I'm curious to know this history of Soxtalk

[ozzfest]

Haven't been active on here for years. Usually read the threads when I'm not logged in. 

My friend and I joined Soxtalk a long time ago and we were recently talking about the history of this website. Can anyone give a quick summary of the website's history and who started this awesome forum and how it got started and gained traction? 

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

I read that it was originally Juan Uribe's attempt at a bitcoin mining operation back before bitcoin existed.

[southsider2k5]

Jason originally thought he was getting Sextalk.com, but then after his credit card was charged realized the typo.

[Chisoxfn]

I’ll take some time to write it up or find what was previously written up next week once I get past some key work deadlines - as there is some cool history for those not aware. 
 

But site was founded by me and Molto - ran by a great team of admins (some have retired over the years) - and was a spinoff of SoxNet which was a news site that Molto and I ran before blogs were ever a thing.
 

Soxtalk up after a bad deal where we joined a broader sports network and ultimately disagreed with network we joined and Soxtalk was a creative way out and it’s why this site will always and forever be independent and free. 
 

We have been around since 2000 in some way shape or form. 

[Milkman delivers]

13 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

I’ll take some time to write it up or find what was previously written up next week once I get past some key work deadlines - as there is some cool history for those not aware. 
 

But site was founded by me and Molto - ran by a great team of admins (some have retired over the years) - and was a spinoff of SoxNet which was a news site that Molto and I ran before blogs were ever a thing.
 

Soxtalk up after a bad deal where we joined a broader sports network and ultimately disagreed with network we joined and Soxtalk was a creative way out and it’s why this site will always and forever be independent and free. 
 

We have been around since 2000 in some way shape or form. 

Now, that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.

[The Beast]

On 4/17/2024 at 2:23 PM, ozzfest said:

Haven't been active on here for years. Usually read the threads when I'm not logged in. 

My friend and I joined Soxtalk a long time ago and we were recently talking about the history of this website. Can anyone give a quick summary of the website's history and who started this awesome forum and how it got started and gained traction? 

My profile shows that I joined in 2003, but under a different name I joined with earlier. I remember the poster that Jason mentioned as well as SoxNet and Sox N Roll. I had been posting on the whitesox.com forums where posters like CWSox and Hot Sox Chick were, but found out about this site and posted here instead of WSI. What was cool about this site is that I was given the ability to write since I was interested in sports journalism at the time. 

This site has led to some interesting outings with posters in real life (Quickman and JimH) through a connection my dad had, as well as meeting some other posters (Steff? and others at a game in 2004 or 2005). It’s had fun threads like “Mother Fucking b**** Ass Passionless White Sox,” informative forums like the main forum and Sex, Lies and Politics.?

I have learned a lot from posters over the years here and continue to learn about advanced stats in baseball from people here. It’s real cool to see the site evolve and a privilege to come to a cool place to talk, read or b**** about White Sox baseball.

[Texsox]

On 4/17/2024 at 3:30 PM, southsider2k5 said:

Jason originally thought he was getting Sextalk.com, but then after his credit card was charged realized the typo.

POTY

And their your go. 

[chitownsportsfan]

I think I first heard about the site referred to as "the other site" (or similar) on WSI, where I was a lurker but didn't really feel in tune with the place (I was 20-21 at the time and WSI was mostly middle aged and older types) so did some googling and registered here. It's cool that I got on right at the start of the title year.

Not so cool I'm now an old middle aged type.

Edited April 26 by chitownsportsfan

[Jake]

I've been a member of Soxtalk for more of my life than I've not been a member of Soxtalk...

[The Grinder]

I came here because like most others, I got the boot from WSI for basically disagreeing w a mod. Much better here..

[wegner]

I joined many years ago and just viewed until the pursuit of the two whales compelled me to post for the 1st time. Have had much fun since hearing from fellow palehose fans.

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I joined SoxTalk on December 30th, 2007 at age 17 under the name JoeCoolMan24. Then 4 days later the Sox traded for Nick Swisher.

 

I may have cursed us all.

[baseball_gal_aly]

On 4/18/2024 at 11:11 AM, Milkman delivers said:

Now, that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.

Cue the Obi Wan Kenobi meme

[baseball_gal_aly]

I joined in 2005 under the name southsida86 after getting a 30 day ban from WSI. 

WSI still kinda exists, as far as I know. 

[T R U]

There's over 7,300 members on this board and I was somewhere between 600-620 if I remember right. So, its been a long time.

[Harry Chappas]

I joined in 2003 my screen name was HSCBiggestFan (Hot Sox Chick), when she claimed that Kenny Williams was on the hot seat.  Took about 20 years for the seat to get any hotter.

I migrated from ESPN board and was member number 300ish I think.

[The Beast]

On 7/15/2024 at 9:56 AM, Harry Chappas said:

I joined in 2003 my screen name was HSCBiggestFan (Hot Sox Chick), when she claimed that Kenny Williams was on the hot seat.  Took about 20 years for the seat to get any hotter.

I migrated from ESPN board and was member number 300ish I think.

I wonder what happened to HSC and Stef/Steph? on the boards from around that time.

[ron883]

On 6/30/2024 at 10:48 PM, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

I joined SoxTalk on December 30th, 2007 at age 17 under the name JoeCoolMan24. Then 4 days later the Sox traded for Nick Swisher.

 

I may have cursed us all.

And got damnit, you were the nickname KING, but you refuse to acknowledge your past. HoT FiRe will forever live in infamy. That is the true curse of Soxtalk. 

[ron883]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:03 PM, Chisoxfn said:

I’ll take some time to write it up or find what was previously written up next week once I get past some key work deadlines - as there is some cool history for those not aware. 
 

But site was founded by me and Molto - ran by a great team of admins (some have retired over the years) - and was a spinoff of SoxNet which was a news site that Molto and I ran before blogs were ever a thing.
 

Soxtalk up after a bad deal where we joined a broader sports network and ultimately disagreed with network we joined and Soxtalk was a creative way out and it’s why this site will always and forever be independent and free. 
 

We have been around since 2000 in some way shape or form. 

What's the deal with the other forums, talkbears and talkbulls? Talkbulls appears dead, but talkbears is still alive. Do you run those forums?

[Chisoxfn]

3 hours ago, ron883 said:

What's the deal with the other forums, talkbears and talkbulls? Talkbulls appears dead, but talkbears is still alive. Do you run those forums?

Yes - TalkBulls is there if someone ever wants to take the lead adn build up a forum its there for anyone (I don't have capacity to do so - but have always maintained name). And if no one does there, maybe one day one of my kids will take it over and build it out.  Talkbears though is a hidden gem in my mind. Not a huge member base - but a quality member base.  Far less bickering than on some of the more mainstream Bears forums - where you can't go more than 3 posts without it denigrading into nonsense.  

But all of those were offshoots - Soxtalk is the original.

[ron883]

3 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

Yes - TalkBulls is there if someone ever wants to take the lead adn build up a forum its there for anyone (I don't have capacity to do so - but have always maintained name). And if no one does there, maybe one day one of my kids will take it over and build it out.  Talkbears though is a hidden gem in my mind. Not a huge member base - but a quality member base.  Far less bickering than on some of the more mainstream Bears forums - where you can't go more than 3 posts without it denigrading into nonsense.  

But all of those were offshoots - Soxtalk is the original.

The other mainstream bears forum, chicitysports, is so terrible with the bickering and insulting. I only lurk, but it seems very cliquish. Constant fighting in every single thread. 

It's tough to start up an old school forum like talkbulls now a days. Reddit and other major social media platforms have hurt the old school forums. Only the great ones (Soxtalk) survived. RealGM has held up as far as Bulls and basketball forums go. 

[baseball_gal_aly]

On 8/2/2024 at 1:29 PM, Chisoxfn said:

Yes - TalkBulls is there if someone ever wants to take the lead adn build up a forum its there for anyone (I don't have capacity to do so - but have always maintained name). And if no one does there, maybe one day one of my kids will take it over and build it out.  Talkbears though is a hidden gem in my mind. Not a huge member base - but a quality member base.  Far less bickering than on some of the more mainstream Bears forums - where you can't go more than 3 posts without it denigrading into nonsense.  

But all of those were offshoots - Soxtalk is the original.

I haven't been able to re-join TalkBears after my name change despite trying multiple times. 

I never get the confirmation email. 

[Chisoxfn]

3 hours ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

I haven't been able to re-join TalkBears after my name change despite trying multiple times. 

I never get the confirmation email. 

Remind me if I don’t email you tomorrow - but let me figure out. What username there?

[baseball_gal_aly]

6 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

Remind me if I don’t email you tomorrow - but let me figure out. What username there?

I tried a new account and it didn't work

[77 Hitmen]

On 4/30/2024 at 4:12 PM, The Grinder said:

I came here because like most others, I got the boot from WSI for basically disagreeing w a mod. Much better here..

 

On 7/1/2024 at 9:32 AM, baseball_gal_aly said:

I joined in 2005 under the name southsida86 after getting a 30 day ban from WSI. 

WSI still kinda exists, as far as I know. 

I only found out about this site maybe 5 years ago.  I wish I had found it sooner.  I've been lurking for a while and only bothered to sign up with an account this past winter.  Funny to see so many WSI "castaways" here at SoxTalk.  

WSI is still around, but a shell of its former self.  They've been hemorrhaging members for many years due to overzealous, power-hungry mods who banned or ridiculed away anyone who disagreed with them.  I'm fine with some degree of that against some of the more really obnoxious posters and I get that moderating sites isn't easy, but when you're driving away MOST of your members, then the problem isn't the posters - it's the mods.       

To be fair, the mods that drove people away are long gone from the site now.  The three or so who remain are pretty cool IMO and I don't blame them for the current sad state of that site, but the damage has been done.  Just a small number of active posters now - even before the team totally fell off a cliff the last couple of years.  Hard to get a lot of interesting engagement when membership drops that low.  

Edited September 15 by 77 Hitmen