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Post by Alan on Feb 18, 2020 22:21:50 GMT
The trouble with Facebook groups (for any interest, not just ABBA) is that they are much too fast-moving. You can start a discussion and within a day it’s dead and buried because it’s been pushed down the news feed. Finding it again is very time-consuming. With forums, they’re structured so that you can add to old topics. This one, for instance, has been going on for two years. On Facebook this would have been lost within a day or two.
Also, you can’t filter out what you don’t want to see in Facebook groups. I’m in a Kate Bush one on there and so much of it is random ancient photos (usually with middle-aged straight men admiring them). On here I never go into the photo threads so there’s none of that nonsense. It takes much more effort to register and even post on a forum so, without wanting to sound like a complete snob, you also get the quality of discussion. Sorry to say but Facebook is mostly for the more casual fan (of any genre), with the serious ones struggling to have a voice.
There may be fewer of us on forums, but it’s quality not quantity...
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Post by josef on Feb 18, 2020 23:18:14 GMT
I hate Facebook. It's like a conveyor belt. "Come on, hurry up, move along. ..click on an emoticon, post a brief platitude and move on. Next!" It sucks. It's no fun. Not to me, anyway. No one properly engages with anyone, it's all so shallow. Mind you, I'm not so sure anyone really does so to any real degree here, either. Still, at least there are bursts of real debate. It's a shame more people don't bother....I see people 'lurking' constantly but never posting. No idea why.
I think the old abba4ever site was truly the halcyon days. Unlikely to see them again, even with the two new songs coming up.
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Post by shoshin on Feb 18, 2020 23:30:53 GMT
I'm not sure he realises you were mainly responding to onlyabbaforme and not just my wonderful quip. ...he makes a decent point: I can ramble on, and I should try and rein it now and then... Please don't rein it in, nor rein anyone else in  |
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Post by jj on Feb 19, 2020 4:16:06 GMT
Recently released, a very beautiful and moving gay coming-of-age film from Georgia, "And Then We Danced", features "Take a Chance on Me" (at roughly the 47 minute mark). I think the song comes on at the exact moment these two guys, who have been attracted to each other for a while, finally give one another an unmistakeable signal that they are indeed interested to be together:
Here's the trailer for the film itself:
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Post by richard on Feb 19, 2020 9:13:55 GMT
I was only on the abba4ever forum for about four months in 2009, but it felt much longer - in a good way. I still remember a lot the members' names: drimnagh (hello, Josef 😉), MK ( (Tony), Ivana, Con, Pablo, Lenke, Caribbean, foreverfan, onlyabba4me (Colin)...(Apart from still being Richard, I was 'Somezzo', by the way.)
Maybe I'm looking back through rose-coloured glasses, but it seemed livelier with more engaged members who wanted to post and respond. (But it was a bit rule-bound, if I remember right.) Funny how one remembers these things: my computer went on the blink the day before Christmas Eve and I never got back as an active member. I guess something to do with life intruded.
But that time was probably my best time as an ABBA fan, and I wish this forum could be a bit more like the old one. But things move on and that's not going to happen.😒
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Post by chron on Feb 19, 2020 15:45:04 GMT
I was only on the abba4ever forum for about four months in 2009[...]([...] it was a bit rule-bound, if I remember right.) Diplomatically put. The moderation on there was inflexible and over-zealous. The mods of that place would have a collective breakdown over this 'ere thread, given how far and wide it's roamed from what it was originally set up to monitor and react to (thanks to the mods for letting us cut loose, and to Bjorn and co. for NOT releasing the new tracks when it was originally indicated that they would be!). That said, the abba4ever forum did have a lot of great posters, enthusiastic and thoughtful (and gentle-natured, a lot of them), and it seemed to have a strong sense of community. I joined just before the decision was made to wrap it up (as 'arq', if I remember rightly), too late to become a proper part of the 'family' there. |
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Post by AdamDawson2003 on Feb 19, 2020 17:13:01 GMT
I made a thread on the 13th November 2019 about the 40th Anniversary of 'Gracias Por La Musica' and its had 177 views and only 1 reply which I think is quite rude several of my threads get little to no replies which I feel is extremely unfair
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Post by chron on Feb 19, 2020 18:07:24 GMT
An earlier Gracias Por La Musica thread you created received twenty-five replies and nearly two-and-a-half thousand views - not bad for a thread about an after-thought compilation album (from what I recall of what either Bjorn or Benny is quoted as saying in CMP's Complete Recording Sessions, the two Bs could barely muster a care for this album between them).
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Post by chron on Feb 19, 2020 19:18:57 GMT
From ABBA: The Complete Recording Sessions:
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Post by Michal on Feb 19, 2020 20:27:59 GMT
I made a thread on the 13th November 2019 about the 40th Anniversary of 'Gracias Por La Musica' and its had 177 views and only 1 reply which I think is quite rude several of my threads get little to no replies which I feel is extremely unfair It's definitely not personal, it's just that you seem to be the only one on this forum who is really enthusiastic about this album  |
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Post by Michal on Feb 19, 2020 20:46:34 GMT
I think there might be several reasons why more don't post, perhaps the main ones being fear of being criticised, or not getting a response at all because others don't agree with what has been expressed or, worse, others will be indifferent. But, really, those concerns are not worth bothering about! I'm sure we all just want to welcome more people who will post and read what they have to say. I don't know about the others but one of my main reasons is the lack of time. It would often happen that I check the forum in the morning and find a really interesting thread, however I'm not able to contribute at the moment. When I get back to it later, I usually find out that the original post I wanted to react to is buried deep under new comments and what's more - most of what I had to say was already said by the others and I don't feel it's necessary to repeat the same thoughts and views. Another reason (and I believe this one is quite common) is the language barrier. It's not that I'm afraid of making mistakes, it's just that I feel I'm not able to express my thoughts as precisely as I would like to. I really like reading the posts of the likes of Alan, Orf, shoshin and a few others - very witty, a play on words here, a pun there - that's how I like to talk in my own language too, so I feel a bit embarassed about the somewhat clumsy posts that I sometimes struggle with… exactly like this one  No wonder… it's getting late, I don't feel well today and the words don't come easy. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2020 23:05:25 GMT
...Another reason (and I believe this one is quite common) is the language barrier. It's not that I'm afraid of making mistakes, it's just that I feel I'm not able to express my thoughts as precisely as I would like to... I completely agree, Michal. I think my English is fairly good, and I'm also not afraid of making the unavoidable mistakes, but there's no escaping the frustration you feel when you have speak or write in a foreign language. You're suddenly a more limited, less spontaneous person. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2020 23:28:40 GMT
I also, enjoy interacting with everyone on the forum. Unfortunately, my comments are not very witty or humorous as Alan's, Josef's or Orf's. I think I need to take a crash course in forum speaking. On the whole I am quite a shy and reserved person. A bit of a " wallflower " ! Adam, please do not take offence about your thread regarding " Gracias Por La Musica ". It is testimony that ABBA are very talented after recording many of their songs in several languages.
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Post by Michal on Feb 20, 2020 4:56:15 GMT
...Another reason (and I believe this one is quite common) is the language barrier. It's not that I'm afraid of making mistakes, it's just that I feel I'm not able to express my thoughts as precisely as I would like to... I completely agree, Michal. I think my English is fairly good, and I'm also not afraid of making the unavoidable mistakes, but there's no escaping the frustration you feel when you have speak or write in a foreign language. You're suddenly a more limited, less spontaneous person. Exactly. Plus in my case it's the added frustration of seeing my English deteriorate with passing years as I use it less often. Well, isn't a forum a good way to practise? By the way, such feelings are very much "appropriate" on an ABBA forum - I guess that's how the ABBA members (and especially the girls) must have felt when talking to media etc. That's why I always prefer the interviews they gave in Swedish (subtitled of course, as my knowledge of Swedish is very limited). All of a sudden you find out that they were half as reserved as it is believed and had a very good sense of humour. |
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Post by richard on Feb 20, 2020 8:03:25 GMT
Michal and jens2, don't have any concerns about your English. As a 'native', I'm in awe of it. As I am of ABBA's use of English, especially Bjorn's in some of his lyrics: 'Just like a child, stubborn and misconceiving'...(OOU); 'Love was one prolonged goodbye' (LAAPTMR), are just two of his lines that occur to me right now.
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Post by Michal on Feb 20, 2020 9:45:22 GMT
It's not really about having concerns… it's the very essence of writing (talking) in a foreign language. You don't need to think only of WHAT to write but also HOW to put it into the right words. And I often feel too tired (or lazy?) to do it. In a situation like that I sometimes give in, thinking that what I wanted to say is not so revolutionary it needs to be shared (and in the end somebody else would usually express the same). So I often end up just reading the posts of others...
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Post by richard on Feb 20, 2020 10:46:26 GMT
I appreciate that the gap between what someone wants to write and how to write it is likely to be more challenging to bridge in a foreign language, Michal, but that problem applies to me quite often, big-time, in my own language! How I envy those who seem to be able to express their views with quick fluency, lucidity, and cogency.
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Post by josef on Feb 20, 2020 19:32:26 GMT
Gosh. I'm shocked because I think you all express yourselves very well indeed!
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Post by richard on Feb 21, 2020 9:55:52 GMT
What I find frustrating is the time it takes me to write a post that is longer than a few words, so that it reads at least well enough to me. Except for short posts, I mostly now work them out on my tablet first and then paste them into the thread. But it's still galling to have to login again, or more than once, to correct my lazy mistakes!
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Post by AdamDawson2003 on Feb 21, 2020 9:59:51 GMT
I would love to see Greatest Hits Volume 2 and The Singles: The First Ten Years re-issued in the style of the 2006 Greatest Hits Volume 1 re-issue
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Post by Michal on Feb 21, 2020 13:15:15 GMT
I appreciate that the gap between what someone wants to write and how to write it is likely to be more challenging to bridge in a foreign language, Michal, but that problem applies to me quite often, big-time, in my own language! How I envy those who seem to be able to express their views with quick fluency, lucidity, and cogency. And imagine to be in a situation you struggle to formulate a post in your own language and when you finally succeed, there's the task of translating it still There's a way to bypass this problem by thinking in English but you need to be quite advanced to be able to do that. In my case it depends a lot on how tired I am at the moment. However it becomes much easier once I "switch" to the "full-English mode". |
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Post by Michal on Feb 21, 2020 13:22:53 GMT
I would love to see Greatest Hits Volume 2 and The Singles: The First Ten Years re-issued in the style of the 2006 Greatest Hits Volume 1 re-issue The question is how to make such releases attractive enough for record buyers. I have both compilations on vinyl and CD and though I like them a lot, I would think twice before spending money on reissues. Bonus tracks are out of question, that wouldn't be a sufficient treat, unless they're Just A Notion on GH2 and Just Like That on The Singles, which, of course, is not going to happen. |
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Post by richard on Feb 21, 2020 17:58:56 GMT
I appreciate that the gap between what someone wants to write and how to write it is likely to be more challenging to bridge in a foreign language, Michal, but that problem applies to me quite often, big-time, in my own language! How I envy those who seem to be able to express their views with quick fluency, lucidity, and cogency. And imagine to be in a situation you struggle to formulate a post in your own language and when you finally succeed, there's the task of translating it still There's a way to bypass this problem by thinking in English but you need to be quite advanced to be able to do that. In my case it depends a lot on how tired I am at the moment. However it becomes much easier once I "switch" to the "full-English mode". Yes, I can imagine that's an added and unwelcome task when wanting to post on a forum that's in a language foreign to yours. I think Bjorn said that, when writing his lyrics, he thought in English. I suppose that became a necessity from early on in ABBA's English-singing career. |
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Post by Michal on Feb 21, 2020 19:31:46 GMT
I think Bjorn said that, when writing his lyrics, he thought in English. I suppose that became a necessity from early on in ABBA's English-singing career.
Björn once said he even had dreams in English. But he's been using English probably almost every day for the best part of his life. I guess thinking in the foreign language is absolutely essential if one wants to be fluent - otherwise you get stuck each time you start to think of how to translate a certain word. But it seems we've strayed too much from this thread's topic, haven't we? |
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Post by Zeebee on Feb 22, 2020 20:10:28 GMT
But it seems we've strayed too much from this thread's topic, haven't we? Yes, and I don't think I'm being overzealous by wanting a thread to stay on-topic. |
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Post by Michal on Feb 22, 2020 20:21:50 GMT
But it seems we've strayed too much from this thread's topic, haven't we? Yes, and I don't think I'm being overzealous by wanting a thread to stay on-topic. You're certainly not and thank you for that. By the way… "Can it be true?"?? can anyone tell what the thread is/was actually about from its title? Maybe that's the reason it is the most active thread on this forum at the moment... But to be a good boy I'll remind us all of what this thread was about in the beginning In the latest ABBA Intermezzo magazine there is an information that Benny told the newspaper Göteborgsposten that "ABBA are aiming to release new music in September 2020." He said: "One shouldn't promise anything but if I were to decide myself, it would be September." …. isn't he one of the four who can decide?!  |
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Post by Alan on Feb 23, 2020 0:02:54 GMT
But it seems we've strayed too much from this thread's topic, haven't we? Yes, and I don't think I'm being overzealous by wanting a thread to stay on-topic. I think I’d be in favour of locking this topic and a new one started for the new songs. This one really has gone way off topic so many times now and seems to be being used as a generic chat thread. Plus every time I go into it, it defaults to page 1 and I read bits of the same posts from two years ago over and over again - “Internet going haywire” etc. It was two years ago. Lay it go rest. |
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Post by chron on Feb 23, 2020 0:33:09 GMT
But it seems we've strayed too much from this thread's topic, haven't we? Just like ABBA themselves! |
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Post by richard on Feb 23, 2020 7:36:53 GMT
'Yes, it IS true!' could be the title of a new thread once the new songs appear
But whatever the title, it will mean that the new songs will, at last, have been released! I'm sure such a thread will be something special!
So maybe, as Alan says, this present thread is now redundant? Perhaps there could even be an interim 'New Songs Build-up' thread if there is anything worth discussing before they appear?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2020 7:55:18 GMT
If some Fans only want this Thread to discuss 'The New Songs', and 'Only The New
Songs', then it may as well be 'Locked' until September. That is the Month, that
Benny says ABBA are 'Aiming', (hoping), to release New Music in. There is nothing
left to say. (Maybe re-open this Thread in August).
Other than that, there is really nothing else to be said on the matter. We have exhausted
every possible 'avenue', of what may or may not happen with the 'New' Songs, and also
'The ABBAtars'.
Very few ABBA Chat Members ever Post, so that is one of the reasons why the same
ideas, thoughts and speculations, are repeated over and over again.
Some Fans, (me included), have gone 'off Topic', at times, because there is really only so
much that can be Posted, regarding the 'New' Songs, when we are only given very limited
information from Benny & Bjorn.
Sometimes I don't come here for 1 or 2 Weeks, and I'm always surprised to see that there
have been hardly any New Posts, since I've been away. I try to keep this Thread going, by
sort of 'ABBA Chatting', but some Fans don't like that, as they want a rigid 'New Songs Only'
approach. to this Thread. That is fine - as long as we all realise that there is really nothing
else to say, that has not already been said. Which makes this Thread pointless, until there
is more 'concrete' information, about the 'New' Songs.
So, I think that this Thread should be 'Locked'. Then we can resume Posting about the 'New'
Songs, in August, or September. I will just come here much less often, and Post in the Chart
Threads, when I do. The real truth is, that if ABBA Fans only discussed 'New' Topics, then there
would be nothing to discuss at all. All of the 'Favourite Songs', 'Best Albums', 'Girls Voices', etc.
Topics have been discussed for Decades. There is nothing left to talk about. That is the truth...
Of course, it will mean that ABBA Chat goes even more 'quiet', as this was its busiest
Thread. But, there is really Zero left to say about 'New' Songs and The ABBAtars, and
so, that is that. I have many other interests, besides ABBA & Music & Charts, so I can
keep busy with them. I'm sure that many other ABBA Fans also have other things to
keep them occupied, until ABBA actually do something, instead of making announcements...
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No wonder… it's getting late, I don't feel well today and the words don't come easy.
