SDS Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 There are a lot of topics that can be discussed between now and the draft. I was thinking that maybe we could have some sort of schedule where we intentionally focus on a topic for a week or so... current players, free agents, draft picks, etc... Good idea? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Terrible idea. Different events and transactions occur at different times. So what if we sign a FA but its not the week we talk about FA signings, can we not talk about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in Chicago Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 There are a lot of topics that can be discussed between now and the draft. I was thinking that maybe we could have some sort of schedule where we intentionally focus on a topic for a week or so... current players, free agents, draft picks, etc... Good idea? Thoughts? I always love structure so do like this idea. Ideally, we can break topics by Offense, Defense and ST with players listed under these topics. First Free agents, then draft picks. Can we then archive discussions about individual players once their fate is decided (ie. we win/lose the bidding war) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Great idea. ans4e64 -- no, I would not expect it to be that strict at all. Obviously any current transactions would get priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I always love structure so do like this idea. Ideally, we can break topics by Offense, Defense and ST with players listed under these topics. First Free agents, then draft picks. Can we then archive discussions about individual players once their fate is decided (ie. we win/lose the bidding war) ? I would suggest pinned threads for each of these positions: OG, DT, CB/Clements, LB/Fletcher, DE/Kelsay, TE/WR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted January 3, 2007 Author Share Posted January 3, 2007 that is why I put the term "loosely" in the subject. Granted, this may be like herding cats, but I wanted to throw it out discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Yeah, I like structure, but hate reading threads lumped together with hundreds of posts in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 He who stands in front of the Retard Rodeo gets stomped by the bull. Back away slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koufax Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I think we need to bring some order to the forum, but I don't think a schedule is the answer. I think what matters is reducing the number of threads created (not creating a thread where there already is one), and trying to make posts intelligent and relevent. So I would like to see some big long threads develop for certain topics, and avoid other threads on the exact same topic. I'm with Ozymandius that we should pick out some good thread subjects and start these main topics, and then do our best to discourage other threads covering the exact same stuff. I don't think that they have to be pinned, because if we focus on them they will get bumped to the top naturally, and the ones that aren't interesting can drop off. So certainly a London Fletcher thread and a Nate Clements thread would make sense, covering news and views on these two until their situations are resolved. Ditto for the other free agents, the draft, etc. So let's brainstorm up a good list of some clearly described threads, and then try to discourage/ignore threads that duplicate these subjects, as well as off topic posts to these threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 no schedule. no pinned threads cause after 100 posts most threads are just circular arguments. youd need almost a whole new forum room dedicated to the offseason. but thats sorta what the main board is during the offseason.... hmm, i like your idea for a plan, but dont think its prudent/necesary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 How about a week of talking about alcohol abuse. Starting............now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koufax Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Just as an initial gesture I opened an "Official" Nate/CB discussion thread. I hope it works, and we can keep it alive and on topic, and start similar threads on the other big topics with clear titles and focuses. So anybody who is onboard on the idea help me out by adding your thoughts on the subject, and then we can figure out what thread to start next (I think starting a couple at a time is fine, but starting 15 official threads at once will probably cause the whole idea to fail). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 .........So I would like to see some big long threads develop for certain topics........ I'm against this idea. I tend not to like the big long threads & structuring topics is bound to end with multiple ones. Long threads are fine if you are one of the people who has been following from the start & have seen how discussion has progressed and changed in regards to updated events & information. If you happen to miss a few days(particularly the start) they become very difficult to follow. You have to read all the pages involved but on long threads most of the early posts will be out of date & honestly a bore to read.....and if one jumps in without reading all posts, there is bound to be repetition daily. I much prefer a new thread for a new thought or occurrence......even though there may well be threads covering the same topic. Also with the circular nature of long threads, it is IMO fine for a thought not already greatly covered to be put in a new thread.....it can so easily get lost in a long one. The threads that people gravitate towards stay at the top anyway & the others fall off page 1. I wouldn't mind a few pinned threads for people to put links to resource material sites....i.e. draft analysis/FA lists/salary cap pages/player profiles/etc. Just my thoughts..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 How about a week of talking about alcohol abuse. Starting............now. It's only alcohol abuse if you spill it...or leave 8 stranded soldiers throughout the living room like my roommate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrite Gal Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I would actually agree with your general thought but amend to say that yes structure is generally good but the key point is not to adopt structure for structures sake. Only good structure is good and bad structure mat be nice theoretically but bad structure is simply bad. My suggestion is that you as the moderator on the board pushing this need to be disciplined enough not to simply hold to a particular structure because it is the way we decided to do things and particularly not because of pride of authorship in that it is yours or someone else;s suggestion, While one of the the great things about TSW is that you and the other moderators have been appropriately draconian as a private sector enterprise can be about simply eliminating posts and other efforts you judge have the potential to take us down the failed path of the Rochester D&C Board where their commitment to free speech simply lerd to extreme elements irresponsibly killing the Board, you and the moderators will need to be diligent about being very loose in forcing the structure on folks and defending it. I see a real difference between stupid effort to spam TSW for instance which should be draconianly dealt with to protect the board and the idea of enforcing a structure for the conversation which I do not think will merit the same diligence. I think offering up separate pinned fora for discussions of topics like The Draft, The Failure to Sellout the final home dates and the potenitial for the Bills to Move, Free Agency, and whatever else might be a helpful tool that may structure the conversation and provide some guidance to posters. However, an idea like choosing a topic for a particular week which governs the board will be essentially subverted when something newsworthy in an off-topic area happens and an attempt to keep people on the topic of the week and avoid the news will essentially be arbitrary and doomed to failure as it simply bucks reality. Rather than call upon the moderators to exercise judgment about content (different topics will essentially float different people's boats) if you simply provide pinned topic areas you will find some sense of free choice as people will go where they want to go, but still have some structure within the pinned topic. Essentially this mimics the already successful TSW model where the board has a variety of areas such as the politics area, the Stadium Wall, etc. Essentially this simply divides the TSW topic area into a set up sub-topics. You might even post statistical information for each sub-topic such as the # of posts received that day. My guess is that you will find that users essentially vote with their fingers by posting most on the topics of interest and not going top other areas. The worse case would be if you or a moderator chose an a topic that interested them for the whole board (whither Willis for example) but others are either not interested or simply sick of it and they get in the habit of avoiding TSW a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swift Sylvan Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 I was still a wallflower when the survivor threads happened with the best Bills we've ever had, depending on just how much time there is to kill, we can have a survivor thread with every single Bill player who has dissapointed us in the last decade or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 that is why I put the term "loosely" in the subject. Granted, this may be like herding cats, but I wanted to throw it out discussion. Meow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Terrible idea. Different events and transactions occur at different times. So what if we sign a FA but its not the week we talk about FA signings, can we not talk about it? Since the free agency signing period doesn't officially open until March 1, we've got almost two months to throw stuff against the wall to see if it sticks... Boss, you're thinking more along the lines of "let's have people do some research and really take the time to dig into a certain topic", not "we'll focus on said topic to the exclusion of everything else", correct? That seems to be one of the misunderstandings I'm seeing. I don't think anyone's planning on nuking threads simply because they're not what we decided to talk about in a certain week. General FYI as to pinning threads: for those of you who have joined TSW recently, FA lists/signings and the link to Clumpy's salarycap analysis over on BillsZone have been pinned in years past, so I assume that'll happen again once we hit that part of the offseason. Hafta watch the tendency to overload on pinning stuff, though - some people find it annoying to have to scroll down to get to the top of the unpinned topics, or so I've been told... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepthefaith Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 that is why I put the term "loosely" in the subject. Granted, this may be like herding cats, but I wanted to throw it out discussion. I think it would be more like herding gnats than cats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HudsonValleyBillsFan Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I am firmly against this type of 'order' and I really get mad when people take this stuff too seriously. Message boards are meant to be a little chaotic and not meant for structure (SDS this is not meant for you, I like your idea). There is enough of that crap in my real life, I don't need it on a fan's message board as well. Yes, I may start a thread about a topic that is already posted because I have a different spin on it or, God for bid, I may not have seen that a similar thread was already started. With some of the people on here, you would think you commited murder if that happened. If you don't want to read a thread, simply go to the next one. I think at times, some members can be unnecessarily mean to other posters about these silly thing. Relax .. it's just a message board. I think we need to bring some order to the forum, but I don't think a schedule is the answer. I think what matters is reducing the number of threads created (not creating a thread where there already is one), and trying to make posts intelligent and relevent. So I would like to see some big long threads develop for certain topics, and avoid other threads on the exact same topic. I'm with Ozymandius that we should pick out some good thread subjects and start these main topics, and then do our best to discourage other threads covering the exact same stuff. I don't think that they have to be pinned, because if we focus on them they will get bumped to the top naturally, and the ones that aren't interesting can drop off. So certainly a London Fletcher thread and a Nate Clements thread would make sense, covering news and views on these two until their situations are resolved. Ditto for the other free agents, the draft, etc. So let's brainstorm up a good list of some clearly described threads, and then try to discourage/ignore threads that duplicate these subjects, as well as off topic posts to these threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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