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Just A Personal Thought About The School Rebranding ...

  • Thread starter TheRedMageGuitarist
  • Start date
T

TheRedMageGuitarist

Guest
I really hope I'm not opening up a can of worms but I really was thinking about it, because I was one of the many who felt this way and ever since Radu's recent thread, I've changed my views...A LOT.

*DISCLAIMER* I AM ONLY SPEAKING ABOUT HOW MY OWN PERSONAL THOUGHTS COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. I AM NOT SPEAKING ABOUT ANYONE ELSE'S THOUGHTS

Some students expressed their concern that this site has become "too much like social media now" and that's why they stopped engaging. Well, I USE to agree with that. But in my opinion, it couldn't be further from the truth.

On social media, we have endless, nonstop, annoying and badgering ads that we can't filter out. We have knee-jerk posts and horrible comment sections full of trolls that make secret accounts just to cause bullshit and stir the pot. Here, when we have assholes, the admins sweep that shit up and give a good ass smacking immediately. On virtually ALL social media platforms, it's "Sorry. We're gonna ban YOU because you don't like the bully we cater to." We see fake people shoving products in our faces, and rage-inducing news articles we have no control over if we see them or not.
A majority of free speech has been yanked from these platforms. And on social media, unless you pose in your lingerie or recently had a baby, no one cares about your posts. You can post up on FB "Hey guys! Finally got this dream guitar after years of hard work!" And if you're lucky to get any comments, it seems a majority will be gossiping behind your back in one way or another. Here? You can say "I passed my driver's test today!" And you'll get like 15 comments of people supporting you. It's insane

I remember I posted a long time ago about overcoming addictions and it opened up a whole line of people coming clean about their victories and battles. We all came together. That's not what social media does. Social media exists solely to tear you down from the inside out.

Also? Ever since my hiatus I took a LOT from many other online guitar schools. I won't say which ones, but as this place stands as a guitar school, this community has NO competition. It's hands down THE BEST. On other sites, you see students crying out for help and no one responds. It'll be swarming with activity but NO ONE NOTICES EACH OTHER. Here, we get noticed. We get heard. Sure we could all use a few more lessons, but we now know these AMAZING features ARE coming. I feel so blessed and so thankful.

Sometimes you gotta wander far from the barn to see how cozy your haybed really was. I'm glad I took a step away because now I see how awesome this new endeavor is really going to be.

Love the admin team. Love the students. Love Synner.
 
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iridecently

Hot Topic Tourer
  • Jun 5, 2020
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    I am gonna go against the grain a bit here because I think the comparison to social media came from a different angle.

    From what I understood, people feel like the site is like social media because of the focus transitioning away from guitar and more to a large(r) scale community surrounding music and just the Synner brand in general. Nobody made the claim that the site is like social media because you have to get your tits out to get likes or the large amount of FB/twitter-like toxicity here.

    However, I think we can all agree that the majority of posts here, at least in the riff section, are super polished, show-offy videos (no hate to anyone, if I had any skill at guitar playing I'd want to show off too) which lines up with the picture perfect expectations of social media. The fun part of this site was seeing people try their hand at new things, post a video again a couple weeks later and seeing growth there, which is currently a bit lacking.
     

    Lindsey

    Local Dive Bar Favorite
  • Nov 16, 2019
    838
    2,085
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    www.instagram.com
    10
    I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't see social media as something negative. 😂

    But I get what you're saying, and I get that people feel like this site is more a community.
    Both is true. We do have better moderation here compared to big SM sites. We're a smaller group of people so we can notice each other. (There are probably more people here then I think)
     
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    TheRedMageGuitarist

    Guest
    I am gonna go against the grain a bit here because I think the comparison to social media came from a different angle.

    From what I understood, people feel like the site is like social media because of the focus transitioning away from guitar and more to a large(r) scale community surrounding music and just the Synner brand in general. Nobody made the claim that the site is like social media because you have to get your tits out to get likes or the large amount of FB/twitter-like toxicity here.

    However, I think we can all agree that the majority of posts here, at least in the riff section, are super polished, show-offy videos (no hate to anyone, if I had any skill at guitar playing I'd want to show off too) which lines up with the picture perfect expectations of social media. The fun part of this site was seeing people try their hand at new things, post a video again a couple weeks later and seeing growth there, which is currently a bit lacking.
    Like I mentioned in my post, I was someone who felt that way as well when everything shifted into Synner.

    As far as the "picture perfect" postings that mirror social media, that's only because a lot of students just stopped posting. But luckily, UNLIKE social media, we can take control of that :) I agree with you about when you said "it was fun to watch people try their hands at new things." That was SO much fun for me as well!

    My post was trying to showcase all the horrible things that ARE social media, and how much this site is not like that. I wasn't trying demean anyone's opinion of what resemblance to social media they feel this site has. I was just trying to say that now, as someone who USE to feel that way, I'm very excited to support the Synner transition and brand. Luckily for us, we can't control what places like Instagram and Facebook do or post or show us. If we end up seeing millions of polished videos that's out of our control. But here, it IS in our control. It truly is whatever the community makes it :) And that's the biggest difference!
     
    Synner Endless Summer Collection
    T

    TheRedMageGuitarist

    Guest
    I am gonna go against the grain a bit here because I think the comparison to social media came from a different angle.

    From what I understood, people feel like the site is like social media because of the focus transitioning away from guitar and more to a large(r) scale community surrounding music and just the Synner brand in general. Nobody made the claim that the site is like social media because you have to get your tits out to get likes or the large amount of FB/twitter-like toxicity here.

    However, I think we can all agree that the majority of posts here, at least in the riff section, are super polished, show-offy videos (no hate to anyone, if I had any skill at guitar playing I'd want to show off too) which lines up with the picture perfect expectations of social media. The fun part of this site was seeing people try their hand at new things, post a video again a couple weeks later and seeing growth there, which is currently a bit lacking.
    And I don't see you as "going against the grain" at all. You're just explaining your viewpoint. Which is something that should be considered and spoken up about :)
     

    Ed Seith

    Supreme Galactic Overlord
    Staff member
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    3,882
    15
    6,602
    53
    Marana, AZ USA
    soundcloud.com
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    Social media has its place, for good or for ill (as each person's desire and mileage may vary), but the point is clear, and we appreciate Jak bringing up the comparison.

    I realize the SITE has become more merch and "brand" focused, but - and I might be biased - I really don't see it that much here in the forum/community. We sure need more activity overall and stuff, but I feel like the "guitar school aspect" of the site still has its DNA intact.

    I know it can be intimidating to post your busted-ass Mary Had a Little Lamb video after one of the insane and super-polished videos, but the most important thing to think of is that those super-shredders are here to help you figure out how to get better.

    (and if they're not, we try to identify and remove the videos of people who just drop in to promote their shit and leave). Don't be afraid to reach out to @Chris Johnston and ask about how he wrote that killer pop-rock song, or @SimonEichinger with questions about fucking INSANE technique. A lot more options on that front are COMING SOON now that we're getting ready to launch SynTV and make the site more real-time interactive.

    And, you know, Syn spends a serious goddamn fortune on this site, and the lessons and the community and almost EVERYTHING here is free. Ain't nothing wrong with my Dude pushing some (actually seriously fuckin cool) merch to help keep it alive without bleeding him dry, and he's not marking shit up like the movie theaters do - whether you buy a t-shirt or a Synyster Custom, the price is competitive and the shipping is generally really quick (depending on your country).

    Most importantly, as your community leaders, we are FEROCIOUS when it comes to protecting this site as a truly SAFE PLACE to be "musically vulnerable," and open yourself up to feedback.

    Thanks for opening the dialog, @TheRedMageGuitarist !
     
    T

    TheRedMageGuitarist

    Guest
    Social media has its place, for good or for ill (as each person's desire and mileage may vary), but the point is clear, and we appreciate Jak bringing up the comparison.

    I realize the SITE has become more merch and "brand" focused, but - and I might be biased - I really don't see it that much here in the forum/community. We sure need more activity overall and stuff, but I feel like the "guitar school aspect" of the site still has its DNA intact.

    I know it can be intimidating to post your busted-ass Mary Had a Little Lamb video after one of the insane and super-polished videos, but the most important thing to think of is that those super-shredders are here to help you figure out how to get better.

    (and if they're not, we try to identify and remove the videos of people who just drop in to promote their shit and leave). Don't be afraid to reach out to @Chris Johnston and ask about how he wrote that killer pop-rock song, or @SimonEichinger with questions about fucking INSANE technique. A lot more options on that front are COMING SOON now that we're getting ready to launch SynTV and make the site more real-time interactive.

    And, you know, Syn spends a serious goddamn fortune on this site, and the lessons and the community and almost EVERYTHING here is free. Ain't nothing wrong with my Dude pushing some (actually seriously fuckin cool) merch to help keep it alive without bleeding him dry, and he's not marking shit up like the movie theaters do - whether you buy a t-shirt or a Synyster Custom, the price is competitive and the shipping is generally really quick (depending on your country).

    Most importantly, as your community leaders, we are FEROCIOUS when it comes to protecting this site as a truly SAFE PLACE to be "musically vulnerable," and open yourself up to feedback.

    Thanks for opening the dialog, @TheRedMageGuitarist !
    Eloquently worded as always. I really hope I didn't push anybody's buttons in the wrong way I was just trying to open up my own personal thoughts of my own personal growth with how I felt about the site. And everyone is welcome to either agree or disagree.
     

    Steven Huth

    Local Dive Bar Favorite
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    Some students expressed their concern that this site has become "too much like social media now" and that's why they stopped engaging. Well, I USE to agree with that. But it couldn't be further from the truth.
    I'm not so sure calling others' feelings further from the truth is very accurate at all. If someone called my feelings or concerns as not the truth, I wouldn't come back either.

    If they feel that way, then understanding why they feel that way and why they don't like social media is going to be the key to making this place a welcoming place for all.
     
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    TheRedMageGuitarist

    Guest
    I'm not so sure calling other's feelings further from the truth is very accurate at all. If someone called my feelings or concerns as not the truth, I wouldn't come back either.

    If they feel that way, then understanding why they feel that way and why they don't like social media is going to be the key to making this place a welcoming place for all.
    I'm sorry you misunderstood me. When I said "It couldn't be further from the truth" that was MY personal opinion. A lot of people are taking this post as if I'm claiming it to be the "by all, end all" of this site and it was truly only suppose to be my own thoughts and realizations of why I personally no longer agree with how I USE to feel. I USE to believe it was exactly like social media. And after MY OWN PERSONAL thoughts on it, I felt my OWN PERSONAL thoughts as to WHY couldn't be further from the truth. See, like @iridecently made a great personal point above. She and I BOTH felt like it started to become too much like social media, but we both had completely different reasons as to WHY. When she said she felt all the videos started to become to polished and therefor mirror the ways you see things on social media, that thought never crossed my mind at all. And I was like "Wow, I never saw it like that." So she is very entitled to her opinion!

    But for ME, it started to feel like social media because of the emojis, the social status updates, the endless meme sharing, and so much more. It seemed like that was the focal point and the only thing that mattered.

    Once again, I would NEVER in a MILLION years say that your opinions, thoughts or emotions are wrong. This was just MY personal "coming to an understanding" with my OWN viewpoints. MUCH love, brother!
     

    Steven Huth

    Local Dive Bar Favorite
  • Nov 11, 2019
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    I'm sorry you misunderstood me.
    I don't believe I misunderstood you. That's extremely condescending.

    You can have your opinion and your personal thoughts without having to call other opinions "further from the truth". Disagreeing with someone doesn't make their opinion further from the truth, it just makes it different than yours. Their feelings, like yours, matter. It's possible you didn't mean it how you said it, but again...if I was brand new and saw that, I would be out.

    Working together and making this community a welcoming place where all opinions can thrive and be heard is where I would like to see this place go.
     
    Synner Endless Summer Collection
    T

    TheRedMageGuitarist

    Guest
    I don't believe I misunderstood you. That's extremely condescending.

    You can have your opinion and your personal thoughts without having to call other opinions "further from the truth". Disagreeing with someone doesn't make their opinion further from the truth, it just makes it different than yours. Their feelings, like yours, matter. It's possible you didn't mean it how you said it, but again...if I was brand new and saw that, I would be out.

    Working together and making this community a welcoming place where all opinions can thrive and be heard is where I would like to see this place go.
    Once again, you DID actually misunderstand me. I will reiterate it ONCE more. What I meant by "couldn't be further from the truth" was MY. OWN. PERSONAL. THOUGHTS. COULD. NOT. BE. MORE. FURTHER. FROM. THE. TRUTH. as to WHY this site is NOT like social media.

    I can try to be more clear next time. But if I tell you that's not what I meant, and I even apologized, at some point it's time to just lay it to rest. I literally spent almost ten minutes conjuring up a response to better word what I was trying to say, and even apologize to you.

    You say "I'd like to see this place where we can work together", so let's work together. I said I was sorry, I reiterated what I meant to say, and no where in my entire original post did I say "anyone who thinks this place was like social media is wrong, and their opinions couldn't be further from the truth."

    I believe you read my original post the wrong way. So I was trying to clear the air.
     

    Steven Huth

    Local Dive Bar Favorite
  • Nov 11, 2019
    129
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    Some students expressed their concern that this site has become "too much like social media now" and that's why they stopped engaging. Well, I USE to agree with that. But it couldn't be further from the truth.
    This literally says you used to agree with their opinion, but that same opinion couldn't be further from the truth. So again, I did not misunderstand anything from the original post. I'm sorry you misunderstood me is not the same as I'm sorry for not being clear enough.

    You have clarified now, which is great. Anyone who is watching this conversation with popcorn will now know what you meant. Which is where I am going with this :) .

    I care about everyone here and will defend everyone about anything.
     

    Rad Synner

    Sold-out Crowd Surfer
    Staff member
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,414
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    4,357
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    If anyone gets to know me even a little, you'll probably end up hearing me ranting about how I hate social media and it's culture and that come from a specific place: I was addicted to them when I was younger. And I do insist on the word ''addiction''. I was always checking them every 5 min and if I wasn't, I would get upset over it and get very irritated until I put my nose back in them. It had become very bad obviously and it sounds silly to say and imagine this but I can only talk about the way I felt and share this. I was of course an insecure young boy looking to get some attention and wanting to feel like I belonged and so I gave a lot of attention to my number of likes and followers, etc.. my feed was full of useless and insufferable content that would anger me and make me feel upset and it lasted up until the moment that something happened that forced me to quit them. I gave my phone to my mom and told her to not let me look.

    That's the moment I realized I was addicted. The feeling of withdrawal was awful and I was so anxious over things and I felt the need to get back at it. It lasted for a month and then it finally started to cool off. I didn't feel the need to get on them anymore and from then on, I could always easily delete the app and take some distances. I obviously ended back on them at a later point but this time with a bit more awareness of what was happening and how I felt and that's when I realized how upset they made me feel. Twitter would make me feel offended about everything, Facebook would make me upset about world tragedies, instagram would bring my insecurities out and make me feel worthless. That's when I decided to kill all my accounts. I deleted them with no second thoughts. All gone, I let go of my past. I still have Facebook up but only for messenger and other than my professional accounts for my own projects, I virtually do not exist online.

    Except one place, you guessed it, Onlyfans.

    Wait no... sorry I made a mistake in my speech. I mean, Synner. This place is special and one of the main reasons is because the creator of this space put a huge focus on education, appreciation, respect, healthy lifestyle and not what the other giants do which is to pit us all against each other. I understand that people were confused about the change of trajectory but that was simply the evolution of the vision. And while it may feel a bit confusing at the moment, give it time! Come here when you feel like it, you'll always be welcome! You feel you don't belong anymore? That's okay, take your distances but know the door is large open for you to come back if you change your mind, don't be a stranger!

    Now you may wonder why I opened up about my life and all that jazz and it's because one simple reason: I am here in a position of authority and I plan to do the very best I can to cultivate this space as place that is positive and fair and that brings the best out of everyone! That doesn't mean that shit won't happen, bad thing happens even to the best of us. But what we will never do is cultivate a culture around negativity and a feeling of unwelcome.

    And the one big difference between us and other media sites is that if ever you have an idea about we could make this place better, our DM's are always open to suggestions. If ever there is something that happens to you that's bad on our platform, we will listen to you and will try to find a solution to the problem. If there is something that you would like to do like a challenge or a project, you can do it!

    All and all, just know that we will always to our best to make this the best experience it can be!

    TL;DR: Yo, yes the school has changed but like it doesn't mean you'll ever be unwelcome. Come hang bro, this is a cool place :rock-hand:
     
    Synner Endless Summer Collection

    Steven Huth

    Local Dive Bar Favorite
  • Nov 11, 2019
    129
    1
    313
    34
    13
    If anyone gets to know me even a little, you'll probably end up hearing me ranting about how I hate social media and it's culture and that come from a specific place: I was addicted to them when I was younger. And I do insist on the word ''addiction''. I was always checking them every 5 min and if I wasn't, I would get upset over it and get very irritated until I put my nose back in them. It had become very bad obviously and it sounds silly to say and imagine this but I can only talk about the way I felt and share this. I was of course an insecure young boy looking to get some attention and wanting to feel like I belonged and so I gave a lot of attention to my number of likes and followers, etc.. my feed was full of useless and insufferable content that would anger me and make me feel upset and it lasted up until the moment that something happened that forced me to quit them. I gave my phone to my mom and told her to not let me look.

    That's the moment I realized I was addicted. The feeling of withdrawal was awful and I was so anxious over things and I felt the need to get back at it. It lasted for a month and then it finally started to cool off. I didn't feel the need to get on them anymore and from then on, I could always easily delete the app and take some distances. I obviously ended back on them at a later point but this time with a bit more awareness of what was happening and how I felt and that's when I realized how upset they made me feel. Twitter would make me feel offended about everything, Facebook would make me upset about world tragedies, instagram would bring my insecurities out and make me feel worthless. That's when I decided to kill all my accounts. I deleted them with no second thoughts. All gone, I let go of my past. I still have Facebook up but only for messenger and other than my professional accounts for my own projects, I virtually do not exist online.

    Except one place, you guessed it, Onlyfans.

    Wait no... sorry I made a mistake in my speech. I mean, Synner. This place is special and one of the main reasons is because the creator of this space put a huge focus on education, appreciation, respect, healthy lifestyle and not what the other giants do which is to pit us all against each other. I understand that people were confused about the change of trajectory but that was simply the evolution of the vision. And while it may feel a bit confusing at the moment, give it time! Come here when you feel like it, you'll always be welcome! You feel you don't belong anymore? That's okay, take your distances but know the door is large open for you to come back if you change your mind, don't be a stranger!

    Now you may wonder why I opened up about my life and all that jazz and it's because one simple reason: I am here in a position of authority and I plan to do the very best I can to cultivate this space as place that is positive and fair and that brings the best out of everyone! That doesn't mean that shit won't happen, bad thing happens even to the best of us. But what we will never do is cultivate a culture around negativity and a feeling of unwelcome.

    And the one big difference between us and other media sites is that if ever you have an idea about we could make this place better, our DM's are always open to suggestions. If ever there is something that happens to you that's bad on our platform, we will listen to you and will try to find a solution to the problem. If there is something that you would like to do like a challenge or a project, you can do it!

    All and all, just know that we will always to our best to make this the best experience it can be!

    TL;DR: Yo, yes the school has changed but like it doesn't mean you'll ever be unwelcome. Come hang bro, this is a cool place :rock-hand:
    Thanks for sharing dude. We are all on this together. We live or we die as a team.
     

    Rad Synner

    Sold-out Crowd Surfer
    Staff member
    Legend+
  • Nov 11, 2019
    1,414
    4
    4,357
    Montreal
    8
    isn't anyone else wondering what @Radu-Cristian Perde offers on his onlyfan's account ? That's probably why I lost so many subscribers on my fansly account..
    Subscribe and you'll find what you're looking for. Only rule is: don't spoil it for other 😂