Just checked shaperoom.net (french shaping forum and website)after two weeks of abscence to see the site is down. What happened? For me it was a perfect site to gather information (beside swaylocks) but also great to get in contact with some people in france, the language and culture. It would be too bad to not have this anymore! what is/was the despute?
Guys posting also here McFly, Balsa, Pierre, Lob:
Qu’est ce qui s’est passè???´
Zimmi
We had some “political problems” with the site and the people visiting it. It seems pretty easy to get on-line and criticize what someone else has put together (sound familiar?), and I think that the level of it and the personal nature of the criticism might be too much in the light of how much work it takes to keep a site like that running. Hat’s off to McFly for all the work he has put it, much more than I would have been able to.
We’ll have to wait for the evolution of the project. I think he’s taking a few days to clear his head, and sort out his projects. A great guy who is really passionate about surfing, and specifically surfboard construction, hopefully he’ll be back with anohter project before long.
Until then, the site will be sorely missed.
Mahalo,
Jeffrey
You called me, here I am.
Here is what I know about the “shaperoom case”.
To understand the whole thing, you’ll need to have a complex comprehensive class about french brains and culture.
Jeffrey, who’ve living in France for years still have troubles to catch the whole french thing.
Myself, being french since I’m born have troubles when those kind of things happen.
Well.
McFly (owner of the shaperoom website) disagrees on some comercial points with Slide and others.
McFly wishes to do some business along with the discussion forum thing.
As prop shapers (Slide and others) do particiate the forum and sell boards thanks to the website, McFly wishes to take a share on sales.
But, the fact is he disagrees on how much he can afford to take and so on.
All the stuff relies on business missunderstanding and put everyone out of order.
But this is only a personal matter betwin McFly as a businessman and the pro shapers.
Not a matter betwin all the members and McFly.
Slide and McFly came to be very agressive with each another.
And I had to close som threads as I have moderators powers in the forum.
After being really upset, Mcfly decided to close for a time.
Slide decided to set up a new different forum.
Nevermind. It sucks.
McFly will soon re-open shaperoom.net and I guess he’ll change a few things in it.
I hope it helped you to catch the problem…
Sorry for my poor english as far as specific words are involved.
By the way:I know I could try and be more active on swaylocks and show my boards, chipfish keeps asking for more, but what I see around here is far too high for my skills.
Lob is just too shy. He has built something like 12 boards as of today, each one better than the one before and he is currently producing work that took me years to achieve.
Granted, it was in an era when neither Swaylock’s nor Shaperoom existed to help me out.
Which is one of the reasons for my posting on both forums (try helping, if I can, those who need help building their first boards), just like many of you are doing here.
For those of you interested in Shaperoom, yeah, it’s gonna start again soon, no worry. Some things just had to be clarified. Seems like it’s done now.
word of advice …
post there in good french or don’t post at all.
The french get VERY offended if you post in english , or use feet and inches (instead of cms [!] , or worse, “mms”[!!] ) to measure boards .
Don’t expect [m]any ‘pms’ either…it is nothing like the amount of users you get at swaylocks , and definately a FRENCH site , rather than an international site.
That said , Lob and Balsa occasssionally post some pretty pictures for us non fluent french speakers to look at …in my opinion , there just need to be more [photos] …but then , that’s only my opinion .
ben
link…
word of advice …
post there in good french or don’t post at all. Not quite true. A few of us may understand English and even, maybe, attempt to answer/translate. All of you are welcome.
The french get VERY offended if you post in english , or use feet and inches (instead of cms [!] , or worse, “mms”[!!] ) to measure boards . ONE french ONCE got very offended at Ben posting in English. Incidentally, he’s also one of the guys that caused all this buzz. And most french, for some reason, ask me to write down measurements in feet and inches on the boards I make: sounds much more “pro”, you know…
Don’t expect [m]any ‘pms’ either…it is nothing like the amount of users you get at swaylocks , and definately a FRENCH site , rather than an international site. Ben, many people would like to PM you but (just like you) they don’t feel much at ease with the English language. I agree that it’s a shame, that’s the way foreign languages are being taught here in France: for years, nobody cared about that. My seventeen years old daughter, who is supposed to have studied English for more than five years in school, would not be able to ask her way around in English, whereas she’s been taught heaps of “cultural” things such as the way the Quakers live in the US and such… That’s just pathetic. None of our politicians can speak English without having everybody laugh at them. How can you expect Shaperoom to be an international site? Now, Lob, PierreB and myself (just to name a few) have been trying to post on Swaylock’s in spite of our very hesitating English for some time now, whereas I have yet to see as many americans or australians or english guys doing the same in French on Shaperoom.net…
That said , Lob and Balsa occasssionally post some pretty pictures for us non fluent french speakers to look at …in my opinion , there just need to be more [photos] …but then , that’s only my opinion . More photos of french girls, Ben, eh?
ben
link… Thanks, Ben, you’re still at home over there, you know.
I hope that shaperoom.net will be alive again, that was such a good place to share the stoke! Very complementary to Swaylocks, not the same size and definitely french like Chipfish said. So good to talk with other people you can meet unlike most of you on Swaylocks (that’s a great pity).
thanks Balsa and Pierre and Lob .
You know I think you guys and Jeffrey have been very helpful to me on that site , and I hope here , vice-versa . I definately have appreciated yours and McFly’s help while I’ve been there .
I feel for the guy . He’s young , [what , 22 or something?], he runs a website , and some old french guy with an attitude problem [yep , they are in EVERY country and website!] gives the poor guy sh** .
When surfboard design websites get political it’s a great shame . I guess it’s the macho competitive thing kicking in [or insecurities … “my boards are better than yours” , etc …]
Any way , enough of that …
The other thing that happens to me regularly at shaperoom is…
every time I get some ‘windows update’ on my computer , my registration there disappears , and I become a “visitor” , and have to re-apply for a new password … any ideas why ? [I’ve re-registered four times , so far .]
Anyway, I hope Slide takes off , and the site becomes an informative , non-abusive place again , where people can learn , and help each other , and grow together .
Lob , and Balsa …you guys do an EXCELLENT job ! keep up the good work !
Considering how you work , post here , at surfer , and there …I don’t know how you do it ! [Plus of course Bill you have a family too !] Hats off to you !
ben
It is really a shame the forum ended up that way. Shaperoom was a bit like swaylocks at the beggining, small enough to feel like a family and to be able to catch up with all the posts. It started to have a great archive base as well… Really a great complement to swaylocks.
Well, I guess if it doesn’t come back, I might just set up one myself …
hi Pierre !
…is it not up and running again ?
I just “clicked onto it” , and all the forum details showed for me [?]
ben
Hey Balsa
I visited shaperoom a few times a while back but felt embarrassed about posting due to my lack of knowledge on the shaping thing and more so because my french is tres merde! The few posts that I managed to understand/translate were well interesting with some way cool pics. I’ve also received some serious advice from participants from SR at Sways, evidently some fine talent in France. I hope it’s all back up and running soon.
Being English I always feel embarrassed when speaking to anyone who only speaks English as a second language as there grasp of English is usually at least as good as mine and my grasp of any other language (like most Brits) is pants.
Shame about all the political/economical kak going on there.
Jase (MMM)
Personally, I always welcome the English posts at shaperoom (Of course, that’s partially due to the fact that five years over here haven’t managed to let me type as quickly in French as I do in English.), and I think that most of the users are pretty stoked to read and interact internationally as well.
Ben, I know that I owe you a couple of pictures, but don’t give up on us yet! Somehow the kids, the house, oh yeah, shaping and glassing and doing all the com work for the business, don’t seem to leave me as much time as I’d like to simply talk shape.
Keep the messages coming once the site is up, they are appreciated.
Mahalo,
Jeffrey
cheers Jeff !!
I must admit I , like you , can type and think in english 100% faster and more accurately than in French , and like Jason mentioned , my faltering french would not be well understood by the french guys.
[I can’t tell what 70% of what they type means … makes it hard to ‘reply’ …
As long as you , balsa and lob and pierre and mcfly don’t mind , I will continue to occassionally post in english …[but , I guess , that will be mostly under the label of " invitay ", as I seem to get "unregistered " as often as I register … ]
ben
Glad you’ll still be coming around! I’ll try and do a better job of translating to avoid any grumpiness among those who don’t understand.
For the de-registration, I have no idea. It used to happen to me frequently, and then one day, I got the magic combination of password letters and it stopped. Keep trying, maybe “kigbuxl” will be the lucky one.
Cheers,
Jeffrey
“kigbuxl”… [Why didn’t I think of that before ?! Silly me !]
…ah yes …the secret french handshake that gets you to meet the president !
ben
May I suggest: “BiggusDickus” or “Bwen” or “Tvipthishfithtyone”?
OH THIS IS TORTURE , NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT THAT SHOT UP FOR A “WITTY” REPLY !
[ I might have to “avatar” it !]
…‘naughtius maximus chip’
[for those wondering about Balsa’s, and my, ‘sanity’] …
…wonder no more !!
…“it’sssss…”
Thanks for the info and thanks Mc Fly for putting it online again! As some stated here, yes it is a french site and thats what it makes special and what i like about it.
Unfortunatly it still take my a long time to post in French
but i had no problems what so ever (still I read a lot more than posting at shaperoom). And i will post my 2nd board there soon.
And Lob I think your boards could be posted anywhere. I like the work you do a lot (especially the Lys style fish; my next project)
Keep the spirit
Zimmi
Hey Chip, thanks for that, that’s exactly what I needed today. Only marred by the absence of my dear, dear Incontinentia Buttocks. And where the hell was Woddewick?
Jase (MMM)