I've drafted an email with the intention of sending to everyone who has ever posted on the forum, but has stopped visiting. It's a big list spanning many years, and most certainly tons of those emails are long dead.
But as people continue to be disillusioned by Twitter and other platforms don't have (yet) a critical mass, perhaps folks may want to come back to the trusty 'ol Bar Towel.
So we'll see, maybe we'll get some folks back to the forum. Apologies if any of you who still visit get the email, I can't be sure if my sorting if 100% accurate.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Thu May 11, 2023 7:48 pm
by Tapsucker
Maybe there needs to be some sort of blue check mark thing?
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Thu May 11, 2023 7:54 pm
by Cass
Tapsucker wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 7:48 pm
Maybe there needs to be some sort of blue check mark thing?
Tell you what, I'll make it only $5/month here
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Fri May 12, 2023 2:32 pm
by toweringpine
LOL, great timing. I hadn't logged in for a long time. My life has changed a lot since I was an active member here. My wife passed away and I found myself raising my daughter alone. The first thing I did was move out of the city. My beer drinking has dropped off substantially too. But on a beautiful Friday afternoon I am craving a pint of cask and don't know where to find one here in Northumberland County. I haven't found anywhere I can reliably show up and get a pint yet. I was lucky enough to score a Fogorig brewery gift certificate yesterday and am keen to go check them out but sadly I don't think they've got anything in a cask.
I'll try to be a bit more active and report in on some of the local breweries around here.
If anyone is interested and ready to make a big move... Signal Brewery just outside Belleville has gone bankrupt and someone might have an opportunity for a great investment. The location is beyond amazing and they made good beer. They just got sloppy in COVID and paid a very, very steep price.
Gosh I miss Cask Days and the dozens of other events where real ale was plentiful.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Fri May 12, 2023 5:09 pm
by Tapsucker
There's a Cask Social tomorrow at C'est What. If you have access to a Go train (or is it Via from where you are?), it might just scratch your itch.
Unfortunately I have another engagement and can't attend, but I'm glad these are back.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Fri May 12, 2023 7:33 pm
by Cass
toweringpine wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 2:32 pm
LOL, great timing. I hadn't logged in for a long time. My life has changed a lot since I was an active member here. My wife passed away and I found myself raising my daughter alone. The first thing I did was move out of the city. My beer drinking has dropped off substantially too. But on a beautiful Friday afternoon I am craving a pint of cask and don't know where to find one here in Northumberland County. I haven't found anywhere I can reliably show up and get a pint yet. I was lucky enough to score a Fogorig brewery gift certificate yesterday and am keen to go check them out but sadly I don't think they've got anything in a cask.
I'll try to be a bit more active and report in on some of the local breweries around here.
Welcome back and thanks for sharing. Very sorry to hear about your wife & hope you and your daughter are doing ok.
My family cottage is next to Northumberland (in Hastings) and I remember a time when there wasn’t anything up there except for Church Key. I see there’s more around there now but haven’t been. Please do share what you find!
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Fri May 12, 2023 7:34 pm
by Cass
Tapsucker wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 5:09 pm
There's a Cask Social tomorrow at C'est What. If you have access to a Go train (or is it Via from where you are?), it might just scratch your itch.
Unfortunately I have another engagement and can't attend, but I'm glad these are back.
I was quite happy to see the email come through about these coming back. Great that they’re still organizing these events!
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Tue May 16, 2023 4:04 pm
by cannondale
Cass, you should send that e-mail.
And mark it urgent for Belgian! It's not the same without him.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 7:33 am
by Cass
cannondale wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 4:04 pm
Cass, you should send that e-mail.
And mark it urgent for Belgian! It's not the same without him.
I'm going to send it today!
Here's the copy if anyone is curious. I get a bit heady on social media, but it's the truth!
Social media has undergone significant changes, making it increasingly difficult to have meaningful conversations. Cory Doctorow has discussed the decline of these platforms, which no longer prioritize user interests. However, there's also a collective action problem where users remain tethered to a disliked service because they can't agree on an alternative.
But I'm not here to lecture you about social media. I'm reaching out because you've previously posted on The Bar Towel Forum, a discussion board created for beer lovers in Ontario and beyond.
For many years, we've fostered lively discussions about beer. The Bar Towel Forum has served as a comprehensive oral history of Ontario's beer scene since the turn of the century. But over time, many folks have migrated to other social media platforms, and I understand why. Discussion boards became less popular as social networks offered easier ways to converse. However, as you're aware, these networks aren't what they used to be. But you know what has remained consistent? The Bar Towel Forum's independence from corporate control, political bias, and profiteering.
We're still here, and a dedicated group of beer enthusiasts continues to engage in friendly, informative conversations about the industry. I'm reaching out to invite you back.
Recently we've made the Forum more user-friendly, with different colour schemes and mobile compatibility. Sharing media files has also become effortless. However, our focus remains on discussing beer, which is what we excel at. And we'd love it if you returned.
You can find The Bar Towel Forum at www.bartowel.com. The old news blog is still available at www.thebartowel.com. Additionally, I've invested my energy in a new project called A Quick Beer, a video series about beer that you can watch at www.aquickbeer.com, and I'd love to feature some of Ontario's wonderful breweries.
Reconnecting with The Bar Towel will feel like meeting an old friend after the pandemic years. Why not join us again? If you encounter any issues with your account, simply email me at cass@bartowel.com, and I'll help you recover your username and/or password.
I look forward to chatting with you again on the forum!
I've added a new feature to the forum - user mentions. So by going @ and then typing a username (list should appear) - such as @Cass it *should* create a notification for the person. FYI you can enable email notifications to yourself when this happens in the User Control Panel > Board Preferences > Edit Notification Options.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 1:46 pm
by Andicus
Hey Cass!
I do pop by, now and then. I guess I don't post all that often, though.
Hope you are well!
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 2:12 pm
by Cass
Andicus wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 1:46 pm
Hey Cass!
I do pop by, now and then. I guess I don't post all that often, though.
Hope you are well!
Awesome, glad you still stop by from time to time. We’re still here
Things all good, the usual stuff. Hope things are well with you too!
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 2:29 pm
by Uncle Bobby
ZZZZzzzz....
Hmmmm?! What? Where's the snooze button?
Okay. You've got my attention @Cass . I trust all is well.
Do we still need to write code to post Universal Resource Locators to this resource?
Yes, we do. But do we still call them "Universal Resource Locators"?
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 2:34 pm
by Uncle Bobby
Funny, I was thinking of youse guys just last night.
Re: Recruiting back to the Bar Towel
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 3:45 pm
by jmcnally
Cass, thank you very much for the email. I've been missing for a long while, but am still interested in beer and beery things. And you're right. Twitter and the other social media spaces are just not the same as a good 'ol forum. Hope to be more of a participant here (again).
