Where did all the Cowboys go?
 

Am I the only one that is noticing that all the veterans seem to be leaving this place? Where is JR, Dan, Mark, Juulie, and many others I could name just do not seem to be around anymore. This place is turning in the NF website where you only see a new post every couple of weeks. Is this just the off season or are people getting tired of the direction of this site?

I know a couple of people got into with certain people and left, but this is getting ridiculous. :(

Peace

JR - While not an "old timer", I have obviously noticed it too over the last few weeks. IMO, bottom line - a) many posts were side-tracked, b) some didn't like the "humor", attempts at humor, or pictures, and c) as you note, some got very personal and aggressive.

The Forum has apparently gone askew and some apparently don't think the ends (information on actual refereeing) justifies the means (Forum) anymore and have either become silent, are gone for a short period....of for good - shame.

I hope folks like Julie and Mark come back during the season as I have found this an invaluable tool.

I have been a reader of this forum for much longer than I have been a member and have also noticed the slow down in new threads and posts. I hope it is just the off season and it will pick up soon. I do believe the direction may have driven people off. There are so many inside jokes that run through threads that unless you have been around for a long time you just scratch your head and move on. This is a hard place to come and jump in to a thread if you're a newbie and those that take comments personally can easily ruin and sidetrack an otherwise good thread. My 2 cents.

Sorry ...
 

I don't consider myself a veteran of the Forum, but I have been around for a few years.

My opinion:

a) (from above): I agree, many posts have gotten sidetracked. It doesn't bother me too much, unless the question, or comment, behind the original thread never gets resolved.

b) Guilty as charged. I didn't realize how irritating this can be to other Forum members. I'm bored this time of year. I have found some posts by members like Jurassic Referee, and photos by members like Mark Padgett, to be amusing, so I tried to join in the fun. I'll try to tone it down, but like I said, I'm bored. I can't wait until the season begins, and I can make some real contributions to the Forum.

c) I disagree on this point. I think that the personal and aggressive posts have decreased from a few years ago, especially since Old School left the building.

muxbule makes a good point about inside jokes, I still scratch my head about some posts.

JRutledge's point about the Forum turning in the NF website is kind of interesting. I've noticed that even the NFHS website was getting less business, and my twin brother, Billy Mac, mentioned it on the site a few weeks ago. http://www.nfhs.org/cgi-bin/ultimate...;f=11;t=001770 He's the 17th post on this thread, after absolutely no posting on this site for about two weeks. Check out some of the comments after his post.

Has the Forum been quiet? Yes, but I don't think that members are leaving because of sidetracks, humor, photos, personal and aggressive posts, inside jokes, etc. It's because it's off season, and as I said, even the NFHS site is quieter than usual.


Finally, I hope that my attempts at humorous posts, and photos, have been offset by some of my real contributions to the Forum. If I have offended anybody, I apologize. If I have bored anyone to tears, again, I'll try to tone it down, and if I can't, then I don't mind the moderators deleting my photos without explanation, I'll know why, and it may teach me a lesson.

Dan and JR are currently honeymooning in the bridal suite of the Hackensack Trump Motel 6. They spend their days catching crabs (yes, that's an inside joke) and their nights wantonly and feverishly dancing for tips and applause. JR does his patented Apache rain dance(clad only in an ankle-length loincloth that barely hides his esteemed member... and Gucci moccasins)....and Dan does <b>his</b> patented Mexican Hat Dance(the one where he dances nude( :eek: ) around a <i>sombrero</i>, praying for hair). They also employ as serving wenches and occasional lookouts a nameless troll who lives under a bridge just outside of Springfield and a hideous, deformed hunchbacked dwarf who lives in a bell tower and terrorizes little kiddies somewhere out on the left coast.

Note that neither Dan nor JR will do windows though.

Note also that there have also been very few threads lately actually related to rules, mechanics or officiating philosophies. That will change.

As for the off-topic stuff, the mods that we have had for years are quite competent and capable to deal with the direction of this forum as well as any problems that arise.

I was wondering just this morning why I haven't seen JR around. It seems really quiet lately, even for the off season. In fact, there's been more action in the volleyball forum lately than here. And that's just wrong ;)

My $0.02 on the direction of late...

a) For as long as I've been here, which is a few years now, it seems that all posts eventually get sidetracked. This is not new, although it seems to happen sooner these days.

b) Pictures, as long as they're family friendly, have never bothered me.

c) I also (dis)agree with BM on this one. We used to get into some pretty intense off-season brawls here. That was long before the days of ToadStool. I think there has been much less rancor of late than in some previous off-seasons.

What I have been contemplating of late is this: How useful is this site today? I've been coming here for years now. I have learned a LOT. I find it less personally useful than I once did, largely because I'm so much further along the learning curve.

But I also think this site is not as useful, friendly, or welcoming of new officials as it once was. It's my impression that collectively we're not as interested in answering questions and helping new members. There are a lot of inside jokes, so many so often that I don't get half of them, even when I'm here all the time. That's gotta be off-putting to newcomers as well.

And worst of all, I've noticed over the last year or so that some long time members have lost patience to the point where ideas contrary to their own get shouted down. It's done in the guise of ensuring newer officials aren't seduced by "bad ideas". But it makes for a pretty hostile environment, one that's not welcoming, either to newer members or to the free discussion of ideas.

You're welcome. :o

My own two cents is that everything will be back to "normal" by December 1. It always gets slow over the summer. I'm hoping that the start of the season will bring back some of the posters that JRutledge mentioned. But even if they don't come back (which would be too bad), the forum will get back on topic and basketball questions and plays will be abundant once more.

There should be a (non-spam) thread on shoes coming along any day now. :)

You sure know how to liven up a party! :D

All I know is I miss Chuck. I've probably spent more time here this off season than any other, due to the nature of my current job which allows me that luxury. That may or may not continue past September 30, so I may drop away at that point until the season starts.

I've never been particularly bothered by the pictures (although some of them make my wife say "WTH?") The good news is when I'm at work, I can't see most of them anyway.

As for the rancor, it's never bothered me. I'm probably less sensitive to how it affects newbies than I should be, which placed me near the center of the OS wars. This is my personal flaw (I'm only admitting to one).

I also miss Bhuck.

This is exactly where I am. I tend to ask subjective questions to take the temperature of the group on a particular play or mechanic but dont find too many threads that I am drawn to anymore.

I also think a lot of people are starting to realize the power of google and the ease in forwarding links and e-mails so in the ever more competitive "avocation" of basketball, I think some are more cautious with their online writings and persona.

Good.

Now shut up.

Nobody misses Diebler?

You can't be serious? :eek: Ever since he passed Chuck Norris' record for counting to infinity the most times, I kinda lost interest in him. I mean, how am I supposed to measure up? I prefer hanging out with more normal, and flawed human beings...like JugglingRef ;)

Hey! I don't resemble that remark! :o

Great. I just threw up in my mouth. But I did not inhale.

It's the off-season. When there are some good basketball topics to discuss, those people will bring their esteemed members back to the forefront of the board.