Let's all take a deep breath (everyone please read)

[Roy Tucker]

I need some mod training.

Go buy a cup.

[Steve4192]

The "mlb draft" is too big of a topic for a single thread, IMO. I like your "leaning."

Agreed.

The minor league forum is low-traffic enough I think it can support multiple threads without having them scroll into oblivion. Just be sure to do a stickied 'live draft thread' on draft day and that should keep everything fairly clean.

P.S. Love the Minor League forum, even if it is low-traffic. Lots of good info, very little (if any) fluff.

[Red Leader]

If someone starts a new thread, ban them.

Thanks for your mentoring. I am ready to serve for the masses.

BTW, is that autograph I asked for on it's way yet. My youngests birthday is coming up and he asked me about it again. Don't want to disappoint him. You can just sign it "to one of my followers, -Z" if you haven't already.

[TRF]

To repeat something I said earlier...

Yes, this board serves an individual need to have one's voice be heard on topics. But it also serves a greater and broader purpose for the community as a whole. A person's right to say something does not override the greater community's right to not have to read the same things repeatedly, or to say the same things repeatedly in response to the same topic. It's not always about what one individual wants to say, it's about what is best for the forum overall.

The forum will be the better for it if people do a search of existing threads and add their uniquecontributions or perspectives to the threads already in existence. Why the need to start a new thread? If someone else has already said it in recent days or weeks, why is anyone owed the privilege of saying basically the same thing again?

Someone mentioned this earlier, I think, but one thing we may need to do is find a way of helping people understand how the search feature works. I don't think we should automatically assume that a person who is new to the board knows how the basic features of vBulletin work. And sometimes people do the search, but the thread titles were not clear enough to bring it up in the search. But that's a whole different subject...

Neat idea. it'll never work. People want there own stamp. People want to start new threads. Name a topic that hasn't been beat to death. so far this season we have discussed:

Dunn's BA
Dunn's K's
Dunn moving to 1B
Griffey's Value
Griffey's health
Griffey moving to 1B
FeLo's defense
FeLo's offense
EE's defense
EE's offense
BP's defense
BP's offense
The platoon at 1B
The bullpen
Coffey for closer
Milton
Arroyo
Harang
Claussen
Lizard
Team K's
RC
RC/27
Narron
Krivsky
RCast
Casey
Homer
Votto

and on and on and on. All of the above have been discussed ad nauseum, and quite frankly they should. A new poster doesn't want to search for a post from 2003 to discuss why Dunn should cut down on his K's. That poster wants to post. As a moderator if you find the post should be merged, then merge it. It is ridiculous to say a topic has outlived it's usefulness on a MESSAGE BOARD.

[Steve4192]

Instead of "Wasteland," could we call it "The Cornfield?"

Works for me.

I was also thinking of 'The Top 6' in an homage to my favorite seats at Cinerfront or 'The Wedge' as a tribute to my favorite voyeristic architechtural oddity. Anything that gives the image of being in the same general vicinity as the game but not really close enough to participate.

[IowaRed]

If someone starts a new thread, ban them.

glad to have you back Zombie, I missed your rational, even-handed moderation style

[Reds4Life]

Thanks for your mentoring. I am ready to serve for the masses.

BTW, is that autograph I asked for on it's way yet. My youngests birthday is coming up and he asked me about it again. Don't want to disappoint him. You can just sign it "to one of my followers, -Z" if you haven't already.

Zombie doesn't "do" autographs.

You need one of these: Call 1-800-BAN-STICK

[edabbs44]

Neat idea. it'll never work. People want there own stamp. People want to start new threads. Name a topic that hasn't been beat to death. so far this season we have discussed:

Dunn's BA
Dunn's K's
Dunn moving to 1B
Griffey's Value
Griffey's health
Griffey moving to 1B
FeLo's defense
FeLo's offense
EE's defense
EE's offense
BP's defense
BP's offense
The platoon at 1B
The bullpen
Coffey for closer
Milton
Arroyo
Harang
Claussen
Lizard
Team K's
RC
RC/27
Narron
Krivsky
RCast
Casey
Homer
Votto

and on and on and on. All of the above have been discussed ad nauseum, and quite frankly they should. A new poster doesn't want to search for a post from 2003 to discuss why Dunn should cut down on his K's. That poster wants to post. As a moderator if you find the post should be merged, then merge it. It is ridiculous to say a topic has outlived it's usefulness on a MESSAGE BOARD.

I think that covers all the topics people want to talk about. If these are off limits there won't be anything left to discuss, except for these:

Better Chili: Gold Star or Skyline?
Does Narron's uniform seem too big?
Where Are They Now: Brandon Larson
Chinese Water Torture or Dinner With GG in St. Louis?
Should We Keep Rick White as our BP Pitcher?

[Red Leader]

$9.95?


Man, thats a lot less than the $695.00 Z told me. Do I still make the check out to you, Z?

[red-in-la]

I thought I would clear up a couple of personal misconceptions......no need to duck.....I was reminded that I am in someone's living room.....as justly so.

Stathead - I never meant to use this term in a negative sense but I can certainly see how one who uses stats on a regular basis might take it as negative. I meant stathead as simply a neutral term to describe somebody who uses words (and numbers) that I do not understand.....stuff like VORP and plus something or other. These same folks have taught me the value of OPS and ZR and I appreciate that. From now on, I will not use the term since it seems to be negative to some people.

Next term....

I don't really have a term for this.....but it is group of posters on this board and on ORG that want the discussion of baseball, even game threads, to always end at some point in a definition solution. Again, guys, this is NOT meant to be negative....it isn't at all. This group has a right to that way of thinking for sure.

The problem for me is, and again, it is my problem and not theirs, is that I come here, and come to baseball specifically to get AWAY from that kind of thinking (that I am pressured in my work to live by). I just want to yell, the guy is a bum when he strikes out with the bases loaded.....I don't want another poster to throw a bunch of numbers at me to prove he isn't.

With my Dad gone, you guys are the only outlet I have for that. I am almost 3,000 miles away from GAB and there are no Reds fans within shouting distance.

Maybe I am the only 50 plus poster mwho wants to follow the game that way, and if I am, then I will simply read the threads and yell at myself from now on. I hade actually though, for a while, the Reds Live had become a place like the one I am describing, and that ORG had become the facts and figures thread.....at least it seemed to have migrated in that direction.

Again, maybe I am wrong......I make a regular habit of it.

On another point......and maybe the mods can clue me in on this. I do say some ballplayers are no very good. I never say suck or other bad words because that is not my way. If that is consider personal attacks then again, I guess I will have to just confine myself to reading and not writing. I do not recall when I said in the forum, that other posters sucked. I have said other were wrong (IMHO) and maybe saying I think someone is wrong is too negative in today's world.

And lastly.....I have been personally attacked by other high rep point posters. I have no idea if the mods have done anything about it. But I can say that I cannot recall being personally attacked by any posters who are only allowed to post of Reds Live.

These days I tend to stay in Reds Live because I do not want to interfere with the discussions on ORG. I do read it now and then. But I daily visit Reds Live because it is more to my liking.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Maybe some of these idea's might be good for all of us to ponder:

Happiness begins where selfishness ends.

The best way to improve the team is to improve ourself.

Discipline yourself and others won't need to.

It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings and the feelings of others before your own rights.

What is right is more important than who is right.

Although there is no progress without change, not all change is progress.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what your really are. Reputation is merely what you are perceived to be.

Never be disagreeable just because you disagree.

The time to make friends is before you need them.

Make friendship a fine art.

The smallest good deed is better than the best intention.

Treat all people with dignity and respect.

From "Wooden" "A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court."

And a few more from my own experience:

Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts.

To return love for hate.

To include the excluded.

To say "I was wrong."

It is the mark of true education to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Admitting that you were wrong is just another way of saying you are wiser today than yesterday.

And last but not least,

Watch your thoughts. They become words.
Watch your words. They become actions.
Watch your actions. They become habits.
Watch your habits. They become your character.
Watch your character. It becomes your destiny.

[MikeS21]

I think that covers all the topics people want to talk about. If these are off limits there won't be anything left to discuss, except for these:

Better Chili: Gold Star or Skyline?
Does Narron's uniform seem too big?
Where Are They Now: Brandon Larson
Chinese Water Torture or Dinner With GG in St. Louis?
Should We Keep Rick White as our BP Pitcher?

Oh man! You talked about them and now THOSE topics are off limits!

[pedro]

Oh man! You talked about them and now THOSE topics are off limits!

or this time honored classic. "Is White Castle the primary cause of global warming?"

[MikeS21]

or this time honored classic. "Is White Castle the primary cause of global warming?"

Not sure about GLOBAL warming, but definitely a few cases of LOCAL warming! Drat, you mentioned WC, and now I might need to swing by later for a couple.

[zombie-a-go-go]

$9.95?


Man, thats a lot less than the $695.00 Z told me. Do I still make the check out to you, Z?

All checks come to me, remember? Let me worry about the money; you don't need to worry your great mind with such a small concern.