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bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: June 16 2007, 18:56 I find it incredible that there's nothing on the Mike Oldfield.com website about either Changeling or the new album. To a potentail reader - someone who is vaguely curious about the book - after maybe catching Mike on one of his recent television/radio appearances, a visit to his official website is a bit disappointing if not confusing. Websites must require a fair amount of work to maintain I should think, but surely it would be worthwhile in this day & age ( the internet is now probably the first point of reference for most enquiries ) just to say a little more. It's been great to see and hear him in all the interviews, but I feel he may be missing quite a large audience by the silence on MO.com. Tubular.net does a grand job though. -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: June 16 2007, 19:52 As we all know,Fanny is responsible for MO.com and nowadays she's busy with her job and its website(roughwood-arabians.com). Quote (bee @ June 16 2007, 20:56) Websites must require a fair amount of work to maintain I should think, but surely it would be worthwhile in this day & age ( the internet is now probably the first point of reference for most enquiries ) just to say a little more. Back in 2004,when there was a forum on MO.com,I've sent a few messages to her about updates and some other stuff regarding the website,and she was very busy at the time(well,Jake had just arrived then and needed her so much). It takes a lot of time to mantain a proper website,not only in terms of programming/webdesign as well as the content.Even my brazilian MO webpage takes time,there are days where I need things to calm down in my life to update it,and I do all the job myself. On the autobio,Mike says he loves the internet,but I do think he doesn't like to use it regarding his own work. Seems strange to me that they aren't updates since May 2006,when Mike announced he would be playing at NNOTP.Since then... - he played on NNOTP as well as NOTP Spain - he has been working on his new album - Changeling was released Newbies on MO would be very intrigued while surfing on MO.com,I'm sure.Of course,the fan sites are doing well. It's much much easier to watch Mike on the telly talking about the book/new album than writing something on the news section on MO.com nowadays. I was expecting a major update by the time the book was released,but we all know what happened.But I do keep hope alive to see some changes on MO.com -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Moz Group: Musicians Posts: 600 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 17 2007, 02:33 bee, I totally agree. It does take time to run a website, but I'm of the belief that if you don't have time, don't do it.  Or find someone else to do it.  (in this case that would be a better option) My wife and I build websites for a living and I also maintain a few sites of my own.  We get paid to set up websites for people, but we don't publish the content for these sites, i.e. we don't actually write their latest news stories or put them online for the owner.  What we do is provide a website that the owner can easily update.  This means the owner no longer has to worry about coding or having to pay us for routine updates. Of course this kind of thing is much more common on the web than it used to be, as lots of people have blogs.  But we specialise in building websites, which a blog is only part of.  Either way, once you have designed your site, you shouldn't be changing the coding every five minutes.  Maybe if you do a redesign, but not every time you post an entry. Quote It's much much easier to watch Mike on the telly talking about the book/new album than writing something on the news section on MO.com nowadays. MO.com should at least provide a link to whatever movies are available on YouTube if this is the preferred route, or link to interesting news articles published about Changeling or the forthcoming album.  Not everything is going to be authored by the owner of MO.com.  Adding a link every now and again does not take any time at all. I think it is disappointing to see such a neglected site. -------------- Twitter: @benbarden Back to top

onion Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 17 2007, 03:13 Agree.... Maybe Fanny and MO is not that close anymore?... she´s involved with horses and the kid and maybe can´t be bothered with MO life?   I have always thought that Fanny was a golddigger (MO´s  ad - I have 15 mill. £ please love me).... she now have a baby so she can squeze MO....and mark my word...when she´s tired of manipulating she wants a divorce and a huge load of cash if MO is allowed to keep his kid Anyway MO have enough money, he could easily pay a webmaster to make a monthly update - without it costing much  HECK he could ask a fan and that fan would be glad to do it for free.... In these days and age it is absolutely STUPID not to use the internet as a promotion and even more STUPID to have a website a not using it.........what the hell is going on?   Mike -------------- Are soft boiled eggs supposed to make a crunchy noise when you eat them? Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: June 17 2007, 09:43 Quote (onion @ June 17 2007, 05:13) Maybe Fanny and MO is not that close anymore?... she´s involved with horses and the kid and maybe can´t be bothered with MO life?   On NNOTP and NOTP Spain,they were together.I did saw her on the backstage on the Cologne concert while Mike was on stage playing.On the German fan meeting I've attended,I saw some pics of some fans with Mike after the Munich concert,and she even appeared on some of the pics(quite bored! ).Some spanish fans did meet the couple after one of the concerts in the hotel bar,and it wasn't a friendly meeting.It seems to me that she doesn't like this fan thingie so much. I prefer that she has a job,working and making money with it,so if there's a problem with her marriage to MO,she doesn't need to ask a huge amount of money really. Yep,it's quite disappointing to see an official website like MO.com.And what about Dark Star at MO.org? But MO.com the situation is too bad for my taste. Let's see what happens next. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

gbcrvh Group: Members Posts: 63 Joined: June 2006 Posted: June 17 2007, 11:40 What about mikeoldfield.org then?  That one seems to up to date... and it claims to be official informational service  Having both com and org in a way that you don't have a clue which one is which was always confusing to me... Back to top

Moz Group: Musicians Posts: 600 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 17 2007, 19:31 If .org is the "official" service why not just redirect .com to .org?  Then add more content to .org!  Or better still, redirect them all to tubular.net! -------------- Twitter: @benbarden Back to top

olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: June 17 2007, 19:54 .org is a fan site although it has often been recommended as the "official fan site", but even they have been slow to update at times. And don't get Alan D started on their newsletters!   .com has always been a sideline for Mike, one he seems to have hot and cold times for. A whole lot of artistes have really taken to self-promotion using the internet and found it a great way to keep in touch with their core, loyal (even fanatic?) fans. But Mike, as we know is, very distant from his fanbase. He's found it hard to connect to us. Almost as if he's still embarrassed by us or by his fame. How many times in his recent book do his fans get a mention or thanks? Even his pet project of 2 years (MVR) got short support (about 3 or 4 visits on-line and a few sentences in the book). No, I feel that Mike is more than happy for his latest musical project to speak for itself. The website was another flash-in-the-pan passing fad with him. Mike has always lived in the here and now - the past is a foreign country to him. -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

Tubularman Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 2304 Joined: June 2004 Posted: June 17 2007, 20:57 all in all, it is a boring site.. I really could wish that there was some info there.. Did he not use that site more often during hes project with tb 2003 and music VR? Also the l+s site is down and gone.. so who won the contest??? -------------- Mike Oldfield M i x e s https://soundcloud.com/tubularman Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: June 17 2007, 21:59 Quote (Tubularman @ June 17 2007, 22:57) Did he not use that site more often during hes project with tb 2003 and music VR? He used MO.com more on those days. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 18 2007, 03:23 Quote (olracUK @ June 18 2007, 00:54) And don't get Alan D started on their newsletters! Ah, the newsletters ... drone drone drone .... Dark Star ... drone drone drone .... will we see another one in the next 5 years? .... drone drone drone ..... Fed up with waiting ... drone drone drone ... no replies to emails ... drone drone drone ... is there any point in writing articles for it? ... drone drone drone .... zzzzz...... Ye Gods, Andy - see what a can of worms you've opened! (Or is it a can of sleeping pills?) Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: June 18 2007, 04:40 Quote (olracUK @ June 18 2007, 00:54) No, I feel that Mike is more than happy for his latest musical project to speak for itself. The website was another flash-in-the-pan passing fad with him. Mike has always lived in the here and now - the past is a foreign country to him. I think this is probably true. He does follow his own path, creatively and otherwise. It's just a bit of a shame for any potential fans. It's the new ones that want to know more that I feel for. But then Tubular.net does an amazing job, great community, lots of interesting info not always Mike related, & discussions to stretch your brain.! Love it! And I suppose if you are going to get hooked on his music then nothing will stop you, it seeps in to your soul somehow. bee -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Deadcalm Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 752 Joined: Nov. 2004 Posted: June 18 2007, 05:18 It seems to be the case the that the Official Sites of many a Band are totally Out Stripped Content wise by the Fan Run or Unofficial Sites. Its not something restricted to MO..However it wouldnt take much effort for MO or whoever is doing the PR though to send out a Newsletter or Work in Progress to this Place so it could be posted up on this Site which I guess is the most Visited   Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: June 18 2007, 05:20 I think the fact of the matter is Mike probably feels he's in the latter part of his career and he's winding things down. His enthusiasm for pretty much anything in his professional life seems to have long since left him, that much is obvious. If the internet had been around in the 80's or early 90's you would have seen him embrace it a lot more and use it the way most other artists these days use it - creatively, imaginatively and effectively. There was an interesting article in Word music magazine a few months back where different artists, well known for embracing the internet to sell their music, were asked what their advice was for others hoping to make it using the web to sell records. Peter Gabriel said the best piece of advice he could offer anybody was 'be generous with your fanbase and your fans well be generous back. To be honest I think Mike's fans have been pretty generous to him but I'm not sure its always been reciprocated. Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 18 2007, 07:31 Quote (TOBY @ June 18 2007, 10:20) I think the fact of the matter is ....etc Just read this post after noticing it was your birthday Toby. Hope you have a good day. Have a virtual pint on me. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: June 18 2007, 08:29 Cheers Alan. I'm 35 today, sobs into pint glass....etc....contemplates the end of the world ....etc. Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: June 18 2007, 08:57 It seems to me that for most of Mike's career, he has always been less than willing to share information or himself.  When Tubular Bells was released, there was no internet and here in the States, very little, if any, news of him.  The only thing I ever received from Mike was his music and I was thrilled to have it.  I knew nothing about him and saw very few photographs.  In fact, I thought that he must have been an unattractive man, or deformed or something because there weren't pictures of him on his albums.  And the few that were always seemed blurred or hazy.  I guess what I'm saying is that even without an internet site of his own, I am getting much more information now than I ever did. And by the way Toby, Happy Birthday.  Don't cry in your beer - the best years of your life are still ahead.  Honest.  I know.  Reverse your age and you are still not as old as me. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: June 18 2007, 18:48 Quote (TOBY @ June 18 2007, 09:20) I think the fact of the matter is Mike probably feels he's in the latter part of his career and he's winding things down. His enthusiasm for pretty much anything in his professional life seems to have long since left him, that much is obvious. If the internet had been around in the 80's or early 90's you would have seen him embrace it a lot more and use it the way most other artists these days use it - creatively, imaginatively and effectively. I agree about some of the official sites not being so good as fan sites.  However Mike is making appearances on TV and radio to promote "Changeling" or his new album, I don't know why he doesn't use the internet as a promotional tool  much. I wouldn't say that Mike has cyberphobia, I've heard of many surfers using the internet in their 70's and 80's.   I guess I stumbled upon TubularBoard purely by accident  , as I was searching for more info about Mike.  I'm so glad I did find these forums as this has lead to me making friends on here and other sites, (both virtual and in the real world) not to mention finding my boyfriend     . Quote TOBY   Posted on June 18 2007, 12:29Cheers Alan. I'm 35 today, sobs into pint glass....etc....contemplates the end of the world ....etc. Happy if slightly belated birthday Toby, have a virtual pint on me too. Oh don't be so negative 35 ISN'T old, I'm very nearly approaching 36 and feel more youthful now than I did when I was 18 WHOOOOHOOOOO!!!! -------------- I'm going slightly mad, It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come. I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health "Part time hippy" I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!! Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: June 19 2007, 13:04 Cheers for the birthday wishes everyone. I agree with you Moonchildhippy  I don't think Mike has cyberphobia, far from it in fact he's consistently said how much he loves embracing technology. As we all know he mainly focuses on the here and now of his career and I guess there was a time 5 or 6 years ago when the internet was a new and exciting thing to be embraced but now he's grown tired of it. He's not alone in that respect there are lots of other artists out there it seems who seemed to have moved backwards rather than forwards with their use of the internet and its possibilities. Back to top

Atane Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: June 2007 Posted: June 20 2007, 04:37 Quote (gbcrvh @ June 17 2007, 11:40) What about mikeoldfield.org then?  That one seems to up to date... Up to date? I have a major disappointement with this one. I have ordered the 'Making of Tubular Bells' book and the 'Dark Star back-issues pdf CD' one month ago. Paid with Paypal, the money has been transfererd to the Dark Star account. Since then, no news from them despite several mail from me to them...       Has anybody encountered recently the same kind of problems? Kind regards! Atane. -EDIT- - My order should be dispatched next week!     Back to top

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