Seriously this is getting ridiculous. a rant.

[Ryman of the North]

I have been a member here for a long time, I have always loved this forum because I could talk to other skins fans and get the latest info or even just argue about stuff in tailgate. For someone who was living in the Forest of northern Alberta this was a big deal, if the weather was bad I could still follow my skins by reading the game threads and the after game stuff by guys like Art and Bulldog and I was always grateful.

The people who started this board probably never thought it would get this big or that people posting so much would become such a problem. Its not my place to tell anyone how to run this but I havent been so irritated with this board ever!

I have to do a 20 minute search before I post and thats just for opinions! everybody wants to be heard ,yada yada but think of it this way, when everybody posts the same crap over and over you lose the reason that this board was started in the first place, a place for information and INFORMED discussion about the Redskins! If you have something meaningful to add then by all means share your opinion but for the love of god the "I agree" posts or the "I am acting like this is a chatroom" have to stop!

I am a nosy nora and the thought that I might miss an actual pearl of wisdom hiding in the crap bothers me, when I have to read a 30 page thread and honestly about 10 posts are worthwhile its getting bad! this is not a chat room its a message board.

I appreciate the work that The mods do and that everybody has the privilidge of posting here until they break the rules but maybe there should be a daily postlimit or hourly or something to cut back on the number of inane or not thought out posts?

I always thought that as intelligent Skins fans we would police ourselves but it hasnt been happening. I think its making it harder to enjoy the board and thats not cool.

Now all the free speechers and advocates for idiocy can rant at me and my elitist ways.

[Titaw]

I agree.

Just kidding. I have only been a member a short while and have noticed a few things.

1. For news articles there should only be designated "reporters" to post news articles.

2. To start a new thread the Search function should be a requirment, if you didn't search it will prompt you to do so.

That's it! Other than that I love the site and hope once the labor deal is either ratified or declined and free agency starts maybe we can focus on next year and not CBA's and LaVar.

[warren]

I agree too!

I mainly visit the "Redskins Breaking News" section when I'm in a rush.

On an unrelated note, I just got back from Alberta yesterday. I spent the week in Banff snowboarding. What a beautiful place....tons of powder!

Edit - Oh my, one post away from 1000. I think I'm going to save it for when ST's charges get dropped!!!!!

So, what was this post about again???

[jambo]

Amen, brother.

[aussieskin]

this is my 301st post since november last year, are u going to take some of them from me now? only joking, but the idea about particular reporters, say one from each state, is a good idea. We dont get much news in OZ about the NFL unless someone spits or shoots or goes on a love boat ride, and it does get tedious reading the same thing 3 or 4 times a day. but it doesnt stop me coming into the best football site in the world.

[MIKEWINK44]

I Agree !!

[PCS]

Whoa. Nice rant. Well said. And you didn't break any furniture either. Agreed about the chat room aspect at times. Vets like you can help as well with getting things under control.

[whitejimmy]

I think that's a very good point about this being a discussion board and not a chat room. The problem is that site *REWARDS* posters for flooding the site with little snippet responses by giving them better avatars based on post count. I think that avatar-reward system should be revisited. It was a nice idea that has become corrupted.

[Taylor 36]

I think that the manditory search feature would be nice, but the designated reporter idea kind of takes away from your the point of your post. If you are here to get all the news and informatin about the Redskins you can, why would you limit the amount of people who could bring you that info.

Extremeskins' posters live all around the globe. There will always be articles printed and published in certain places that people who are not near the source will miss. Allowing people to post an article from there area that others may not get a chance to read otherwise is important to this site. Plus, if you have the required search function in order to post, that should take care of the problem with too many reporters!

[Art]

Don't worry guys. We have something of a plan in place for this.

One of two things will happen.

We will find a way to allow community participation by assigning "reputation" values to posters that the community assigns. Based on that reputation, the poster can either not post new threads or can not post at all. If we can't get that working, well, we'll just start hacking away .

This community is here for people to discuss the team and be mildly understanding of the fact that THEY have to put in a little time looking for similar conversations so they don't overrun the place. For some reason it's been a hard thing to accomplish mostly because it's not just newbies making the problem. It's vets too.

Mostly, the "informed" discussion is what we're going to find a way to foster more of. If you have a three word rant, or simply think some player or some coach sucks, well, you're going to find the Swarm of this community turning on you, so, essentially, shut up. .

[Cskin]

I'd like to buy the original poster and Art a beer. PCS... spot me a $20 will ya?

[Kosher Ham]

I think the rep thing on most boards doesnt work. I have seen it on several and it just becomes a giant click of "who likes me". Kinda backfires on them I think.

As far as post counts for avatars ? ehh. Who really cares ? I sure dont. I will read anyone's thoughts if they are presented with more than a emoticon or 4 word, " You are the man".

Boy this thread seem eerily familiar.

[Art]

I think the rep thing on most boards doesnt work. I have seen it on several and it just becomes a giant click of "who likes me". Kinda backfires on them I think.

As far as post counts for avatars ? ehh. Who really cares ? I sure dont. I will read anyone's thoughts if they are presented with more than a emoticon or 4 word, " You are the man".

Boy this thread seem eerily familiar.

Don't worry there. We'll be approving the reputation use . So, even guys we don't like, we won't let get picked on. .

[Kosher Ham]

Don't worry there. We'll be approving the reputation use . So, even guys we don't like, we won't let get picked on. .

Are you saying you dont like me ? After all this time ? I thought we had some kind of connection, in the words of Doc Holiday: " I couldnt take it if we werent friends...Why Kate you're not wearing a bussel...".

Now as much as I like serious football talk, I dont mind the fun that we have around here. The site always had that comic relief aspect, to go along with serious topics either here or in other forums.

I dont want to discourage anyone from making posts and voicing their opinions, nor do I want any of us to stop friendly teasing and having the silly posts. I just want people to think about a post before they make it, and make a reasonable one.

:2cents:

[Art]

Are you saying you dont like me ? After all this time ? I thought we had some kind of connection, in the words of Doc Holiday: " I couldnt take it if we werent friends...Why Kate you're not wearing a bussel...".

Now as much as I like serious football talk, I dont mind the fun that we have around here. The site always had that comic relief aspect, to go along with serious topics either here or in other forums.

I dont want to discourage anyone from making posts and voicing their opinions, nor do I want any of us to stop friendly teasing and having the silly posts. I just want people to think about a post before they make it, and make a reasonable one.

:2cents:

And THAT is the problem we encounter.

Things we could do to stop the unneeded post we can't really do if we want to foster the fun, community type posts we are accustomed to. We can't limit newbies from posting new threads, else guys like Dinello or Andyman would never arrive and break news here, and of course, vets are a bigger problem here than they should be .

Really, we have largely two choices. Take a broad axe and simply cut away at people who don't contribute and help the board, or, let the Swarm have a hack at it and see if that works. That's what we're trying and why threads like this get our official endorsement.

[Goaldeje]

in the words of Doc Holiday: " I couldnt take it if we werent friends...Why Kate you're not wearing a bussel...".

How lewd.

Art, I like your idea, but you do have to be careful with this (allow me to counsel you, for a moment ). I agree with the original poster's thoughts that there is too much garbage floating on the front page, or there has been lately. But removing someone's ability to post and to start a thread are two completely different things. Cutting down on the meaningless threads is a good thing. Meaningless posts are going to be a little harder to regulate, I think. At that point, it becomes extremely subjective; caution is necessary, that's all.

Not that its a bad thing. For instance, I considered just posting the continuation to the Doc Holliday quote posted above, but thought that would be frivilous and silly, so had to make up this "advice" to you instead. I supose that worked out well...

[Kosher Ham]

Fair enough Art. I think we are on the same page and have pretty much the same expectations for board etiquette.

So at what point do you think that the Vets become a problem ? Only problem I see with some vets is that sometimes a relationship (either negative or positive) is built on another board topic and that carries over to other topics, which dilutes the topic.

There are only a few vet posters that I can think of that havent been weeded out. And every board has those type of posters so it isnt that big of a deal. Everyone accepts that poster as the red-headed stepchild (No offense to any Red-headed stepchildren), which is again part of any community.

[desertfox59]

And THAT is the problem we encounter.

Things we could do to stop the unneeded post we can't really do if we want to foster the fun, community type posts we are accustomed to. We can't limit newbies from posting new threads, else guys like Dinello or Andyman would never arrive and break news here, and of course, vets are a bigger problem here than they should be .

Really, we have largely two choices. Take a broad axe and simply cut away at people who don't contribute and help the board, or, let the Swarm have a hack at it and see if that works. That's what we're trying and why threads like this get our official endorsement.

Art is this a techinal problem a bandwidth problem...a not enough servers problem...? Because I just don't understand how Free and open debate is hampering this community.

If you really don't like someone who posts use the ignore button....

For every Toadie who cries "Quality Posts! Quality Posts?!?" I say, "Ignore button, Ignore button."

The Toadies have a choice: they can either beat their head against the wall and rant on about newbies (like this thread starter) or they can do something about it....Ignore them...

It is disheartning to hear You incourage the former behavior and not the latter. Especially you ART I think you are one of the best mods, I rarely disagree with one of your opinions, but this is one of those times.

but who am I....I'm just a nobody newbie....My opinion doesn't count right?

[Art]

Art is this a techinal problem a bandwidth problem...a not enough servers problem...? Because I just don't understand how Free and open debate is hampering this community.

If you really don't like someone who posts use the ignore button....

For every Toadie who cries "Quality Posts! Quality Posts?!?" I say, "Ignore button, Ignore button."

The Toadies have a choice: they can either beat their head against the wall and rant on about newbies (like this thread starter) or they can do something about it....Ignore them...

It is disheartning to hear You incourage the former behavior and not the latter. Especially you ART I think you are one of the best mods, I rarely disagree with one of your opinions, but this is one of those times.

but who am I....I'm just a nobody newbie....My opinion doesn't count right?

A free and open debate is what we've always had, and WILL always have. This community is based on the community helping maintain community standards. It is disheartening to see you don't know enough about the community to know that.

We WANT individual members with an understanding of this place to help us maintain some of what it was. It'll never be the same in all ways because we're so much larger. But, some of the mass hysteria waves that take here don't need to occur if people would simply show a wee bit of an ability to moderate themselves and contribute to the discussion with some intelligent, thoughtful effort.

That doesn't mean we have to agree with the point they make, but, we at least have to find it recognizable for the consideration behind it. Too often, people think every thread during a heightened period of news should be a game-day venting thread. This isn't a place designed for you to pour out all your base emotions each and every time you have a chance.

I value the toadies. Without them, this place wouldn't exist, because it is their knowledge of the place that allows us to maintain what we want to be. It is those people we care most about. Period. So, that's a good place to be.

Your disagreement is reasonable and even thoughtful, so I thank you for providing it. But, on this particular point, you've put yourself on the wrong side of the fence because WE WILL encourage the Swarm to be the Swarm.

[Kosher Ham]

desertfox59,

Many of us (including myself), take for granted the ease of which it is available to just type a reply to a post as opposed to taking it to a PM or AIM, whatever. The other reasoning is that the poster brought up a reasonable point that anyone can address or that everyone should see a response to.

There is only one board that I use the ignore option on. Guess which one ? And even still it is limited to only 2 posters.

I shouldnt be forced to use an "ignore button" on a quality forum. If that is what this board is about to become than I will move on. I look at boards like the Falcons board and how pathetic it is. I sure hope that most people who post here dont think that that this board isnt on the same level.

Sure we have our homers and idiots like myself, but you cant take anything away from the quality of content and overall posters of this board.

[ncSKIN]

I have been a member of this board for several years and don't post often. I enjoy reading about my beloved skins and usually do not have much to add to the topics being discussed. Many of the rest of the members fit that model as well, but that does not keep them from posting something with no added value to the topic. I still feel that the post count, and it's subsequent avatar reward, promotes an "extreme" amount of meaningless posting.

[desertfox59]

A free and open debate is what we've always had, and WILL always have. This community is based on the community helping maintain community standards. It is disheartening to see you don't know enough about the community to know that.

We WANT individual members with an understanding of this place to help us maintain some of what it was. It'll never be the same in all ways because we're so much larger. But, some of the mass hysteria waves that take here don't need to occur if people would simply show a wee bit of an ability to moderate themselves and contribute to the discussion with some intelligent, thoughtful effort.

That doesn't mean we have to agree with the point they make, but, we at least have to find it recognizable for the consideration behind it. Too often, people think every thread during a heightened period of news should be a game-day venting thread. This isn't a place designed for you to pour out all your base emotions each and every time you have a chance.

I value the toadies. Without them, this place wouldn't exist, because it is their knowledge of the place that allows us to maintain what we want to be. It is those people we care most about. Period. So, that's a good place to be.

Your disagreement is reasonable and even thoughtful, so I thank you for providing it. But, on this particular point, you've put yourself on the wrong side of the fence because WE WILL encourage the Swarm to be the Swarm.

Thank you for your reply. couple of points that I wish you would've addressed though.

1) Why not prop the ignore button?

2) is it a techinal issue? (you probably can't answer that)

What you want this place to be and what it has become are two different things...I may be on the wrong side of the fence, but I think that you are fighting a losing battle, unless some drastic foundational changes take place here.

that said I respect the fact that the Mods and Vets want high quality discusions...I do also. I just don't want it at the expense of the low quality ones either.

Here's an Idea...Start another forum whose members are voted in by originally the Mods then the Mod/Vet members. membership in that forum would be contingent upon your posting of quality threads and posts. call it the locker room or something. that way it will keep the vets in the old-school style of EXtream skins that they are missing so much and it would be an incentive for those of us lowly Newbies in the Stadium to contribute the type of quality that would get us voted into the Locker room...

...I'm trying to be proactive here because of all the bad things that go on here the freedom that the toadies jump on is IMHO not one of them.

[ncSKIN]

I meant to add that we seem to have gone from what used to be a very functional message board to a chat room type environment. Maybe this is a natural evolution since the membership is so much larger now, and is clearly less manageable.

[Heidenreich]

Here's an Idea...Start another forum whose members are voted in by originally the Mods then the Mod/Vet members. membership in that forum would be contingent upon your posting of quality threads and posts. call it the locker room or something. that way it will keep the vets in the old-school style of EXtream skins that they are missing so much and it would be an incentive for those of us lowly Newbies in the Stadium to contribute the type of quality that would get us voted into the Locker room...

I'm sorry, I think that's a terrible idea.

So The stadium would become a "minor league"/training forum, so to speak? And the new forum is where the "mod's/vets post?" That would mean that the important news articles (From Bubba, etc), andymans inside news, and the rest would only be there, because I doubt that anyone would want to make a post in two different forums. Somehow I doubt this kind of eliteism would do anything but chase people from the board, old & new.......

[G-Prime]

I have been a member of this board for several years and don't post often. I enjoy reading about my beloved skins and usually do not have much to add to the topics being discussed. Many of the rest of the members fit that model as well, but that does not keep them from posting something with no added value to the topic. I still feel that the post count, and it's subsequent avatar reward, promotes an "extreme" amount of meaningless posting.

Agreed. I must admit not all of my posts have been intreging or even made much sense. But I never post with a post count in mind. I read this board for years before even posting a single topic(or even registering for that matter) as I have found even back before the merge an elitist attitude among some of the members that left me a little post shy. Since the merge that attitude has only gotten worse as the vets try hard to let everyone know where they rank on the totem poll of skins fandom.

With the majority of the mods taking sides with the vets regardless of stance or reasoning, it's introduced a backlash effect among those not at the top of the totem poll. An "Us against them" sort of mindset that can be dangerous to the community.

Now I've agreed with the mods more then I've disagreed with them and I'm not trying to make them sound like the bad guys, but there have been several instances where a mod has alienated posters. What eventually will happen is people will just start going some place more friendly. Which would be a tragedy as the mods and a lot of it's user base work hard maintaining this community. But when did the board stop being community based and started being a farm, in which like ideas had to be hemed in their little fences and not allowed to mingle amongst the other ideas.