XTMS Saltire II - Some personal thoughts & suggestions

[BoldHighlander]

I've been very ill since Jamie announced the retirement of the wee airship, so I'm playing catch up on all this (I'm not ill because of the announcement , but because I have an 11 yr old who likes to share nasty cold viruses she picks up in public school ).

I really like CDNSushi's idea, but I also agree with Scott (Artificer), that we should not rush into a replacement.

I also like KiltedKnome's suggestions that we somehow incorporate XMarks symbolisms into it (dandelion & tartan).

I wish I had an idea to suggest, but at this time I don't.

[AKScott]

I agree it is too early. From digging around in old threads I have witnessed a core group of random rabble interested in kilts develop friendships amongst each other.

This community has a critical mass of searchable data already. I will probably be reasonably active here for a year or two while I get my ten looks dialed in, hopefully someday I can field style questions with experience.

I am glad to see an active DIY community here; I don't think it unreasonable to hope Xmarks will be a useful resource for generations to come.

I do hope folks with lots of kilt experience will continue to chime in about what works and what doesn't; expound on the philosophy every once in a while.

I am sure there will be something like the Saltire again eventually. What have you contributed to Xmarks today?

[BoldHighlander]

Hmmmm

Maybe to follow up on my previous post....a small flag made of XMTS tartan, with the XMTS badge in the center & a wreath of dandelions wrapping around below the lower half of the badge?

Much like the flag the Aussie blokes carry that John (English Bloke) mentioned / posted photos of here.

Just tossing it out there

[macwilkin]

Hmmmm

Maybe to follow up on my previous post....a small flag made of XMTS tartan, with the XMTS badge in the center & a wreath of dandelions wrapping around below the lower half of the badge?

Much like the flag the Aussie blokes carry that John (English Bloke) mentioned / posted photos of here.

Just tossing it out there

I had the same idea, Terry -- great minds think alike, eh? <grin> A quaich with the XMTS badge inscribed on it might also be a nice substitute.

T.

[AFS1970]

I think the reason that so many are in a rush to replace the airship is that most see it's retirement as premature.

The membership of an internet forum is not like that of a real life organization. The old guard did not serve a set term as a slate, they all left as their individual circumstances dictated. New members do not join as a group once a year, they join in drips and drabs on a daily basis. In this regard any line between old members and new members is a very blurry one indeed.

I like most of CDNSushi's ideas. One thing I think we need to remember is that the little wooden airship was a durable product. Anything that is going to be packed and shipped around the world will need to be just as durable.

As for it not being an airship, well let us remember that even Goodyear has sailed multiple airships. So let us not discount the idea of a second generation blimp out of hand. Perhaps this one could be named something different, maybe the Dandelion (although I don't get the reference as it relates to this forum).

[Drac]

Just saw this. A post from another thread -

On when or if it is to be replaced I would hope to see something made by a member or better yet several members instead of something from a shelf.

While a knife carries with it complications of legalities around the world there is something that we have done on another forum. We did several pass around knives. One that stood out was one gentleman was gifted some shrapnal from the battlefield of Bulge. Another gentleman forged it into a billet of patternwelded steel (damascus), than another made the blade, another the handle, ect.

How about something in that nature? A little bit of lether work from a sporran maker (or two), some carving from another, some metal work from a jewler? Not sure how that can be put together but it would have more meaning.

Jim

[Nighthawk]

Sequels rarely live up to the original.

Yep.

[Bugbear]

Yep.

Nighthawk, I feel like I should stay out of this discussion, and I am violating one of my current personal rules by posting in the "Comments and Suggestions" section, but this keeps bothering me.

The title of the thread has the letters of XMTS mixed up. It says "XTMS."

Thanks for listening, Hawk.

[Livingston]

First, one thing I would like to mention. "Old Guard", now would that be in relation to people that have been here longer than a couple years or just the moderators that were here before Steve became the owner of XMarks? Either way, I don't think the term really applies since people come and go for their own reasons.

OK, I like the idea of a log book for members to record where the item has traveled. Reading through the book reminds us of the many friends, past and present, that it has visited in friendship and allows us to add greatings and record the visit in our area.

Now, what to use as the token of friendship? If the log book is a standard size, maybe 8.5 x 11 inches, why not a piece of the X Marks The Scot tartan attached to the inside cover? How about a picture/drawing of the XMarks badge on the front cover? Maybe a dandilion (the clan plant) below it? I would say that most of us computer literate and a USB thumb drive version would be great but there are enough that aren't and, besides, it would look just plain wierd taking a picture of something that small.

Just my $0.02 US

[Alan H]

Couple of things.

ONE: The "Old Guard" never really existed, people have come and gone since day one. I note that Cajunscot and I are still around, both of us are good friends with Panache, and both of us "arrived" on X marks before Panache did. I only "arrived" a couple of months before, and really "how long have you been here" is pretty unimportant, but there you go. I could name others who have been here longer. Rocky from USA Kilts comes to mind, for example.

TWO: Guys...the saltire is a piece of pine (probably) cut out on a bandsaw, with some bits and bobs glue'd to it, and painted in glossy colors. It is not a high-dollar item.

You all can talk and debate and carry on, here on the online forum and the truth is that nothing will happen until SOMEONE just sets down in their garage, or at their sewing machine, or at their leatherwork table, and just MAKES something. It had better not cost a lot of money or time, because you never know when it's going to be lost in the mail, or it's going to go to some nutter who decides that he likes it and is going to display it on his mantle and then disappears from the forum.

So talk and debate until the cows come home. Nothing is going to happen until someone does what Panache did.....just sits down and MAKES something and gets the ball rolling.