The 2017 state of the board discussion thread

MJMGator

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The person that left wasn't a big-time poster, but he's been around since the beginning and was absolutely part of the GSMB with us. What I told him was that there's a big chunk of the Gator nation that just got up and left over the past five years. Checked out. Don't even bother to watch the games anymore. And that kind of apathy is far, far worse than any Law or T-REX out there. At least with those guys, you don't question their passion for Gator football. At the end of the day we all want the same thing.

As far as the personal attacks and the banter, I will freely admit that I find most of it extremely amusing and always have. It's great theater. I think fan message boards are more for entertainment than anything. I've had more belly laughs at the creativity of the sarcasm and digs that people come up with than I can count. Is it juvenile? Hell yes. That's what makes it so damn funny. Some people don't find any humor in it, and people like that just don't make it. Guys like sonoma and PatDooleySucks find that their skin is just too thin. I really have no problem with that.

If you really can't stand someone, put them on ignore. Otherwise, laugh at them or give them a little shot. You might be surprised at the likes you get, perhaps even from them. :lol:
I had to develop some thicker skin to survive around here. Once I did, I found myself laughing my ass off quite a bit.
 

gatormandan

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iu
 

Alagator

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This board is and always should be open to discussion and differing opinions. It should never become the message board of negativity either. Balance is key. I'll be the first moderator to come out and say I've been trying really hard to restrain myself from trying to censor negative opinions because frankly, our boss makes it perfectly clear he likes it and encourages it. That said, I also feel there are a few posters who constantly go out of their way to slap down anyone who dares try to "pump" or appreciate ANYTHING coach Mac and our staff does. I think this is why people are losing interest in our message board. They're simply tired of being slapped down every time they try to say "yay we got a good one, or at least we got one, where maybe last year we got nobody". We can't even be positive about anything without being labeled a dirty rotten pumper. There's a difference between balance, and allowing the negative people to continuously brow beat anyone who disagrees with them. Balance is key. We really don't have balance. The negative posters are basically put on a pedestal here, and pumpers are shunned and shouted down.

THIS!!! ALL OF IT!!!

+1000
 

Durty South Swamp

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doodley doodley doo!
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I had to develop some thicker skin to survive around here. Once I did, I found myself laughing my ass off quite a bit.
I remember when I first joined the old board after lurking for like a year... I got savaged by a couple of posters who now are some of my favs and ones I feel a personal friendship with. Anyone who thinks that they can't handle the heat and wants to leave should talk to Crete. Noones got anything on him, he got sodomized for at least a full year here by basically everyone, and yet he's still here and now one of the board favs. Let's try and keep things in perspective lol.
 

EuroGator

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As far as the personal attacks and the banter, I will freely admit that I find most of it extremely amusing and always have. It's great theater.

I hope you're acknowledging that there are personal attacks and banter. I absolutely believe that there is banter (good natured ribbing) and personal attacks (disrespect and dislike). I'm fine with banter, but I believe personal attacks, while understandably happen from time to time, create the culture that some or many find repulsive (it pushes them away).

Guys like sonoma and PatDooleySucks find that their skin is just too thin.

This is one way to characterize it, but it assumes too much (I can't think of the word I really want to use). If someone disagrees with my lifestyle and chooses not to fill their life with things they don't like, I can call them thin skinned or weak, but they may simply be choosing something else. You've insinuated that my skin is too thin and perhaps I should leave the board. If I leave it won't be because I "couldn't take it" or was to weak or thin-skinned, it will be because I'd rather not fill my life with behavior I don't agree with.
 

oxrageous

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I hope you're acknowledging that there are personal attacks and banter. I absolutely believe that there is banter (good natured ribbing) and personal attacks (disrespect and dislike). I'm fine with banter, but I believe personal attacks, while understandably happen from time to time, create the culture that some or many find repulsive (it pushes them away).
I'm talking about mild personal attacks, like calling someone an asshat.
 

GR8 2B

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This board is and always should be open to discussion and differing opinions. It should never become the message board of negativity either. Balance is key. I'll be the first moderator to come out and say I've been trying really hard to restrain myself from trying to censor negative opinions because frankly, our boss makes it perfectly clear he likes it and encourages it. That said, I also feel there are a few posters who constantly go out of their way to slap down anyone who dares try to "pump" or appreciate ANYTHING coach Mac and our staff does. I think this is why people are losing interest in our message board. They're simply tired of being slapped down every time they try to say "yay we got a good one, or at least we got one, where maybe last year we got nobody". We can't even be positive about anything without being labeled a dirty rotten pumper. There's a difference between balance, and allowing the negative people to continuously brow beat anyone who disagrees with them. Balance is key. We really don't have balance. The negative posters are basically put on a pedestal here, and pumpers are shunned and shouted down.
This, too, x 1000
 

Swamp Donkey

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If I leave it won't be because I "couldn't take it" or was to weak or thin-skinned, it will be because I'd rather not fill my life with behavior I don't agree with.
STFU

























You know we love you, right Euro?
 

CaribGator

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Ahhhhh shiat, take a chill pill everyone

Had a long-time member PM me today ....

Discuss.

Long-time member, bah, the board isn't even 3 years old . Click baited us again.

He gets me at least once each offseason, i'll be paying attention more now.
 

78

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I'll weigh in:
  • Social media is a free-for-all for comment, esp when it's anonymous. It's obviously not for everyone.
  • People say what's on their mind and they will oftentimes offend and the offended will oftentimes overreact to being offended. Why should that shock anyone?
  • Would you prefer this place be Jonestown or Michigan Avenue on the second night of the '68 Democratic National Convention? I know which place I'd rather hang.
  • Who cares if certain people are overly negative and certain people are overly positive? The truth always wins out, and I guarantee you it'll be massively revealed who's right and who's wrong by the fourth Saturday in October.
  • For those in the wrong, you'll be fed a heaping pile of crow. If the negators are wrong, the pumpers, which include certain types who want you to think their voice is being bullied and nullified, will be pumping their fists and calling you out in threads. And vice-versa. And those threads will have huge view numbers, which will make Ox happy because page clicks count.
  • Social media is full of hypocrites, drama queens and manic depressives, and it all makes for great theater. Why don't we all accept that as reality and learn to love it for its weirdness?
 

EuroGator

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One more point. Often things get put into false dichotomies. Here are two of that seem to be often on this board.

You're either a pumper or a dumper.

Mods have to 'censor' or leave everything alone.

As for mods, I would hope they could and would ...moderate the board. I haven't seen much keeping threads on topic. I know there are times when the distractions are the most (or only!) valuable thing in a thread, but there are other (many?) times when a discussion that could be really interesting devolves into Mac / Foley / Driskel / LDR / Nord / etc., etc., suck - I am miserable and I will allow nothing but misery until I get what I want (though none of us has any influence). Perhaps I've missed it, but it seems that the mods don't moderate much - and that's not a knock on them, just an observation and a suggestion of where the board could be improved.
 

Durty South Swamp

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One more point. Often things get put into false dichotomies. Here are two of that seem to be often on this board.

You're either a pumper or a dumper.

Mods have to 'censor' or leave everything alone.

As for mods, I would hope they could and would ...moderate the board. I haven't seen much keeping threads on topic. I know there are times when the distractions are the most (or only!) valuable thing in a thread, but there are other (many?) times when a discussion that could be really interesting devolves into Mac / Foley / Driskel / LDR / Nord / etc., etc., suck - I am miserable and I will allow nothing but misery until I get what I want (though none of us has any influence). Perhaps I've missed it, but it seems that the mods don't moderate much - and that's not a knock on them, just an observation and a suggestion of where the board could be improved.
just as often that a thread devolves due to a tangent post, that same tangent ends up leading to some real gold and finds its way into the hall of fame. If you want to have some amazingly great threads you got to allow them to take on a life of their own.
 

Gator2222

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Nov 25, 2016
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I would be interested in seeing a poll.

I honestly don't think the majority of the board or fanbase are negators. I think the negators are just louder. In addition, the negator tactic of personally attacking any one that sees anything positive has a tendancy to quiet those voices. This makes it seem even more as though everyone is on the negative bandwagon.

I think the majority see the positive or are in the middle.

The poll couldn't ask are you happy with the state of affairs or are you a pumper. No one is ever completely happy with pretty much anything. In addition, pumper has a negative connotation. A poll would have to have careful wording to correctly capture an image of the posters.
 

bradgator2

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I had to develop some thicker skin to survive around here. Once I did, I found myself laughing my ass off quite a bit.

Me too, although it happened in the old board. Man, I still remember a time Zambo squashed me like a bug. It was in a stupid Verne Linquist thread. I honestly lost sleep over his post. I now consider a Zambo thrashing a badge of honor.
 

oxrageous

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Here is the exact PM:

Subject:
Please deactivate and delete my account

Its not you, its me. I haven't been visiting here the last several months and don't see myself coming back. I have thick skin. I grew up with five older brothers and sisters. But enough is enough. Really, it boils down to the fact that I can't stand Gator fans talking so much crap about our teams and especially coaches. The vibe around here makes it feel like a Warchant sub-forum titled "Gator Hate". If I wanted to read all this negative crap I'd go read Warchant or Volnation. I don't. So, its been a good ride. Good luck to continued growth on your website.
 

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