Hammock related discussion

Forum moderators have recently brought to my attention the issue of conversation straying from hammocks. Not hammock accessories, or gear used by hammock campers, or basic market research gleaning input directly from the end consumers. I request that every thread not directly related to a hammock be closed or moved to non-hammock related forums in the members area. Hot water bottles are not hammocks, nor are foam pads or tarps. If you want to talk about things like that, become a donating member and talk about it in the hot water bottle forum of foam pad forum or tarp forum in the members only area.

Goodbye.

:thumbdown:

Below is a copy of the Moderators' PM response to this thread. Posted here for reference by the forum.

Quote:

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Tyler,

You didn't present a design, you solicited business advice. That's why your thread was deemed off-topic.

Hammock Forums is all about making the gear we use better. Having the resources of the end-user community and the manufacturers/vendors centralized in one place is an amazing thing. We have seen countless innovations over the past few years and much of it is because of that exact reason.

The issue at work here is that you didn't present any products with your offering. Traditionally, manufacturers/vendors offer their designs to the community, then work with the community to improve or refine their designs. Which, by the way, members here are more than happy to do. Hammock Forums exists to make our members' hanging experiences better. It does not exist to make a vendor's business better. When a vendor comes with a product, other members are always quick to make suggestions to a design. In this scenario, the community is well served and as a side-effect, the vendor's business can possibly benefit. By asking this community upfront what products they would buy if you make them, is akin to asking the members of this forum to help you get a business started. While it may eventually lead to a benefit to the forum, the initial benefit is to your business. This is the reverse of what we strive for here.

Vendor interaction is highly valued to us all and not something we would enjoy losing. We simply ask that you take the initiative of coming up with a design prior to asking the forum to assist you in designing something you intend to profit from. If you really desire to know what our members want in a tarp, all you need do is read many of the tarp threads found on Hammock Forums. This is how all of our 'homegrown' vendors came to the decision that a certain product was lacking. They then designed, built, and presented the concept to the forum. More often than not, the offering was met with positive results for both parties concerned.

Believe me, all of us value the gear-makers of the world. We welcome you with open arms to be a part of that group. We ask only that you offer a tangible product first, as all other vendors here have done.

Sincerely,
HF Staff

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