Hugh_T_Patterson wrote:
I maintain the band sites and personally answer all the mail. Why? Because if someone is good enough to write you about how much they like your music, you have a responsibility to give them some of your time. That is part of being a musician.
AMEN!! Unfortunately, many do not think as we think.
I agree Hugh. This site has the best online community anywhere. And I've said so often. The users here actually care about the site and each other, which is rare. Most of my online time is spent right here at Chess.com.
Happy Birthday!!
I just want to say thank you to chess.com. Here's why: I have a bunch of music pages up on myspace and other social networking sites. As much as they are a tool for shameless self promotion and selling band products, advetising shows, etc, they tend to bring out the shallow side of many individuals. In short, myspace has become a popularity contest of epic proportions. I maintain the band sites and personally answer all the mail. Why? Because if someone is good enough to write you about how much they like your music, you have a responsibility to give them some of your time. That is part of being a musician.
I spend the majority of my time here for a few good reasons. First of all, the people here share a passion for the game of chess. They are willing to help others with the game and don't expect anything in return. Second, time spent here is time well spent (except when I post about absolute nonsense and go on about it for ten paragraphs - sorry - it feeds my over inflated sense of ego). Third, and most important, people here seem to care about the other people on this site. Case in point: Today is my birthday and I have recieved well wishes from my friends here and people I've never communicated with. I've seen people have personal problems and members of this community offer their support, again asing nothing in return.
I think many of us have tried other social websites and found them to be a waste of time. This is a great community and I am so glad I stumbled upon it over a year ago. This is a great example of a web community that works together for the greater good and love of chess. We make friends and find out that we share things in common. People meet and share their passion with others. I for one am enjoying spending the day with my friends here. So thank you Erik and company for makinga pace that is not only the best chess site on the internet, but the best place to meet new and interesting people. Now everyone snd me a dollar (with 347,000 members I'll be able to retire). Just kidding!