Concertina FAQ rewrite

[Chris Ghent]

I searched cnet and then went through the book another half a dozen times to find the trick with the Sellotape…. (Durex would be the equivalent brand name known to our Australian brethren)Do you know what I am talking about? Sealing cracks ….)

 

On the issue of sealing cracks it is difficult to see how to substitute Sellotape for Durex in Australia. Sellotape just isn't a very good contraceptive, and I'm told Gladwrap is only slightly better.

 

Chris

[Chris Timson]

The sort of music which is played over here in "English Country Music" sessions or for "English Ceilidh" tends to be mostly from the southern and East Anglian traditions, very rhythmic and played slightly off the beat (although up north where I live the more flowing northern style is more widespread). Much of this music came from melodeon players, and sessions tend to be melodeon-heavy, so G and D are the main keys - anyone striking up in Bb would get pretty short shrift. Even playing in C produces grumbles from the melodeonists.

1) In East Anglia itself, of course the predominant key is (or used to be) C, as championed by Katie Howson.

 

2) I've always considered the driver behind the general predominance of G and D to be down to the fact that these are the easiest keys for fiddlers to play in, remembering that the D/G melodeon has only been around since the 1950's (see this thread for more details).

 

Infinite are the arguments of sages and wizards ...

 

Chris

[Chris Timson]

For example - try to find out HOW DO I REMOVE a reed pan.

Well, in the section of the FAQ called Repair Techniques it says (and has said since version 1.0):-

 

The pan is not normally screwed in and can be removed by careful pulling with one finger hooked through the centre hole. Make sure before you remove it that you know which way round it must be to go back in! (Frequently matching numbers are stamped into the reed pan and frame to help with this).

I'm not sure of what else there is to say on this. Nevertheless I have not yet fully read through your post and I will have a good think about the issues you raise.

 

In the introduction to the FAQ I say:-

 

It is not a true FAQ in that it is not in question-and-answer format, but I have never found that a conducive form in which to write

 

This is why the FAQ is the shape it is.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[Steve Mansfield]

For example - try to find out HOW DO I REMOVE a reed pan.

Well, in the section of the FAQ called Repair Techniques it says (and has said since version 1.0):-

 

The pan is not normally screwed in and can be removed by careful pulling with one finger hooked through the centre hole. Make sure before you remove it that you know which way round it must be to go back in! (Frequently matching numbers are stamped into the reed pan and frame to help with this).

 

 

Just an aside, but the otherwise esteemable Concertina Repair Manual doesn't actually cover this vital piece of information, so I was very grateful for the concertina FAQ on that point.

 

I run the FAQ for the uk.music.folk newsgroup at http://www.lesession.co.uk/umf so I know something of what you're faced with Chris - good luck!

[Kautilya]

For example - try to find out HOW DO I REMOVE a reed pan.

Well, in the section of the FAQ called Repair Techniques it says (and has said since version 1.0):-

 

The pan is not normally screwed in and can be removed by careful pulling with one finger hooked through the centre hole. Make sure before you remove it that you know which way round it must be to go back in! (Frequently matching numbers are stamped into the reed pan and frame to help with this).

I'm not sure of what else there is to say on this. Nevertheless I have not yet fully read through your post and I will have a good think about the issues you raise.

 

In the introduction to the FAQ I say:-

 

It is not a true FAQ in that it is not in question-and-answer format, but I have never found that a conducive form in which to write

 

This is why the FAQ is the shape it is.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

For example - try to find out HOW DO I REMOVE a reed pan.

Well, in the section of the FAQ called Repair Techniques it says (and has said since version 1.0):-

 

The pan is not normally screwed in and can be removed by careful pulling with one finger hooked through the centre hole. Make sure before you remove it that you know which way round it must be to go back in! (Frequently matching numbers are stamped into the reed pan and frame to help with this).

I'm not sure of what else there is to say on this. Nevertheless I have not yet fully read through your post and I will have a good think about the issues you raise.

 

In the introduction to the FAQ I say:-

 

It is not a true FAQ in that it is not in question-and-answer format, but I have never found that a conducive form in which to write

 

This is why the FAQ is the shape it is.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

 

HOW DO you do it!

Do not underrate how much I rate the mammoth task which your sorting FAQs represents - only a mad genius would be ready to tackle such a mountain but along with Einstein would say "if you want to achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd".

 

Compliments paid, now more practicals.

 

The search function is the key which does not always unlock the door

 

- so, I have just put an exact phrase from your quote above:

 

can be removed by careful pulling with one finger

 

into the search top right of start page:

 

I get the following:

> Board Message

 

Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information.

The error returned was:

 

 

Useful Links

 

* Forgotten Password Recovery

* Register a new account

* Our help documentation

* Contact the forums administrator

 

I then logged in and searched from the search box above your message with the same phrase:

 

and got:

 

Concertina.net Merchandise

 

> Board Message

 

Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information.

The error returned was:

 

One or all of your search keywords were below 3 characters or you searched for words which are not allowed, such as 'html', 'img', etc, please go back and increase the length of these search keywords or choose different keywords.

Useful Links

 

* Forgotten Password Recovery

* Register a new account

* Our help documentation

* Contact the forums administrator

 

 

 

I then typed in the word "pan" (this is assuming I have understood at my newbie stage what the name of that wooden thing, which I have only seen in pictures, is.

 

the result:

 

Unfortunately your search didn't return any results.

Try broadening the search parameters by searching by different keywords or altering the format of your search.

Remember to use the wildcard '*' to increase the number of matches. Apple* will match 'apple' and 'apples'.

 

Search Again?

 

 

If you notice in your answer referred to above the word pan occurs on its own in the first para and then in the end part of the answer we get "reed pan". Notice that pan is a three-letter word and that conflicts with the search paramater instructions above.

 

I do not know how the search function works on most indices -- I just use 'em but there is some tweaking do be done here or a lot of your hard spent new effort may be undermined by the search function.

 

If I google reedpan it tries to offer me reedman but its first two finds of a couple of hundred thousand from outerspace are

 

Did you mean: reedman

Search Results

 

1.

Tour of the reedpan

Also, you should realize that the other side of the reed pan, while it does not have the partitions and center doughnut, it does have alternate reeds for ...

www.d-and-d.com/tinas/reedpan.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

2. [PS]

English Concertina Reed Pan

File Format: Adobe PostScript - View as HTML

Slot through reed pan. For reed on other side. Reed Chamber Partitions ... English Concertina Reed Pan. Serial #/Assy #. Location. "L" or "R" to ...

www.d-and-d.com/DRAWINGS/PS/reedpan.ps - Similar pages

 

I then do reed pan:

 

and bingo i find the Timson answer right at the top !-- but I should not need to go to Google to find it (if u see what I mean) bearing in mind it did the following:

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 6,780,000 for reed pan. (0.18 seconds)

 

Now, if I put in remove reed pan: I get back to you through google but by another route:

 

http://stason.org/TULARC/musical-instrumen...Techniques.html

 

and then one sees the para, about hooking your finger, is way down the instructions and advice.

 

My thought at a precise moment is how to I get the thing with the hole out .. yes I see the picture in the Elliott repair book calls it a reed pan (p5). I need to find a specific action so I try to do a specific search (with + + between words)/It is not the moment to read a long section to find something in it.

 

I hope I do not sound as though I am cavilling - I really think this technical thing has to be tackled and I only wish I knew how to solve it

 

The principle is relevant to all searches

 

If I want to shed some light on whether (see one of my earlier failures!) Wheatsones or Lachenals were assembled on Scotland Road and labelled there or Crane Bros and or Sons made their own their then if I put advanced search function Crane+Scotland+Road into the search box I get 14 pages and 1,000 results with the second one relating to Palestine :

 

14 Pages 1 2 3 > »

(Search results limited to first 1000)

 

Your topics

Mark all forums as read and return to index

Topic Title Forum Topic Starter Replies Views Last Action

 

 

Singing and Playing 123

 

General Concertina Discussion

michael sam wild

40

1259 Today, 02:03 PM

Last post by: gavdav

 

 

Gearing up for Palestine V

 

Concertinas amongst the dogwoods

 

If I do cranes (with an s) +Scotland+Road I get 3 pages to go through in the hope that….

 

Now if I google my first cnet efforts cranes Scotland road has me leaping from gantry to gantry like spider man, so that’s no good

 

But if add concertina to cranes Scotland road I get an address right at the top of the search – from concertina.com:

 

Results 1 - 10 of about 2,210 for cranes concertina scotland road. (0.15 seconds

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&a...earch&meta=

I hope my confusion does not mean it is just me who needs help! As someone I know always says: “My ignorance is my greatest strength” – u just keep asking.

 

rgds

 

PS I just had to go through 32 pages of the repair book again to find the word Sellotape again on p19.....it took me three readings to dig it out last time to find it. But I had only circled it and not put in my own home made index. Oh for an index. (cheap way is to do a complete alphabetical sort of a Word document and then go through knocking out the prepositions and etc etc and you end up with a word list and page reference. Dave's tip really works smoothly... go seatch for it....!

[Leo]

HOW DO you do it!

Do not underrate how much I rate the mammoth task which your sorting FAQs represents - only a mad genius would be ready to tackle such a mountain but along with Einstein would say "if you want to achieve the impossible you must attempt the absurd".

 

Compliments paid, now more practicals.

.....................................

.....................................

rgds

 

PS I just had to go through 32 pages of the repair book again to find the word Sellotape again on p19.....it took me three readings to dig it out last time to find it. But I had only circled it and not put in my own home made index. Oh for an index. (cheap way is to do a complete alphabetical sort of a Word document and then go through knocking out the prepositions and etc etc and you end up with a word list and page reference. Dave's tip really works smoothly... go seatch for it....!

Hi Kautilya

 

I've just read through both your posts and got hopelessly lost, and haven't a clue if something was asked. So let me ask you, are you confusing the FAQ that Chris is updating with something that is on Concertina.net or the forum? They are different websites and the search function of the forum doesn't work with concertina.info.

 

To use Google to search the FAQ for information you have to use the "site:concertina.info" switch in the search without quotes and then the words to look for. If you're searching concertina.net, admittedly it has a less than remarkable search function, one of which is the 3letter limitation you found. It's built that way. There is a better search on the main page of concertina.net that is light years ahead of the forum, or you can use Google with the "site:concertina.net" switch without quotes and then the words to look for.

 

At least that is what I got out of your posts.

 

Thanks

Leo

[Chris Timson]

I've just read through both your posts and got hopelessly lost, and haven't a clue if something was asked. So let me ask you, are you confusing the FAQ that Chris is updating with something that is on Concertina.net or the forum? They are different websites and the search function of the forum doesn't work with concertina.info.

I have the same feeling. It is true that there is a Google search box on the front page of the FAQ. However this has been broken by recent changes Google have made to the way such search boxes work. It is on my To Do list to fix it.

 

FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. In that respect I have tried to make the FAQ a good first stop in the search for information, but with many onward links for those whose needs go deeper (plus, of course, the query page which people can use to send specific questions to me). Many people, I am glad to say, have let me know over the years that they have found the FAQ very useful. This is most gratifying. Very few have disputed its present format. On that basis the current exercise is to update and ensure the currency of the information in it. I am not intending to radically change the content or structure of the FAQ. If it ain't broke ...

 

Chris

[Ken_Coles]

We are well aware (and it has been documented here before) that the Invision Search utility that comes with this forum software leaves a lot to be desired. It comes as a package, we can just hope it eventually improves, or you can do a Google search specific to concertina.net.

 

Or one can always ask a question here - as in the present case!

 

Cheers,

Ken

[Takayuki YAGI]

To use Google to search the FAQ for information you have to use the "site:concertina.info" switch in the search without quotes and then the words to look for. If you're searching concertina.net, admittedly it has a less than remarkable search function, one of which is the 3letter limitation you found. It's built that way. There is a better search on the main page of concertina.net that is light years ahead of the forum, or you can use Google with the "site:concertina.net" switch without quotes and then the words to look for.

In addition you can cross search both concertina.net and concertina.info in one action.

For example if you want to search with keyword "symphonium" for both site, type

symphonium site:concertina.net OR site:concertina.info

into the search box will work. Note that the word OR is needed between the 2 site: s.

Cheers,

--

Taka

[Chris Timson]

Neat!

 

Chris

[Kautilya]

Neat!

 

Chris

HOW DO I

 

Righteeho - message coming through loud and strong.

 

With reference to all the above points.

 

The complexity of the options just spelt out (IMHO) is a good indicator of what a mountain the newbie has to climb - there is an implicit assumption of knowledge already known to the newbie which is not the case.

 

I was not talking about googling from within any of the sites.

 

I was talking about starting from the main google search page and getting better search results than searching within the sites.

 

The basic question I was asking was whether one should label useful tips with HOW DO I (or equivalent) ...... then the detail which would lead to the answer. That would produce a growing number of HOW DO Is..... cutting away the need to read through hundreds of entries to find the relevant one.

 

The rest of my comments were examples of why I thought this and suggestions of why I wondered if one could graft on (not radical departure) a simple word string which would help the uninitiated... it would have helped me I am sure in the not too distant past.

 

Not to worry! This bellows is running out of breath and has to run anyway.

 

Keep up the good work all!.