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How much has PA changed over the years? |
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rushfan4 
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Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 66588 |
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 Topic: How much has PA changed over the years?Posted: May 10 2021 at 19:18 |
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Apparently, I joined about a month before Mr. Aardvark. I was compiling a database of all of my albums in Access, and I found this site by chance by looking up albums for years of release, song titles and times, and record labels. I used it for a while as this source before joining the forums. I tried my hand at reviews for a while, but that's not really my thing. Maybe one day I'll get back to it. Like someone_else, I am a retired spamfighter. I have definitely spent/wasted way to much time here on this forum, but I guess it still entertains me enough that I keep coming back...or I just can't figure out how to leave.
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progaardvark
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Crossover/Symphonic/RPI Teams Joined: June 14 2007 Location: Sea of Peas Status: Offline Points: 52608 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 14:55 |
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I started using the site around 2005. Before that I did most of my research on GEPR. Officially joined in 2007 and wrote bunch of lousy reviews for about two years, but didn't really spend much time on the forums until the last 5-6 years. So I think I missed much of the "aggressiveness" of the early years though I remember reading through a long thread about the inclusion of ELO where words got rather heated. Starting around 2010, I actually went through the entire database from A to the # section over my lunch breaks at work and compiled notes for things I might be interested in.
I don't think the appearance of the forum has changed much for a long time, but I do remember a time when the main page didn't have the banner it currently has (and has had for many years). This is how I remember the site looking back when I first started using it for research back in 2005: And here's what the forum looked like in 2005: This is the earliest capture of the site from 2002 where it has the note "Our Database is currently under populating process":
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i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
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someone_else
Forum Senior Member 
VIP Member Joined: May 02 2008 Location: Going Bananas Status: Offline Points: 24638 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 13:52 |
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I have known this site since the autumn of 2004. My joining in as late as 2008 is due to my tendency to long hesitation prior to jumping in.
The look and feel of this site has hardly changed. The banner, designed by darksideof, has not always been there. I recall that in earlier years it was possible to browse through albums without going back to the artist's main page. The forums have become rather relaxed lately. Hardly any right ding-dongs between forum members; 10 years ago I was a spamfighter, now I am a retired spamfighter. As Easy Money stated, the banhammer has hardly been wielded by the Admins lately. It only gets out of the toolbox when a Wally or a Svet tries to sneak in once more.
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The Dark Elf
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: February 01 2011 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 13228 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 13:30 |
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I'm just here for the free donuts and coffee. Otherwise, this place sucks. |
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
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Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24429 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 12:18 |
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Like me, Micky goes through periods in which he's interested in other things. I know he pops in from time to time, but as a whole these days he keeps to himself. Personally, I tend to hang out mostly in the Interactive Poll threads, which have been a constant source of new musical discoveries. In the past few years I have lost a lot of my previous interest in discovering new prog, but I like finding out about other music that can appeal to me. Regarding the forum as it is now versus what it was like in the past, I'd take PA as it is now any day. Some of the things that went on in the Collab zone were really unpleasant, and I know there is still some bad blood around. PA now may be boring, but (at least to me) it also feels friendly and reassuring. As to Facebook, my main beef with it is not so much its toxic atmosphere (which has improved somewhat in the past few months), but its overall falseness. People there don't care a fig about anyone but themselves, and I feel embarrassed by those who put their lives out for everyone to see.
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Catcher10
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: December 23 2009 Location: Emerald City Status: Offline Points: 17966 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 11:56 |
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The current site itself I really don't have any problems with, meaning how it is setup. I like having all the different Lounges, makes it easy to find a topic you are interested in.
I was a lurker starting around 2006, then officially joined in 2009, I do remember the site looking different before 2007, I don't have any screen shots. Clearly the number of members has dwindled and the conversations were more engaging back in the day is best way I can explain it. Today it seems the discussions are merely about what is porg and what is not porg and then why do you think that way  .Rehashing of topics is a normal occurrence when new members join, they don't understand pretty much everything has been discussed already. But I'm fine with that, if not for that the site would be seriously dead. The biggest change for me is many of the older members/collabs leaving the site for good. I left for a long while due to the mentalness/a$$ness of some but will always come back. Thinking of going to another porg site is waste of time, I can't think about starting over. I used to frequent many other music sites but found it too daunting to keep track, so cut it back a lot. Anyhow, PA is fine. I just miss some of the discussions from back in the day.
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chopper
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Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Essex, UK Status: Offline Points: 20032 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 11:45 |
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I've been knocking around a while. I remember at least one forum software update but tbh I can't remember what the difference was. Fundamentally things are the same but we no longer hear from the likes of Snow Dog and even micky is not around so much these days.
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Matti
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: April 15 2005 Location: Finland Status: Offline Points: 2148 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 11:36 |
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Having been here since 2005 without ever leaving for longer periods, it's evident that ProgArchives is absolutely a most central internet site for me (I joined Facebook no sooner than in 2014, I think).
I agree with Raff and other long-timers that the Forum is both calmer and nicer nowadays. But actually I have never been VERY active in the Forum discussions, I'm primarily a utiliser of our gorgeous database and a lover of good music (not just prog-prog) who likes writing reviews. |
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rogerthat
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2006 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 9869 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 10:12 |
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Forum is less populated and quieter than before. It's gotten a bit more active post covid, else I could go days without finding interesting new threads, if new threads, to browse through.
I don't know whether that's really a good thing. Maybe it could be more hostile before but coming from the far more opinionated and closed-minded environment of metal-archives, that didn't really bother me. I always found and find PA quite a civil place and I am not someone who minds disagreeableness per se until it gets to the point of verbal abuse. There were so many once regular posters who have simply quit the forum now or haven't visited in a very long time at any rate - Dean, Andy, Mike, Pessimist, Teo, thellama, etc. There was so much to learn for me from the posts of someone like Dean. I remember him predicting the streaming music industry way back - like at least ten years ago. It's rare that the forum is that enriching anymore but it remains a pleasant enough place to hang out and talk about prog, even though we are all tired of talking about it.
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I prophesy disaster
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 31 2017 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 4918 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 09:01 |
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I had been visiting this site for about 10 to 15 years, I don't remember exactly when I discovered the site. I spent most of the time reading reviews, only occasionally visiting the forum. Usually, this would be because a search for a group that is not in the database would lead to the forum. If I recall correctly, it was one of those occasions where I had been searching the database for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and I came across a discussion in the forum about whether they should be included in PA. It was to add my two cents to the discussion in favour of their inclusion that I actually become a member of the site.
One thing that I note is that many of the usernames I see in older reviews for albums are not currently posting in the forum. Edited by I prophesy disaster - May 10 2021 at 09:06 |
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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
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Shadowyzard
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Joined: February 24 2020 Location: Davutlar Status: Offline Points: 4506 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 07:21 |
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Hmm... I've been here for about 16 years. Though I gave several long, and very long breaks. I can say that this platform has never been too unpleasant for me. If here is a more peaceful place now as Raff says (she seems right), perhaps we have transcended progressivisim and are post-progressive rockers now.
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Psychedelic Paul
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Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43457 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 07:11 |
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I must have joined at just the right time then, because I'd never seen the PA forums before September 2019.
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Lewian
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 09 2015 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 15151 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 06:55 |
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Nice to read something positive about the present compared to the past of the forum for a change!
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A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 10 2020 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Status: Offline Points: 5690 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 06:54 |
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One can find pretty interesting things. Did you know that 'Selling England by the Pound' was the number 1 album on the site for some time last decade?
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Easy Money
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Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: August 11 2007 Location: Memphis Status: Offline Points: 10679 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 06:32 |
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You can go on the site called WayBackMachine and see screen shots of the site going back to its beginning.
The site was at a peak about 12 or more years ago, with a much larger active membership and more abusive and aggressive behavior. Admins used to do a lot more banning and threatening to ban. Admins were much more aggressive in policing the site. Collabs got in big fights over controversial additions etc. I have not seen a big blow up over an artist addition in a long time. Edited by Easy Money - May 10 2021 at 06:34 |
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nick_h_nz
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Prog Metal / Heavy Prog Team Joined: March 01 2013 Location: Suffolk, UK Status: Offline Points: 6737 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 06:31 |
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It’s funny, ‘cause it’s true! 😄 |
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nick_h_nz
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Prog Metal / Heavy Prog Team Joined: March 01 2013 Location: Suffolk, UK Status: Offline Points: 6737 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 06:30 |
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This is why it took me so long to post here. It took me approx three years before registering on the site, and a further ten years before posting - purely because I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. I won’t say it was toxic, but it was definitely not as nice as it is now. And for all those who complain about the toxicity of FB, all I can say is that you never saw this forum at its worst (in my opinion, obviously). |
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Sean Trane
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Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20414 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 05:45 |
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In terms of looks on the site as a whole, there hasn't been much change except for the illustrated banner on the Database header section. Once inside a band's page, there used to be the full discography links appearing on every page in the top right hand corner, which gave instant access to other albums, instead of haviçng to back down to the bio page. This was taken out because it was slowing down the page-loading process On the forum side, not much visual changes, but we had a major increase of forums and sub-forums, which didnn't make it easier to find your young.
Yeah, the forum was a real war zone in some ways (but nothing like Rate Your Music ever was) but it was fun and fascinating. I joined on the fourth day of the site's birth (though it existed in a different form before hand) and reviewing away and advising M@X (upon his demand), but it took me months before actually jumping in the thick of things in the forums. I'd say that 75% o my posts were published before 2009. Edited by Sean Trane - May 10 2021 at 05:48 |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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SteveG
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Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20617 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 05:19 |
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Posters back in the day were much more like ExitTheLemming. Take that as you will.
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Raff
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Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24429 |
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Posted: May 10 2021 at 04:53 |
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As one of the veterans here, I can tell you that the forum is a much nicer, more relaxed place now. Even if there are a couple of people who get on my nerves, this is nothing compared to what the place used to be. And the Collab zone was even worse than the main forum. Things got so bad at one point that I left the site for four years. I am glad I came back, though. I have a sentimental attachment to this site, which to me is a much better place to hang out than those awful social media (or "anti-social media", as I like to call them
 ). It's true that discussions get recycled, and a lot of people are stuck in the Seventies, but that's a problem of the whole "prog scene", so to speak. |
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chopper wrote:
).
It's true that discussions get recycled, and a lot of people are stuck
in the Seventies, but that's a problem of the whole "prog scene", so to
speak.