Open conversation about the state of the forums

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'm not really targeting this conversation about anything specific, I just want to get a read on what people think about the state of the forums and where they would like to see improvement. This could be technical in nature but mostly, I'm curious what people think of the tone, the conversations, and the general demeanor of the community.

If you have gripes or compliments or whatever, share them here. I haven't been very active lately (on any of the sites, frankly) and like to check in periodically to gauge how things are going.

As always, if you are not comfortable sharing something publicly, I'm always available via PM.

[Craig Arko]

We should have a sausage emoji to commemorate the streak.

[DJL44]

Everything takes forever to load but I'm pretty sure that's not the website's fault.

[Mike Sixel]

I stopped going to game threads for the most part, if that tells you anything. I've blocked more people in the last six months than the first six years I was here if that tells you anything. 

Neither you nor the other owners post much at all, which is odd or something. 

[CRF]

I think all of us love to complain about our favorite team at times...probably a lot more than we should, and I absolutely take full responsibility for my comments, and put myself in that category. As for the site itself, and how you guys operate it, I think you do a fantastic job and deserve many kudos for the way it's run. Keep up the great work!

[Linus]

I really enjoy the site. In particular the information about the minor league teams is invaluable. I find some of the Front Page articles to be “forced”. Like they had to write about something. Sometimes they are written right after a lengthy thread on the same subject posted in the Twins Baseball forum. I realize having daily content isn’t easy but maybe there are other avenues to explore like a brief biography of a Twins player both present and past. Or a This Day in Twins History. I think some of the younger members might be amazed at the greatness of Twins past. A story about Lyman Bostock might be an example. 
I enjoy most of the posters as there is a lot of baseball knowledge out there. Of course there are some posters who are argumentative and get really tiring but I don’t know what you do about that. It’s the Internet. 
One final idea might be to create an Analytics forum. A lot of people seem to like this aspect of Twins discussion more than anything else. 
mill be here daily. 

[Mike Sixel]

Despite my comments above, I come every day (mostly).....I do love the minor league reports. 

[Mike Sixel]

The tech seems to be working well. No complaints there.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

I also show up here virtually every day and I really love the site in general.  It is one of the highlights of my internet day.  Having been a long time reader, I also miss the articles by some of the owners that were one of the main reasons that this blog became successful.  I know you probably all have other things to do, but those were really good (and consistent) voices that aren't always present currently.  I know you asked about the forums specifically, but you opened the door!

This post is starting to sound repetitive after the others, but my biggest issue with the forums is the overly emotional, over-reactions that border on irrational about the team.  It hasn't quite reached the "TRADE ALL THE PLAYERS, ROCCO MANAGES ONLY BY SPREADSHEET, FIRE THE COACHES, GET RID OF MANAGEMENT, SELL THE TEAM!!!!!" level (at least not in all caps and not all in the same posting), but there are times when it gets close to that and repetitively so.  As a (facetious) remedy, I might propose a "we've all heard you complain about this before" reaction emoji or a "that's a really tired argument that probably doesn't apply" reaction emoji, with the rule that if you receive it, you need to leave that argument alone for awhile.  I get that we don't all want to be homers either, but sometimes it can really veer off the road.  It wouldn't work, but it's fun to think about!

[Squirrel]

Other than game threads and keeping track of where former Twins players are now, there doesn't seem to be much use for the Twins Talk forum. Every topic of discussion seems to get covered, and then some, by the writers, making forum discussions repetitive. Although, many times it's the forum discussions that have started it, then out comes an article on the same topic. Still, regardless whether it gets started in the Twins Talk forum first, it becomes repetitive. And now we have the rumors and proposals forum there. With off-season and trade deadline talk and suggestions going into that separate forum, it really renders the Twins Talk forum pretty useless.

The minors forum is great. Everything minors there. Of course, most of what's in there are articles that sort themselves there. Still, it does get mixed in with poster-generated threads. It's just really nice because it's all in one place vs what happens with the Twins Talk forum.

The Other Baseball forum catches all the rest. While not used as much as the others, it's still a place for everything else, so I think it has a place here.

I think there are now an over-abundance of forums.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 hours ago, Linus said:

I realize having daily content isn’t easy but maybe there are other avenues to explore like a brief biography of a Twins player both present and past. Or a This Day in Twins History. 

I actually organized both of these things returning to the front page of the site on weekends. I hope to expand it over time.

[IndianaTwin]

I'll repeat a lot of what's been said above...

1. I'll keep coming here. It's the best source for information about my favorite team. And since becoming a Caretaker (hint, hint, people), no ads!
2. I'm so grateful for the moderators. You folks do a wonderful job. 
3. Like Linus, I've felt that a fair number of front page stories recently have felt forced, at times bordering on clickbait.
4. I don't pay much attention to the minors forums, because that’s not my thing, but I do check the results from time to time and follow the rankings enough to have a sense of what's there. They are well done. 
5. By far the biggest frustration I've had with TD over the last couple years has been with the tone, over-reactions and general negativity that feels like has become far more prominent. Like others, I've spent less and less time on the Game Threads, which for me has been the biggest highlight of the site in the past. I follow baseball in general, the Twins in particular and TD specifically because I'm looking to have fun. Each additional time I hear that Rocco is stupid or that the owners are penny-pinchers, etc., takes more of the joy out of it for me. Not everyone has to be a Rocco fan, but there's a big difference between "I didn't like that move Rocco made, and I wish he'd done this instead" and "Rocco is such an idiot." A few weeks ago, it was a breath of fresh air when someone posted a "This is a positivity thread" post. I've thought of doing the same on several occasions.

Thanks for asking, and for always striving for improvement on the site. 

 

EDIT to add: 

6. Technology has worked for me, and I’m a Luddite. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

As a (facetious) remedy, I might propose a "we've all heard you complain about this before" reaction emoji or a "that's a really tired argument that probably doesn't apply" reaction emoji, with the rule that if you receive it, you need to leave that argument alone for awhile. 

How is this as a reaction option?

(not serious)

(mostly)

[IndianaTwin]

4 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

How is this as a reaction option?

(not serious)

(mostly)

Maybe with a boot in the side as well? 😄

[Brock Beauchamp]

How do people feel about threaded conversations (Facebook, Twitter) versus chronological posts (what we have now). 

[Parfigliano]

12 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

How is this as a reaction option?

(not serious)

(mostly)

Perfect

[Dman]

I come to this site most everyday and my first love is the Minor League reports and the farm.  I also think this site is one of the best sites for the Twins Draft.  Of course the main goal is the MLB club and I enjoy that too.  I think I just like that you can get enough info to sort of be a mini GM at this site and that is something unique and fun about this site. 

The moderation on this site is superb and generally there is knowledgeable baseball conversations going on.  While I agree with others that I tire of the cheap Pollad talk and the fire Rocco at every turn comments I get where people are coming from.  We are all passionate fans and need a good place to vent when things don't go our favorite teams way.  While many of us are all dug in on our philosophies and differences I wouldn't have it any other way.  The divergent viewpoints are what make the comments a fascinating read.

Hey, I have been burned by stats not matching my narrative before and it is good to get called out or forced to look at things another way.

Honestly I wouldn't change too much about the site.  I like and appreciate all the incremental changes that have been made over time.  I like the Minor league top 20 guys in the upper right and weekly writeup on who is performing well.  This site really has it all and yes things can always be improved, but for me this site is pretty close to perfect as it is.

[USAFChief]

50 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

How do people feel about threaded conversations (Facebook, Twitter) versus chronological posts (what we have now). 

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!1!

[ziggy]

Quote

How do people feel about threaded conversations (Facebook, Twitter) versus chronological posts (what we have now). 

I hate the threaded conversations and much prefer chronological  order.  Facebook drives me nuts.

[Shaitan]

I think it all starts with the topics. Many of the articles have an overly pessimistic or clickbaity tone, e.g. "Who is to blame today," which beg for venting instead of thoughtful analysis of performance or strategy,

[danunti]

First off, let me just say I really enjoy TwinsDaily and have been lurking since the BYTO days.  I come to the site pretty much every day and have started to pay way more attention to prospects and the minor leagues because of that.  So, for the most part, I wouldn't change much about the site.

However, on the topic of the forums (I realize since I never post my opinion may matter less than those that do), I'll echo what some others have said.  The overall tone, negativity, and borderline trolling of a small group of people have just made the forums and game threads less fun.  I used to check the game threads every game while I was watching the game on TV to see the perspective of fans way smarter than me and to generally get a good laugh from the puns and terrible (in the best way possible) jokes.  But, lately, the game threads just aren't that fun of a place to be.  I don't really have any answers on how to fix it either.  I do like the idea of the "Yea, we know" "You're beating a dead horse" emojis.

Whether it is in the Twins Talk forum or on the front page articles I do really enjoy the discussions and the different perspectives that come out.

Whether or not any changes are made, I'll keep coming to TwinsDaily every day and I really appreciate the mods and the regular posters (most of you).  But, my biggest change, again I don't know how, would be to make the Game Threads fun again.

[Mike Sixel]

I should add, since others were smarter than me (as is often the case), the mods here do a great job. Really. 

[Obsvr]

Minor League Forum>Everything Else

Complaining about people complaining seems a bit complainey to me...but people gonna people.  A little good natured trolling makes things interesting...things dont have to be so serious.  lols are a good thing.

[wabene]

Whatever happened to Otto von Ballpark? If they are still here under a different nom de plume I have an idea on who it is! Great poster great avatar 

[Jocko87]

4 minutes ago, Shaitan said:

I think it all starts with the topics. Many of the articles have an overly pessimistic or clickbaity tone, e.g. "Who is to blame today," which beg for venting instead of thoughtful analysis of performance or strategy,

If I had to pick one thing it would be this.  The mentioned article was ran with a less flattering picture of Falvey.  It's an editorial choice to run that in that manner, everyone involved with that choice had to know exactly what was going to happen.  The forcing of narratives is coming from inside the house.  The panic at 7-13 was eye rolling.

Also agree with the clickbaity feel of a lot of the articles.  There are several topics that do require an article daily, especially in season, but we really need a focus on quality over quantity.  Much of the reason discussion is repeated over and over is that there are ten new articles that don't add much but move the same conversation into a new less related topic.  It's a long form game, we shouldn't be trying to have serious discussions in a snapshot short form.

I do also appreciate that you are giving a forum to aspiring writers.  Most of their stuff should be blogs, to be blunt.  Two hands while we're learning.  These folks need the most editorial support but here they are, on the front page pushing a good article down into oblivion.  Some of our most prolific authors are in this category for me.  I imagine a new visitor sees some of these and says meh, I'll just stay on reddit. 

While I'm at it, I'm only a caretaker to avoid the ad load, which is absolutely insane.  I can't express in words acceptable to this forum how angry I am that we are now getting ads inserted into game wraps.  There are better ways to make money online than the AOL ad model.  Meanwhile, I can't even have a long form discussion on a caretaker article without someone who can't read the content chiming in with something unrelated.  Better content produces better opportunities to monetize, including caretakers who are invested in your success.  (Don't get me wrong, I enjoy supporting as a caretaker but I don't know that I would be here if I didn't have an option to avoid the ad load.)

Unfortunately the ad model drives the clickbait model which drives the bad discussion model.  Tough cycle to be in. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I still love the site, but loved it more when it felt more like a labor of love among the owners and went more in depth on issues. Too many of the titles now just feel like click bait. There may be good stuff in there but I'm not biting. I feel like the current model chases away some good conversation and conversationalists. Scrolling through the news article titles, you might think Julien has already been both DFA'd and awarded the league MVP -- and it's not even May. 🙂  They haven't even unpacked their bags from spring training yet.

I also have to wonder if the TwinsDaily editorial slant leaks into the research articles, like the caretaker article about the Twins offense needing to hit more like Austin Martin--you mean the guy they just optioned to St. Paul? Good writing is hard, I get it. I didn't read it so I shouldn't judge beyond that. I do like the direction back towards deeper dives and magazine, old SI type of professional stuff, would be fantastic.  

By the way, become a Twins Daily caretaker 

There are some great blogs here. I wish I was more in the habit of checking them and I wish more were promoted. Thank you to everyone who participates in those! 

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

9 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Meanwhile, I can't even have a long form discussion on a caretaker article without someone who can't read the content chiming in with something unrelated.

This is a good point. Then again, having a lot of money (and buying a TD subscription) does not necessarily mean you have a lot of smart things to say. But yes where I will agree with you is in an ideal world, there could be some more content considerations for your membership beyond just having the ad free experience. Thanks for being a caretaker!

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

How do people feel about threaded conversations (Facebook, Twitter) versus chronological posts (what we have now). 

Whats Facebook? Twitter?

[Jocko87]

35 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

This is a good point. Then again, having a lot of money (and buying a TD subscription) does not necessarily mean you have a lot of smart things to say. But yes where I will agree with you is in an ideal world, there could be some more content considerations for your membership beyond just having the ad free experience. Thanks for being a caretaker!

True, example A here.

However, if you make the tier mean something those that can afford it will. That revenue can offset some ad revenue which should allow the main product to be better which should drive overall revenue. The ad free experience is a baseline expectation.

That is, unless ownership won't come off their Scrooge Mcduck mountain with 30m out of their own pocket to hire Jason Kurkjian Stark (who probably isn't actually available) to shore up the big game writing rotation. Or something like that, I can't keep up. Odd parallels though, using pre-arb writers and all.

If it's quality, I will pay for it.

[Squirrel]

2 hours ago, wabene said:

Whatever happened to Otto von Ballpark? If they are still here under a different nom de plume I have an idea on who it is! Great poster great avatar 

I think they may have gotten a new job or something that keeps them busy. I miss them, too! They were my ‘go to’ about all the rules.