Forum and Tormek thoughts

[Ken S]

I would like to reply to some recent comments made by Stig. Stig and I have become friends over the years and have exchanged numerous emails. Every email seems to come from another country. I don't know he maintains his travel/work schedule for Tormek. His assistance has been invaluable for the forum. With that in mind, I want to do everything I can to make his forum related time flow efficiently. The forum is essentially self running, needing only occasional expert advice from Tormek. If that is through support (support@tormek.se), that is fine with me.

I will start sending my questions to support, when I feel we need expertise from Sweden. Just so that there is no misunderstanding, I will note in the emails that I intend to share the answer, when appropriate, with the forum. While many support requests are individual, and should remain that way, more general questions of interest to the forum should be shared. I would certainly continue to respect any privacy requests.

I understand that for better or worse, we live in a social media world. That is how business functions. Any company, including Tormek, would be foolish not to include it in its marketing strategy. Social media for business is like a daily newspaper or the news; it needs regular submissions even on slow or no news days. Doing that well requires dedicated marketing personnel.

With the forum, marketing has already completed its job. We have already invested in Tormek, many of us quite heavily. Many of us have invested in multiple Tormeks; multiple grinding wheels; and even very expensive jigs and accessories like the DBS-22 and work station. Although we may be a minority of Tormek owners, we are well invested, and will continue to do so. I suspect a substantial number of the new diamond wheels and multi bases sold will be to forum members. (We already know our intended next Tormek purchases without any persuasion. 

Although many of our posts may be beyond the knowledge and interest level of beginners, we all began as beginners, and we routinely welcome new beginner members. We may have answered a new member's beginner question fifty times, however, our replies are always helpful and encouraging. We have no prima donna members and are always eager to extend a helping hand.

We believe the Tormek is a more useful tool than is understood by beginners. We try to squeeze all the versatility we can; many of us are successfully using these Tormek innovations, both from Sweden and from the forum members, professionally.

As Moderator, I want to make as much useful information as possible readily available to our members. I want our relationship with Tormek and its personnel to be cordial and cooperative. I  respect the time constraints of our Tormek friends.

I look forward to the forum continuing to benefit both our members and Tormek.

Ken

[cbwx34]

I think my comments about social media replacing forums, was viewed as a negative against Tormek (and maybe Stig).  That was not my intent.  I think it's simply a fact... there is more interaction on Facebook and Instagram, and more of a "Tormek presence" there.  Ken has probably summed it up best... "that is how business functions" now.  I don't think it's wrong to tell someone that may be looking for info on the new items, there may be better places to go for info.

For example, how many of you saw the 6 min. live feed Tormek did on the new wheels?  You would need to have followed Tormek on Instagram to see it.  (Maybe they'll repost it somewhere, but otherwise, it was gone in 24 hours).  This, and, as I posted elsewhere, responses from Tormek on questions about the new wheels, you won't see here.

When I said, social media is replacing forums, that is not based on what I see with Tormek.  As an example, knifeforums was one of the largest forums around.  Go visit the page now, and see what you get (which has been that way for at least a couple of years now, I believe).  Another example... the Tormek Yahoo group (which BTW, has more members than this forum), is basically dead.  Time's change, and I think forums in general are headed that direction.

I don't agree that...

With the forum, marketing has already completed its job.

... if you look at the forum membership, many members register and only post one or two times, looking for an answer to a specific question.  There's really only a handful of members that engage much beyond that.  So, while the intent of the forum may be to exchange info between users, the reality is, many still look at it as a support resource from Tormek to answer a specific question.  I do think it's a bit odd that Tormek (or any small company) thinks the forum should run essentially "independent" of company input.  (That just me?) 

There are a couple of possible solutions.  Tormek could create a specific "support question" section, that Stig could monitor, since he's too busy to monitor the forum on a regular basis... that might make it easier to receive a response vs. being told to "email Tormek", or wait for Ken or someone else to do it and post a response.  A section could also be created where Tormek could post news and other info on "what's new", tips, etc.  It could be "locked" so that they wouldn't have to devote a lot of time on it answering questions, etc.... but users could receive info that they might not otherwise (as someone indicated in the other thread, not everyone wants to use FB or Instagram on a regular basis).

But when I said, "social media is replacing the forums"... I think that's a general trend... especially on "company run" forums, and has nothing to do with Tormek specifically.  Hope that makes a little more sense. 

[Ken S]

CB,

I understand your intent. You are a valuable forum member, with only the best of intentions. You are both honest and correct in stating that social media is replacing forums (and, sadly, email).  This is a cultural issue, not Tormek specific. Call me old fashioned and outmoded, however, I do not see the here today, gone tomorrow short social media posts as a full substitute for forum topics. Many of our topics have more than fifty replies from members across the globe. The forum offers in depth reviews of most of the new Tormek products by knowledgeable forum members who are available for questions both at the time and in the future.

I accept that I am out of synche with today's fast paced social media culture. I do not fault Tormek for being part of it. I just wish that for important posts Tormek would also post them on the forum or at least post simultaneous notices to check instagram or face book.

I agree that most of the posts on the forum are from a very small percentage of the membership. I would note that the frequent poster list is always changing. New members frequently join the ranks of the active older posters. New members are always welcome. I would also note that at any given time there are usually many more viewers not logged in than members. We lump them all as guests, however, that number includes members who have not logged on. I am frequently surprised to see logged on members who have been members for many years and have never posted. The forum is more than a place to have a single question answered and abandoned.

Many of the questions posted by new beginning members have been posted many times before. They are always cordially answered by the veteran members. New members are always welcomed and encouraged.

Tormek support does an excellent job of answering questions from individuals. With the forum, topics are available to anyone at the time and in the future. I do not know much about social. How easy is it to access a face book or instagram post several years old? We routinely access a post by Dutchman describing his method for easily setting knife grinding bevels. This was posted in 2013. Would this be possible with social media?

Outside of Sweden, I know of no Tormek sponsored schools. I can certainly understand this. Tormek does an outstanding job with support; user training classes would not be in a reasonable corporate budget. I know of no other Tormek offering which provides the depth of information to so many Tormek users or prospective buyers that the forum provides.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

I think my comments about social media replacing forums, was viewed as a negative against Tormek (and maybe Stig).  That was not my intent.  I think it's simply a fact

While it is a fact that a lot of things are going that way, IMHO, it IS a negative.   When you have family in certain professions, and/or deal with stalking victims, or others whose safety requires more privacy, staying off social media, doesn't always mean just that person.

[RichColvin]

SADW,

I've read a good bit about privacy, & it especially applies to public officials :  especially police & judges. 

I found they were a waste of valuable time, so I took them out of my life.   Don't miss them. 

Rich