Woodworking Learning Opportunity

[DeanKC]

Greetings. I trust you all had great holidays.

There's a new and interesting woodworkers' website that's recently come on line. I think it's going to be "a force" in the whole arena of the web and woodworking. It's young, but with lots of promise, IMO.

The premise and the promise are that it is a site built BY member woodworkers, FOR members woodworkers. There are lots of perks, and lots of potential waiting for realization. Project and technique videos, carefully guarded forums, galleries, and a management team that seems dedicated to making this a five-star site for all woodworkers, but especially for those wanting or needing coaching in the basics of woodworking. They want honest input and are willing to reward great ideas.

I'd recommend that you visit them at http://www.OnLineShopClass.com/. For the near future, they are accepting charter memberships at a pretty darned good rate, with some freebies for those who join, and a drawing for a real honest to goodness tool for one lucky winner each month! And if you use the code DKCCM003, you'll get 13 months of membership instead of 12 for the charter membership price!

Drop me a line off forum and tell me what you think.

[Black wallnut]

Looks to me as the same as "______"club of America, fill in whatever from handyman to hunting to fishing. At $49 a year I think many could be better served by buying a couple of books and watching a few free shows on PBS for the basics. Not to rain on their parade as I do believe in free enterprise. I just do not see many having the ability to capture good quality video to feed this site.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I am sure they will have no problems selling millions of memberships. I mean with the likes of woodnet, sawmillcreek, bt3central, etc with thousands of experienced woodworkers, why wouldn't one want to pay $90 a year to hang out in a start up club? Don't get me wrong I donate more than $90 per year to WW forums, but I am not forced to do so for the privledge of sharing information. This site is not in the spirit of other forums. Knowledge and information is free. Donations are made to help offset hosting costs, etc no for profiteering. Hey, bring some big names to the game, along with some of the finest WWers on the net and this may be feasible.

What about a free trial? This is a completely obscure start up site that allows no preview. How about a 3 day free trial so folks can see what they are paying for? Or how about free access to 10-20 videos to see if the connection can handle it or what the quality is like?

PS, I don't like all ads considering it is a pretty expensive pay site. And what is the deal with all the ShopSmith crap?

[mac_daddy]

[QUOTE=Black wallnut;231279]Looks to me as the same as "______"club of America, QUOTE]


Arrrggghhh...I LOATHE that group. I could definitely come up with something else that would earn my $49.00.

What did they give me to test out??? A glove with magnetic fingertips. It was only a single glove, so unless I was Michael Jackson working in a youth mechanics' shop, it was pretty useless to my needs.

Also, they 'volunteered' me into a book of the month club by sending a book to me without my prior consent. Sure, it had a prepaid return package in case I didn't want it, but what would happen it I didn't receive it in the first place? (especially when you have the kind of negligent USPS service I have in my neighborhood; i.e.: missing/ripped magazines, incorrect mail, etc)

Spend the money for some books and some wood to gain your experience, use this and other websites for insight and knowledge.

[linear]

so unless I was Michael Jackson working in a youth mechanics' shop,

LMAO that is wrong on so many levels...

[cabinetman]

My take on this is that it's a good idea if they get away with it. As for the mailings, a percentage of the free returns don't ever get used which rings up a sale in lieu of the hassle. It's like the "discount refunds" that never get used.

I don't object to being offered instructional material to be downloaded, or mail ordered for a fee. It looks too commercial to me. Is it a business trying to disguise itself as a forum? So, if it's just getting started, a member pays the membership fee, and how much can be available for the moment.

The free perks to members thing doesn't appeal to my interpretation of a "testing" scenario.

The rub I have is that information sharing is a giving and taking at will. Why would I pay to give information. Just thump me on my head.



A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER - John Keats