Of course, it shouldn't have been a surprise when Hitler invaded Poland...

Ouch, what a way to start the page. Please strike my Nazi reference from the record.

amorbella said:

Research? What would they research? Why would they research...would Prince be in control of what they put up. I can see it now..the designers do some research and say to P..."um the fans think that Roadhouse Garden would be a great addition...whaddya think?" All they would really have to do is come here and see what we are wanting. It's not rocket science.

I wasn't expecting anything other than what we were told. I was hoping, but that's about it. Sure I am disappointed in spending 77 dollars and not getting much more that I would than buying the album at Target.

The only thing I'll be really pissed is if he tours and decides not to give exclusive access to pre-sales or if he does and I am not able to get them.

superspaceboy said:

Why would they not research? Do you think Prince really has the time to hold their hand(s) and tell them what and what not to do all the time? Hey, Why not ask the fans what they would like to see added to the site? Sounds good to me...It's kind of difficult to log onto this site and read between the lines.
It may not be rocket science, but the ORG is a mess!
Maybe what they need is a fan to help them out. One who is not full of hate and can give an honest opinion and appreciate the opportunity.

I only have one issue with Lotusflow3r.com:
Lotusflow3r needs to change the way member tickets are sold. Who in the hell wants to wait for a purple email message all day/night, then log onto lotusflow3r, then come to find the tickets are all gone....WRONG on soo many levels.

They need to make sure they have more than 10 tickets available for members, announce when the tickets will become available (time and date) a few days in advance and make sure they are prepared for lots of site traffic. Now, that's not rocket science.....

Just give me my $77 dollars back. Your downloads were a pain in the a$$, Keep your stupid shirt as for tickets I doubt he will tour.....What a Joke!!!

Sorry=SUCKERS!!! =

Man, I should have downloaded all of the albums when I had a chance. After not being able to download them, I got in the habit of just listening off the site. Where is the emoticon for "kicking oneself?!"

i finally got my t-shirt!!!

Anxiety said:

lol they maybe just switching servers

Anxiety said:

You made my day!

sit tight

something big is coming

japanrocks said:

The site is just fine

utopia7 said:

I dont think so

utopia7 said:

Really? Have you checked it lately? ...Oh no, beg my pardon...you can't!

they probably just realized there was nothing on it.. so they just canceled the cost of having a domain.



[Edited 5/12/09 23:01pm]

It be back up.

shellyann said:

works for me

utopia7 said:

Oh Thank Heaven.....and now for my downloads!

KeithyT said:

dude I love you. your posts are always positive and optimistic!

I was just on the site. not much has changed in weeks but it clearly states on the ticket offers section Watch this space for more special ticket offers for lotusflow3r.com members why would that be up if nothing else was going to happen? That's the same section where the LA tickets were available and where the Leno and Ellen(for a split second) tickets were also available. In the FAQ section it also clearly states Will you be adding new videos? What will they be? then it goes on to say yes new videos will periodically be added they don't want to ruin the surprise, and to keep checking back They started with 30 some odd thumbnails and are currently at 49. Yes some if not most of those are pictures some barely new video footage but let's just hope for more good stuff. remember there was talk of the 3121 film to be released on this site. That within itself will be worth some of that 77 bucks plus I have a good feeling that Prince and friends are rehearsing around the clock for something big and I don't mean just one summer jazz festival.

Anxiety said:

I think you're wrong. He isn't over the internet at all. Just be patient.

Giovanni777 said:

That sucks. I sent them an email weeks ago about the T Shirt issue and got a response 4 days later. They're either bombarded with emails or laggin. good luck to you though man

PEJ said:

i assume he's going to do SOMEthing at SOME point which will have SOME effect on the internet, but i think what we've seen from the site so far makes it far, far easier for us to be cynical than to be hopeful.

Anxiety said:

quiet right
WOLFY

Giovanni777 said:

Was this just your not so subtle way of letting us know that today is your birthday? Hmm, hmm, hmm....was it?

I'm just teasing ya!

Happy Birthday!
[Edited 5/13/09 5:52am]

PEJ said:

...and by the way, i sincerely hope you're right and i'm wrong.

The Site is back up, does not appear to be any changes, sorry guys

PEJ said:

I agree that he isn't over the internet... but I do agree with Anxiety's sentiment: I think Prince's approach to the internet is very utilitarian and cynical.

He has abandoned the idea of using the internet to form an interactive community, and rather use it simply as a retail outlet for whenever he has something to sell.

His approach to the 'net with a site design that is static and unidirectional as far as interface is concerned is like circa 1997. The design is not forward looking, does not engage his audience, does not welcome their input, basically does not take into account that most people on the internet are just as much content CREATORS (through forums, video/pic upload, blogging, twitter, facebook, myspace, etc.) as they are readers, downloaders, buyers, etc.

NPGMC represented Prince's hopes at creating a utopian internet community, and it lasted for awhile before it got out of his/moderators control... and policing it to conform to his rules proved to be too much.

Had Lotusflow3r been an interactive site, where members/subscribers/users could engage each other through forums and the like, then the site would self-generate content and keep people coming back during these periods of no official updates. Instead what we have now is pretty much like a cyber graveyard.

If the rumors are true that Prince is playing Montreux this summer and being paid the most of any performer in history--that kind of price usually comes with some kind of exclusivity, that the performer cannot do any other shows within a certain time window or geography of the paid gig. This makes a full scale European tour unlikely this summer... and because it's in July, and we've heard no plans/rumblings of anything else in the U.S. it also means that a full scale, well planned out, promoted full-on U.S. tour is unlikely this summer as well. Maybe a few hit-and-run type gigs along the way, but nothing massive like Musicology arenas. Lotusflow3r, neither the CD nor the site, have generated sufficient interest for that.

These are of course my speculations, but speculations based on longtime fandom lol... with the full knowledge that things could change any minute. That being said, even Prince's "unpredictibilty" is becoming very easy to anticipate.


As for the site itself, based on the interviews with the designers, it is clear that they did not have much knowledge of Prince's work or his past endeavors. Their ability to deliver the kind of site that would be satisfying to the fans in terms of thoroughness (content wise) is limited to what Prince provides... and Prince hasn't seemed to have reached the point in his life where he is at peace with his own history, or at least those parts of his history which now seem to conflict with his current religious, political, cultural outlook on life. Chances of any classical material appearing on his site are therefore slim.

It's a damn shame because someone as prolific as him with such an amazing history--its retelling alone chronicled by a serious rendering of his works (past and present) would make for a robust, compelling, and $$$$-making site.

NuPwrSoul said:

there's a whole lot of good sense in this post.