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Two things make this a less attractive forum:
1) Flame wars - Sure the Favre situation completely contributed to this, but in general, it is the nature of the wars and the personalities who perpetuate them. In general, they shouldn't kill a site, so long as they don't infect too many threads. A little discipline might help - if you refute someone with facts, do it and be done with it. Don't add personal insults - they guarantee a response along the same lines. make your argument and get out - if you respond, try to stick to the subject and not evaluate the poster's relative mental abilities, etc. (in other words, avoid the personal attacks). This is why I left. I didn't enjoy the constant, repetitive, redundant personal attacks all over the forum, especially as I found myself making them/getting involved in them more often.
2) Content and acknowledgement of content providers. Patler, Waldo, etc. etc. actually provide interesting content that stands on it's own. I suspect, that with a front page with links to 'Patler's blog' (You can use my searchlight pic if you want), a column by Waldo (and an open link to his personal blog), Analysis by Nutz, guest columns, artwork by Skin (no porn), perhaps an tangentially off-topic column by Harlan or someone else, and maybe even a gameday chat with Cleft Crusty ON A LINKABLE front page you will change the appearance of the forum and make it more inviting and interesting. People who contribute content should get some kudos on a front page - and it will help make a name and personality for the forum. They heyday of the forum was when Mad and Zig were actively maintaining and updating the front page. Even when people started in the forum, a lot of things linked to the front page and you had people generating new content that was above the level of a thread titled "Donald Driver." The site needs to be actively maintained and the admin needs to actively pursue a growth strategy. I thank Mad (and others) for forming and maintaining the site. It's been a good source of info and fun and devastating distraction from my work. I hope the content people come back/are recruited back. I am still addicted to this site and haven't yet begun a 12 step program to quit viewing. But it's getting tempting.
BTW, I don't think Romper Room and FYI hurt the forum at all. In FYI, it was pretty much a small and consistent back and forth between a pretty well defined group that constituted a small percentage of the members (advice: if you hate political discussion, or it gets you riled up, stay out of FYI). Romper room was mostly respectful and often could be pretty funny - and informative. But again, you need the people to contribute, and they won't contribute in there if they hate coming to the site.
1) Flame wars - Sure the Favre situation completely contributed to this, but in general, it is the nature of the wars and the personalities who perpetuate them. In general, they shouldn't kill a site, so long as they don't infect too many threads. A little discipline might help - if you refute someone with facts, do it and be done with it. Don't add personal insults - they guarantee a response along the same lines. make your argument and get out - if you respond, try to stick to the subject and not evaluate the poster's relative mental abilities, etc. (in other words, avoid the personal attacks). This is why I left. I didn't enjoy the constant, repetitive, redundant personal attacks all over the forum, especially as I found myself making them/getting involved in them more often.
2) Content and acknowledgement of content providers. Patler, Waldo, etc. etc. actually provide interesting content that stands on it's own. I suspect, that with a front page with links to 'Patler's blog' (You can use my searchlight pic if you want), a column by Waldo (and an open link to his personal blog), Analysis by Nutz, guest columns, artwork by Skin (no porn), perhaps an tangentially off-topic column by Harlan or someone else, and maybe even a gameday chat with Cleft Crusty ON A LINKABLE front page you will change the appearance of the forum and make it more inviting and interesting. People who contribute content should get some kudos on a front page - and it will help make a name and personality for the forum. They heyday of the forum was when Mad and Zig were actively maintaining and updating the front page. Even when people started in the forum, a lot of things linked to the front page and you had people generating new content that was above the level of a thread titled "Donald Driver." The site needs to be actively maintained and the admin needs to actively pursue a growth strategy. I thank Mad (and others) for forming and maintaining the site. It's been a good source of info and fun and devastating distraction from my work. I hope the content people come back/are recruited back. I am still addicted to this site and haven't yet begun a 12 step program to quit viewing. But it's getting tempting.
BTW, I don't think Romper Room and FYI hurt the forum at all. In FYI, it was pretty much a small and consistent back and forth between a pretty well defined group that constituted a small percentage of the members (advice: if you hate political discussion, or it gets you riled up, stay out of FYI). Romper room was mostly respectful and often could be pretty funny - and informative. But again, you need the people to contribute, and they won't contribute in there if they hate coming to the site.
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