this lotus flower website hopefully will be so good that we will not need places like the org or housequake

i mean, i think that is what prince really wants

and after all, he is Prince (the reason we are here)

Damn, there's more conspiracy theories here than ever !

Firstly, the simple reason that nothing's been said is that as many of you know, I look after the Prince liaison and legal statements for Housequake and I've been snowed under with my day job - in fact I only found out HQ was closed by email from one of the other mods this morning.

As some have noticed, relations with official sources have been very good of late, however mostly because we've been "playing the game" and trying our best to not offend P. An example of this is how we've had a header that doesn't even mention Prince's name nor shows his photo.

A couple of weeks ago, one member put together some excellent lotusflower "inspired" banners that used a symbol that looked a bit like Prince's but with a flower modification. As they didn't infringe copyright, we took the decision to put these live, along with the official banners we were supplied directly by P.

Roughly 24 hours later, we got a very blunt email saying "this must be removed" from one of his team. We tried to discuss this explaining that it's very difficult to have a fan website that doesn't have a picture of Prince or even show his symbol, however P was adamant that we don't "imply official status".

As someone else noticed on this thread, this was quite frankly the straw that broke the camels back and Aaron came to the belief that this really isn't a fun thing to do any more. Please remember that this is just a hobby for Aaron. It costs him money to run (we can't take donations any more as it changes our legal status and this was used by Prince's legal representation to claim we were a commercial organisation - nice huh ?) and take up a great deal of his time. Would you spend time and money on something you didn't enjoy ?

Is HQ over ? I personally don't know but I've spent a great deal of time playing "united nations" to repair relationships between Prince and all the PFU members (I brokered the "ceasefire" between the PFU and Prince) so I'm not about to give up yet.

It Ain't Over !

ps - thanks for the notes of support for HQ. This isn't about Prince.org vs Housequake, this is purely about fans rights to support an artist in a reasonable manner.

2elijah said:

Not to be an anal pedant, but there is a difference between a "header" and a "banner". The image in question was a header made specifically for Housequake by one of it's members. It's purpose was to add a splash of colour to the Housequake site and was in keeping with Prince's current theme.
Prince's camp already supplied LotusFlow3r banners which contained LotusFlow3r text and linked to Prince's official LotusFlow3r site.

Still, other than that, nice round-up of events.

mdiver said:

there is a difference. i was on your ass for suggesting that all quakers were fammy. this back and forth had nothing to do with the quake. as i said in orgnote, the hardcore spread their love on both sites. and that's okay too! there's room for everybody.


btw i've decided you're not allowed to post here anymore till you can sing everlasting now by heart.

Just recently, he had a radio personality play a few of his new tracks, what do some fans do? They go and download/copy the songs from that site, then post it for other fans to listen to elsewhere. When there are unauthorized sites playing his new songs, people post the links to it, and share it with others. others. Then fans get pissed at Prince because the links are pulled off. Why? It’s his music. If he chooses to give it away for free, then it’s up to him, but if not, the choice is still his. All the above and people wonder why artists get pissed over people stealing their music.

these fan sites exist to serve the fan community.

these fan sites celebrate the persona and artistry of prince, but these sites do not exist to serve prince.

because this is true, i think it's counterproductive of aaron to shut down HQ in reaction to a request from prince's camp.

(and i'm saying this as someone who has his fingers crossed that HQ will reopen soon.)

the end result is, the fan community suffers.

and these sites exist to serve the fan community.

the end result is, we all cower once again at the gravity of prince's ever-evolving rules and regulations regarding online behavior.

yet these sites do not exist to serve prince.

(and i'm saying this as someone who has been all too pleased to help out prince's camp with whatever they've needed with regards to the org, and i'm also saying this as someone who has acquired a great deal of patience for prince's demands (if i do say so myself, lol).)

i think aaron should reconsider his decision and re-open HQ. i think he should think long and hard about the focus of his site, and how best to serve the intended audience of an unofficial fan site.

i think there's a way to bridge the gap between prince's camp and a proudly independent fan site. i think there's a way to balance diplomacy and compromise with strong standards and firm boundaries. i think once you work that recipe out, it benefits the fans, it keeps our favorite purple people eater appeased, and everyone gets what they wants or at least they don't care as much about what they can't have.

i don't blame aaron for locking up HQ for good. i really don't. but i really hope he finds a way to bring it back, because it would make a lot of people happy.

and it's THOSE people who HQ - and the .org - serve.

How does this site (prince.org) stay unscathed with the gallery of photos?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

macbos said:

attitude?

I tell U something: I spent my hard earned money for records, concerts and whatever exists from Prince & Co. for YEARS (1983-1999) and then Mr. Prince (ab)used MY money to sue UPTOWN...

This was the first action against his own fanbase the rest (PFU / Croke Park / Websherrif and... and.. and...) is well known & documented here.

I decided to prevent, that he can in the future (ab)use MY money again for actions like this.

I indeed paid many many years for his (good and hard) 'work' even when the quality was pretty low (almost everything after the Symbol Album - and btw. Planet Earth isn't worth one single cent) so why should i spend more money for this awful burned out ex-artist? NJET!

If someone punches you in the face, expect to get punched back

ufoclub said:

you obviously haven't been in the gallery for a while cutie

ixnay on anybay ingthay elsebay atthay aymay atchcay ishay attentionbay

2elijah said:

First of all, what was the purpose of Prince allowing the radio station to preview the songs? Answer: to generate hype. Tell me, when is more hype generated?
A) When A limited amount of people local to the radio station hear a live broadcast, or,
B) When someone makes those tracks available online for all to hear and all the fans with an internet connection hear them...
The only correct answer is B! Whomever took the time to record and upload those tracks helped Prince by blowing up the hype worldwide...
I myself would not have known about the broadcast if not for postings at HQ, and due to the fact that I had to work at the time of the broadcast would not have heard the tracks yet if not for the hard work of other fans that want to spread the hype.
Personally, If I had not heard the tracks I would not believe the hype surrounding the LotusFlow3r project. In fact, I might not even know about LotusFlow3r or MPLSound if not for HQ...
I don't read the L.A. Times, I don't visit Dr. Funkberry for "celebrity news", so, yeah, I wouldn't know about the new official site either...
And let's be real here, the tracks were originally streamed in very low quality.
I can't imagine anyone who likes them being satisfied with their lossy quality rather than purchasing the album when it comes out.
Nobody has "stolen" anything from LotusFlow3r, yet...
Obviously, when the album comes out, some WILL download it rather than buy it, some will do so because they are angry at Prince and his business practices. Oh, well, this is why good customer relations is a must in any business.
I myself will buy any physical release that is available. I will not be buying downloads or paying to join a website. This decision has nothing to do with the current situation at HQ, and everything to do with my past experiences from joining Prince's websites and purchasing downloads from him.

Well, of course you're entitled to either purchase or not purchase any music from an artist. If HQ or the Org didn't exist, you would have more than likely heard about the new music from another source I'm sure, as there were many articles about the new site posted on the internet.

Secondly, just to let you know, my post doesn't "bash" any Prince fans, it was simply stating what has been going on between Prince fans and their actions with P's music and apparently what most fans know by now, that P apparently doesn't like people downloading his music for free or providing links to download his songs, more than likely unless he decides to allow it to be downloaded for free. But in this internet age, he is not the only artist faced with this problem, I'm sure we all know that by now.

Third, Are you kidding me, whether those songs were on streamed in low quality, some fans will take it anyway they can, believe that, and

Lastly, I didn't make my post to put down any HQ or Org members who are fans of Prince. I happen to be a member of HQ and the Org, but I post more on the org and mostly in their politics and religion section. Not too much on the other forums.

Just saying, it's a two-way street, and I am not talking about all his fans, because he does have a large, and dedicated fan base or most of them wouldn't be on either of these sites, and other sites, discussing and purchasing his music, sharing concert stories, and attending his concerts, but then you have those that also demand that P gives them new and more music, while at the same time, publically stating on both of these sites, that they'll find a way to download his music for free, to get back at him because they don't like something he did or that he is trying to protect his own material.

Then you have the so-called fans that b*tch when that artist decides to pull unauthorized links that gives them free access to his music, as though they paid for it. Go figure.

It's not like it's a surprise how Prince is with his music, and of course it doesn't mean anyone has to like his actions, that is why we all have the choice of purchasing his music or not. But if you post on a site and announce that you will no longer buy or listen to P's music, then return 6 months later, when something like this recent situation happened with HQ closing, until further notice, which was a decision of the HQ owner himself, for reasons he chose to do so, then who is going to take your seriously? It's obvious then, that the individual making umpteen complaints is still buying/purchasing P's music, then why come back on these unofficial sites, and repeat the same BS complain over and over again? Either you buy the music or you don't or you continue to be a fan or don't. Thing is, there'll always be one to replace you.

It makes no sense for people to get all twisted over an artist who tries hard to protect his image/rights to his music/hearsay/false information, but in his "fan/fam" world, it's almost impossible.

macbos said:

Your justifications are just ridiculous. Like I said, don't spend your money on Prince if you don't want to. But, don't then turn around and steal the merchandise instead. It's stupid to think that because of some perceived slight, that it's then ok to be a thief! Hey, I don't like you Walmart, so I'm gonna steal a TV and be righteous about it!

You buy a product, not a person. Just because you've spent $$ on someone's product means they have to do what you want for the rest of their life? You pay for a concert ticket and if the show goes on, Prince owes you NOTHING after you walk out those venue doors. You buy a CD, that's it, you've got your PRODUCT.

2elijah said:

I'm not here to accuse you of bashing anybody, in fact of all of your points the only one I addressed is the subject of the songs previewed on the Steve Jones' radio show. I just can't imagine anyone who likes the 4 tracks being satisfied with the existing quality. If you like them, then the hype worked, and you will buy the album. In the meantime, if you downloaded them, you can continue to feed the hype by playing them again and again while you wait for the LP. No different than 20 years ago, recording a new single on the radio or a performance on TV and listening to it over and over hyping yourself for the new album. As a member of HQ I'm positive they did not allow posting of links to these tracks except to post the link to the radio station to hear the original stream live and while it lasted the archive the station provided. No links to copies made and posted were allowed.
I have no comment on the rest of your posts, am not bashing you, and am not accusing you of bashing others. I just feel that any sharing of copies of that broadcast helps rather than hurts Prince. I know he disagrees. He's sooooo wrong...

Okay, no problem, your points are well taken, and I also agree with you that, HQ didn't allow any members to post unauthorized links to the new songs as well. The only link that was posted there and here on the Org was in fact from the original stream from that radio show, while it lasted. Nice chatting with you.

Peace.

2elijah said:

Yes, good chat,

Isn't it great when people can discus, agree, disagree, whatever...
without getting nasty?

Peace to you as well my friend...

djThunderfunk said:

Okay, no problem, your points are well taken, and I also agree with you that, HQ didn't allow any members to post unauthorized links to the new songs as well. The only link that was posted there and here on the Org was in fact from the original stream from that radio show, while it lasted. Nice chatting with you.

Peace.

macbos said:

Your justifications are just ridiculous. Like I said, don't spend your money on Prince if you don't want to. But, don't then turn around and steal the merchandise instead. It's stupid to think that because of some perceived slight, that it's then ok to be a thief! Hey, I don't like you Walmart, so I'm gonna steal a TV and be righteous about it!

You buy a product, not a person. Just because you've spent $$ on someone's product means they have to do what you want for the rest of their life? You pay for a concert ticket and if the show goes on, Prince owes you NOTHING after you walk out those venue doors. You buy a CD, that's it, you've got your PRODUCT.

Just because you've spent $$ on someone's product means they have to do what you want for the rest of their life?

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Okay, I'll excuse you this time lady...


But seriously though, the guy can't seem to win with some members of HQ or the Org. Is there a time when the members of both sites are not b*tching about wanting more from P? In the past he was nice enough to issue tickets to members of his fan club first, where they had the opportunity to get the best seats before the tickets were opened to the general public. Then when there were passwords given exclusively to members of his club, you still had members here and on HQ giving out the passwords to non-members of his club. Then every time it seems there's news about P putting out new music, you have had members posting false info on the tracks or finding ways to get the music for free, and even admitting publically, they will find a way to download it for free when the release date of P's music comes out.

Just recently, he had a radio personality play a few of his new tracks, what do some fans do? They go and download/copy the songs from that site, then post it for other fans to listen to elsewhere. When there are unauthorized sites playing his new songs, people post the links to it, and share it with others. others. Then fans get pissed at Prince because the links are pulled off. Why? It’s his music. If he chooses to give it away for free, then it’s up to him, but if not, the choice is still his. All the above and people wonder why artists get pissed over people stealing their music.

Then there was some person who created a “fake” blog with the same name as Prince’s new site, which confused many Prince fans who thought it was “the real deal” (including me, but it turns out it wasn’t an official blog that belonged to Prince), and it took the mods from the Org to notify members that the blog was indeed "fake" and did not belong to P or his camp.

Then on that same "fake" blog, someone posted the "so-called" lyrics to a poem called “Lotus Flower”, mislead some fans into thinking those so-called lyrics posted were the actual words to Prince’s song, supposedly with the same name, and it turned out the "so-called" lyrics posted on that blog, by a poster there, actually belonged to a poet who had been dead for years now. (Earlier that day, I googled the name of that poem, because I got suspicious as to how it could be a song, with such long verses attached to it, and found out that the so-called lyrics posted on that fake blog, actually belonged to a poet who had been dead years ago.)

Then the person who posted that poem, apparently had the nerve to use someone else’s username from the HQ site, to made it look like that actual member of HQ posted the so-called lyrics to P's song on the fake blog.

Now, we have the situation with the banners that was posted on the Housequake site, which apparently Aaron was asked to remove it from P's camp, because the banners created by a fan, that was posted on HQ, was just too similar to P's official banner, which may have caused fans to be confused as to which one was the "official" banner. So now Aaron decides to suddenly close down HQ the day before the anticipated or supposed opening date of P's official site.(because we are still not sure when P's official site was actually scheduled to open) and now you have some members from HQ and the Org blaming P, when they should be directing their anger, questions and concerns about the HQ closing to Aaron, the owner of HQ, who made the conscious decision to close HQ "until further notice" without notifying members of his site in advance first before closing it down, and leaving the members of hQ in thee dust.

So I guess you can say, a lot has happened over the past few weeks. Popcorn anyone?
[Edited 1/31/09 6:52am]

2elijah said:

Actually there were links to the songs from the radio show here on the org and the moderators took action and deleted those posts. I always thought HQ was much more stricter than the Org. But I think if they did not follow the requests from Prince's camp about bootlegs etc then they needed to be reprimanded.

I'm trying to figure something out.
Housequake seem's to be P's bitch. I mean, they'll do anything he asks. Shut down this, post up that, ban her, ban him, close that. But they're always the ones getting kicked in the ass.
The org seem's to be minding its own bid'ness, doing whatever it wants...but it's unscathed (save for the gallery). Am I mistaken?

Actually there were links to the songs from the radio show here on the org and the moderators took action and deleted those posts. I always thought HQ was much more stricter than the Org. But I think if they did not follow the requests from Prince's camp about bootlegs etc then they needed to be reprimanded.

Sorry: WHAT? You accuse me to 'steal' Prince's music? Are You serious?
Do you really count a legal bought SECONDHAND record as 'stolen'?

Then i have to tell you (and i don't want to dis U) that i think your point
of view is pretty strong fogged and your paradigm (steal a TV or a GM car)
are far-fetched:

I can buy a car also secondhand and for the TV i can change the store.

And with my method i can do some kind of charity to the secondhand store owner;
HE makes the money with me and HE need it sure more than the (any) artist.

Your comment

is also a little bit incorrect: Do You know the colloquialism "Don't bite the hand that feeds you"?
[Edited 1/31/09 10:01am]

At least I hope that the information on historic facts, releases, interviews, performances etc, which you could find in such an abundance on HQ wil be saved for the fans/public. HQ is more than a forum, it is a great source of information on anything in Prince's career.

mordang said:

It is by far the best source of information on Prince anywhere on the net. If Aaron has finally had enough then i hope someone else will pick up the baton.



C/B

purplecam said:

I HOPE TO GOD that you run around in the picture threads and demand that the fans stop posting photos of Prince in appreciation like they do because he doesn't want that either.