Open conversation about the state of the forums

[USAFChief]

As someone who hangs out in game threads pretty often, and always have, I don't wish to keep anyone out.

The more the merrier. It's quite easy to ignore those who add no value. Or maybe even give em a little poke in the ribs on occasion. 

People fan differently. 

 

 

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

If the Twins are getting blown out and playing like ****, am I trolling if I finally chime in to point out that random reliever X had a good inning in the 8th? I'd vote no. 

If you think they're posting comments they themselves don't believe to elicit a reaction from others, ok. I doubt that's the case often, if ever. I think the "fire Rocco," crowd actually wants him fired.  Ditto for any other tiresome talking point or in game criticism. TD is a pretty niche spot to troll. I'm not saying it's impossible, but the ROI for devoting your own time to trolling game threads has to be pretty terrible. 

You can put that drunk in a soundproof box, and make him invisible, whether through site tools or your own filtering. The flick of a middle finger works wonders. I don't find the experience as grating, or oppressive, but different strokes for different folks, there are certainly posters, comments, or articles on this site that annoy me to no end. You're right, game threads aren't regular topic threads, which is why I expect them to be more volatile. 

I'm confident that there are many who don't appreciate my style of contribution to game threads either.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

2 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

The flick of a middle finger works wonders

oooh,, now there’s a reaction emoji idea!

[old nurse]

On 5/8/2024 at 12:15 AM, dxpavelka said:

we all might have differing opinions on that.  would be nice to be allowed to share them.

Liver and onions are a disgusting meal

kids nowadays don’t want to work, they just want to play video games 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

On 5/7/2024 at 9:27 AM, wabene said:

I'm the opposite. Part of being a long time member of a forum like this is you get to know the other members. I not only pay attention to who says what, but when I see a reaction like a heart or thumbs down and a list of responding members, I like to guess who reacted a certain way before clicking on it. After a while you get to know other posters well enough to guess right most of the time.

I'd guess most here are paying attention to what you say and keeping that in mind I try to stay respectful. Some members have mentioned that they have blocked many other members. You don't block somebody unless you are paying attention to the comments of others. 

 

Totally agree, but then as a moderator, it helps to gather the poster’s patterns.

 

whats kinda funny about this post is DJLL has been around forever…

[wabene]

On 5/8/2024 at 4:06 PM, KirbyDome89 said:

You can put that drunk in a soundproof box, and make him invisible,

Hello? You know I can hear you from in here

[Jocko87]

Regarding the negativity, coming from one of the more positive people you might ever meet, I'm reminded of an old baseball truism that I've carried into life that is and always will be true. 

Baseball is a game of failure. 3 fer 10=hall of fame and all that.

If our merry group of baseball sickos watch every play of every game with even a little bit of a tough graders eye, we are naturally going to be saying negative things.  What, 80% of the time?  I personally chuckle when someone makes a career ending prognostication on some absurdly small sample size, but to each their own.  This is why the editorial staff has to err on the side of stupidly optimistic, in spite of their internal, eternally scarred Minnesota fandom.  The negative will always be there.

Speaking of sample size, baseball does not give us much daily or even weekly actionable data but by-golly, here's Twins Daily with several articles daily asking for a proclamation.  So many of the conversations we already have the correct answer.  Give it three weeks or a couple turns through the rotation.  We need to be able to keep a good conversation at the top without it getting ran off the page by the daily game recaps and whatnot.  

What is we bisected the front page? One column for the daily reports, satire, pre-arb writers etc that scrolls off and one column for deeper topics that still scrolls off but much slower?  We could even have a hot topic stay at the top of that column. Mobile phone view would be harder but could still be done. 

[USAFChief]

9 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

Regarding the negativity, coming from one of the more positive people you might ever meet, I'm reminded of an old baseball truism that I've carried into life that is and always will be true. 

Baseball is a game of failure. 3 fer 10=hall of fame and all that.

If our merry group of baseball sickos watch every play of every game with even a little bit of a tough graders eye, we are naturally going to be saying negative things.  What, 80% of the time?  I personally chuckle when someone makes a career ending prognostication on some absurdly small sample size, but to each their own.  This is why the editorial staff has to err on the side of stupidly optimistic, in spite of their internal, eternally scarred Minnesota fandom.  The negative will always be there.

Speaking of sample size, baseball does not give us much daily or even weekly actionable data but by-golly, here's Twins Daily with several articles daily asking for a proclamation.  So many of the conversations we already have the correct answer.  Give it three weeks or a couple turns through the rotation.  We need to be able to keep a good conversation at the top without it getting ran off the page by the daily game recaps and whatnot.  

What is we bisected the front page? One column for the daily reports, satire, pre-arb writers etc that scrolls off and one column for deeper topics that still scrolls off but much slower?  We could even have a hot topic stay at the top of that column. Mobile phone view would be harder but could still be done. 

If a topic is "hot," it'll stay at the top. 

It's called "Twins Daily." Most people are more interested in yesterday's game than a "good conversation." 

[Brock Beauchamp]

9 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

What is we bisected the front page? One column for the daily reports, satire, pre-arb writers etc that scrolls off and one column for deeper topics that still scrolls off but much slower?  We could even have a hot topic stay at the top of that column. Mobile phone view would be harder but could still be done. 

Funny that you mention this, as it's exactly what we're planning.

Some time this season, we're redesigning the entire front page. The articles will be "tiered", with longer-lasting pieces near the top and moving downward from there. The new front page will also include all the crap I've added to the site over the past four years like the guides and resources, players project, prospect pages, etc.

[wabene]

This is such a great feature for a forum like this and why I almost never visit the front page. I'll have to check it out.

[Doctor Gast]

I think many see the thumbs-down symbol as something negative & rude & that is why I avoid using it. IMO to disagree isn't something negative especially if an open debate occurs. I'd like to see the disagree symbol removed & if a person disagrees then open an intelligent debate but if many would like to keep, I suggest changing the symbol.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

I think many see the thumbs-down symbol as something negative & rude & that is why I avoid using it. IMO to disagree isn't something negative especially if an open debate occurs. I'd like to see the disagree symbol removed & if a person disagrees then open an intelligent debate but if many would like to keep, I suggest changing the symbol.

I agree. I really don't like the thumbs down at all. 

The primary reason I don't like it. It doesn't explain what you disagree with and it does nothing to foster conversation. 

 

[Craig Arko]

Thumbs down clearly indicates that the offending poster should be put to death. Just you ask Caligula.

[The Mad King]

Scrolling to the bottom to respond to an article  can be annoying - but that's a pretty minor beef. Technically I've never had any problems using the forums. I've been using the Internet since 95 and this forum works as well as any I've been on. 

[old nurse]

On 5/10/2024 at 9:44 AM, Riverbrian said:

I agree. I really don't like the thumbs down at all. 

The primary reason I don't like it. It doesn't explain what you disagree with and it does nothing to foster conversation. 

 

There are three ways to look at thumbs down  One is to think of a thumbs down with no comment as a person who’s belief system just got destroyed but they have no logical reason for believing what they do. The second way to think about it is what you wrote is so bad and off base history has shown it is pointless to discuss something further,  this reason, your satire or sarcasm went over the person’s head. So for you, given your posts over the years, and my supposition what a thumbs down would mean a thumbs down then is a compliment 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, old nurse said:

There are three ways to look at thumbs down  One is to think of a thumbs down with no comment as a person who’s belief system just got destroyed but they have no logical reason for believing what they do. The second way to think about it is what you wrote is so bad and off base history has shown it is pointless to discuss something further,  this reason, your satire or sarcasm went over the person’s head. So for you, given your posts over the years, and my supposition what a thumbs down would mean a thumbs down then is a compliment 

Given my posts over the years. A confusion emoji would be perfect. 🤔

 

[Squirrel]

Just now, Riverbrian said:

Given my posts over the years. A confusion emoji would be perfect. 🤔

 

🤔

[Squirrel]

How can we react to a reaction emoji?

[Alex]

I would love an emojii or reaction that reminds people not to get too worked up about 1 game.   Not sure what that would be, though!

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 hours ago, Alex said:

I would love an emojii or reaction that reminds people not to get too worked up about 1 game.   Not sure what that would be, though!

[Jocko87]

On 5/2/2024 at 7:22 PM, Squirrel said:

You can also rate the article using stars. Not sure how it shows up on the phone, but I know on the ipad or computer, on the upper right of the article page, you can click on the stars, 1-5

 

On 5/5/2024 at 1:52 PM, Rod Carews Birthday said:

OK.  I'm an idiot I think.  I can't seem to find the stars you speak of.  Also, as I guy who has been following this site since it started, I'm a little embarrassed.  Can you screen shot this?  Sorry!

Coming back to this due to an article I really wanted to give a single star.  I don't have the option on articles but I do on forum topics?  I don't know why it would only be on one or the other but if I had to pick one it would certainly be the other way around.  These articles need rating far more than random forum posts.

Article

 

Forum post

[Squirrel]

If you go to the article through the forum, you will be able to rate them.

[Squirrel]

5 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

 

Coming back to this due to an article I really wanted to give a single star.  I don't have the option on articles but I do on forum topics?  I don't know why it would only be on one or the other but if I had to pick one it would certainly be the other way around.  These articles need rating far more than random forum posts.

Article

 

Forum post

Go to the front page news forum.

https://twinsdaily.com/forums/forum/8-twins-daily-front-page-news/

There the articles are as forum threads so you should be able to rate them.

[Jocko87]

1 minute ago, Squirrel said:

Go to the front page news forum.

https://twinsdaily.com/forums/forum/8-twins-daily-front-page-news/

There the articles are as forum threads so you should be able to rate them.

That works! Star given.

Making it that difficult should be taken as a sign that that star was well earned. 

[stringer bell]

Here is my frustration--I want to present topics in long form sometimes and I've thought a blog entry would be the appropriate forum. Then they get no play unless that blog is featured on other pages. An example, though I didn't write it, is the Miranda thread that was originally a blog entry by @LA VIkes Fan.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Here is my frustration--I want to present topics in long form sometimes and I've thought a blog entry would be the appropriate forum. Then they get no play unless that blog is featured on other pages. An example, though I didn't write it, is the Miranda thread that was originally a blog entry by @LA VIkes Fan.

 

I recently changed the blog feature system so that the most recent blog is promoted around the site until it is replaced by another blog. All of the user blogs should be shared on our social channels as well so they're definitely getting eyeballs. I haven't checked in recently but most blogs have at least a couple of hundred readers per entry. Some spike up into the thousands.

[bean5302]

On 5/7/2024 at 10:07 PM, ashbury said:

That's exactly Squirrel's point.  They lurk until the tide turns, and then they grace us with their wisdom about how "they knew it all along."...

...And there's a word for that on the Internet.  It's called trolling...

Oh, I don't know about that. Trolling is deliberately posting inaccurate or misleading content which is dismissive of logical and rational debate in a sole attempt to solicit a frustrated reaction from other readers. Flame Baiting, to me, is posting offensive content designed specifically to anger people rather than debate anything at all.

People are allowed to have emotions connected to the Twins, and I think game threads are a particularly raw and unfiltered emotional rollercoaster, similar to what you'd see in person at a bar.

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

People are allowed to have emotions connected to the Twins

No one said otherwise.  As for your overly narrow definition of trolling, I'm not playing along, sorry.

[bean5302]

1 minute ago, ashbury said:

No one said otherwise.  As for your overly narrow definition of trolling, I'm not playing along, sorry.

You don't need to "play along" since it's not a game. I don't treat every single post I disagree with as trolling. :) It's not helpful.

[Squirrel]

9 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

You don't need to "play along" since it's not a game. I don't treat every single post I disagree with as trolling. :) It's not helpful.

And neither do we. If that's what you think we were getting at, the message is over your head.