Nicksfix

[SmthngOfADreamr]

This is all JMO of course, but how pathetic has nicksfix.com become lately?! For God's sake, they don't even have the album release date posted yet!!! (Surprisingly there is something about the FOX commercial though.) It just seems to be getting worse and worse ever since it became "official." Instead of becoming weaker, shouldn't it have become better after it became Stevie's "offical" site??? It's still not as lame as fleetwoodmac.com, but it grows closer every day. I used to check it out every single time I went online, but I honestly don't even bother going there anymore, because all the news you would ever need is always right here on the ledge. I'm surprised that they're actually having another round of "Ask Stevie," but honestly that's pretty lame as well since she only responds with three or four words most of the time. Seriously, what's going on???

PS-- what's up with the message "keep checking with Mick's site for information"? Why the hell should we have to do that when Nicksfix is supposedly an offical site as well???

[Jessica Leigh]

come on if you don't like it then don't go there... but no more negativity ok? we're not "owed" information about fm... it will come when it comes...

[SmthngOfADreamr]

Originally posted by Jessica Leigh
come on if you don't like it then don't go there... but no more negativity ok? we're not "owed" information about fm... it will come when it comes...

I am completely justified in expressing my opinion about something. This is a DISCUSSION board and we are allowed to express both positive and negative viewpoints. My complaint is valid. If you read my post, I didn't say that we are "owed" something, i'm stating that the nickfix used to be a pretty cool site, and ever since its inception as the official site, it seems to me that things have slipped, and that seems quite paradoxal to me.

[Livia]

I agree with Jessica - and as an "employee" of the NicksFix, I can affirm that John Kinney relies on the fans to provide a majority of his information. We all have our own assignments...he does not work for a record label or management company and he gets a lot of information at the same time the rest of us do, via press releases. He is reluctant to post anything unless he has confirmed its validity. I heard through the grapevine yesterday that the release date would be April 15, and poof! Last night, it got plastered on every website...including the other "official" ones. In addition to having an unrelated full-time job, the expense involved, and his own life to live, I think John does a fine job.

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Originally posted by Livia
I agree with Jessica - and as an "employee" of the NicksFix, I can affirm that John Kinney relies on the fans to provide a majority of his information. We all have our own assignments...he does not work for a record label or management company and he gets a lot of information at the same time the rest of us do, via press releases. He is reluctant to post anything unless he has confirmed its validity. I heard through the grapevine yesterday that the release date would be April 15, and poof! Last night, it got plastered on every website...including the other "official" ones. In addition to having an unrelated full-time job, the expense involved, and his own life to live, I think John does a fine job.
Very well said

Pip

[SmthngOfADreamr]

I'm obviously not attacking John or any other "employee" at the nicksfix if I agreed that it was a fantastic site before it became Stevie's official site. I agree he did a great job in putting it together and compiling all the info, and he still does.

Obviously my anger stems from the fact that as an "official" site, Stevie's record label does nothing to make it better, and even Stevie herself does little to make it better (except for the great notes every once in a while that we do all enjoy). That is why I keep emphasizing the word "official." Please don't put words in my mouth here by implying that I was attacking the person who updates and runs the site, my arguement is quite rational. It should be 1000 times better than ever as an official site, because John shouldn't have to rely on fans only to help him - he should have help out the wazoo from the label and Stevie etc. etc. etc.

[SaraRhiannon]

Originally posted by SmthngOfADreamr
I'm obviously not attacking John or any other "employee" at the nicksfix if I agreed that it was a fantastic site before it became Stevie's official site. I agree he did a great job in putting it together and compiling all the info, and he still does.

Obviously my anger stems from the fact that as an "official" site, Stevie's record label does nothing to make it better, and even Stevie herself does little to make it better (except for the great notes every once in a while that we do all enjoy). That is why I keep emphasizing the word "official." Please don't put words in my mouth here by implying that I was attacking the person who updates and runs the site, my arguement is quite rational. It should be 1000 times better than ever as an official site, because John shouldn't have to rely on fans only to help him - he should have help out the wazoo from the label and Stevie etc. etc. etc.


Very well said, and your argument IS rational. In fact, your opinion happens to be shared by many other fans; they just would rather not comment on the topic, because we all know what happens when someone's opinion differs from the "norm."

John should NOT have to rely solely on himself and other fans if his site is supposed to be "official."
That's.just.ridiculous.

[ricohv]

I agree that ...
1) you can express opinions here good and bad (although the "bad" always get attacked-ironic, huh?- because we are mostly loyal, defensive fans I assume)
2) the Nicksix has slipped. I don't check it first anymore either like I used to. But has it slipped, or have a million better sites sprung up? I think more dedicated (input-of-time wise), aggressive-news-pursuing sites have developed. The Nicksfix being "official" surprisingly made little change in my opinion. I thought they would use it as a good promo/PR tool. Don't they see how the die-hards thirst for any tiny little crumb of recognition or information? They could have us in the palm of their hands...right?
I love when we get the occasional hand-written note or Ask Stevie answers. But again I agree, it seems odd that the answers are always so vague and short! Stevie will rattle on in interviews but gives the shortest answer possible in Ask Stevie.
But still I hang on, year after year, occasionally disappointed, but always thrilled by the music and thankful for whatever crumbs are thrown!

[SaraRhiannon]

<<ricohv
Location: Seattle, WA (capital hill)>>


Hi neighbor!

[DrummerDeanna]

Interesting. As of late, I do visit the NicksFix WAY less, whereas I used to go everyday...it was my homepage when I got on-line etc...now it's like the last thing I check (on an ocassional basis)

I hear what your saying, in terms of, as an official site it's (idealy) got the potential to be a lot stronger, and as an official site, I agree that John should not have to rely on fans and other random sources...the record label or other "official" entities should do something...

I don't know if it's gotten weaker...I would say it's sort of become stagnant...not a lot of variety and such...BUT I go...once in a while now...hoping that I'll find something of great interest...

It still is one of the best Stevie site though...IMO...

[ShangriLaTroubl]

John does do a good job, it just seems to me that an OFFICIAL WEBSITE would not rely mostly on fans for info...I remember emailing him telling him that some websites were saying Stevie would be on VH1 Divas 2002, and he said "Thats a rumor as far as I know"...well guess what happened??

Maybe the Management should supply him w/ more info i dunno

[JazmenFlowers]

I have to agree with SmthngOfADreamr that the site itself has progressively gotten less and less interesting and is not updated nearly as much as it used to be. It used to be very exciting and I'm not saying it's not exciting, but that the quality has not grown since becoming the official site. I also have to agree that since becoming an official site, John shouldn't have to rely only on fans, etc. to keep the site going and updated and interesting. Some responsibility has to fall on th artist and those reps that are hired to do promotion. All I REALLY care about is Stevie's music and that she keeps creating...but in all honesty, I do think the Nicksfix is not as good as it used to be and I don't visit it nearly as often. I know it is a LOT to have to handle and I applaude John for all of his hard work and really taking this on himself for years before becoming the official site and I surely wouldn't want the responsibility.

I think those of us that agree with SmthngOfADreamr are just saying that it has not maintained itself well since becoming the official site, no more, no less. And I TOTALLY agree that no one should attack anyone for any reason (not saying anyone has) as this IS a discussion board...unless, of course, they attack Stevie!

I remember when the Nicksfix became the official site, I envisioned it having a lot more stuff that could only be accessed through the Nicksfix and especially since Stevie obviously loves her fans and she has a huge fanbase on the net, that there would be promotion there.

To sum it up, the Nicksfix is awesome no matter what. It is going through a slump, that's all. No one is attacking John or the "employees" and we are all very grateful for all their hard work.


P.S. Not to add another knife in the back, but has anyone noticed that the weekly pictures are getting repetitive?

[WelshWitchPMD]

I have to say that John does a great job with the Nicksfix. However, I always come to the Ledge to get news and info. I come here even before Mick's chat board. I guess I just like the fans here and the interaction with everyone.:D

[Johnny Stew]

I can just imagine how much work is put into the NicksFix, so I'd never criticize John for how the site is run... but i'm definitely one of the people who were suprised by the notation that visitors should keep checking Mick's site for more information.

If we were being directed to the band's site, I could maybe understand it... but Stevie's official site should be privy to the same information, at the same time, as Mick's site.

Unless it's just an attempt at cross-promotion.



Johnny Stew

[ricohv]

SaraRhiannon-please check your e-mail, neighbor! I sent it through the tab at the bottom of your post. If that didn't work, please reply to [email protected]

[iamstevienicks]

The Nicksfix is undoubtedly a fantastic site and so much work is put into it every day

But for me it does seem to have lost its spark, it as some other people have said used to be my first port of call, but now sometimes I forget to check it

[FiercestCalmSea]

If the Nicksfix has become boring,it is certainly not John Kinney's fault..you can only do so much without alot of input from the artist..yea he could put a message board..but we have enough of those,don't we? I don't go there as often as i used to..but he posts info when he can,and i appreciate that.

[David]

Originally posted by FiercestCalmSea
If the Nicksfix has become boring, it is certainly not John Kinney's fault..you can only do so much without alot of input from the artist..yea he could put a message board..but we have enough of those,don't we? I agree with Sarah. An official site is only going to be as good as the commitment the artist makes to keeping the site up-to-date & active. If we're unhappy with the general absence of breaking news & interesting special features, it's the fault of Stevie's management (or whoever in her camp is behind the site). Kinney needs feeds. He can't pull news & great new photos out of thin air. Of course, as far as commitment to a Web site goes, the rest of Fleetwood Mac make Stevie look as if she is passionately & utterly devoted to her site. As for Mick's "commitment" to "direct communication with the fans," the less said, the better (even though I've already said a lot). His site is nothing but an electronic storefront & a platform for advertisements for products.

Livia, I was happy to hear you say that Kinney recognizes & admits that he relies on the fans for site copy. It's always been a little bur under my saddle that he & his helpers never really trumpeted that fact in the years since the site was officialized. You can go through the whole site, part by part, & find that most of it is info that fans sent him. Several of us used to chat with John K. on IRC when his site was still private. He was always a big Stevie fan, but he rarely had any sort of trenchant opinions about her music. It's obvious he's been devoted to her for a long time (he took great pics of her at her tour stops in Dallas in '81, '82 & '83), but he has always been oddly unable to actually discuss her. He essentially relied on fans to write the words & do the research for the site --- for example, the tour-by-tour set lists, the articles & the "hot dates" page. And none of that stuff was given to him by Stevie Nicks people, either, despite the fact that a lot of dumb, naive fans give THEM credit for it & claim that there'd be no site at all if Stevie Nicks co-workers weren't involved in it, which is bunk. You can count the stuff on one hand that came from her people (PR info on the release of "Shangri-La," "Ask Stevie," occasional items on what Stevie's currently up to & that's about it).

[Livia]

Livia, I was happy to hear you say that Kinney recognizes & admits that he relies on the fans for site copy. It's always been a little bur under my saddle that he & his helpers never really trumpeted that fact in the years since the site was officialized. You can go through the whole site, part by part, & find that most of it is info that fans sent him

Thanks. Well, we DID get a lot of props in the TISL tourbook, which was nice.

I just wanted to clear the air on something else - I never felt offended by the negative comments and I didn't interpret the original post as an attack. The point I was trying to make is, how much time can ONE person spend surfing the internet for every little tidbit of info? I TOTALLY agree that Stevie's management and record company should have more communication with John. On the other hand, how are they, or anyone, supposed to know in advance every time the Dixie Chicks or Sheryl Crow are going to mention Stevie's name in an interview - or that Rolling Stone is going to put some blip in their magazine, etc.? That's the type of stuff that gets broadcast here first, and usually is emailed to John at the same time. He can only work on the website in the evenings and on weekends, which is why it may sometimes seem that he's always "late" with his updates. I also believe that the "powers that be" in Stevie's camp are relieved that they found a website that was worthy of being deemed "official," and that they didn't have to do it themselves, therefore, "they" don't have to keep up with it. Honestly, most official band sites I've seen are lame, the fans usually do a better job.

:wavey:
Livia

[Bella Figura]

I used to email JK about Stevie stuff but when the sight became official, I stopped figuring the "officials" would supply the information. So I learned something new from this thread!! Yay!!

the NicksFix ebbs and flows, it is in a quiet mode now but it will probably pick up dramatically as the new album is released and the new tour starts. It did that with the TISL release and tour, the site was quiet prior to that release and the same with Enchanted as well.

I have not been surprised at Stevie's level of involvement. I am not always satisfied though I feel that her Sept 11th journals were one of the best communications I ever read on the Internet between artist and fan. Hopefully, as Stevie becomes more familar with this medium her ASK Stevies questions will become more detailed and more frequent. BTW, I love her little notes and she never fails to acknowledge her fans good wishes when they are sent through the website... Yeah, I'd love more but I can totally understand why an artist of Stevie's age would feel intimidated by pc and the Internet.

As far as her management goes, they should be communicating with JK often and with good information. I personally feel JK should be getting paid by them for his services, because even if they start paying him today, they still are way ahead with the free publicity they've had from the NicksFix for years. I work in IT and webmaster's like the Knight make good money, don't let them fool you.

[ricohv]

What? JK does not get paid for doing the Nicksfix, even now that it is "official"? Hmmm, that hardly seems fair. It almost seems like highway robbery. It would be hard to put a price on all of the free publicity that he apparently has very generously given (I realize that is not what his intention is i.e. his intention is a fan appreciation site, however, that does also equate to publicity on a well known, "official" site)

[Livia]

I honestly don't know if JK gets paid or not...

[SmthngOfADreamr]

Originally posted by Livia
On the other hand, how are they, or anyone, supposed to know in advance every time the Dixie Chicks or Sheryl Crow are going to mention Stevie's name in an interview - or that Rolling Stone is going to put some blip in their magazine, etc.? That's the type of stuff that gets broadcast here first, and usually is emailed to John at the same time.


There actually are many many services that monitor every kind of media constantly (ie tv, radio, newspapers, magazines). I worked in publicity here in New York and we had everything monitored for each of our clients. I can't remember the name of the service we used though. Again, it's something that Stevie's management should provide for the webiste. It could probably save a lot of people a lot of time. And I should sincerely hope that he receives some sort of compensation for all the work he does. I can't imagine the label being that cheap.