The "tone" of RedsZone

[GIK]

I've noticed lately that RedsZone has become a lot more abrasive in the posts many users have made to one another. This may be due to the fact our team and certain players are slumping, but it doesn't mean we can take this frustration out on each other. I've let a lot of this slide lately and I shouldn't have. Boss and I created RedsZone to get away, far far away, from this type of attitude and I'm not going to let us become infected by the virus that was Cincinnati.com's message board. We can disagree, we can argue, we can post "mad" smilies, we can vent here with each other and voice our displeasure...but we cannot tear into each other maliciously. Message boards often allow people to say things anonymously they would never say in person. Please don't let that become you. Treat everyone here as if they were a member of your family and not an "internet stranger" and I think we'll see a much more fun and productive RedsZone.

Thanks!
GIK

[SirFelixCat]

Finally....someone with power speaking up like this. This place has been miserable the last week +. Thanks GIK :GAC:

[Cedric]

Thanks Bud!

[zombie-a-go-go]

Word. I feel the same way. And stuff. Thumbs up.

[Spring~Fields]

I had thought all along that GIK had a different vision of what exchange between people should be, thanks for restoring my faith in your judgement GIK.

[Redny]

:thumbup:

[KronoRed]

I agree :)

[WVRedsFan]

Thanks, GIK. I've haven't spent much time here the last few weeks for this exact reason. It may be the large number of new posters, I don't know. I do know that I always looked forward to a lot of the members' insight on what the Reds are doing. Those folks have chosen to not be around much anymore, too. I hate that.

Yes, this should be a place where, like family, we can discuss the Reds and not fear someone calling you "stupid" or "lame" or "idiot." Unfortunately, that's what we appear to be becoming. More fights and hurt feelings have happened on here since the season started than I can count. And it started the middle of last year and has continually gotten worse. Let's hope this "heads up" settles folks down.

[TheBurn]

Salud!
:GAC:

[tremere]

I was under the impression that only certain members of the "clique" could say something of value in a thread. Was this just a by-product of the downslide lately in redszone?

[redsrule2500]

^No It's just all the subscribers are on the "IN"...lol i think...

[paintmered]

I was under the impression that only certain members of the "clique" could say something of value in a thread. Was this just a by-product of the downslide lately in redszone?


You can say anything you want, the mods just want it done in a way that is civilized and constructive. These rules have been in place for years and enforced fairly the whole time. There is a list of posters who have claimed ignorance of these rules, they no longer can post here.

[Matt700wlw]

Folks...if you wanna bash the ball club and the FO, and dispute topics...I'm all for it

We're all friends here, let's play nice! :D

[tremere]

You can say anything you want, the mods just want it done in a way that is civilized and constructive. These rules have been in place for years and enforced fairly the whole time. There is a list of posters who have claimed ignorance of these rules, they no longer can post here.

I think you missed my point. My point is that while everyone can pretty much say anything they want as long as it falls within the parameters of "good forum hygiene", the flow of the conversation almost always gets hijacked by those who have the most posts. The rest of the posters are just fillers for the threads. Then, you have those posters who have "I want to be in the clique" written all over their posts. That is what I have observed, anyway.

[TeamDunn]

:confused: :confused:

So people that have been around for awhile and yack a lot are part of a clique?

So as your post count grows with posts such as the ones in this thread...does that put you in the *Wanna be in the clique* crowd??

:confused:

[GIK]

I was under the impression that only certain members of the "clique" could say something of value in a thread. Was this just a by-product of the downslide lately in redszone?

If you feel that certain people are treated a certain way, tremere, please feel free to PM myself or Boss and we will do our best to rectify any concerns you may have. On the flipside, you also have to realize that many of us have "known" each other for 4 years (or longer) through RedsZone and past message boards. I and others may be guilty of treating these people differently and I apologize. Just like in real life, you tend to hang out with your best friends over those you haven't met or don't really know. I'll try to work on that myself.

RedsZone is a family and I want to restore that relationship. I hope everyone can understand and accept that.

[TeamCasey]

Let's just respect the message and try to do better. GIK hasn't singled anyone out.

I'll take my own shot here:

Steel, I was short with you this week. I'll try and choose my words better next time. My apologies.

[37red]

Ah yes, the old Cincy.com mess. GIK, you hit it on the head, this is the reason I haven't been on in awhile, this has just not been an interesting fun place to spend my time. I hope the conversations rise back up to a better level.

[SteelSD]

Steel, I was short with you this week. I'll try and choose my words better next time. My apologies.

You were? I honestly don't remember. And there's certainly no reason to apologize.

As to the board's "tone" in general:

I think one thing folks forget about is that with so diverse a group there will be a lot of different communication styles. Some folks are more amiable, some more expressive, some more direct, and some more analytical.

Those more "amiable" will often see a post from an expressive or more "driver-like" poster and be taken aback by the post's perceived "tone". An expressive might see a passage from someone whose communication style is more analytical and think it's "dry" or "devoid of emotion". A driver might see a post from a more amiable person and stop reading after about one sentence if the post is more than 50 words long.

And then there are trolls. These folks are the exceptions and they'll go away soon enough if one of two things happens. Ignore them or beat them senseless with irrefutable data. I think we all know which track my train runs on in that regard.;)

Personally, I think that most discussion that spirals out of control is due to either a difference in communication style resulting in perceived slights, or by emotionally-charged rants. Can't do anything about the irrational, so I worry about what I can (the rational folk). Disagreements are going to happen though. It's inevitable. Unavoidable.

IMHO, I think we'd all do well to take a step back from time to time, hazard a deep breath, and understand that we may have to adjust our own communication style to better "fit" the needs of others. I'll be the first to say I'm as guilty as the next guy (or girl) of forgetting that at times, and that's something I'll continue to try to work on.

Sincerely,

SteelSD
"Snide Cuss"

[smith288]

I think all forums who have a large contingent of posters always has a sort of clique built in. It cant be avoided. The hard part is making sure this "clique" is open to new members or sparse posters and not making them feel inferior for having a differing opinion.

Then there is that whole conflict of personalities... Sometimes those instances just need mediated.

[Reds1]

Thank you! A needed reminder!

[Rocket_Fuel]

:confused: :confused:

So people that have been around for awhile and yack a lot are part of a clique?

So as your post count grows with posts such as the ones in this thread...does that put you in the *Wanna be in the clique* crowd??

:confused:

I agree, I want to be in this weird yet fascinating clique! Look for me to post 25 to 30 times a day just to pad my post count and look like a big shot!

[Team Clark]

Certainly one of the reasons I have posted less and less. Thanks for addressing the issue. I'm perplexed as to how this board could be classified as a "clique". Most of us have known one another for quite some time. Maybe it appears some are more in the know or in the loop. I guess you would have to look at it this way. If you have ten friends you talked to regularly but had only one "best" friend, which one gets more of the gossip, scoop, skinny than the rest. Your best friend. Just my thoughts. Proud to post here and glad to have very good friends here.

[Hap]

Bring back sorkelneck and tribefan!!!!!!!!!!!

[919191]

I agree, I want to be in this weird yet fascinating clique! Look for me to post 25 to 30 times a day just to pad my post count and look like a big shot!


All you need to do is reply to every single post with "I agree" or lots of :MandJ: for the lighthearted ones!

[tremere]

It is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, for sure. All I am saying is that I agree with the intended philosophy of this community. How you feel about it is entirely up to you, of course, but unless you are here to support the intended message of this thread, I have a question for you: why are you posting in this thread? It is very clear the "tone" of this forum has been different as of late, so I'm curious as to what you think about it.


:confused: :confused:

So people that have been around for awhile and yack a lot are part of a clique?

So as your post count grows with posts such as the ones in this thread...does that put you in the *Wanna be in the clique* crowd??

:confused:

[TeamBoone]

I have a lot of posts... mostly from game threads over how-ever-many years we've had the pleasure of this forum.

[KYRedsFan]

What this board needs is more bell.

[919191]

I agree, I want to be in this weird yet fascinating clique! Look for me to post 25 to 30 times a day just to pad my post count and look like a big shot!



I'm not in the clique- I'm just a wannabee. The clique might recognize me- I'm the guy always outside looking in the window at them when they have their get-togethers. :)

[TeamDunn]

I am very well aware of the tone Redszone is suffering from lately. I voiced my own concerns to those that needed to hear it and got their perspective as well. And I am fine with it. :)

What I was trying to understand is what you are calling the clique and why it is such a bad thing. Obviously there are going to be people that live in the Cincy area that can go to more games than our out of town members. Many of these people will toss out a date and others that can make it will go. Lots of gatherings have been organized when out of towners are coming in so that we can meet them too.

Lots of people on here have *known* each other for 4 years or more. I have been to the homes of several of (for lack of a better word) the *clique* members. They are really great people and I am truly sorry that all the out of towners (and more locals) have not had the chance to meet them!

A msg board survives on people posting and interacting with each other. If we all lurked there would be no msg board...or at least it would be a very boring board containing only news articles and photos.

There are a lot of things said on this board that newer members may think are hateful or crude. But to the people that have been around here and have gotten to know many of these peoples posting style they will see that it is just them being their crazy selves. Chat is a perfect example. There are 3 of us that have kept some silliness going on in there this week and it is completely harmless and we are doing it mainly to entertain others in there. Hopefully we have not offended anyone...I would hope they would speak up if we were. :)

I do not get into the heated baseball debates about stats and what not because I do not know enough about that to hold my own in those conversations. I'm a baseball fan and like to chat about my favorite players/teams. I never claimed to be an expert. I like reading some of those threads just to learn stuff...but I hate it when they turn ugly because people do not agree with each other. That is a fact of life. We are not going to agree 100% with everyone all the time. I know I have gotten ticked off on this board and let my emotions fly...I used to look at that as a bad thing, now I see it is only because I care (about the board, about the subject and about the poster I disagree with).

This place is great because there are so many chances to get to meet the actual people that post here. It is not like a msg board where you are lucky to find one person in your state...let alone a few hundred that live in your town or the next town over.

Just relax and enjoy yourself. Feel free to post away. I wish all new people would just dive in. New blood is what keeps these forums going (and donations!!! See THIS (http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22877) thread! :p: :MandJ:

Anywho, sorry to be so long keyboarded...just wanted to answer your question and let my peeps here know how much I care about them.

:)


It is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, for sure. All I am saying is that I agree with the intended philosophy of this community. How you feel about it is entirely up to you, of course, but unless you are here to support the intended message of this thread, I have a question for you: why are you posting in this thread? It is very clear the "tone" of this forum has been different as of late, so I'm curious as to what you think about it.

[M2]

Excellent, I'm apparently in the cool clique.

Anyone up for a pre-prom a pig blood run?

[TRF]

I've been here longer than most, and have yet to break into the cool clique.

wonder why that is. mebbe i should post more.

[smith288]

If you post more, you are only a wannabee... :explode:

:jester:

[Unassisted]

I've been here longer than most, and have yet to break into the cool clique.
wonder why that is. mebbe i should post more.Maybe we should start a "Texas" clique? ;) I believe that there are more RZers from Texas than any other state outside the Midwest.

Somebody should do a map pin project with all of the known locations of members. That would be enlightening. I'd do it if there were an easy, web-based way to plot the pins. Anyone know of such a thing?

[Chip R]

Maybe we should start a "Texas" clique? ;) I believe that there are more RZers from Texas than any other state outside the Midwest.

Somebody should do a map pin project with all of the known locations of members. That would be enlightening. I'd do it if there were an easy, web-based way to plot the pins. Anyone know of such a thing?
The folks who live in California, Oregon and Massachusettes may disagree with you about that. But I've always been curious about that as well. It would be a good project.

[TeamDunn]

Everyone could fill in their location field of their profile...then copy the members list into an excel document...sort by location and then count!

Those that have additional info there along with their state (or just have the city) will have to be moved to the proper place.

But anyone that has some time and nothing better to do could do it! :p:

[TeamCasey]

We had a nifty push-pin map page on another site I belonged. It was pretty neat. The push pins were active, in that it gave you the name/brief profile of the person in the area.

Fun project. I've lost touch with those people now. Not sure how they did it.

[TylerScottDavis]

Not quite the push pin map you're looking for, but this is kinda neat.

http://buddyspace.sourceforge.net/

[smith288]

Probably something like this maybe

http://www.yabbse.org/community/index.php?action=worldmap

Might have been a "Yet another Bulletin Board" powered forum. They have a membermap module you can install.

[Unassisted]

Might have been a "Yet another Bulletin Board" powered forum. They have a membermap module you can install. I just found a vBulletin site, the software RedsZone is using, with a member map module here http://www.talkdisney.com/ (Click on "member map".)

I can't find any identification on the map of the name of the module, though. Now if we just had someone who could disassemble a Java module far enough to find its name? :)

[smith288]

Its actually a Flash application called usermap.swf

I cant find any copyright info on it but it probably connects to the vbulletin user table and populates the map. If I knew how, i would dig into it but im flash ignorant.

[westofyou]

Its actually a Flash application called usermap.swf

I cant find any copyright info on it but it probably connects to the vbulletin user table and populates the map. If I knew how, i would dig into it but im flash ignorant.

I speak Flash.

[tremere]

The folks who live in California, Oregon and Massachusettes may disagree with you about that. But I've always been curious about that as well. It would be a good project.

It's odd, to say the least, that most Reds fans (I'm assuming that most that come here are Reds fans) would be from Texas. Whoever in the world would think that Reds fans generally are from the Cincinnati or Ohio area?

[tremere]

I am from Massachusetts, so I guess I would fall into that "disagreement" crowd. :RedinDC:

[smith288]

Here is the product

http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-51731

[smith288]

I speak Flash.
Check out my post above. Maybe see if Boss or GIK are interested in this component.

[westofyou]

If it's a SWF file it's a published file and can't be cracked. You need a FLA file to get in and fudge the code.

Seeing how it's on a Disney site the chance of that happening is mighty slim.

[GAC]

There is no such thing as a "clique" on this forum. This is absurb. :lol:

What I have seen though, are the mods insuring, and reminding, everyone of the forum rules of "etiquette". And IMO, they are pretty evenly enforced.

It's funny, when someone (anyone) steps over that line, the first accusation to come out of their mouths (because they might get warned) is that there is a clique on here.

There have been many friendships developed on this forum over the course of it's existence, and that is only natural.

But cliques? ridiculous.

Any "Skull and Bone" members here? :lol:

[smith288]

If it's a SWF file it's a published file and can't be cracked. You need a FLA file to get in and fudge the code.

Seeing how it's on a Disney site the chance of that happening is mighty slim.

I found out its a component that can be configured to work with RedsZone. GIK or Boss will need to check out it out here (http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-51731)

[Boss-Hog]

That's for version 2.X.

[smith288]

That's for version 2.X.

:guns: You always gotta ruin my hopes...

[CbusRed]

This may be off the topic, but what ever happened to the poster named "Phil Gagliano"

[Edskin]

The admins and mods do an amazing job here-- this is one of, if not the best, sports message board I've ever seen. It's a great site.

However, the one thing I've noticed about Redszone that makes it a bit different than other boards is what I'll call the "Ken Griffey factor." This place is HIGHLY sensitive. Not a day goes by w/o someone complaining about how negative the board is getting or how the overall "tone" has changed too much.

No doubt there are going to be some inapporpriate posts and posters-- just the nature of the beast. What continues to amaze me is how the "regular" posters CONTINUE to be unable to ignore them.

Look at the members who post most regularly: Then tell me how many of them you think contribute to the poor "tone." A handful at most. I'd say 90% of the people who post here on a regular basis, are good contributors to the site, even if they err on a more "direct" style as Steel mentioned.

This place is like a soap opera sometimes, and I must admit that on occasion, I think some people seem to enjoy that aspect-- even if they complain about it. Not accusing anyone in particular, just a general feeling I get.

IGNORE a pest and they will go away.

It's weird, I read the board right now and I see about 95% of posts pertaining to Reds and baseball in general. Then, there are a few "stupid" ones that turn into mini cat-fights. Who cares? I understand why the admins want to moderate it to make sure it doesn't get out of hand, but for the rest of us, c'mon on--- this board is what YOU make it.

[GAC]

This may be off the topic, but what ever happened to the poster named "Phil Gagliano"

The clique had him taken care of in an indiscreet manner. ;)

[smith288]

The clique had him taken care of in an indiscreet manner. ;)

:guns:

Really? I remember it being loud and messy... i mean...umm... :MandJ:

[TeamDunn]

Will this one serve the purpose?

http://pub26.bravenet.com/guestmap/view.php?usernum=2208838966

And if so then I'll start a new thread and get people to go there?

[smith288]

Thats a pretty cool tool.

[smith288]

This is what I would like to see on here.

Its in German but you will get the idea.

http://www.e34m5.de/board/membermap.php

[tremere]

The admins and mods do an amazing job here-- this is one of, if not the best, sports message board I've ever seen. It's a great site.

However, the one thing I've noticed about Redszone that makes it a bit different than other boards is what I'll call the "Ken Griffey factor." This place is HIGHLY sensitive. Not a day goes by w/o someone complaining about how negative the board is getting or how the overall "tone" has changed too much.

No doubt there are going to be some inapporpriate posts and posters-- just the nature of the beast. What continues to amaze me is how the "regular" posters CONTINUE to be unable to ignore them.

Look at the members who post most regularly: Then tell me how many of them you think contribute to the poor "tone." A handful at most. I'd say 90% of the people who post here on a regular basis, are good contributors to the site, even if they err on a more "direct" style as Steel mentioned.

This place is like a soap opera sometimes, and I must admit that on occasion, I think some people seem to enjoy that aspect-- even if they complain about it. Not accusing anyone in particular, just a general feeling I get.

IGNORE a pest and they will go away.

It's weird, I read the board right now and I see about 95% of posts pertaining to Reds and baseball in general. Then, there are a few "stupid" ones that turn into mini cat-fights. Who cares? I understand why the admins want to moderate it to make sure it doesn't get out of hand, but for the rest of us, c'mon on--- this board is what YOU make it.


Make up your mind: bad tone or soap opera? It sees you have a bit more in mind besides supporting the ones here who have "bad tones". I think some of the moderators here are part of the problem. "Chip R" comes to mind, immediately.

[Chip R]

I think some of the moderators here are part of the problem. "Chip R" comes to mind, immediately.Awwwwww. And I thought we could be buds. :cry2:

[zombie-a-go-go]

vampires are silly.

[KronoRed]

The mods here are great, I can send you a few links to boards with Bad mods who ban you for saying anything against them

[tremere]

vampires are silly.

Zombies are dumb.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Zombies are dumb.

D'oh! :)

[MikeS21]

Awwwwww. And I thought we could be buds. :cry2:
:lol: That's OK, Chip. You can eat at our table during lunch with our clique! :mhcky21:

Seriously, I've been reading through this thread over the last couple days and wanted to think before I responded. Here goes ...

Some of us have been around like ... forever, and we've known each other's points of view for going on several years. It's not a clique, as much as it is old friends getting together. For a few posters, we were talking Reds baseball together back on the old Fastball.com board, the old Dickie Thon board, and the equally old Cinci.com board. I have said some pretty dumb things in a few of my posts over the years. I think some of my friends around here have forgiven my idiotic statements because I have respected other points of view even when I disagreed.

To my knowledge, I've never met one of these folks in person, but the Reds bring a connection that causes me to call the "old timers" my friends. We're like family ... we don't always agree, but I sure miss them when they don't post for awhile. I would hope they feel the same about me. Those of us with some seniority understand each other a little better, and probably do cut each other a little more slack. I suppose to a newcomer, that may seem like a clique.

I don't want to make any newcomer feel left out of the clique, but I do think that in most any group like RedsZone, you've got to "pay your dues" so to speak, by earning the respect of those who have been around for awhile. Be patient, you will earn your stripes by giving folks a chance to get to know you.

[creek14]

It amuses me when people say RZ is "over-moderated".

I was banned from a board a couple weeks ago for the sin of posting the name of another (similar) web site I read.

Talk about moderating.

[Spring~Fields]

I've noticed lately that RedsZone has become a lot more abrasive in the posts many users have made to one another. This may be due to the fact our team and certain players are slumping, but it doesn't mean we can take this frustration out on each other. I've let a lot of this slide lately and I shouldn't have. Boss and I created RedsZone to get away, far far away, from this type of attitude and I'm not going to let us become infected by the virus that was Cincinnati.com's message board. We can disagree, we can argue, we can post "mad" smilies, we can vent here with each other and voice our displeasure...but we cannot tear into each other maliciously. Message boards often allow people to say things anonymously they would never say in person. Please don't let that become you. Treat everyone here as if they were a member of your family and not an "internet stranger" and I think we'll see a much more fun and productive RedsZone.

Thanks!
GIK

GIK

Nice try, that didn't last long though! :(

http://www.redszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22948

[Riverfront]

The tone of RZ has always been negativity. It's like watching the evening news, it's just so depressing.

I come to this board to see if there is any news, cause if there is, I'll find it here. But I don't read many posts because practicly every one turns into the bashing of someone.

I rarely check in during the off season, but when I do it never fails to see you all writing off the season before ST starts. You micro analyze every aspect of the team and can't even enjoy the start of a new season.

If that's what being a fan means to you, then, I'm glad I'm not you. Cause if the day comes where I'm not pumped for the Reds season to start and stand strong until they are mathmatically eliminated, someone do me a favor and kill me.

[Unassisted]

The last couple of posts trouble me. The positive posts are here. They just don't get as much attention as the negative ones. It's the "accident on the highway" syndrome–the eye is drawn to the negative.

Look at the "Do You Support Junior" poll (stickied today) for evidence of a positive vibe here. (9 out of 10 registered members support Junior Griffey.) The undercurrent is definitely positive. If we didn't fundamentally support the Reds, the vast majority of us would be off on some other board.

The best way to combat weeds from a yard/garden is to crowd them out with mulch or plants. If negative posts trouble you, there's another option besides not visiting... don't look at them, don't reply to them and don't get worked up about them! The best way to eliminate negative posts here is to ignore them and crowd them out with positive ones. To do your part toward the latter, find a thread that espouses a view you agree with at the top and chime in that you agree.

[M2]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assert that there'd be a lot more positivism on the board if the Reds were a better team.

They've been walloped pretty good the past three seasons. They've haven't been actively acquiring established or ready-to-play talent to plug their holes. And they've got a starting pitching problem that never seems to get fixed.

If they were winning 91 games a year instead of losing 91 games a year, the mood of the fanbase would be a whole lot better.

The problem is that many people, while looking forward to the season, don't practice the art of self-deception in thinking that the team will win just because fans desire it. It also inevitably leads us down the discussion trail of how should the team fix things. That's what you talk about when something's broken.

If all someone really wants to talk about is "I like baseball, how about you?" and "Go Reds!" then there aren't going to be a lot threads you'll enjoy when the team is into its fourth season of a down cycle.

[Aronchis]

If you really want to precise, the downcycle has been in effect since 1996 minus the flukie 99-00 era. Though Redszone wasn't alive them probably :)

The Reds are just ****ty baseball. That is the way it has been a long time now, it was that way up to the Big Red Machine era and off and on to 1995.

Fans want quick fixes, winners now. I don't think the Reds are in position for that at this time. In 1997 I figure more people would be more patient considering the hole the Reds organization was in financially and developmentally at that time. They just didn't expect it wouldn't be filled in 2004 after 6-7 years of "structural" rebuilding inside and a new stadium making the team supposedly have looser purse strings(which in some ways it did, thinking 1997). So you get alot of crying and whining on every little thing :thumbdn: Timing is everything and the Reds have blown at it. For the Reds hopefully they get "phased" in a little better over the next 6 years.