Come on. Of course I think cycling is a sport. You make the bicycle go. Horses and cars do the driving for you.
Right....last time I was in the driver's seat of a car it didn't just take off by itself. But, ya know, they are getting pretty technologically advanced in auto racing these days.....maybe the cars do drive themselves.
A step in the right direction....but stickied? Great BINGO. THIS is the solution right here. True to an extent until the past few months IMO.... and also we've seem to have lost some quality posters recently too for some reasons. or more prevelantly (?) some quantity from many generally quality posters. coincidence? (granted, a few have nothing to do with this, rather outside circumstances) but.... 1) An OT forum isn't much to mod. Just throw the junk from the main forum that doesn't belong into it and glance at it every once in a while. Threads can go OT there; an OT forum generally doesn't have to be moderated closely. 2) Looking at the team forums that do have one, it seems to do an excellent job controlling the discussions (and flow/relevance of threads). https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=197
Negative. Columbus, Houston, & New England all have OT/NSR (Non-soccer related = off topic) boards. Well NY has the 2nd highest thread count and fourth highest post count per clubs...right there with similar numbers of NE, CHI, and DAL after DC, while having an OT forum and 2 supporters club forums. So I don't get your high volume comment. Furthermore, (you probably/should know that) BS was formed from the metrofan forum; they've had good traffic on that board before (and before the crash if you want to go WAY back).
Columbus isn't a great board, I laugh at your suggestion that the Houston board runs well...but NE is a good example. Regardless, I don't see the need for it. I don't really believe the off topic stuff we have is detracting from the board all that much. The threads that go off topic are typically ones in which the main topic has run its course. I'm all for enforcing the on topic nature of the various game threads....but the post-game is going to veer off after about 36 hours. Again, I don't see how that detracts from the board. I don't agree with your assertation that we've lost a lot over the last few years. I see little to no difference, to be honest. Actually, the only difference I see is less of an Inferno-centric focus and more game and team related stuff.
I think Columbus' is ran well actually, and NE too. I don't venture onto Houston's that much (many of this forum do though), so I'll defer to you on that. But even with just a quick glance, it looks better than here with everything about soccer and NonDynamoRelated threads (though relevant to Dynamo fans) marked as such. Seems that the OT forum helps in some way. Also, I didn't say the last few years, but the last few months....sort of since last season....and even more specifically I mention quantity from many quality posters. Granted, some of that is easily attributed to TIDN, and some to outside circumstances, but I believe some of it is just general degradation due to content in here. As to specific threads....this thread is a classic example and synopsis....how long did it take to go OT and how many posts are actually relevant to the excellent article it was supposed to be about? (hint: FIRST reply!) But we'll have to agree to disagree on this. I just don't think it is too much of a hassle/work to have an OT forum, I think it would help quite a bit, and I think most regulars of this forum would second that. Plus, not eveything is about you....Northside is a mod too Anyways, until tomorrow....gotta go get some sleep before work tonight....
You are just looking at the thread titles, not venturing into the threads themselves. Seems like all boards have the problem of threads going OT eventually. We've never had heavy handed moderation in the Dallas forum, and I'm not going to start the trend.
If you exclude Buzz's original post starting this thread, it took all of one post to go OT. Not exactly a thread having run it's course.
Well you're not going to stop everything; nor should you have to. Just as you said, things will take their course, but there is a line between anarchy and order (to use hyperbole); there is a middle ground between heavy-handed and active as well. Despite what you say about Houston's, I do read Columbus' threads often, and there's are actually about the Crew, with the OT threads seperate and existing threads more or less on topic.
Looking at former Practice Observation threads they rarely create much discussion. They simply exist as a way for Buzz to link to his latest report.
I agree.....we just differ on where that middle is. I'm more focused on making sure there aren't duplicative threads. And that the game threads stay on topic. Which is more moderation than this board had previously.
1) Apparently many in here disagree with you on that middle ground. 2) You really think this is more moderation than before? With ElJefe, Rocket, etc? Maybe inside game-related threads, but not outside of those and in the general forum IMHO. Or again, maybe the quantity/quality of other threads (and absence/decline of some posters) and order has also just went a little downhill. Ok, for REAL going to bed now....I'll catch up at work.
That would be you and one other guy? Am I getting that right? There was very little moderation being exercised before, in any form. And one of the mods has been consistent this entire time. So I find the idea that the moderation has changed significantly to be rather curious. I don't see it, but m'kay. Psshh....I don't believe you for a second.