What do you like/dislike about SC?

[buckeyefan78]

Welcome to SC Therapy Session #1!

I started a similar thread this past summer asking what we (the members) can do to make SC better but that one quickly got sidetracked.

So I'm putting this one up to see what everyone likes and dislikes about SC. No site is perfect so this shouldn't be too hard. At the same time, I recently visited a few other sites and there are things here that I like much better...clearly.

Everything from design/feel/things that were done differently/things you'd like to see changed...put 'em up.

I'll get the ball rolling...

LIKE: The site design. It makes it easy to see new threads and flows nicely to the eye. Other sites use too many forums which make topics hard to follow/find.

DISLIKE: The lack of membership/posting. This has been a problem for the last year and a half...at least...IMO. An interesting study can be found when you simply look at a pick 'em contests in here (either college football or NFL). If you look back you'll find that, on average, we had sometimes double (sometimes even more) the amount of members participating in 2006, 2005, 2004 than we did in 2007. IMO, this is symbolic of the lack of membership/posting.

NEXT...

[suedon1970]

Okay, here's my two cents:

Like: Site design, Good core group of regular posters....

Dislike: Not allowed to have sigs, no arcade, no vBookie (), loss of several regular members, unable to keep new members, etc.

[buckeyefan78]

Here's a like with a dislike mixed in:

Sue got the ball rolling and Marc put up that new member intro thread. That's a big like.

Here's a dislike or more like a suggestion cuz I don't know if it's currently being done or is possible:

I know on other sites when you sign up the admin sends you directly to the new member intro thread and asks you to tell a little about yourself. The new member has the option to post in there with an intro or not. I wonder if we have that function here at SC? If not, I think it would be good to have it. Nevertheless, when you see an unfamiliar face around the boards it's always nice to give a welcome and show interest in them.

[doublee]

Originally Posted by suedon1970

Dislike: Not allowed to have sigs, no arcade, no vBookie (), loss of several regular members, unable to keep new members, etc.

You are allowed to have signatures you just are not allowed to have images in your signature.

[suedon1970]

Originally Posted by doublee

You are allowed to have signatures you just are not allowed to have images in your signature.

I am aware of that, I have been on here for several years....I was talking about pictures in our sigs.....

[themush]

Like: The design A+. And the common chatter between me and some of the others. I feel I've gotten to know them relatively well. With the exception of a seemingly old guy who will never change(if you have to ask it's you.... Buck). And no matter the subject someone always has their opinion. Whether it be recruiting, NASCAR, or NCAA basketball. We have a strong foundation but, we could use some new members(fresh blood).

Dislike: How some threads get ignored(do some homework if you don't know, it will enlighten you), how some threads get shut down because two members get "in to it"(that's why we're here, to discuss and to get in to it with other members), and finally why aren't we more welcoming to new members? I joined a *whispers* Gator site and immediately had members welcoming me and encouraging me to post. I know Sue, Buck, myself, Tark, and some others have tried to do this but, why not the rest of us? I'm with Buck in saying when someone joins they should be taken to an "introduce yourself thread".

[Tarkus]

Like:

Meat loaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, okra, and peach cobbler. Mebbe some of that delicious cornbread Buck's Missus makes if she don't mind...


Dislike:

Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time.

There's lotsa people here that hate me, lots. I can feel it. It's like bees stingin' me.

[CKFresh]

LIKE: site design, most members, political discussion

DISLIKE: can't think of anything

[buckeyefan78]

DISLIKE: I feel there is a disconnect between Admin/the mods and the posters. Here is what it says under Mods in the FAQ...

Moderators oversee specific forums. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other manipulations. Becoming a moderator for a specific forum is usually rewarded to users who are particularly helpful and knowledgeable in the subject of the forum they are moderating.

So basically I'm asking: is this the entire duty of a mod? If not, what is?

I'm also not sure which direction Marc wants this place to go in. I think the site lacks vision from the top. Then again, I think the same can be said for some of/most of the regulars.

I would prefer the board to be very sports heavy...with only a "minor" role for pop culture/politics/etc.

Does Marc want a small board (in terms of members) or a large one? What do we, the members, prefer?

[Marc]

DISLIKE: I feel there is a disconnect between Admin/the mods and the posters. Here is what it says under Mods in the FAQ...

I don't think there's a disconnect. I don't see the mods/admin acting above other posters or doing anything. I think we get right into the fray.

So basically I'm asking: is this the entire duty of a mod? If not, what is?

That quote was not written by me, but by the developers of this forum's software. It's a pretty generic description, though accurate. What are the duties of a mod? Mods help keep things in order and maintain the type of atmosphere we want. They obviously enforce the Community Guidelines and rid of spam, but they also try to keep things on track and uphold our standards, i.e. being one of the best sports communities online that prides itself on quality over quantity.

I appreciate the efforts of Anthony, catman, doublee, and Montrovant greatly. They are my eyes and ears and I am comfortable that they share the vision I have. I have to personally trust the mods to be calm under fire and make the right the decisions for the site as a whole, even if that means swallowing their own pride at times.

I'm also not sure which direction Marc wants this place to go in. I think the site lacks vision from the top. Then again, I think the same can be said for some of/most of the regulars.

Well, let's be realistic here. It's a sports forum, not an elaborate corporation or genius idea. My goal is to keep on keepin' on. I obviously want the place to continue to grow and flourish, but mainly be a place that's above the fray you find at most sports forums. Quality over quantity.

I would prefer the board to be very sports heavy...with only a "minor" role for pop culture/politics/etc.

Me, too, but the amount of off-topic/politics discussion is entirely dictated by the members, and in my experience, the off-topic stuff is always one of the more popular forums on sites.

Does Marc want a small board (in terms of members) or a large one? What do we, the members, prefer?

I want as large a one as possible, as long as we can still keep that community feel, still maintain peace and order, and still have intelligent sports discussion. It isn't an issue of being opposed to large or small, it's maintaining the values regardless of size.

I think one of the most important things we need to do as a community is be welcoming of newcomers. Avoid being "clique-ish" — that's a downside to being too tight-nit and turns away people. I think we've been good welcome newbies and need to continue that. The New Member forum has been a decent success, let's keep pushing it.

Oh, and Tark ... we love ya.