You're absolutely right Shirlene. Using the tags right would have made a difference too, but everything is "general", which does not help either.

Hello. I do not understand everything ... I do not know English well. But I think the least we can do is to leave a kind word after a download or having been a response to a question.It's a matter of politeness.
Best regards and *4U

As I am fairly new to this site, only about 4 months, I agree with you Shirlene, especially about the "Freebee's" and may I also, add, the lovely photos that people love to share, which I think is great should also be going into the Personal section, not into the projects or general questions and answers, I love to see these photos... Thats for sharing your thoughts Shirlene!!

Thank you Shirlene, I have been thinking the same thing..things have got a bit out of hand...Thanks for bringing it up. Lets hope that things can get back to where they should be..

You are absolutely right, Shirlene. We got a habit to post web site address here, but if it has a proper place to post them, we should do that then. I came here not so long ago, and I noticed the Bookmark section just recently. I think that is what is happening with the new members, we see those posts here all the time and they just keep coming. It is a wise action to use that Bookmark place, so this one wouldnt be so busy and we could really ask and help others easily. Good post, Shirlene!

I am fairly new to this site and I never looked at the bookmark section til today. I will try to use that site instead. Thanks for bringing that up.

Very good point you made. It has changed and Veronika has tried to give us what we asked for.

Well said Shirlene thanks for saying what i was thinking and doing it with love and grace. LOL Lisa

Thank you Shirlene I have ask questions before and I have not gotten the answers to any of them.I am new to this site but I have not posted any web sites on it.

Apologies if I have posted in the wrong part of the site. I watched what was happening for quite a while before I 'came out'. There is much I find confusing and do not know where to find the etiquette of the site from. Possibly there are many others like me about. This site offers a excellent resource on computerised machine embroidery for people throughout the world which I value greatly. So thanks for your message Shirlene

thank you shirelene for bringing this to our attention and reminding us to be a bit more considerate. I have been guilty too of "just slipping away" just lately...I have said a thank you after each of the daily dls I have taken and voted daily too for Cute. I haven't posted any links but I have posted projects to share with members. Time has not been on my side recently and I haven't been back to check regularily to see if anyone has left comments etc. To those that have - I thank you all and I leave flowers often though don't always say so, Perhaps we should have another section where we can share the ups and downs of our daily life Jo

Good evening Shirlene, I wished to say I entirely agree with you. And also with Sissibrod about courtesy. And to thank people who help us is the least we can do. Thank you Shirlene to raise this problem, it needs sometime to be done !
A brunch of flowers for you !

Hi.. sorry if i have done of the above mentioned! I do really enjoy this site and all the helpful answers to my and others questions!! It is a great place to come to and chat about embroidery!!
Stacey

Shirlene I agree :0 In life there are rules and regulations and we must abide by them. However; a mistake is allowed BUT AFTER KNOWING there should be a change. I feel we are all adults and SHOULD BE able to act accordingly. HAPPY CREATING ;) *2U

I am also new. I usually just browse the posts. Now, thanks to you, I understand how the site is supposed to work and that makes so much more sense! I admire the friendliness displayed here. It would be a great place to ask and answer questions about embroidery techniques. Maybe a brief explanation of the tabs (areas) on the home page would be beneficial for us newbies? A flower for you for bringing this up--see--I did learn something about how the site works! :)

I have mixed feelings about this... I like to be reminded of the freebies, but I agree that it is not really a question. To me the bookmarks are links to sites that we return to, and now there are already dozens of repeats. It would be too time consuming to go through all of them to find a site and put a freebie reminder with it. I too feel that the site owner (Veronika) is being extremely generous to allow us to post freebies here, as she is a business owner and this may deflect from possible sales of her designs...Don't know if there is an easy answer...Perhaps another category for freebies only... Need to think more about it...Shirely, thanks for bringing the topic up for discussion...

Thanks a lot for bringing this subject. I agree partially with you as I also agree with ddoersch comments and, I also would like to add one point... In the projects, I see everything but designs from this site and Veronika... or lets say, to few creations with her designs... On the other side, this is the best embroidery site I have seen sofar and the most active one! This is GREAT! Thanks to Veronika! Pat

I agree with you totally and it would be great to get back to the helpful questions and answers. We do have to wade through a lot just to get to the helpful hints and a big thank you to Veronika for allowing us to use this site

Shirlene I bought this up quite a few months back and I totally agree with you thanks for bringing it back up.

I agree I mentioned this some time ago.

I too am fairly new at this site. I would really love to see more conversation about embroidery and sewing techniques. I have read all the responses so far and agree with most everything that has been said. I personally could use all the information regarding sewing and embroidery. There are so many of you that are experts and could help the rest of us. A separate section for just freebies would also be helpful.

We have all been guilty of this from time to time, but I fully agree that we need to stay with the bookmarks as notice of nice sites to visit. The community has gotten hard to follow, but I miss some of those that have left. Thanks for bringing this to all of our attention, and please, Cuties, don't take a personal twist to this. This was not the intentions. (( )) to you all.

I can understand where all is coming from .Sorry if I have done somethink wrong

Very well put shirlene and i agree with you. I think its great to get reminders for updates to site and info regarding free designs etc I for one am guilty of posting in the wrong section i guess we all forget and need reminding at times. .....Maybe when you join up in the accepting email it can explain where to post and the general running so new members will know. Veronika is very generous sharing her designs and in allowing us to post other sites. lets all help with the running of this site. Freebies and an update page ( for collecting alphas etc) is a good way

Hi Everyone,

I must admit that I was under the impression that to notify everyone about a new 'Freebie' one did that by posting it under the 'COMMUNITY - DESIGN' Tab which is what I have been doing!

If this is wrong then I am guilty and I apologise but that was the logical place, in my mind, to notify everyone and not to 'BOOKMARK' it as the Freebie may only be a 'once off' DL & to me BOOKMARKING is a 'Ongoing item'! If that makes sense to you - well it did to me!

I must say that I would also like to suggest to Veronika to please think about having a 'FREEBIE ONLY' Section so that we can post our finds there and not clog up the other Sections! Maybe that will be the solution as I really don't think that the BOOKMARK section is the answer - just my thought!

The last thing I would want to be guilty of is my postings keeping the regulars away from the site - then I would rather leave myself!

Until this is all resolved I also think I won't be posting anything either just to be on the 'safe side'!

Thanx and a *4U for bringing this to my attention!

Thank you Shirlene. That was well and thoughtfully said. I have asked Veronika to come and read this posting and to please add the "Freebies tab". I know that is important to alot of the members, and I know some don't want to use that information. No one should feel that anything anyone said here is directed at them personally. It is just something that happened and perhaps some housekeeping on the site will neaten up everything. Love Cute and Love all of you!;)

If this is the case then BOOKMARKS needs to be updated that it can accept reminders when you go to put a link in it says that this site is already posted but it mabe posted ten or more pages back it needs to be freed up to put daily reminder posts. But I do quite like browsing through these Q&A and don't feel that we have lost anything As i read the comments to the posts etc we are still all caring and sharing.I am sure that we are still helping by reminding of updates no one places a post to me smart or nasty.They only do it for the joy of helping some one to finish a set or to let newbies find some sites and most people who come here consider this to be the best site there is.There are more and more new cuties and as they are directed on how to get around this site it is not enough info given out.And as there are more and more there is sure to be more and more posts on what ever they be. if there was a directory then you can explain how they should post. Also you would have a lot of people just going to Bookmarks for freebies and not seeing the wonderful posts that are placed amongst these Q&A.A freebie post is easy to spot and can be easlie browsed over any way

Shirlene, as a fairly new person here, I can totally agree. I try to go through the postings at night when I get some time, and so many are for one freebie here or there, that by the time I get through a couple pages of them, I'm tired of scrolling. I know there are probably some good questions getting lost in the shuffle, and people aren't getting their answers. So thanks, as much fun as freebies can be, I'd rather have meaningful communications where I can find them easily.

Sometimes freebies are for a limited time so if you miss the post in bookmarks you lose. I also don't see the sense in posting in bookmarks one site that has a heart FSL bowl and I love dogs bookmarker lol. Yes the sites that offer freebies all the time or that have pages of them that makes sense to place in bookmarks, so where exactly is the line drawn and more importantly who draws it? If you want to get technical I can't even begin to count how many times since July (5 short months ago) I have read the same question posted by different newbies about flowers and voting ( and yes I was one that asked it also.) Let's "police" that subject too. I went back in the community pages and low and behold from day one cuties were posting freebies so I have a hard time grasping what it used to be when what I see is, what it is now only a lot more cute people here.

Thank you Shirlene for write our (or at least mine) thought. I have not enough time to look back on too many pages and have lost many important post, for example the post from Barb (blhamblen) and her tragedy. If misscharlie didn't sent the link to me I had missed it. I know we have many new cuties that don't know about everything but we can help them to understand how Cute works and how useful is for everybody. Thank you again for speak for many of us. Flower and XoXo

Shirlene, I cetainly hear what you're saying and fully agree with you. And that being said, I would like to add something else. In our projects section, we all post things that we have made with designs obtained from other sites. How about posting projects that we have made using Veronika's designs as a thank-you to her for her overwhelming generosity?!! I, too, am guilty of the above, but from now on, I'm going to be posting some things using Veronika's designs...Barb

This is the 1st time I have ever communicated. I think that issues such as this one should be presented to Veronica first. Then perhaps Veronica should present it to the rest of the community. I follow daily all of the posts and am grateful for any news about Meganne. It seems to me that this type of post should go in the "community" tab. Along with non-embroidery items such as happy birthday greeting, pictures of family etc. A separate tab for "Q & A" is for embroidery related questions. Perhaps a tab for "New freebies" is the answer for current links and "Bookmarks" for recurring links. If those links could be put in order by either site name of link, a member could check easily for duplications or maybe Veronica could set it up that the computer would not allow dupes. Janet

I certainly agree with you Shirlene, I have rather a busy life and have stopped visiting cute as I seemed to spend all my time searching through a lot of freeby site questions. I joined cute to learn more about machine embroidery and also help others with their problems if I can and see what others are doing. * 4 u

Shirlene, if Veronika agrees, I would suggest another tab for freebies.

Here! Here! Shirlene, I could not agree more. Since I started digitising (as well as having health issues) I am finding it more difficult to spend the hours required to go through each days posts.
All I keep seeing is links to freebies that, for the most part, most of us (regulars) are already aware of or are in Bookmarks anyway.

So, being as I am one of the members here who try to help other members, (by digitising designs for them for free) when they have not been able to find a specific design.
How can I possibly see these requests when they get totally lost amongst all the postings for freebies????

It is truly wonderful that Veronika allows us almost free reign to post (almost) anything on her site, including links that take other members away from her site to get designs elsewhere, especially CONSIDERING, she could probably digitise those designs and sell them herself, to help make her living.
WOULD YOU DO THAT???? Not me mate! Not when I'm spending hours digitising, and keeping the web-site up to date, not to mention PAYING for artwork to digitise and the costs of maintaining a secure website and keeping it protected from Virusses, hackers, etc.

The Bookmarks page was set up originally to allow us all to share websites we had found helpful.
OK, so in the first place it allowed duplicates to be posted, but to my knowledge it no longer does that.

YOU CAN SEARCH bookmarks for specific interestes and I have done this many times when I want to find something specific.

YOU CAN ALSO GOOGLE just about anything these days and why shouldn't each person do their own searching? Why do people always seem to expect others to do the searching for them? What are they doing while everyone else is trying to find a design THEY want?

NOW, don't get me wrong, I'm one of the first to offer help when I can, and I enjoy helping out, otherwise I would not be digitising for free for other members!!! But recently, I noticed I've been spending so much time searching for designs for others, I'm getting nothing done for myself.

So I think asking for help to find designs should only done be AFTER the person has exhausted all other avenues themselves. This is perhaps a little off the track but does go hand in hand with the constant posting of Freebie links.

Firstly, you CAN search Bookmarks and check that the site is not already one of those listed.

Secondly, you CAN search Community and check FIRST to see if it has been posted before....


I DO NOT AGREE that we should be asking Veronika to create a 'Special' tab to list freebies, thus taking trade away from her site and money out of her pocket, ANYONE who understands the work involved in doing this would understand they have NO RIGHT to expect her to do this!!!!
AND IT MAKES ME FURIOUS THAT ANYONE THINKS SHE SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO DO THIS.
If you want to find freebies and not buy from Veronika go and search for them yourself!!!!!!

NOW, Having Vented my frustration, I do agree that, where a specific collection is being offered (on another website), over a prolonged period of time, it should be permissable to post a reminder as each collection is updated, BUT,
only after first doing a quick search of Community to make sure it has not already been posted.

This Site would work far more efficiently if people actually added "TAGS" whenever necessary and/or available.

And yes, I too, have been guilty of posting links in the past, but since there are now so many, i no longer bother.

I also MARK messages, when (IF) I see them so that I can hopefully find them again but I am (sadly) losing this battle.

Hugs n roses (or Bouquets n Brickbats) , Meganne

well shirlene, you're wright.this questionlist is sometimes more a free design list. but when people collect some designs for instance alphabeths it is nice if someone post the following letters, so people like me don't forget,or you can read where to found nice designs

But there should be also other subjects and real questions on this section too!and new sites or new designs can also be mentioned in the bookmark section.if we try to do that it's easier to look through the q&a list, to see if we can help somebody with an advise, a good laugh,comfort or interest.

Thankyou for bening so honest with the cute family, this is a great site where we can learn from each other. Lets get this sorted and move on. Cheers Merry christmass to all.

Well said Shirlene, and I am sorry for possiblely using the site incorrectly. I hope we achieve what you have mentioned and all the cuties enjoy it here for what it is. A wonderfull, loving, caring and giving site mostly from Veronika and her generousity and then all who give so freely with help and their time and effort into what ever is asked for...

Thank you. I should be add new servises for the Community. Hoping you`ll be love it.
Happy Thanksgiving day!
Veronika B.

I am a follower...I just followed along..doing what others b-4 me did....I will try to change my ways. Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all:) Love Barb

I agree and I too miss reading others questions and suggestion. I noticed the change but thought it was just because I have been gone so long. I love the personal tab because many of us have become frends and this is a great place to share thoughts and personal info. Let's get back to the fun.

Shirlene, and everyone, I agree. PLEASE I hope no one takes this as a slap on the wrist, or an accusation that you've been doing something 'wrong'!!! It's just that the site has become so busy, and that's a very GOOD thing, that now our little village needs a traffic light. When a community becomes larger, it just needs some guidelines, and maybe a roadmap. I know I've missed some real questions people have, because after plowing thru 4 pages of nothing but freebie notices I just give up. It kind of seems like that's taken over way too much space here, and if Veronika is willing to give us a separate tab for it, that would be great. Totally beyond my imagination, understand, but great. Like Meganne and others, I digitize. I know the time, effort and dollars that goes into it, and into maintaining this website. As far as I'm concerned, Veronika is a saint to allow all the freebie posts to begin with, let alone give us a separate tab for them. Do you all really understand that it would be like a grocery store charging $3/lb for butter, but right above their butter display have a box of coupons to get free butter at the store down the street? Please, I'm not trying to make anyone feel 'bad' or 'guilty' or 'wrong'--just trying to get y'all to think a little bit about what you're doing. Shirlene, I'm glad you brought this up again. I know we had a bit of discussion on this before, and the few of us seemed to get voted down by the rest who wanted the freebies in the general discussion. I just think the site has become so much busier that we do need to have some organization to it now. Sometimes it's like having a few pairs of diamond earrings in a whole bin full of costume jewelry. There are those who will dig till they find the diamonds, and those of us who will just pass the bin by. Getting so I'm passing by more and more lately. Please, let's just get some organization here in the Family, without any hurt feelings, so we can all have fun and enjoy ourselves. I do love you all so much!!! And I know Shirlene, Meganne, Ricky, Jerrilyn and the others do as well. Please don't anyone take this as a personal attack, it's not meant that way at all by any one of us!! Just a plea for organization, a little traffic light on our cross streets. Thank you so much for being here, one and all, and for contributing!!! I do love you, even as my finger hesitates over the 'submit' button for fear you'll hate me for my post. Marji

Wow, a lot of responses to this. I agree the site has become a bit busy and hard to keep up with all the posts. I used to check the bookmarks all the time but stopped because the newest ones were in the general section. However, it was taikes so much time to go through the posts, that I miss the helpful questions and answers. It will be a good thing to clean up our act. Maybe there can be a short paragraph on the home page on "how to use this site" so new cuties will know the rules. Hugs* to all and Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you all for supporting/discussing and being great members of the CUTE family - Unconditional Love, Shirlene

I think this post should stay at the top fpr a few more days as it is so important that people do read it

think this post should stay at the top for a few more days as it is so important that people do read it

Dear Shirlene, you don't even know how many times I have tougth of posting something like this. I am glad someone did. I really love cute but it has surelly get kind of anoying that most of the post are of that nature. I really have a hard time finding those post that do actually belong on the Q & A section. I surelly hope that this message get to everybody and that cute returns to be the lovely great site that I learned to love a year ago. *2U and DITTO!! to every single one of your words. xoxo

dear Shirlene, you are right
First excuse me to have spend so much time before answering to you, but I have been so busy with my 3 grandchildrenduring this time, the parents were away during this time and a baby of 4 month is a great load, with the 2 others boys, and I have no more 20 years!!!It will permit to your question to go again inthe top
So it is true that the free desings have their place in bookmark, but what for the reminds wich are so useful and help all of us.this site must stay a friendly place as I found it when I came with you some month ago It was the first site where I dared take part in it, instead of the fence of the language. I was alone with my embroidery machine, and I have found here frienship and many technical helps. Those 2 things are important. Veronika made to us a marvellous gift, and perhaps we do not know how to use it at the best.would all those posts for freebies be separated .Those freebies allow to visit many site that we shoud not knew otherwise, and a visit on new sites can be the opportunity to discover nice things that we can share.
I have seen the button "personal" but I have not understand how to use it and for what?
It is difficult for me to write in english and my sentences are not always what I should like. But over all our site must remain this place where we find the passion for embroidery, and the love and the help of the one with the others anywhere in the world

I have been away for a few days,freebees are still going into the Question List,so putting this post back to the top as a reminder.Come on cute family we can do this.

I have been going back through some of the days and found this fabulous statement about how to post the freebies in the BOOKMARK section. I think this is a great answer from Shirlene. It was originally posted on 25th November last year.

I think it will be good for us all to have a look at this especially any of us new Cuties.


Love and blessings Chris

When I first joined, I always went to the Bookmarks Section to browse freebies. But now I hardly ever go there because it seems all the free design sites are still being posted here in the Community Section.

I haven't posted freebies because seems if I find some to share, someone has already posted. You cuties are fast freebie hunters and I really appreciate the sites.

I have to agree, the freebie links probably should go in the Bookmark Section and not here.

Shirlene,
I certainly agree with you. I have noticed that when an embroidery question is asked, it is quickly pushed into the back pages by the freebie posts. As a result, the responses are often very limited.
We need to leave Q&A for embroidery.

Hi Shirlene,

I totally agree with you about this but I see there are now a tab named "tips" on the site.

One more time, huh? Please note this was written in Nov of 2008, don't get all over Shirlene for this again. Some of us, me included, have been trying to find some way to get by all the freebie posts to find real questions people might have. But it seems all people want to do is collect freebies, and that's your decision, but it's why some of us have gone elsewhere. There are places where knowledge is valued, and real questions are asked & answered, and that's why I'm not here most of the time any more. I hate to be a pessimist, but bringing this to the top won't do any more good than it did last time. I'm just so sorry that this has happened to a wonderful site. I go with the flow, y'all can and will do whatever you want, but the flow is steadily taking me away from here, as I've noticed it's taken others as well that no longer show up. Such is life. Things change. I still love the community, the people, the caring; I just think it's silly that nobody wants to be 'bothered' posting and looking in bookmarks for freebies because it's 'too much trouble'. And how many are actually paying members of Cute, giving at least that back to Veronika for all she provides, before directing people off her site to freebie places. Oh, well, enough ranting, it's too nice a day to be upset by this all over again. Just had to put in my 2 cents worth, again. And what the heck happened to the "cents" sign on the keyboard, anyway? When did that get stolen? Hee hee hee. I do love you all, you know. Marji

Thank you Shirlene, I didn't know any better myself now I do and have no excuse.

I tend to agree too, and also go looking more for the postings, (even just to read), about other things. I have learnt so much by reading what other cuties do when they embroider. Hope everybody understands now, although it took me a while, as I am not so good on a computer, but I think I have got it now. God bless. Marietta

Well I missed this comment in November - I am also guilty for not using Personal instead of this link.
But I also agree with you Shirlene.
It would be nice if this - community can be kept for Questions and Answers relating to embroidery/sewing to help each other and get more comments.

Thought I would comment and bring back to the top

Thanks Hugs Yvonne

To the top for all to read.

If only we had that tab, it would make this site so much easier to get around. Thanx