Becoming boring SBM

[fonzzy]

Hi you need to give people a reason to get involved in this site such as challenges .It was better when we had the Groove each month all the other digital sites have something going on even a pimp my page once a week on face book challenge will at least get people interested in SBM we only have 2 designers doing challenges at the moment we need more to make us think outside the box to challenge us to use all of the wonderful elements SBM has fonzzy

[Saviscrap]

Fonzzy.. I agree with you!

There are other sites that have all designers involved with creating challenges, and they advertise their product at the same time also offereing discounts to their store when the montrh is finished. They have a rewards system for each challenge done.

I LOVE the SBM software, I tried doing a LO on PSE and its too frustrating for me, especially after using SBM, I will always use it.

Just very disappointed in the challenges side of it. It is another reason why i stopped hosting them because why bother when there are only 3 or 4 people getting involved. Too much effort for little return.

[Carena]

Fonzzy and Kaye - both posts I have to agree with. Kaye has done a fabulous job of hosting the challenges but as she has mentioned it does take considerable time and thought in to posting an idea for the challenge and with little response with still with just a small handfull of people participating. Would love to see the numbers of people we used to have posting in the forum and gallery. Offering lots of freebies isn't really the answer either as so many grab and go and most often without even a comment.
I've put alot of thought into this - and still don't have any answers that work. I've posted on Facebook - and again just the small handful of people. I've even posted challenge information to help drag people onto SBM forum.
Please does anyone have any answers. Yes - I would like the newsletter back. I've mentioned this on many occasions in the forum and also the private designers forum - but no one is listening or interested in putting a newsletter together. The answers we had was FACEBOOK - many who don't participate in, but I'm not seeing any posts there either. It was to replace the newsletter. Pretty much nonexistent. So, as you can see - we designers aren't getting any answers that are helpful from SBM. Sad

[Saviscrap]

Hi Carena I agree with what you say as to giving away freebies.

I particularly like the idea though that other forums have of giving awaya $10.00 gift voucher to their store to one person who posts a LO in the threadmade with any of that particular designers kits.only trouble being I guess here is that the numbers aren't here anymore.

Other sites have sales and specials aall the time,they have retiring kits sales etc etc. I have bought many of these products SBM never seems to have any sales even.

I get newsletters daily from a couple of sites showing LO of the day, new products, specials...etc etc etc

Designers get together and make colab kits, mini kits which are all themed colours sold for $1.00, you could buy as many as you ,liked for a small price and get a large kit. etc etc etc.

Many many ideas

[Carena]

Fonzzy - I also hear you - those who have a thirst for knowledge and want to be challenged beyond their normal boundaries. Scrapbooking can venture further than just plonking a flower, some leaves and a frame and photo onto a page or re-arranging a SBM template and to start making and creating something that reaches far beyond. Where imagination and many possibilities suddenly emerge. To be truly creative and develop your art. Kaye has helped many along this process. A big thanks to her. She has done such a great job.
SBM software although looks very simple and easy to use - but there is much that can be learnt that reaches into idea's and processes available in expensive software such as photoshop but can still be applied in the SBM software with a powerful knowledge of the program.
I will watch this thread with much interest.

[Carena]

Hi Kaye - yes I know what's available and the efforts that go into other sites newsletters etc. Specials and sales - free with purchase offers. None of which is available to us designers here at SBM. We have asked on many occasions I can assure you. We can't run our own sales or specials either - Our hands are tied.
SBM has I think just 2 sales a year. Can only hope that SBM admin read this thread and start thinking more about what they offer the site and customers and designers alike.
Like so many of you - us designers are frustrated also.

[Carena]

In addition to this thread - Just checked the official facebook page - the previous posts are: 2 March, 6 Feb, 31, 26, 16, 11 and 4 January. This was to replace the newsletter but nothing is happening over there. As a designer I can only post in the Recent posts by others area.
On the 19th March - someone asked if the software could be used with windows 8 - there is still no reply to her.

I did manage to get a tutorial area in the forum - it's been good to have them in one area. SBM has posted some great ideas there - I thank you for that. I'm sure the members have enjoyed them also.

[Saviscrap]

Yes I have noticed that technical issues asked about in the forum do go unnoticed for a long time, or even unasnwered at all, many helpful forum participants can answer some but not all.

I really want to commend Sandrine for her efforts also, I often see her answer these problems and come up with a solution for the SBM user. Also she has persisted in making challenges available to those that contribute.

Carena....2 sales a year for the software?? that isn't many. Why would this site still keep running if that is the case? Obviously the designers get a lot of sales then....and if that is the case it is a shame the Designers, who make the kits don't have much say in how they can advertise their product.

[KapiScrap]

Hello!

First of all Kaye, I want to thank you. Yes, I do a lot of efforts to be present and to try to help with technical issues... And I sometimes wonder why... as the forum is quite *dead*... sorry... but that's really my feeling.

In fact I agree with all the replies in this post. As Carena said we have asked for several things... as SBM and the kits designed by the designers should have been promoted more actively. To my mind (2 newsletters to announce the new kits) aren't enough (that's only the minimum)... but once again that's my personal opinion... About Facebook... no comment... except on Facebook the posts sould be on a daily basis.

From our side we don't have the hand on the backend so no way to set special sale.......

Hope that things are going to move on the right way.

Sandrine

[Saviscrap]

Well I'm afraid to say that if they don't reslove some of these issues no one will be here, and that is a fact why will anyone stay if less and less people come in here.

[Kimmyann]

I Agree with all comments. SBM was great at one time, but I feel with Designers hands being tied, answers not happening quickly, and Facebook coming into the picture and taking the place of the Groove it has slowly choking its self out.

I have Always opened SBM first thing to see whats happening. Years ago when you would open SBM there was several pages of post to go through read and see LOs. Now its Dead.... Sometimes there are only a few post to read, if any???

I understand that Life is busy now days, but I still come and check on my Scrapping buddies. I hope SBM don't go by the Wayside.

The Challenges do Help newbies Learn.
I will always remember my First Challenge. Fiona hosted it; I had just got my software and couldn't figure out how to even turn the picture.... lol it took me Hours to make one page. I kept asking questions and everyone HELPED and was excited to Help!!! Now the newbies ask questions and there are only a few that try to help. This could also hurt sales of the program!!! I told everyone about this awesome new program, but if I wouldn't have had the help, do you think I would have???

I don't know the answer to the problem, but I do feel more involvement by SBM owners and IT, would be one answer. You have to be involved or it will wilt away. I know the Designers use to be involved greatly, but if they are frustrated they will get burnt out. Which causes another issue, like what we are seeing now.

SBM is the Coach - The coach's Job Keep the Team going encouraging and removing road blocks so the Team can perform at the highest Level possible

Just my thoughts on this subject

[juliescraps]

I have to agree. If this forum completely dies it will be so sad for me. The reason I found SB max was to complete three wedding albums in one year. I was more of a lurker. Looking at layouts checking out challanges ( never have done one myself, SORRY). I learned alot and my sisters were very happy with their wedding albums. I still come here every morning to read the couple of threads but it is so slow and questions not answered to newbies I worry the software will disappear for good. I hope not.

Just my thoughts to agree with yours.

[SBM Diane]

I agree with everyone here at the forum. Scrapbook Max was the reason I started digital scrapbooking in the first place. I am just not comfortable creating layouts in other software. I would hate to see this disappear. I have always enjoyed doing the challenges here, especially the ones where I learned advanced SBM techniques, because the manual I printed out does not teach you how to use Scrapbook Max to its fullest potential.

I miss all the fun times here. Free gifts are not important to me. I just like doing the challenges to learn and to chat with everyone here. I want to thank everyone at the forum for all their time spent putting these challenges together to help us grow. I hope that the forum goes back to what it once was.

Sandrine, thank you for answering our technical questions here at the forum.

[KapiScrap]

Hello!

I've used many different software products and I definitively prefer SBM for many reasons: powerful, performance., etc. The list of great features is so long! And also because the drag and drop feature is a GREAT feature... it allows to design easily the layouts... I know very well Photoshop which offers a lot of advantages... but it's expensive and each layout is a file... so as a result you'll get huge files (that requires an important disk space to save all your original files if you want to be able to edit them later...). The scrapbook feature of SBM is really great as you can have dozens and dozens of layouts and in addition with different sizes. But of course, you know that very well :-) Well, it's really flexible and perfect for the end-users with no specific technical skills.

I'm like you... disappointed to see that there are less and less people here... That's sad. I try to have challenges... but there's no a lot of interest...

But I also want to thank you. I'm happy to read my name on the different replies... I wanted to be helpful and I see that many persons think that I am. I'm happy to share with you what I know about SBM.

I really hope that things will move... and a new version of SBM with some new great features will be released!

- Sandrine

[fonzzy]

I would like to thank Kaye,Sandrine and Carena for all your wonderful challenges and your effort to solve any of our problems that crop up. I agree with you all, SBM needs to get something happening for us loyal followers after all SBM is a great program with wonderful designers Thank You fonzzy