customers , but it sure was appreciated, and I will always be a customer of the wilckens, not only because their patterns are breathtaking, but their customer service is as well.

[Woodbutcher68]

I agree with Dale, it could be to their advantage to be on the forums, but we can't expect them to visit every forum out there.
That's one of the things I enjoy about the Scrollsaw picnics. I've talked to Shannon, BobD, RickH, Dirk Boelman and Carter Johnson in person. I even met Dale there this year.
It sure beats talking to a customer service rep in New Delhi!

[Marsha]

Well, if I were to take that personally, I might simply sum it up with Owch! I mean, sheesh, afterall I am not retired, and at 44 years old, I have a rather young family, a job, volunteer, have other interests outside scrolling and design. Yet, I make time to be here and answer emails.

Toni, your reply certainly reads like you took my post personally. It was not intended that way. Your input/participation, as well as all the designers who take the time to contribute to this forum, is invaluable and well appreciated.

Marsha

[sheltiecarver]

Toni,
I think it is very important!
I like the way especially you and "your" Sue and Sue Mey and some of the others, like - well, I can't name them all, are so available here, and several of the carving authors are there on the carving board.
First of all, getting to "know" you makes your patterns all that much more interesting to me.
And becoming accustomed to your sensitivity and sense of humor makes me want to do your stuff. I also feel that if I get stuck, you would be one of the first ones to help me through a pattern. I feel that way about all the author sand pattern-makers who post here - Neal, for another one.
So I'd say you're spending your time well staying accessible, at least for me.
I know I get really frustrated when a project I really want to cut starts to not make sense part-way through, and usually those just become very expensive kindling wood.
I also like it that if someone says "why isn't there a pattern for a - whatever- somebody comes up with one.
I think of this place as a family, and I really like it when some of the members help some of the others.
So -- lets see -- the short answer is "yes!!!"
Sandy

[Rolf]

I don't Expect the designers to be active in any forum, I would assume that they would monitor the forums if for no other reason but to see what people are doing and also to see what kind of feedback their patterns are getting.
It would be nice if the designer has a web site with an e-mail address so that we can ask questions.
I recently sent an e-mail to Jeff Zaffino and had a very rapid an nice response.
I think that to be a succesful designer you should be accesible in some way, But as Toni said designers have lives like the rest of us and we should respect that and not get miffed if we don't get an immediate response.
After all they could be at the open house talking to us.

[wwalker47]

Thanks for your help, designers/authors

.

Do you think designers/authors should be more interactive and mingle among the scrollers on forums?

Toni

Yes, I took Neal's class. I didn't think I could do that kind of segmentation before , but now I do. When I get to wrestling around with one of his wild animals I most likely will give him a shout on some fine point. So most defiantly I think designers/authors should be more interactive and mingle among the scrollers on forums. I for one am glad you take part of your valuable time to log on and help.

Thanks a million,

-Bill