Is PianoWorld site down?

pianoloverus · 2026-08-06T21:22:54+00:00

Is the PianoWorld site down? I get this error message: You don't have permission to access this resource.Server unable to read htaccess file, denying access to be safe

LifelongBeginner

pianoloverus I hear what you're saying, and I resonate to some of it. But you can't dismiss all criticism of PW as just the new club irrationally dissing the old club. The initial introduction of ads in PW was bungled...allowing so many and so indiscriminately it was bound to trigger a backlash (the way they're handling it now is much wiser). Yes, a new browser fixed that quickly for many, but some either didn't find that easy or just resented having to. Then the owners' reaction to some dissent was a big red flag and enough to trigger an exodus...I'm hopeful it's never that bad again.

What troubles me is that I think the whole idea of breaking off from Pianoworld and creating a competing site was a big mistake.

And that's where I think this is coming from. I think I agree with you a little...I don't know if it was a mistake, but just that I miss the community that existed before the split off. I'm not super active on either board but I found myself still going to PW a lot more than I thought I would, and I'm not even sure why (given that I have no complaints about PT and love everything Navindra has done with it). Anyway, I mention that so you don't dismiss the next opinion as someone who just needs PT to be better than PW: I hate the new look of PW. Hate hate hate it. Someone used a word that really fits: "clinical". That white and red made me feel NOT like I was posting on a community of fellow enthusiasts, but that I was at the phlebotomist's getting my blood drawn. In a starched dress shirt. In the midst of a headache. Go there now and tell me you don't smell the alcohol swab! Dark mode helps...like putting a black sheet over a painting you just don't like. It's superficial of me to let aesthetics outweigh factors such as functionality, new features, etc., but a part of me is considering visiting less often and maybe in a few weeks they'll work it out (with colored themes or something). But otherwise, there's a lot about PW to still like, and I do.

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus What troubles me is that I think the whole idea of breaking off from Pianoworld and creating a competing site was a big mistake.

So maybe this is your core concern? I hope we can avoid rehashing all the things that led to that, for one thing it's in the past now. For another, as with the topic at hand, there will be elements that we just don't agree on, so it's not going to be helpful.

But I get your concern, the number of active posters (on both sites) is not all that large. But no one is going to go back and change the past. And some won't want to.

Piano Tell likes to pride itself on encouraging a "nice tone" in their posts, but I think there are quite a few posts disparaging Pianoworld that certainly don't fit that description.

I think you might be downplaying or overlooking the very positive regard that many people in this thread are expressing for Piano World as a community. The complaints people have is with the UI and some of the business practices of the new owners. There is not a wholesale "disparaging of PW" going on here.

Perhaps that can give you some comfort?

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro The complaints people have is with the UI and some of the business practices of the new owners. There is not a wholesale "disparaging of PW" going on here.

Criticizing the UI or business practices of the owners is not different from criticizing Pianoworld. I think both in terms of the number of posts and especially the tone and some of the posts, there is considerable disparaging of Pianoworld in this thread.

rsl12

pianoloverus Criticizing the UI or business practices of the owners is not different from criticizing Pianoworld.

Could you clarify? You are saying that criticism of the owner's business practices is the same as what exactly?

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus Criticizing the UI is significantly different from criticizing the community of people who post at PW. And criticizing the owners is not the same as criticizing the members. I have steered clear of talking about some of the problems that led many people to leave PW, but those problems were connected to the owners, not the community.

For the record, I am not criticizing the community at PW.

If you can't recognize that, then we are going to have to agree to disagree,.

HeartKeys

pianoloverus Criticizing the UI or business practices of the owners is not different from criticizing Pianoworld

Huh?

Yes, please elaborate, or qualify that statement. I could criticize the piano playing of everyone here, but still think they are great people. I could think of 5+ things I do not like about PianoTell’s UI, and— concurrently— like its members.

Pianoworld’s current UI sucks in my sole eyes, and I enjoy it nonetheless, and be fond of, or at least, cool with, its admins and creators.

I say this lovingly and in a chill attitude, that the statement you forestated seems a bit non-rational.

Btw, my skills in UI, building websites etc are horrific. I will take no offense if anyone else thinks so, for I know/believe they are not criticizing me as a person 🙂

twocats

pianoloverus Piano Tell likes to pride itself on encouraging a "nice tone" in their posts, but I think there are quite a few posts disparaging Pianoworld that certainly don't fit that description.

Having a nice tone when interacting with other people is completely different from criticizing a website, which has no feelings.

Simonb

pianoloverus Many different approaches were given. If you tried some other approaches and they didn't work then I would agree with you that the ads are a valid complaint.

So how many times do I have to attempt it for it to become a valid complaint?
Once isn't enough clearly. Is twice enough? Or should I have attempted it 3 or 4 times, or maybe 12?
Please let me know for future reference.

Actually 'valid complaint' is a fallacy. There was no validity to complaining at all. The new owners made a business choice to put adverts on PW, and you either put up with them (as I did in the end), found a way to get rid of them or stopped using PW.

rsl12

@pianoloverus ok, I've thought about it, and I think I understand your point of view. Obviously Pianoworld means a lot to you, and criticism of the website is like an attack on a loved one. I think everyone here can understand how that feels. It's hard to hear criticism about a thing you love. I'm sorry if any of my criticisms felt like a personal attack on you. Like you, my frustration is directed at what the site could be, with just a few changes. Our opinions differ regarding what those changes should be, but we all have the same vision: a bustling and harmonious community.

ShiroKuro

rsl12 we all have the same vision: a bustling and harmonious community

❤️❤️❤️

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro Criticizing the UI is significantly different from criticizing the community of people who post at PW. And criticizing the owners is not the same as criticizing the members. I have steered clear of talking about some of the problems that led many people to leave PW, but those problems were connected to the owners, not the community.

For the record, I am not criticizing the community at PW.

If you can't recognize that, then we are going to have to agree to disagree,.

You misread or misunderstood my post. I never said criticizing the UI was the same as criticizing the MEMBERS or COMMUNITY of Pianoworld. That's your misrepresentation. I said criticizing UI was the same as criticizing Pianoworld. Please don't put words in my mouth.

pianoloverus

rsl12 ok, I've thought about it, and I think I understand your point of view. Obviously Pianoworld means a lot to you, and criticism of the website is like an attack on a loved one. I think everyone here can understand how that feels. It's hard to hear criticism about a thing you love. I'm sorry if any of my criticisms felt like a personal attack on you. Like you, my frustration is directed at what the site could be, with just a few changes. Our opinions differ regarding what those changes should be, but we all have the same vision: a bustling and harmonious community.

I appreciate your thoughts but that's not exactly how I feel. It's not that anyone's criticisms felt like a personal attack on me. It's simply that starting a new piano site was IMO a mistake for the reasons I've explained earlier in this thread. And it's the scathing tone of some of the attacks on Pianoworld on this site, which claims to discourage nastiness.

pianoloverus

Simonb Actually 'valid complaint' is a fallacy. There was no validity to complaining at all.

When I said the huge increase in ads was a valid complaint, I didn't mean that new owners responded to that. I meant that it was correct for members to be upset about the huge increase in ads.

pianoloverus

twocats Piano Tell likes to pride itself on encouraging a "nice tone" in their posts, but I think there are quite a few posts disparaging Pianoworld that certainly don't fit that description.

Having a nice tone when interacting with other people is completely different from criticizing a website, which has no feelings.

You are ignoring the people who read the website or want the website to be successful. Would you like it if people repeatedly criticized PianoTell in a scathing and nasty fashion?

rsl12

pianoloverus And it's the scathing tone of some of the attacks on Pianoworld on this site, which claims to discourage nastiness.

You are seeing something I don't see.

twocats

pianoloverus You are ignoring the people who read the website or want the website to be successful. Would you like it if people repeatedly criticized PianoTell in a scathing and nasty fashion?

I genuinely wouldn't care, they are entitled to their opinions. I wouldn't take it personally.

Whether PT is successful or not has nothing to do with me, unless I were unpleasant and difficult enough on PT that I was discouraging people from conversation and making them want to go elsewhere.

Whether or not PW remains successful has nothing to do with the comments I and others are making here. I find the new UI extremely unattractive and if it fails it's because of the new owners, not because of us.

ShiroKuro

pianoloverus You misread or misunderstood my post. I never said criticizing the UI was the same as criticizing the MEMBERS or COMMUNITY of Pianoworld. That's your misrepresentation. I said criticizing UI was the same as criticizing Pianoworld. Please don't put words in my mouth.

It certainly is not my intent to put words in your mouth, but I do not agree that criticizing the UI equates with criticizing Piano World itself. I suggested that we agree to disagree, but you don't seem comfortable with that.

pianoloverus It's simply that starting a new piano site was IMO a mistake for the reasons I've explained earlier in this thread.

I would like to gently suggest that we not revisit this issue. The decision is long in the past, and both sites exist. And as you and many others have noted, a good number of people visit both sites. But there is also a significant number who only visit one, so I don't think anyone would suggest that one or the site be shut down.

Since both sites exist, and will presumably continue to exist far into the future, and since you've already explained your reasoning, let's remove this topic from the discussion.

And it's the scathing tone of some of the attacks on Pianoworld on this site, which claims to discourage nastiness.

I don't see much "scathing tone." On the other hand, I have tried very hard to keep my interaction with you cordial. I would be grateful if you could make a similar effort.

pianoloverus

ShiroKuro On the other hand, I have tried very hard to keep my interaction with you cordial. I would be grateful if you could make a similar effort.

Are you implying I did anything uncordial? I definitely think some of the criticisms of Pianoworld on this thread qualify as scathing tone.

TulipAcid

One of the reasons I like this community is that it seems more "real" than what I encounter at PW.

One of the things about reality is that disagreements happen.

If all goes well, such are resolved in one way or another ... a person changes their mind, or a middle ground is reached, or, for the benefit of everyone, we agree to disagree and simply let it go.

<Humming, 'Let it Go' from Frozen>

rsl12

pianoloverus You misread or misunderstood my post. I never said criticizing the UI was the same as criticizing the MEMBERS or COMMUNITY of Pianoworld. That's your misrepresentation. I said criticizing UI was the same as criticizing Pianoworld.

I asked you for clarification on this point, but haven't received it. To me, the analogous statement is "criticizing the President of the United States is the same as criticizing America", but I don't think you could have possibly meant that.

« Previous Page Next Page »