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How Can We Improve the Packers Forum?


CWood21

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I wanted to create an open discussion, and we'd love to hear your thoughts about how we can improve our subforum.  After years of clamoring for upgrades, Webby has invested a LOT into this new forum and it's time for us to give back to him.  So how can we make the Packers forum as active possible?  How do we take the lurkers and make them occasional posters?  How do we take the occasional posters and make them daily contributors?

We need members to get back in the habit of posting in team forums.  I will be liking posts of members that are trying to increase forum activity.  

We are really hoping to revive some of the less active team forums with this software update.  But we need everyone's help.   Members need to try and get back in the habit of starting new topics in their team forums instead of just posting everything in one huge general topic that now dominate a lot of forums.   The average member doesn't have time to follow 100 pages of 'Off-season' or 'draft' talk.  They ignore these topics and when they don't find any other interesting active topics in the forum, they leave.  I'm hoping the new forum update will bring back the forum activity, but if all we do is post in a handful of huge general topics,  the average member won't return.   

As you may or may not have noticed, @Packerraymond and I have the ability to split posts in active threads and create topics.  One example of this is the Montravious Adams injury which started in the Training Camp thread is now a thread in itself.  That doesn't mean SPAM the forum with every little news, but if it's a notable injury to a relatively well-known player and/or draft pick or something noteworthy, don't be afraid to start a new thread.  Remember, for the casual poster it's easier to follow a thread that doesn't jump a dozen pages in between visits.  While it makes the forum "cleaner", these "catch-all" threads actually make posters less likely to post.  That doesn't mean that we should abandon all the catch-all threads.  Obviously threads like TAPT, TIRT, Draft prospects, etc. threads will be required given the high volume that this forum is capable of.  Probably the best words of advice that I've received on here is that threads that shouldn't have been created will die on their own.  IF they die, they die.  But no reason to turn lurkers off by having them coming back with dozens of pages of discussion to try and catch up on.

Given the new ignore feature, you can actively have posters you don't want to respond to not show up on your posts.  Nothing will turn off the casual poster than in-house bickering, which is why we ask that if you have issues with a poster to please let the moderators deal with it.  You have the new ignore feature which will help in this situation, but making smart retorts creates more issues to clean up.

As you may or may not have noticed, there is a new tool we can use called the feature button.  As you may have noticed next to the title "Are you comfortable with the RB position?", there is a star.  This is the feature button.  This is more than just a star next to a thread title.  When you are looking at the side bar when scrolling, active threads with the feature star next to it are on there.  PR and I will be updating this pretty often, so the next high quality post has a real chance to have that feature button next to it.

Finally, PR and I have had a brief discussion about a return of the Packy's and/or a Packers Forum Hall of Fame.  Obviously the logistics will need to be worked out, but we wanted to know what your thoughts were on it?  We're not sure if it'd be both, or just one of the two but wanted to present the idea to the masses.

So without further ado, I wanted to open up the floor for discussion.  We've given the Eagles and a couple of other team subforums a head start, but the Packers forum is quickly moving up the leaderboard in terms of posts.  In the old FF, we were well ahead of the rest of the team forums.  As always, if you have anything you want to discuss privately feel free to drop me or Ray a PM.

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Ban me.

I like the idea of more minor news items as their own topic and whined like a baby over it elsewhere, where a new mod took over as wants essentially to us only have 3 threads. NFL news, packers roster moves, packers news. Look that makes sense, sort of. But some people see a title and go I was chime in. But if that same topic is 9 posts deep without many replies, I swear they let it go. I think more things like the Adams thread help way more than being buried, even semi buried in some news or TC thread. And that whole experiment has been a disaster for activity.

During the year, I think we've had this before. Maybe some questions/predictions. A handful every game ahead of time. Humans love to predict crap plus it gives directives for discussing how each could go either way.

Also ban the only show up to cry and I told you so trolls. I'll pay webby for it. I know he has PayPal.

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But seriously, I agree with Norm.  I think.  The broader the thread, the less discussion.  I'm going to use post game threads as an example:

Post game thread encompasses play of the game, player of the game, what went wrong, what went right, general attitudes.

Instead of having a post game thread that encompasses everything, not only allow, but encourage additional, more narrow topics.  Example:

After a game, have a Play of the Game thread.  This to discuss individual plays, momentum shifts, etc.

What went wrong thread after a loss.  Pinpoints weaknesses against the team we just played, weaknesses in general, etc.

Keep a post game thread where it's encouraged to post general thoughts and attitudes of after the game.  This will keep the boo birds in there, and yet there will still be more detailed discussion on other things.  Individual plays to highlight good things from bad games. 

TL;DR Version: More threads = More discussion. 

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people should post more, judge less

We've fallen into the trap of one guy sticks their neck out with an opinion, which starts a flood of replies. End result is people are inherently vain, so there's no incentive to post opinions. 

It's a lot easier to refute and pick apart another post than it is to say the same things but in your own context.  Result is that people are waiting like hyenas to rip apart other posts, but not to post their own opinions before someone else frames the conversation.  So no one posts.

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Woody I think you know my opinion on what would make it better. 

With that being said I think we need to have more forum competitions. Weekly fantasy etc. I only know a few people from this forum (which tbh isn't a bad thing sometimes) but I think more of you should get to know me. 

Anyways I think CWood should have weekly comps and give out cash prizes. 

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what turned me towards posting less was losing a few good posters that did a lot of analytical summaries but that was only part of it. The trolling posters that steered entire posts of topic for pages at a time was the really killer for me.

1. Limit trolling and off topic posts

2. Encourage strong and analytical and video supported performance discussions

3. Strong team forums, while a few are strong, I would like to be able to go to other teams' forums and join in meaningful discussions

4.this visual update

5. General increase in user volume

6. Competitions/games. (Prizes not required)

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As far as the trolls go, that will sort themselves out.  With the ignore feature as well as the report button eventually be rolling out, the excuse that trolls are bringing down the forum shouldn't really hold much water.

Instead, I want to look at what can we do as a group make the lurkers into casual posters and the casual posters into daily contributors?  Also, surprisingly nobody has chimed in on the Packy's and/or Packers Forum HoF.  Is there no interest there?

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12 hours ago, skibrett15 said:

people should post more, judge less

We've fallen into the trap of one guy sticks their neck out with an opinion, which starts a flood of replies. End result is people are inherently vain, so there's no incentive to post opinions. 

It's a lot easier to refute and pick apart another post than it is to say the same things but in your own context.  Result is that people are waiting like hyenas to rip apart other posts, but not to post their own opinions before someone else frames the conversation.  So no one posts.

this. let people speak their mind and respect one another. 

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Just now, NormSizedMidget said:

Count me out on immunity for terrible opinions.

The thing is, even if you're open minded about it and willing to change your "terrible" opinion, people focus on tearing it down (rather hurtfully tbh) rather than convincing you otherwise with sound arguments.

I rarely post because I'm an euro with very few years of fandom so I can't hope to add any meaningful discussion with my limited knowledge, but the few times I've expressed an opinion against the majority the backlash has been pretty annoying. Like @skibrett15 said, in the end we're all vain and we don't like being ridiculed.

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Just now, Packer_ESP said:

The thing is, even if you're open minded about it and willing to change your "terrible" opinion, people focus on tearing it down (rather hurtfully tbh) rather than convincing you otherwise with sound arguments.

I rarely post because I'm an euro with very few years of fandom so I can't hope to add any meaningful discussion with my limited knowledge, but the few times I've expressed an opinion against the majority the backlash has been pretty annoying. Like @skibrett15 said, in the end we're all vain and we don't like being ridiculed.

Kinda comes with the territory. You've never been one who I thought has overtly negative opinions just to have them. That's always been my issue. Those who constantly feel the need to lean negative no matter the issue.

Woody is write though. I'm gonna hammer that ignore list. That should help some if guys have nobody to answer them haha.

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