What would Y'all Think?

[YOCOACH]

On some of the other Fastpitch websites I visit, I have noticed that they have added a Forum dedicated to "Rants and Raves" or a non-softball related topic. Maybe if we added this type of forum to this website, it might benefit us by further separating the threads from "brag" posts to those that hold useful information for other posters or non-posters as the case may be. I realize that the sole purpose of this website is to further the education of everyone on softball. However, we do have a lot of non-related or "brag" posts since many of us hold other interests outside of SB. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

I tried that. I failed miserably. Although an " off topic " link would be great for people like me? Lol

 

[Eric F]

On some of the non-softball/baseball sites I waste time, there is an "Off Topic" section. They tend to be a lot of fun...as long as the Moderators keep things from getting out of control.

 

[Ken Krause]

Not going to happen. The purpose of the Discuss Fastpitch Forum is to give interested parties a place to respectfully discuss fastpitch topics. The minute we stray from that mission we'll be overrun with all kinds of nastiness. It's the nature of the beast. It was tried on the predecessor of this forum and the results were disastrous, as I have detailed before.

As you may have seen recently, we get some pretty heated and nasty discussions already on how to hit or pitch a softball. Move that out to something that actually matters in life and it will get crazy. The moderators have better things to do with their time than to ride herd on all that.

 

[YOCOACH]

I was just thinking more along the line of brag posts so that everyone who follows others' DDs could do so in another Forum as opposed to the General Softball Discussions one. I can certainly see where non-specific Forums could get heated and take up a lot of the Admins' time where it would be needed elsewhere. It was just a thought.

 

[guero_gordo]

IMLE, people are pretty good about labeling their own posts "OT", "rant", or "brag post", and I can choose to veer off the paved road with them or not, depending on my mood.

 

[CoreSoftball20]

I think it would be a ton of work for the mods to keep it civil. Things can turn ugly in a heartbeat when all aspects of life are brought into the conversations. The idea is good if kept to exactly that, but we all know it would stray

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Even though I enjoy debating society's problems, one of the reasons I came ( and stayed ) on DFP is the site is "mostly" athletic in nature. Adding a "free for all" section, as other sites do, seems to pull trolls to those sites who know nothing about the sport and adds "member bashing" because of some disagreement in beliefs.............and they're not athletic beliefs.

I believe most of us know ( by their posts ) who is liberal/conservative Dem/Rep, it's pretty easy to read between the lines. BUT despite our cultural differences we co-exist pretty good because we share a passion together of our daughters and softball. And this forum makes us stay on topic, which seems to make it more educational specific than other sites I've visited.

I enjoy the brag posts, I don't care if it's a rec game or HS playoffs or ASA Nats or a normal weekend game or a DD signing. All I ask is give us something that makes us feel like we were there. A team pic, a picture of just the trophy, a news article, snap shot of the finished brackets on the concessions wall............just something is better than a plain thread of "my kid did this".

 

[Eric F]

Not going to happen. The purpose of the Discuss Fastpitch Forum is to give interested parties a place to respectfully discuss fastpitch topics. The minute we stray from that mission we'll be overrun with all kinds of nastiness. It's the nature of the beast. It was tried on the predecessor of this forum and the results were disastrous, as I have detailed before.

As you may have seen recently, we get some pretty heated and nasty discussions already on how to hit or pitch a softball. Move that out to something that actually matters in life and it will get crazy. The moderators have better things to do with their time than to ride herd on all that.

I hear what you're saying, Ken, and I don't disagree. The times I've seen OT sections work is when there are limits to the conversations and tight moderation (no religion, no politics, and strict adherence to PG13 language and content). For those of us who spend/waste a fair amount of time on a specific site, and get to know some of the other members, it can be enjoyable to expand the scope of the conversations to other parts of our lives. All that said, I respect your decision to not open that can of worms.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Even though I enjoy debating society's problems, one of the reasons I came ( and stayed ) on DFP is the site is "mostly" athletic in nature. Adding a "free for all" section, as other sites do, seems to pull trolls to those sites who know nothing about the sport and adds "member bashing" because of some disagreement in beliefs.............and they're not athletic beliefs.

I believe most of us know ( by their posts ) who is liberal/conservative Dem/Rep, it's pretty easy to read between the lines. BUT despite our cultural differences we co-exist pretty good because we share a passion together of our daughters and softball. And this forum makes us stay on topic, which seems to make it more educational specific than other sites I've visited.

I enjoy the brag posts, I don't care if it's a rec game or HS playoffs or ASA Nats or a normal weekend game or a DD signing. All I ask is give us something that makes us feel like we were there. A team pic, a picture of just the trophy, a news article, snap shot of the finished brackets on the concessions wall............just something is better than a plain thread of "my kid did this".

what he said^^ The softball focus of the site forces everyone to keep it mostly civil. Threads already veer all over the place anyway but somehow by keeping the focus on common ground we all know when to back off and not go to far into ideology. If there were a free for all section it would spill over. The softball discussions area is pretty much our free for all area, but keeping the title as Softball Discussions reminds us to not go to far astray. it ain't broke, no fixin needed.