Re: [Harp-L] REtirement from Videos and Posts

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Matt, I've been doing that for years and largely get a similar response what you're talking about - although that doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes there's a thanks, usually not, but that doesn't bother me. I never expected thanks. What does bother me is that there is usually more negative than positive. When I started making harmonica tech videos, there was only one harp tech video on Youtube and it was in Portugese. Nothing whatsoever in the  English language. 
One of the first videos I ever did was how to disassemble a nailed harmonica 1/3 of the people who clicked whether they liked it or not clicked "dislike."  At that time, I may have still had the only harp tech videos on Youtube in the English language. And 1/3 of them clicked dislike, on what was probably one of two harp tech videos in the English language you could watch for free (the other one was also mine). Then, you have all these extremely negative comments from people you don't know and people who have never made a contribution to anything in their lives, most of these comments you have to delete. The one that pissed me off the most was "your daughter looks like she's really stupid." She was six years old at the time. Six years old! When you have several videos that top 10,000 views, I had one that was well over 50k, that stuff just pours, I mean pours in and I don't care who you are, it bothers you. 
You try to put something out there and there is so much pointless negativity and that's precisely why I deleted about 150 videos. Some of them I just couldn't bring myself to delete entirely and I kept them like you'd keep pictures in a photo album. I disappeared from all forums for about two years. I just didn't tell anybody, I just did it. Nobody noticed and that's a good thing, because it's a sign that the community is strong enough to carry on without any one person and that's what really matters. 
Somebody said on MBH recently they had always thought of me as prickly. I realized after he said it, that he was probably correct. Maybe if I'd retired from videos and posts as early as you are doing it, I wouldn't have turned into somebody who came across as  such a prick. I certainly never meant to come across that way and I don't feel that way deep down, but when you've been out there for a while, it gets to you. I should never have made any of them and I think you're making a good decision.
Jason deals with about 50 million times worse than any of us. It's a wonder he summons the fortitude to do anything and I respect him very much for that. Not many people can steel themselves against stuff like he does. I can't. 
 
There is simply no point in doing videos. Enjoy your retirement. 
 
David Payne
 

________________________________
 From: Matthew Smart <matthewsmart@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 8:59 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] REtirement from Videos and Posts
  
I found myself getting resentful last night because I answered several questions in the last few days on this forum and posted 5 free videos and only one person thanked me. But I realize that it is my own personal expectations and I have no reason to feel that way. Many of the items I share are linked to things that I sell (which may annoy you), but the truth is that the profit margin on tools is crap and I do it more because I spent 10 years in my mancave figuring this stuff out and I want to share it. You can watch most of them and not buy anything from me and still find them helpful.

I have decided to retire from making videos and postingon this forum anymore because it is not worth my time. I can't remember the last time a member of the opposite sex crossed the threshold of apartment and so I'm going to focus more on living a good life instead of making geeky videos and answering harp tech questions.

Here are the last new videos I made, which include reed gapping and embossing. 7 vids total. No purchase required. My gift to you.

http://www.hetrickharmonica.com/harmonicashimstock_p/shimstock.htm

http://www.hetrickharmonica.com/harmonicalightbox_p/lightbox.htm

http://www.hetrickharmonica.com/HarmonicaReedGappingTool_p/brasstl.htm

Regards and thank you to the few people that watched my videos or read my posts.

M

-- hetrickharmonica@xxxxxx
http://www.hetrickharmonica.com/

Thank you for choosing Hetrick