The offseason is here - how can we improve BF?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Okay, so now I'm starting to think about the offseason and next spring training. The season is often full of maintenance work: updating features, making sure the site is running smoothly, the community is happy, etc. The offseason is when I look to how the next calendar year will look on the site, starting with new features usually rolling out around the time spring training starts.

So give me any input you have on the site. What could be better? What bugs you?

And maybe most importantly, give me ideas for things you'd like to see added to the site. It doesn't matter how crazy the idea seems, throw it out here and I'll give it consideration.

[Hopper]

What really bugs me is that condescending speak is allowed here.  Some of the mods and admin. are guilty of it as well, not just the common man people who post here.

This site is so much more fun to be a part of when we don't have the same 3 or 4 people having to prove they are better than every one else.  Ridiculing others for negative posts is just ridiculous.  (I understand there is a fine line between negative posts and trolling at times, that isn't lost on me) Sadly, like I said above, we have admin. that are not setting a good example for the rest of us when it comes to condescension. 

Along with that, I find it extremely annoying that we have people trying to tell others how to post in the game threads.  These same people constantly demean others for the way they post, yet they continue to show up in the game threads, knowing full well that the behavior there is "below" them.  (so they think)  Game threads are meant to have a certain degree of burning off steam.  Hot takes, and nonsense is part of being a fan of a sports team.  As long as people aren't attacking other posters personally with negativity, what does it hurt to have someone voicing opinions that the "company men" on the site don't agree with.

Everyone needs to be allowed to have opinions, even if others don't agree with them.  That seems to be the main reason to have a message board, right?  Sharing the joys and sorrows of being fans of the same team?  It's ok to have disagreements, that is a huge part of this, but the constant pissing matches, usually involving the same posters, gets really old.

I probably shouldn't have posted this, but you wanted honesty, so there it is.

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, Hopper said:

What really bugs me is that condescending speak is allowed here.  Some of the mods and admin. are guilty of it as well, not just the common man people who post here.

This site is so much more fun to be a part of when we don't have the same 3 or 4 people having to prove they are better than every one else.  Ridiculing others for negative posts is just ridiculous.  (I understand there is a fine line between negative posts and trolling at times, that isn't lost on me) Sadly, like I said above, we have admin. that are not setting a good example for the rest of us when it comes to condescension. 

Along with that, I find it extremely annoying that we have people trying to tell others how to post in the game threads.  These same people constantly demean others for the way they post, yet they continue to show up in the game threads, knowing full well that the behavior there is "below" them.  (so they think)  Game threads are meant to have a certain degree of burning off steam.  Hot takes, and nonsense is part of being a fan of a sports team.  As long as people aren't attacking other posters personally with negativity, what does it hurt to have someone voicing opinions that the "company men" on the site don't agree with.

Everyone needs to be allowed to have opinions, even if others don't agree with them.  That seems to be the main reason to have a message board, right?  Sharing the joys and sorrows of being fans of the same team?  It's ok to have disagreements, that is a huge part of this, but the constant pissing matches, usually involving the same posters, gets really old.

I probably shouldn't have posted this, but you wanted honesty, so there it is.

If anyone feels they are not being treated fairly, I can always be reached directly via PM and respond pretty quickly most of the time. 

[Brewcrew82]

Not really a specific request, but just wanted to say I really like and appreciate the new payroll blueprint feature. More unique features along those lines would be great, as it provides us nerd fans with an intriguing way to pass the time during the offseason. 

 

[DuWayne Steurer]

7 hours ago, Hopper said:

What really bugs me is that condescending speak is allowed here.  Some of the mods and admin. are guilty of it as well, not just the common man people who post here.

This site is so much more fun to be a part of when we don't have the same 3 or 4 people having to prove they are better than every one else.  Ridiculing others for negative posts is just ridiculous.  (I understand there is a fine line between negative posts and trolling at times, that isn't lost on me) Sadly, like I said above, we have admin. that are not setting a good example for the rest of us when it comes to condescension. 

Along with that, I find it extremely annoying that we have people trying to tell others how to post in the game threads.  These same people constantly demean others for the way they post, yet they continue to show up in the game threads, knowing full well that the behavior there is "below" them.  (so they think)  Game threads are meant to have a certain degree of burning off steam.  Hot takes, and nonsense is part of being a fan of a sports team.  As long as people aren't attacking other posters personally with negativity, what does it hurt to have someone voicing opinions that the "company men" on the site don't agree with.

 

I don't want to derail Brock's thread too much, but I want to take a sec to provide an alternative viewpoint to this, and be open to discussion on this. 

I'm going to first tackle the bolded point. I don't think it's ever been decided that game threads are meant for "burning off steam".  Game threads are for discussing games. Somewhere along the line, posters decided that "burning off steam" and posting constant stream-of-thought anger about what was going on in the sport-at-hand was what game threads were about.  Game threads are about a group of like-minded fans discussing a game.

Now, I (and hopefully we) agree that there should be an open, honest discussion and agreement and disagreement about how we all view and interpret events. 

Admins have stated that there's nothing wrong with negative posts to a degree in the game threads, but when it gets repetitive, when the same poster complains about a certain batter being in the lineup (yes....even if it's an admin!) 18 days in a row, or when someone is complaining about Stearns 3 weeks in a row daily, in the game thread, it carries with it not just "blowing off steam", but a degree of negativity that removes any of the fun from the whole *idea* of even posting in the thread.

There are posters who haven't/don't/won't post in the game threads because of a small handful of posters who post the same three to five complaints about the Brewers daily (Counsell sucks, the lineup sucks, this offense sucks, McCutchen sucks), to the point that it makes it practically a chore to sift past those posts.

I'd like to think there's a better middle ground between a constant stream of negativity and people being attacked for posting their thoughts and frustrations on what's eating them up during a baseball game than where we're at right now. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

11 hours ago, DuWayne Steurer said:

I don't want to derail Brock's thread too much, but I want to take a sec to provide an alternative viewpoint to this, and be open to discussion on this. 

I'm going to first tackle the bolded point. I don't think it's ever been decided that game threads are meant for "burning off steam".  Game threads are for discussing games. Somewhere along the line, posters decided that "burning off steam" and posting constant stream-of-thought anger about what was going on in the sport-at-hand was what game threads were about.  Game threads are about a group of like-minded fans discussing a game.

Now, I (and hopefully we) agree that there should be an open, honest discussion and agreement and disagreement about how we all view and interpret events. 

Admins have stated that there's nothing wrong with negative posts to a degree in the game threads, but when it gets repetitive, when the same poster complains about a certain batter being in the lineup (yes....even if it's an admin!) 18 days in a row, or when someone is complaining about Stearns 3 weeks in a row daily, in the game thread, it carries with it not just "blowing off steam", but a degree of negativity that removes any of the fun from the whole *idea* of even posting in the thread.

There are posters who haven't/don't/won't post in the game threads because of a small handful of posters who post the same three to five complaints about the Brewers daily (Counsell sucks, the lineup sucks, this offense sucks, McCutchen sucks), to the point that it makes it practically a chore to sift past those posts.

I'd like to think there's a better middle ground between a constant stream of negativity and people being attacked for posting their thoughts and frustrations on what's eating them up during a baseball game than where we're at right now. 

To follow up, I completely agree with this 100%. I actually don't participate much on game threads either here or at Twins Daily because I find it so frustrating to see constant, repetitive negativity often before anything bad has even happened.

On the other hand, this has been a really vexing problem for me personally for over 15 years now. It's not a new phenomena, though it may have escalated over the years, I'm not sure.

I find this a perfectly reasonable issue to tackle in this thread. If anyone has suggestions about this or literally anything else, we're all ears.

But please don't descend into bickering, let's try to find an acceptable solution for as many as possible.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

23 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

To follow up, I completely agree with this 100%. I actually don't participate much on game threads either here or at Twins Daily because I find it so frustrating to see constant, repetitive negativity often before anything bad has even happened.

On the other hand, this has been a really vexing problem for me personally for over 15 years now. It's not a new phenomena, though it may have escalated over the years, I'm not sure.

I find this a perfectly reasonable issue to tackle in this thread. If anyone has suggestions about this or literally anything else, we're all ears.

But please don't descend into bickering, let's try to find an acceptable solution for as many as possible.

The game threads became joy vacuums as the season wore on. But let's be honest ... a big part of that was because this team itself just wasn't very enjoyable to watch. Offensive ineptitude and terrible plate approaches from a good portion of the lineup played a big role in my personal decision to somewhat check out as we got into mid August. 

That said ... compared to past years, the game threads were seemingly more populated by those posters who are repeatedly negative, which meant there simply wasn't as much solid game discussion happening. I think that the proof is probably bore out in the fact that, despite a pretty drastic increase in users and members this summer, the game threads seemed to decrease in popularity. I would feel safe in saying that the majority of fans who would frequent this site simply don't want to see the same constant negativity while they are doing something they are supposed to enjoy in taking in a ballgame. 

Unfortunately I don't have have a solution. Everyone "fans" different, and there is really no right or wrong way to do it. But I do fear that if the IGTs continue down the same road next year, they will eventually end up being the same 4-5 guys bashing the team and arguing with air.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

The game threads because joy vacuums as the season wore on. But let's be honest ... a big part of that was because this team itself just wasn't very enjoyable to watch. Offensive ineptitude and terrible plate approaches from a good portion of the lineup played a big role in my personal decision to somewhat check out as we got into mid August. 

That said ... compared to past years, the game threads were seemingly more populated by those posters who are repeatedly negative, which meant there simply wasn't as much solid game discussion happening. I think that the proof is probably bore out in the fact that, despite a pretty drastic increase in users and members this summer, the game threads seemed to decrease in popularity. I would feel safe in saying that the majority of fans who would frequent this site simply don't want to see the same constant negativity while they are doing something they are supposed to enjoy in taking in a ballgame. 

Unfortunately I don't have have a solution. Everyone "fans" different, and there is really no right or wrong way to do it. But I do fear that if the IGTs continue down the same road next year, they will eventually end up being the same 4-5 guys bashing the team and arguing with air.

I'll impart some experience I have here: expectations tend to dictate the tone of game threads, except inverted. As many of you are aware, the Twins were a complete trash fire from 2011-2014, then again in 2016. The game threads during those seasons were actually the most fun I've seen; everyone just threw up their hands, admitted they were spending time on something that didn't matter at all, and had some fun with it. But the moment the Twins returned to relevancy, the game threads began a multi-year spiral.

How can we remind people that this is a game they claim to enjoy even when they have an emotional stake in what's happening? I don't know.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

21 hours ago, Hopper said:

Everyone needs to be allowed to have opinions, even if others don't agree with them. 

This portion of your post is 100% correct. However, you need to bear in mind that if you constantly throw out negative opinions that are of the "hot take" variety, you are opening yourself up to disagreements, and it is also likely that those come back to you in a somewhat "hot take" fashion. The personal attacks are certainly over the line, but I think this also may be a case of people on both sides of an argument perhaps needing to grow a bit thicker skin. I readily admit I am guilty of this at times.

[jerichoholicninja]

I agree that a lot of the baseball threads have turned into hot take after hot take. I really haven't visited or posted here as frequently over the last few months because of it.

Visually, I think this site is a major downgrade. Way too much going on. Ads are fine and I understand their need but I've got videos and popups all over the place. Not to mention, the site is constantly jumping all over the place as ads load. I'll open a thread and go to click on a link but the page jumps and I wind up clicking on some other link.

The articles all being posted in the main forum is just clutter. Based on the previous complaints I've seen about them and the general lack of replies to the post, I don't think they are really adding anything no matter where they are placed.

Overall, the Brewers lackluster performance has taken a lot of the joy and my interest away from this place but the reasons above a certainly are part of it too.

[homer]

I would love it if we could get "drop and drag" functionality when creating the top prospect lists. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, homer said:

I would love it if we could get "drop and drag" functionality when creating the top prospect lists. 

Interesting. How do you envision this working in the forums?

[Brock Beauchamp]

On 10/21/2022 at 9:59 AM, homer said:

I would love it if we could get "drop and drag" functionality when creating the top prospect lists. 

You got my mind whirling on this. I'm talking it over with the other owners but I think there's a good chance you just sent me down a path to add a cool new feature.

[homer]

On 10/22/2022 at 12:44 PM, Brock Beauchamp said:

You got my mind whirling on this. I'm talking it over with the other owners but I think there's a good chance you just sent me down a path to add a cool new feature.

Great! The cutting, pasting, and renumbering can be quite onerous. I imagine drag and drop with java isn't so hard but guessing it's storing and tabulating the results that is the big challenge.

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, homer said:

Great! The cutting, pasting, and renumbering can be quite onerous. I imagine drag and drop with java isn't so hard but guessing it's storing and tabulating the results that is the big challenge.

Exactly, that's what I'm trying to wrap my head around; how to log and store the results in a digestible manner.