Hey, this is an open-ended question and something that I've been thinking A LOT about lately. Where do you see TF in 5 years? What do you see us doing? Is it just sitting around chatting or is the site the start of something new? What do you WANT to see the site do? Where do we go from here? Give me your game plan. ;)

My game plan is we come out and pass the ball on the first 4 plays of the series.  That'll open up the field and get the defense away from playing 8 men in the box like they always do.  After that,  we run a pretty balanced run/pass attack.

Seriously though...This is a good queston.  It seems that lately,  Tasty has built a bit of a reputation.  Something we all need to think about. 

Dave...I've got some thoughts on things I'll call you about on wednesday or thursday....Hard to explain here.

I find this a hard question to answer.

Tasty fresh continues to function in so many ways. Been great to see the podcast develop.

One hope would be for it to continue to bring people of dance / dj culture together. DJ Ayo , DJ RU Clank and myself met again last night for the 3rd or 4th time and we met becuase we r running a Deck led worship session at Greenbelt. Tastyfresh helped us meet and also gave the inspriration to have a monthly groove style fellowship. So for me its already been more than chat.

More please..

Honestly... I want to do a "summit" with at least you and Doug... soon.

I'll be in the ATL with Patrick,  Alex and Leslie September 21-23.  Perhaps we can arrange a meeting?  We're staying at the Comfort Suites behind the King & Queen Buildings off Peachtree-Dunwoody at Perimeter.  Meeting up with Jeff Belfi to go to the Thrashers game,  and to see Dubfire at Fever later.  Wanna go see Dubfire?  I know ya don't care for hockey.  Doug....You game?

Doug wants to go. Dunno about me. I *should*. Depends on my wife's plans. How much is the show?

BTW, are you sure that you'll have some free time that weekend??? It sounds packed.

i am going to dubfire

am going to be free to hang all weekend

Dubfire is free if you go with us.  And yeah...Should have freetime on Saturday through the day.  From say 9am-3pm

At least I see, the content getting better and more people joining. more and better reviews, bios, articles, podcasts, etc...It started with Afterhours, but hoping to see more events that Tastyfresh can join in or sponsor.  I'll get back to you on the rest, still thinking...

ok...im gonna throw this out there.  In 5 years if we are not allowing ourselves to discuss the bible, politics, sex, drugs and alcohol then...

jeff belfi is teh man.  party like a rockstar lol.

Aye!  That he is,  goodly Armstrong!  Says he's bringing me a birthday present.  I'm a bit scared...LOL!

 8) I can see TF defintly growing way more in the next 5 years. The Christian Rave video I have has been getting some good feedback and people both Christian and non are digging it, and I link them back to here so those who are n 2 dance music can find good whole some music on here. I think TF should have parties in CA and other areas as well, like the Together as one NU years eve event. Theres so many parties being thrown every weekend here in LA, that there too many to choose from. Unfortantely for me none of them are Chrsitian events, thats one of the reason why I dont go out. There needs to be an alternative for that, if there is one Id like to know about sum Chrsitian events out here in ca. Thaz my 2ncets for now.

If any events happen, it's because YOU make them happen. TF and few ppl we have on "staff" can't be everywhere.

For me tasty is way to get connected with people and comment on mixes or tunes (allthough I haven't been very active recently). So it's kind of a sharpening tool for me I guess.

I hope it will keep doing what it has been doing in the past.

I don't have a particular plan or view on this. For me, it doesn't really have to go anywhere...

i see tastyfresh going the direction of myspace.



not really



Mike brings up a point that I think has kinda been a common thing with new members. So, allow me to state the following facts about Tastyfresh to all new members.

Tastyfresh.com is not a huge corporation.
Tastyfresh.com is owned by one person, Dave Richards.
Tastyfresh.com does not make any substantial amount of money on ad banners and T-shirts. If anything, Dave is paying out of pocket to finance the site.
Tastyfresh.com content (Articles, reviews, podcast, etc) is facilitated by volunteers.
Tastyfresh.com forum moderators are all volunteers.
Tastyfresh.com is essentially a small website with a big reputation that far exceeds it's ability to function as an operator of national level events.
Tastyfresh.com is hugely fueled by it's members desire to see it grow.

I can sum all this up with this: Everytime you do an event in your area, Contact Dave and see if it would be good for your event and for Tastyfresh to label your event as a Tastyfresh function. I personally see a great value in this. If all the small events we put on had the Tastyfresh logo somewhere on the flyers, indicating that Tastyfresh is backing this event (not monitarily, just in support), than that will be a tremendous "thank you" to all that Dave has been working so hard on. It would drive in more new members.

I also think that if we really want Tastyfresh to do national level events, we should start chipping in financially and save up for that as a "membership goal". We would raise the money, we would plan the event, and we would facilitate whatever was needed to make it happen...taking as much pressure off Dave as possible.

So, where would I like to see Tastyfresh in 5 years? I'd like it to be a major reference for DJ's and producers who also happen to have faith in Christ, with complete profile pages containing links to thier websites. (Yes I know that is what I have been trying to accomplish with Assembly Of Groove, but honestly that makes more sense here. TF should be that database that we all have been trying to compile in our various ways.) I'd like TF to function a lot like Beatport, offering top Christian producers tracks for sale. I'd like TF to be salt and light to the secular crowd so much to the point that they check this site as regularly as they check other dance sites for current, topical information relating to tracks and events.

These are things that are not outrageous. Things are things that can happen, we just can't expect Dave to do it all by himself. He just has to allow us to do it for him.

i am in 100% agreement with Chris. he everything and more than what i was thinking.




what¿?

And that... is SLOWLY what I'm working toward now. :)

x2

I agree with Chris on those points, cheers Chris.

I think Tastyfresh has and always will be about networking, educating and facilitating

Whatever else it does will be above and beyond its call of duty. (I can hear some anthemic trance in my head now... ;)

What I think tastyfresh should be heading towards in the next 5 years...

More encouragement and support for all DJ's and Producers and clubbers irrespective of their faith and walk. It would be great to have DJ's and such like from all backgrounds and faiths coming here to find solstice from the sometimes overbearing and destructive secular scene.

A facility to host DJ mixes, tracks, photos, flyers, interviews, reports, videos ect....

I would like more open forum discussions, I know this is contentious issue but If we need to have space to be honest with each other. Some people may come to tasty as a kind of refuse as they need help with drugs or other forms of addiction, I think... why not?
There is a lot of people on here who have enough wisdom and experience to at least offer some form of written support if nothing else. We have all had varying experiences and we need to carry on being brothers and sisters in Christ, supporting one another and being encouraging, without this we won't grow, and if we don't grow then this site won't grown with us

Peace

whoah....hold it there, buddy. I;m already doing this.  ;)

 :P Oh man, I am glad you brought that up Dave, I haver actually been thinking about something like that for awhile now. I would (Lord willing) would like to throw a Christian Rave or build a Christian Club or @ least be involved one way or another in something like that here in California. It would be a great alternative to other events that are always happening on the weekend. I have some other ideas, I have to really think of first b4 I can say anymore about that. I think since the podcast thing is happening, which is awesome, would be cool to have a Record Label (Tastyfresh) for Christian Artist's from the DJ to the Producer. Chris your most definately right on that, good point, Dave is and has been putting his money into TF, and I accommodate him for still keeping it alive.   :-X   

You REALLY don't want to know the upkeep costs of this site. It's sickening ;)

I think it would be great if tastyfresh was much more interactive. I like the way image-line re-designed the flstudio site (http://www.flstudio.com). Immediately when you go to the site, you see everyone that's interacting in the chat rooms, forum, etc.

It would be great if we had a chat room, all events for today posted, and most recent forum discussions right on the first page. It's great that there's already a podcast button. It would be nice to have an alternative listening option also if someone doesn't have itunes on their computer. It would also be nice to have a map somewhere that allows you to select your location and know exactly where the groove fellowships are and what's going on there. And if it won't take up too much time and money, make the forums like http://www.kvraudio.com

I also completely agree with everything Chris said.

Well... some/all of those are in the works Adam. :) Most of that can be controlled via RSS feeds. As far as the Itunes thing goes, on the show pages, I do post a direct link to the mp3.

Now... as far as KVR is concerned:


I don't think that message will make the TF boards any better ;)

What's better about their forums though?

lol See, their message boards are so amazing and popular they can barely contain it  :laugh:

They have the best message boards I've seen anywhere. It's mostly the "members area" (your personal profile) that makes them very effective. It allows you to bookmark any page and go back to it. You can also watch a section and it also lists every single place you've posted with a clickable link for later reference. The forums themselves are also compact and easy to scroll through. At the end of every topic that you're reading, there is a "quick reply" option. Also, under every user's name there is a list of links that allow you to immediately go to their website, pm them, view their profile, mute them, etc. You just gotta try it when the server isn't overwhelmed. I think you'll see why I like them so much.

All of those features are in here. The Quick Links menu has a listing of all the new posts that you have made AND a list of all the threads you have posted on. When you post, if you expand the additional options, you can request notification when the topic has a response.

KVR is using phpbb and that's a GREAT system. I throughly researched that system and several others prior to choosing this one and honestly, SMF gives me better options for managing the system and tools over all for the users. NOW... the skins I pick for SMF might have some "issues." The one I'm currently using here WON'T be used in the redesign.

*sigh* just when we get used to it it changes! By the way, when is the redesign coming?

well... SMF is about to get a major update. Joomla just got theirs. So... I'm still a few months out. I'm also looking into other issues right now regarding navigation and the direction of the site so... that's why this thread.

I don't really want to talk technical stuff here b/c that in itself is not "doing" things. The technical stuff is a tool for doing. ;)

One thought - I would love to see some people who have been and are serious leaders in our scene write more frequently in the zine.  It's not much trouble, to give back and inspire the next generation.  (I meant to send out some letters awhile back, to ask around, but been held back here with things for a bit... think I should be online a bit more now.)

We are the body of Christ and this is our meeting place... why shouldn't we all be involved in some level?  People who have been around here for awhile (over 2 years?) should ask themselves, what can they give to the worldwide body of Christ here at TF, and how can we help the cause of Christ grow more, by what we may have to give?  Something that doesn't cost us more than we can bear, something that might turn our one little seed of faith into 100- or 1000-fold return for His Kingdom, within our lifetime?  Even newer people here (3 months?) might come up with some ideas if they really asked themselves what they might be able to contribute in the TF community.  Just a thought... the Kingdom of God is a participatory experience, and that is where you really learn and grow, when you step out in faith.

It crossed my mind that we have some things here that the world really needs... role models... family... real love and truth... let's put our best foot forward, take ourselves as seriously as anyone else out there, and get ourselves and our messages out there.  Supporting each other.

peace & love,
Shana

I also agree with prev. posts, and from a marketing/getting involved with the world point of view, I think we should strive to get TF on the first page of every internet search for anything that has anything to do with electronic music (if not done already!!).  We could start by posting a million links to TF all over the web.  Let's go people!!!

:)

Shana

(And we should be seriously linked up worldwide as much as possible so we can find everyone and everything from this website.  Leaders unite!!!)

for ableton articles, we're in the top 10 ;) Specifically for DJing with it... we're #1.

Looks like I need to re-discover this message board further... Can't wait for the new skin! Nice!

Oh, one other thing. I think it would be good to start up the tastyfresh e-mailing list again. It can help remind everyone about this place and give a very quick overview of what is going on. Maybe make it monthly or bi-monthly?

or with the e-zine...?

Email lists are either:
a) problematic as isp tend to blacklist them
b) expensive as you have to pay people to do them for you to make sure you aren't blacklisted.

probably the author of the article posted links all over the web, esp on active websites or messageboards that get a lot of hits, or we might be the most used website with those keywords.  that might put us at the top of the search engine.  maybe he even submitted those specific searchwords to the search engines.  or maybe it's just a hot topic and we're a pretty hot website here at TF.  maybe all of the above :)

Oh I know what happened. We got picked up by a site similar to digg.com.

OK, thanks for the input guys. I'm going to unsticky this topic now. Look for more like this in the future.