State Of The Board - 2018 (1 Viewer)

[hagmania]

Thanks Hagmania. We won't be able to do images. But I'll check on tweets. 

Thanks Joe Bryant!

 

[Sinn Fein]

Re: Politics Thread

I don't know if this will help, but on another board that I frequent, they have labeled their FFA sections as "Chat" and "Discussion/Debate".  The boards are very similar in their make-up (outside of nationality), and I would say most of the threads are mature conversations (similar to what I experience here - i.e. threads rarely devolve to the lowest common denominator), and there is a general level of respect for most posters, regardless of views.  Moderation is similar - some areas a little heavier, some ares a little looser.  There is only one topic that is off-limits (Jewish/Palestinian/Middle East) for reasons not really relevant here. 

Chat is the light-hearted conversations (topics on the front page right now): 

1. What music radio do you listen to?
   
2. TV Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
   
3. This thread is useless without Pictures
   
4. Imagine being this excited that some one you have never met is having a kid.
   
5. The Joke Thread
   
6. Old Time Lingo & Compost Corner
   
7. Buying a New TV
   
8. Tailoring
   
9. BBQ Season - share your recipes/tips
   
10. Yanny/Laurel Debate
    

Then in the Debate/Discussion Section:

1. The Monarchy
   
2. Free Speech in the UK
   
3. The Brexit Thread
   
4. The Trump Show
   
5. Vaccinations
   
6. Legalise Drugs?
   
7. Commons Select Committee
   
8. Global Warming: True or ####e?
   
9. Syria
   
10. Great big Science & Philosophy of science thread
    
11. General Election aftermath
    
12. Cambridge Analytica
    
13. North Korea
    

I think it was good to move the political debate to another section - but in reality, it was evolved (devolved?) into a much broader group of subjects, so perhaps instead of pigeon-holing* the Sub-section as "Politics" we label it as "Discussion/Debate" and put the heavier topics all in that Section, rather than worry about "Is this really a political topic?"  

If we had more clarity on where to find threads (thinking of the recent texas shooting), that might encourage more participation - and I don't think its a good idea to have identical threads in two separate sections - so I don't like having one thread in FFA and one in Politics - it just leads to disjointed conversations, where good points might be raised in one thread, but never seen in the other.  I know a lot of people don't like the Politics thread, and what it has become - and I get that, but no reason to ignore the entire section, if there were quality conversations and topics.

Ironically, they have a "USA Shootings" thread in Chat, but I think such a thread belongs in Discussion/Debate on this board.

*Yes, I see what I did there.

 

[gianmarco]

If we model this place after a Tottenham message board, I'm out.

 

[Mr.Pack]

Splitting off a politics forum was absolutely and unequivocally the right move. 

Cracking down on the objectification of women is probably also a good move. 

I wish certain posters didn't chafe so much as a result and move on. That's the only downside to this for me. I never really opened the Who's Hottest threads much and I'm pretty sure I never opened the yoga pants or over 50 threads. But I miss @otb_lifer and others. They were neighbors I never wanted to move away. That's the only real bummer in all of this.

I've always been of the mind that the moderation here, even if it's not entirely in lockstep with how I would do it, makes the board better. Those who cannot express themselves without constant unedited vulgarity or personal attacks tend to fall by the wayside. It separates the wheat from the chaff. 

And these guys are all chaff.

Well... no, we're all wheat.

Why would you want to be wheat, dude?

WHY WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO BE CHAFF?! 

Probably the best post in this thread.

The whiners have to be teenagers, no way a grown adult whines this much over this, I just don't get it.

Great post EG

 

[Sinn Fein]

If we model this place after a Tottenham message board, I'm out.

Its actually kind of uncanny how similar the two boards are - many of the same types of posters, to the point where I assume that its the same people posting on both boards.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

Its actually kind of uncanny how similar the two boards are - many of the same types of posters, to the point where I assume that its the same people posting on both boards.

that "Who Likes Watercress Tea Sammichs (sic)" thread would not fly here - like a bunch of soccer hooligans.

 

[roadkill1292]

Re: Politics Thread

I don't know if this will help, but on another board that I frequent, they have labeled their FFA sections as "Chat" and "Discussion/Debate".  The boards are very similar in their make-up (outside of nationality), and I would say most of the threads are mature conversations (similar to what I experience here - i.e. threads rarely devolve to the lowest common denominator), and there is a general level of respect for most posters, regardless of views.  Moderation is similar - some areas a little heavier, some ares a little looser.  There is only one topic that is off-limits (Jewish/Palestinian/Middle East) for reasons not really relevant here. 

Chat is the light-hearted conversations (topics on the front page right now): 

1. What music radio do you listen to?
   
2. TV Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
   
3. This thread is useless without Pictures
   
4. Imagine being this excited that some one you have never met is having a kid.
   
5. The Joke Thread
   
6. Old Time Lingo & Compost Corner
   
7. Buying a New TV
   
8. Tailoring
   
9. BBQ Season - share your recipes/tips
   
10. Yanny/Laurel Debate
    

Then in the Debate/Discussion Section:

1. The Monarchy
   
2. Free Speech in the UK
   
3. The Brexit Thread
   
4. The Trump Show
   
5. Vaccinations
   
6. Legalise Drugs?
   
7. Commons Select Committee
   
8. Global Warming: True or ####e?
   
9. Syria
   
10. Great big Science & Philosophy of science thread
    
11. General Election aftermath
    
12. Cambridge Analytica
    
13. North Korea
    

I think it was good to move the political debate to another section - but in reality, it was evolved (devolved?) into a much broader group of subjects, so perhaps instead of pigeon-holing* the Sub-section as "Politics" we label it as "Discussion/Debate" and put the heavier topics all in that Section, rather than worry about "Is this really a political topic?"  

If we had more clarity on where to find threads (thinking of the recent texas shooting), that might encourage more participation - and I don't think its a good idea to have identical threads in two separate sections - so I don't like having one thread in FFA and one in Politics - it just leads to disjointed conversations, where good points might be raised in one thread, but never seen in the other.  I know a lot of people don't like the Politics thread, and what it has become - and I get that, but no reason to ignore the entire section, if there were quality conversations and topics.

Ironically, they have a "USA Shootings" thread in Chat, but I think such a thread belongs in Discussion/Debate on this board.

*Yes, I see what I did there.

My secondary board (I like the community here better) has a first rate structure but in the defense of boards like FBG, it's only purpose is message boarding so it has the time and wherewithal to spend on said structure. Personal attacks in debate forums will bring swift banishment, yet there is also a forum strictly devoted to personal bashing, even of other posters. Imagine that if you will and imagine also that it's not nearly the most popular forum of the board. Also, that board allows adult language in any and all forums, though, again, it draws the line at misogyny and bigotry. I wish we could import much of that structure here but I realize the difficulty this site faces doing that when the board is much smaller component of the business.

 

[IMAX 3D]

@Joe Bryant I've tried to not really jump in too much with the recent changes but I'll go ahead and add my $.02.

I never got into the Who's Hottest polls.  Didn't think they were a big deal, weren't really my thing, but completely get wanting to put an end to those, especially with the recent explosion in the number of them.  My impression is that, even for those that did regularly participate in those, they get it and it's not a big deal.

I also understand your sentiment in the wife cheating thread.  I think the issue that has rubbed people the wrong way that I haven't seen mentioned but I think is the crux of it was not just putting your stance on it and posting what was allowed, but doing so from the very outset before anything was even posted.  I don't think I've seen that in my time here. 

To further explain, if that thread had been allowed to just go without your post about what was and wasn't allowed, there's a good chance it would have been a productive thread.  There might have been a joke or story mixed in.  Most likely they wouldn't have crossed any lines, but if they did, they would likely have been noticed, possibly reported, and then dealt with.  It's how pretty much every thread here has always taken place and it's worked.  Even if you had taken down some relatively "PG" comments or posts, I doubt there would have been much backlash. 

I think the issue came when you jumped in before anything even took place, probably in light of the recent change of heart with the other stuff, similar to what a chaperone does with young kids.  I can see why you did it but I can completely understand why it rubbed a LOT of people the wrong way.  It's assuming the worst of the community when, in general, that kind of behavior hasn't been present and the self-policing has worked quite well.  There's a level of trust you should have in the people that frequent this place and it completely came across as you were assuming the worst before anything even happened.  I think most everyone here has a pretty good feel for what is allowed and what isn't and has a pretty good feel for what you'll tolerate and what you won't.  Not everyone has to agree with it but most everyone gets it.  But the whole "Minority Report" thing of barking what is and isn't allowed when nothing had taken place was a line that I haven't seen crossed before. 

In even some of the worst threads, when things got out of control, they were still pretty tame by most standards and things were often dealt with.  Threads get locked, posters get warned or suspended or banned and the line gets reset.  That way has worked for a long time.  I don't think the number of threads where that happens is a lot.  In fact, I'm surprised it's so few.  So when you jumped the gun  in an attempt to head off whatever you thought might have been a bad way for that thread to go, in a sense you started punishing posters and getting everyone to walk on eggshells on what could be written and what couldn't.  IMO, that is far worse than any commentary that might have taken place because it starts to stifle what this place has been mostly built on.  Good people with mostly good intentions, good insight, good humor, and in the end, a good understanding of having fun and still being excellent.

In the end, your preemptive post probably didn't change a single thing of what 99% of the people would have posted otherwise.  So instead of just dealing with that 1% when it happens, you "punished" everyone and assumed we aren't smart enough/mature enough to handle that kind of thread on our own.  I think THAT is what was most unsettling, not whatever new "line in the sand of what's allowed". 

I’ll be honest I would have dropped in some adultery jokes 

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I totally disagree with this. But I don't see you in the political subforum much.

So my guess is - if you don't like the political threads, you want it separate from the FFA. And if you do like the political threads, you want it all one forum with the FFA.

I am in the latter group. I don't come to the FFA main forum as much and that kind of bums me out. I realize its not a big deal to go from one forum to the other - just lazy I guess.

I think you nailed it. I am pretty much never in the PSF and got tired of every other FFA thread devolving into right v. left rock fights. That has diminished greatly with the segregation of the PSF. I imagine those with a different agenda than mine might feel marginalized, but the move basically saved the FFA for me. I was around a lot less than I once was prior to the move and now I find myself here a lot more. 

 

[comfortably numb]

We still changing the board name?

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

Hard pill to swallow after all these years, "It is my board and if you don't like it please find a board you do like...adios."    I know that you didn't say it in those exact words Joe, but it kinda always sounds that way when these "cleansing" of the board type things happen.   I have been around for a long time as well.  And I think that the board cleans up after its self pretty well.  The wrong people who post here will hang themselves eventually as the old timers play along with them giving them just enough rope.  Who would have thought this board would still be around after all these years?  I guess Joe you are doing it right. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

Hard pill to swallow after all these years, "It is my board and if you don't like it please find a board you do like...adios."    I know that you didn't say it in those exact words Joe, but it kinda always sounds that way when these "cleansing" of the board type things happen.   I have been around for a long time as well.  And I think that the board cleans up after its self pretty well.  The wrong people who post here will hang themselves eventually as the old timers play along with them giving them just enough rope.  Who would have thought this board would still be around after all these years?  I guess Joe you are doing it right. 

Thanks @SHIZNITTTT 

I hear you. I agree as well it's pretty remarkable this has been going strong for a long time. 

 

[roadkill1292]

Thanks @SHIZNITTTT 

I hear you. I agree as well it's pretty remarkable this has been going strong for a long time. 

So long that there are entire sub genres of topics here comprised of people who don't even play FF any more. I don't say that to be snarky, but it's a little phenomenal that some of us have stuck around even when our interest in the site's core being has waned. I think that's at least a little attributable to the community that was offered and nurtured here way back in the beginning. And I'm appreciative of that.

 

[Aerial Assault]

I am not leaving even though I don't like some of the new changes but I have been pondering whether it would be better for everyone involved if Joe gave a two month warning to shutting down, giving us time to find a new home all together instead of maybe watching people leave in tiny drips and drabs, slowly reducing the community and having no real way of getting those people back......

Yup.  I'm not defending or arguing for any recently impacted threads, but when the heavy hand of moderation suddenly appears out of almost nowhere to regulate what had been a pretty lightly moderated, well-behaved community, it's jarring, and makes one wonder what's up behind the scenes.  

Your comment about shutting things down and letting us find a new home reminds me of when KFFL bought a group of 50-70 dynasty leagues called EFS about a dozen years or so ago.  It was immediately clear that KFFL had no interest in running leagues, but they pretended they did for a season, maybe two.  Then one offseason, they suddenly shut off the lights almost overnight.  However, many of us had anticipated that (which took no particular genius) and were ready to "go private"  in response.  It was a good move.  I don't care nearly as much about fantasy football these days as I did when that all went down,  but it's been nice to continue that community ever since.  

The analogy is nowhere near perfect; whereas KFFL wanted nothing to do with fantasy league administration, clearly Joe is still making money of some sort on the FFA or he wouldn't be posting here about it.  (This may be what you were getting at, NewlyRetired - that it would ironically be better if he just said the jig was up instead of suddenly turning up and dramatically impacting all discussion here.)  Anyway, while Joe seems like a solid guy, and while I am again not taking a stance on any particular threads, the FFA is clearly headed toward something less interesting than it was, and tinged with a bit of a police state atmosphere as well as an added bonus.  That's sad.  It was nice to have a place where adults could hang out and talk to one another about mature topics - and ignore those that weren't to one's own taste - while not descending to the sewer-like miasma of many subreddits.  Anyway.  Perhaps Joe will lay off the heavy hand or someone will indeed find us a new home.  

 

[Mr.Pack]

We still changing the board name?

This

 

[The Ref]

i'll say a positive thing is the wagering thread. Not sure if it is just the people who have been residing in there for years or what, but that thread seems to self-regulate very well and maintains a good vibe. not sure what the trick of that thread is, but it works

Probably the thread author....

 

[The Ref]

Hi @The Ref  I want to make sure I understand. When you say "the brand" is in charge. What do you mean?

You are changing the rules because you want to and at the expense of "the neighborhood" the majority of which are not in favor of new moderation.  Weather it's you personally or your view as to how want FBG to look going forward is "the Brand" I speak of.

And again the rule changes are bad enough IMHO but the part you keep ducking whenever it's been brought up is the fact that you are completely on board with the "my way or the highway" with a population of people who have been here for 15 years and 20K+ posts.  It's downright crummy.

Put it up for a vote - even if it's not binding.  I bet the change gets blown out of the water.

 

[Osaurus]

Hey Guys.

We've done a thread like several times and they've been helpful I think. Thought I might start another one with a clean slate here. I'll do one in the Shark Pool and one in this forum. I've got a few points to ramble on and then you guys can throw out what you're seeing, what you like and what can be better.

The imminent death of message boards in general and this board, in particular, has been a topic as long as I can remember. This thread had me thinking today and it's several years old. It's something we've become quite used to seeing and hearing.  Not sure what that means.

I do think message boards have been dramatically impacted by the multitude of other social media platforms available for people to communicate with each other. I think that's great. More options and choices for the consumer is hardly ever a bad thing. It becomes an issue of time. You have ___ minutes a day to spend on this kind of stuff. If you start adding time spent on Twitter or Instagram or something else, that time is likely taken from somewhere else. It might be the old message board forum.

Obviously, there are huge boards like Reddit. But my take is most boards are not growing a lot. I think it's the normal progression for most things where a platform becomes "mature" and kind of levels out. Our data bears that out. I don't sense a ton of new folks coming in. But I think it's awesome we have so many "regulars" that are here a ton. Many for years and years.

I completely reject the common internet business idea of "grow or die". For me, I think of the board sort of like a neighborhood and this model feels just about right. If I could wave a magic wand and control how many people live in a neighborhood, I'd like it to be mostly stable with some new people coming in. I don't know if that's right or wrong, but it feels pretty right to me. I think our board here is similar. 

Now of course I don't have any magic wand and I can't really control who moves into the neighborhood. For that, what "control" I have is trying to set up the rules so it's a desirable neighborhood and people want to be here. Those rules aren't popular with everyone. I get it. And that's ok. I fully get I'm maybe not "normal" by internet standards. And neither is this board. You guys have to trust me when I say I've never begrudged a poster who says this is not what he wants and moves on. I want people, including the ones who think I'm wrong, to be happy. Community is so important. We're no different than any other group or community. If the rules are such that you're not comfortable, the right thing to do is find a place where you are comfortable. I've apologized as I've been insensitive in the past and sounded too flippant about this. But it's truly something I mean. I want people to be happy. I hope it's here. But if it's not here, find somewhere where you will be happy. I just want you to be happy somewhere. 

And I realize sometimes the neighborhood rules change. And that leaves long time "residents of the neighborhood" conflicted. I get that. But I'd say it's pretty much like life in general. Just like rules or laws or what's acceptable in society change. There are things one could get away with saying or doing in some neighborhoods 20 years ago that aren't appropriate today. Hopefully, that's for the good. Not to be dramatic, but we've had some changes too. In the past, we allowed the "who's hottest" threads which sometimes turned into locker room talk and guys making crude comments. I've asked that we please don't do that. I've asked that we not turn things like one cheating on their wife into jokes or make light of it. That's a change. Allowing those were mistakes I made and I've learned. 

The biggest challenge with changes though is sometimes not everyone knows the "rules". And the trouble of course is there's lots of gray area. I'll try to do what I did in the "cheating on your wife" thread and be proactive about asking folks to avoid certain things and being clear with the rules. It's not fair to penalize someone when they don't know the rules. 

Last thing, and I think the most important reason why message boards in general and our board in particular thrive are because I think we as humans are wired to desire community. There's a desire for people to gather and share. Sometimes it's pointless and light. Sometimes it's super heavy. We've seen a treasure of both over the years. And that's been because of you folks. I realize me posting on the boards is sort of like the goofy high school history teacher trying to talk to the cool kids in the lunch room. This is more about you folks. What I'll do is try to create the environment where you folks can thrive. That's my role in this. 

That's a little of where I see us in May of 2018. 

If you've got things you see that are positive, it'd be great to hear them so we can do more. If you've got things you see we can do better, that's great too. I'll try to understand the "other" side. But you have to know me understanding the other side doesn't necessarily mean we'll do it your way. But it's always good to have understanding. 

Bottom line is thanks for being part of the boards. They are you folks. 

J

Joe, you need a tl;dr here  

 

[cosjobs]

Never thought we’d see the day where you liken yourself to Tanner, but here we are

 Things change @Epic Problem

Can Tanner ban you 378 times to even things up a little bit?

 

[Steeler]

It's one of the best decisions you've made in here.

Moving the Political Forum to a sub-forum was definitely the right call!  So much so, that I can't even imagine the mixed feelings that Joe could have about that decision.

The main FFA forum is so much better without the political thread infiltrating and taking over.  

 

[jwb]

Thanks @SHIZNITTTT 

I hear you. I agree as well it's pretty remarkable this has been going strong for a long time. 

I think you do it right for the most part too, and you've worked hard to keep a certain vibe here. And I agree with most of the recent changes, like the who's hottest.

But the turn taken in that cheating thread is weird. It's not a major societal thing, like how #timesup and the hottest threads could be related. And it wasn't something so wrong that that we could all kind of see, like 'let's not make jokes about child slavery, guys"... yea, that I can get.

But cheating? Really? I agree with your stance on it (I've never cheated, never will), and I understand that two of your friends got hurt by it, but, imho, limiting discussion (i.e. jokes) on that goes a little too far in the "my way or the highway" dept. What happens when someone you know has a bad Tinder experience - are jokes in the idating thread next? It's a fair question after what happened in the cheating thread.   

I think you took it a little too personal because of your friends. Just my .02.  

 

[NFL2DF]

I've received a 24 hour and 8 day suspension in the last 6 months. The only explanation I've received is a post quoting my offending post that said, "Don't." I try to be excellent to others and when I get a suspension I feel I should be given a clear explanation of why I was suspended. I've emailed boards@footballguys.com and received no reply. Why can a moderator ban me but give no explanation why? How am I supposed to understand what rule(s) I've violated if there is no explanation? 

I'm an adult and can humbly accept a suspension for something I've done wrong. When I don't know why I've been suspended I'm not likely to change because I don't know what I did wrong.

Moderators need to take responsibility for their actions. And perhaps if moderators and posters knew exactly what the rules are there'd be less confusion.

Also, if a moderator deletes my post because I referred to DJT as Drumpf (because that's the name his immigrant family came to our country with) it just reeks of pettiness. DJT hates and despises immigrants and my posts using that name highlights the fact that he forgets that he himself comes from a family of immigrants.

Sorry for the highjack.

Thanks for providing this forum for me Joe. It's the only one I've ever used. 

Bless your heart.

If I had to wager a guess, it would be that you were given a timeout for this exact sort of ignorance and hatred. Surely you are intelligent enough to recognize that. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

So long that there are entire sub genres of topics here comprised of people who don't even play FF any more. I don't say that to be snarky, but it's a little phenomenal that some of us have stuck around even when our interest in the site's core being has waned. I think that's at least a little attributable to the community that was offered and nurtured here way back in the beginning. And I'm appreciative of that.

100%.

 

[Joe Bryant]

You are changing the rules because you want to and at the expense of "the neighborhood" the majority of which are not in favor of new moderation.  Weather it's you personally or your view as to how want FBG to look going forward is "the Brand" I speak of.

And again the rule changes are bad enough IMHO but the part you keep ducking whenever it's been brought up is the fact that you are completely on board with the "my way or the highway" with a population of people who have been here for 15 years and 20K+ posts.  It's downright crummy.

Put it up for a vote - even if it's not binding.  I bet the change gets blown out of the water.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm not sure what you mean by "ducking". From the beginning, I've set the rules here. If there's one thing that's been consistent in the 20 year run of the FFA, it's that for better or for worse, I've been setting the rules. Obviously, they've been set with the idea of what I think is best for the board and the posters. But I think I've been abundantly clear the responsibility, again for better or for worse, stops with me. 

 

[The Ref]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm not sure what you mean by "ducking". From the beginning, I've set the rules here. If there's one thing that's been consistent in the 20 year run of the FFA, it's that for better or for worse, I've been setting the rules. Obviously, they've been set with the idea of what I think is best for the board and the posters. But I think I've been abundantly clear the responsibility, again for better or for worse, stops with me. 

You have said several times it's your call. I give you credit for that.  It's the lack of empathy for the people who may, or may not, leave that I think some of us have an issue with.

 

[Joe Bryant]

You have said several times it's your call. I give you credit for that.  It's the lack of empathy for the people who may, or may not, leave that I think some of us have an issue with.

I've apologized several times for being too flippant on that. But I truly do want people to find somewhere where they can be happy. 

 

[bagger]

I think the net for the FFA was a positive in moving the political talk to it's own thing. But I would like the political forum to be way cooler. I'm completely open to ideas on how to better to do that. 

So there's that. 

Eliminate the trolls who clearly have no desire to add to the political discussion. Once you cull them it will foster an environment that improves the “being cool” factor which then becomes a positive feedback loop.

 

[bigbottom]

First, I want to state for the record that I love this place and the folks who post here.  This community has helped keep my life on track during some very challenging times, and I could have very well ended up in a different and much darker place without the support I received here.  I owe all of you a debt that I'll never be able to repay, and that goes double for Joe since this place would not exist without him.  Thank you Joe.

As for the topic at hand, Joe has always set the rules, and people have always complained about it.  That state of affairs has been pretty much timeless and unchanging.  And Joe is 100% right that people have been lamenting the downfall of the boards since time immemorial.  Heck, the below song was written and recorded TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Day the Laughter Died - A LABS Joint

 

[The Ref]

I've apologized several times for being too flippant on that. But I truly do want people to find somewhere where they can be happy. 

That's fair.  I'll let it go.  It sucks though.

 

[Joe Bryant]

First, I want to state for the record that I love this place and the folks who post here.  This community has helped keep my life on track during some very challenging times, and I could have very well ended up in a very different and much darker place without the support I received here.  I owe all of you a debt that I'll never be able to repay, and that goes double for Joe since this place would not exist without him.  Thank you Joe.

As for the topic at hand, Joe has always set the rules, and people have always complained about it.  That state of affairs has been pretty much timeless and unchanging.  And Joe is 100% right that people have been lamenting the downfall of the boards since time immemorial.  Heck, the below song was written and recorded TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Day the Laughter Died - A LABS Joint

Thank you GB. When it comes to the real stuff about the board, I think of you. Rock on. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

That's fair.  I'll let it go.  It sucks though.

Thanks for the discussion. Hang in there with us. It'll be good. 

 

[Joe Bryant]

Eliminate the trolls who clearly have no desire to add to the political discussion. Once you cull them it will foster an environment that improves the “being cool” factor which then becomes a positive feedback loop.

It's tough though without being too heavy handed. Most are smart enough to never go way over the line. And I admit it's hard to be objective sometimes and I want to make sure I'm not letting my own biases influence too much. I know you feel the same and I don't want to make it too dramatic, but eliminating people from the board is a pretty big thing. I want us to be careful there. But the flip side is there are clearly some combative people. 

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

So long that there are entire sub genres of topics here comprised of people who don't even play FF any more. I don't say that to be snarky, but it's a little phenomenal that some of us have stuck around even when our interest in the site's core being has waned. I think that's at least a little attributable to the community that was offered and nurtured here way back in the beginning. And I'm appreciative of that.

When I first started reading FBG, I was playing in several fantasy leagues and entered a national contest or two.  It's been years since I played in a league for money.  Yet here I am.  

I've learned a LOT over the years from the people here.  I'd like to think I've shared some knowledge, but that's debatable.  I know there have been many times, good and bad, when I've been thankful for the community here.

 

[Juxtatarot]

As for the topic at hand, Joe has always set the rules, and people have always complained about it.  That state of affairs has been pretty much timeless and unchanging.  And Joe is 100% right that people have been lamenting the downfall of the boards since time immemorial.  Heck, the below song was written and recorded TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Day the Laughter Died - A LABS Joint

I forgot how awesome that was!

Who was Jeevus (sp?) and why did he cry? I have no memory of that.

 

[shadyridr]

First, I want to state for the record that I love this place and the folks who post here.  This community has helped keep my life on track during some very challenging times, and I could have very well ended up in a different and much darker place without the support I received here.  I owe all of you a debt that I'll never be able to repay, and that goes double for Joe since this place would not exist without him.  Thank you Joe.

As for the topic at hand, Joe has always set the rules, and people have always complained about it.  That state of affairs has been pretty much timeless and unchanging.  And Joe is 100% right that people have been lamenting the downfall of the boards since time immemorial.  Heck, the below song was written and recorded TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Day the Laughter Died - A LABS Joint

Agree whole heartedly with the first paragraph. I love these boards. Elimination of who's hottest didn't bother me. Moving of the political forum was the best move ever. Telling people what they can post in the cheating thread was a little annoying but everyone is allowed to make mistakes

 

[bigbottom]

I forgot how awesome that was!

Who was Jeevus (sp?) and why did he cry? I have no memory of that.

Baby Jeebus!

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

First, I want to state for the record that I love this place and the folks who post here.  This community has helped keep my life on track during some very challenging times, and I could have very well ended up in a different and much darker place without the support I received here.  I owe all of you a debt that I'll never be able to repay, and that goes double for Joe since this place would not exist without him.  Thank you Joe.

As for the topic at hand, Joe has always set the rules, and people have always complained about it.  That state of affairs has been pretty much timeless and unchanging.  And Joe is 100% right that people have been lamenting the downfall of the boards since time immemorial.  Heck, the below song was written and recorded TWELVE YEARS AGO.

The Day the Laughter Died - A LABS Joint

BradyFan84 is still one of my top 5 YouTube musicians. 

 

[culdeus]

It is what it is, I used to be all-in here and have drifted away alot.  Reddit takes a ton of my time now and I hardly participate, most of my interaction are from reading news aggregation there which helps me keep up with current events.  

10 years ago I'd be doing meet-ups with people here every few months, probably met close to 30 in total over time.  Did voice chat with another 50 on xbox.  All that is pretty much over.  I mainly just peep in 2-3x a day to see if anything funny is going on.  

I don't think the lack of hottest threads will hurt, people were already moving away to targeted content.  I just don't like the idea of that hastening for something that is for the most part harmless imo. 

 

[Judge Smails]

I disagree with a lot of this, and I share the sentiment that as a grown man I have mixed feelings about being treated otherwise, and about having to bend to someone else’s moral whims on matters that are PG.  That said, I absolutely accept and support the idea that it’s Joe’s board to do with it as he pleases, and this is the best and only board I go to on the Internet, and on balance the moderating is a positive thing. Just not crazy about the recent changes; seems we had a pretty good thing already that wasn’t broke, and this feels like heading in the direction of breaking it. 

Agree 100% with every word of this 

 

[bentley]

Hey Joe,

You’ve sucked the life out of this place over time.

b

 

[Otis]

Joe,

What caused this recent rash of major moderation changes, if you’re willing to share?  Many and maybe most of us thought things were great as they were, and less great now. Why the sudden and significant changes?

 

[jvdesigns2002]

I haven't been here as long as some of the original members--but I'm not a newbie either.  Overall--I still enjoy this place and I enjoy the sense of community it has.  With that being said--I do think that things can be improved upon.  

First of all--I think the creating the politics subforum was one of the best things possible.  However--I don't think it was the "content" that required the creation of the sub-forum--it's the attitude of how much of the general population feels it appropriate to discuss differing/opposing points of views on any subject. Many people basically feel like their opinions are completely right and anybody with a differing opinion is either dumb or crazy nowadays.  They frankly do not know how to handle having a civil discussion with somebody with an opposing point of view--and possibly understanding that its remotely possible that both sides probably have some validity and some shortcomings.  In general, I think political topics tend to magnify this attitude because people tend to feel very passionately about politics----and this further prevents them from even listening to and digesting an opposing point of view without responding with snark or insults.  

While I think the creation of the sub-forum was awesome--it wasn't the content that was the problem--it was how people treated each other--and it still happens in the regular forum too.   Joe--while I understand how having the "who's hottest" threads is not something that you would want--I don't think that the notion that regulating content is the best solution here.  Regulating content is not going to solve the problem of posters not understanding that this place is supposed to invite discussion. Many of the posters here (and many of them are old timers) find it appropriate to clown dissenting/opposing opinions with rude/snarky comments. I've seen and personally reported comments to where posters found it okay to make personal attacks/insults of other posters who are guilty of nothing but contributing to dialogue and participating in the the community.  Members in here voice disappointment or anger when people like me report these posts--and that's symbolic that many of the posters do not care about creating an environment where discussion is invited.  

If you want my honest opinion--you should focus less on regulating topics--and you should focus more on having the FBG staff be more involved in the actual forums and threads.  Most of the members in here will not self-police by hitting the report button--and many of the posters here will not call out another member when they are blatantly being rude to others. In fact--I find it more common that much of the time the most "toolish" comments are more likely to get likes then they are to be reported. The topics/content are NOT the problem--it's the attitude that is.  If FBG staff sees a member that is acting in a way that is snarky, rude, or in a way that is not inviting to others in these boards--that staff member should give that member a private message--or quote the "inappropriate' posts and inform them that those types or responses are frowned upon here.   If the posters in here were aware that FBG staff is reading over our comments and our discussion on a regular basis--and calling out bad/rude responses--that would be far more effective than trying to restrict the content and going back relying on us self-policing ourselves.  These forums are part of your place of doing business--and I think that you and your staff need a bigger and more active presence here.  Look at what many of the posters are saying.  They feel like this place has devolved over time when you aren't actively here--and then you shoot up out of the blue and change things up--as if you've been here every day and know what the root of the problems are.   I don't think there is a single poster here that thinks that the biggest problem with these boards would be solved by restricting topics.  You should want a forum that can invite discussion on any topic in an intelligent, funny, or civil way that promotes a sense of community.   The only way that happens is if you create an environment where each person is motivated to treat each other with respect even when in disagreement over a topic. That's just my 2 cents.  

 

[comfortably numb]

It is what it is, I used to be all-in here and have drifted away alot.  Reddit takes a ton of my time now and I hardly participate, most of my interaction are from reading news aggregation there which helps me keep up with current events.  

10 years ago I'd be doing meet-ups with people here every few months, probably met close to 30 in total over time.  Did voice chat with another 50 on xbox.  All that is pretty much over.  I mainly just peep in 2-3x a day to see if anything funny is going on.  

I don't think the lack of hottest threads will hurt, people were already moving away to targeted content.  I just don't like the idea of that hastening for something that is for the most part harmless imo. 

Joe,

Can you change culdeus's avatar?

Thats a pretty sexy looking picture that the women (and some men) of the board may find attractive. One might even classify it as objectifying of men.

Appreciate it

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Middle aged white guys hate change and being told what to do.

Frankly that could be the motto of the country right now. 

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Joe, there is nothing as good as this board out there.

Is this true? I suspect it is, but I don’t get around much. But I really think this board has a great mix.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

I think Joe’s involvement here is a positive. It’s really cool. I love his posts. And I admire what he has built at FBGs so much.

I think something people have to realize is that once the genie of overall curating of the forum is started - I don’t mean moderation of singular posts - then anything can happen. Personally I think getting rid of Who’s Hottest is a mistake. Not just because (yeah sorry) I see nothing inherently wrong with the content in what is clearly a board for adult men but also because it has led to what else the regulation of other seeming sexual content thread based on the same premise. This is a simple axiom of governance of anything, once the principle of controlling one aspect of something for the greater good is empowered the need for consistency or just the impulse to exercise that power will result in its continued use. I think you can start pruning a bush then you prune and prune and prune and you end up with a nub. 

Honestly I would have loved to bump the ‘Who’s Hottest Royal Edition’ as a kind of joke, because yaknow Meghan’s now in the picture, but frankly I was too worried about reprisal. I thought it would be received humorously, but ... I wasn’t sure. That’s not a good feeling. I say that just because extensive rule making can lead to uneasiness among users or those subject to the rules in any body. If people are unsure how to act, then guess what they don’t act at all. It has a chilling effect.

 

[rockaction]

It has a chilling effect.

Getting comfortable. I think Joe now knows how I feel about the board, and that I'm grateful for its existence. For that I am grateful. That said, I can still critique, and I think the chilling effect on speech is something to be taken seriously, even at a non-governmental level. There's a level in comfort in thinking that which I type won't be subject to imperious concerns. I can deal without who's hottest, but as far as free discourse, well, I like that about this place. I hope it doesn't change too much. 

eta* And what up SID? Now that I don't post in the sub much anymore, I feel like I miss out on your musings a bunch, which is sad. Not Trump sad, just sad.  

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The imminent death of message boards in general and this board, in particular, has been a topic as long as I can remember. This thread had me thinking today and it's several years old. It's something we've become quite used to seeing and hearing.  Not sure what that means.

I do think message boards have been dramatically impacted by the multitude of other social media platforms available for people to communicate with each other. I think that's great. More options and choices for the consumer is hardly ever a bad thing. It becomes an issue of time. You have ___ minutes a day to spend on this kind of stuff. If you start adding time spent on Twitter or Instagram or something else, that time is likely taken from somewhere else. It might be the old message board forum.

Fwiw I used to blog locally. I think what people need to realize is that it’s not just an issue of twitter or IG being easier to use or cooler or sharper, it also has the effect of shaping thinking and content. Long form thought is really disappearing from America, because we have gone from the quill to the pen to the typewriter to the forum/blog and now we’re at 288 characters or pics with emojis. We’re losing something substantive IMO. I thank you for hosting this service. Of course I’m a mad defender of the hard copy newspaper also. But I have read some beautiful things here, and I’ve gotten windows into existences and perspectives far different from mine, and I’m grateful for that.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Getting comfortable. I think Joe now knows how I feel about the board, and that I'm grateful for its existence. For that I am grateful. That said, I can still critique, and I think the chilling effect on speech is something to be taken seriously, even at a non-governmental level. There's a level in comfort in thinking that which I type won't be subject to imperious concerns. I can deal without who's hottest, but as far as free discourse, well, I like that about this place. I hope it doesn't change too much. 

eta* And what up SID? Now that I don't post in the sub much anymore, I feel like I miss out on your musings a bunch, which is sad. Not Trump sad, just sad.  

Hey man I’m good, and thanks for that, I appreciate it, & likewise. - I’m usually drifting between coffee, beer & my work which involves a lot of hanging over a keyboard. Maybe I’ll get back to the FFA with some effort, frankly my shortcut is to PSF and it appears technology drives behavior. But I think concentrating on music and life stuff might be better for me. Thanks for the note.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Is this true? I suspect it is, but I don’t get around much. But I really think this board has a great mix.

No, I'm sure it's not true. There are tons of great boards out there. Many I'm sure way better than ours. But this place is liked / loved by a good number of folks, myself included. Many are here in this thread.