Enough with the hyperbole

[southsider2k5]

This is all really fairly simply and being read way too far in to it seems. Could have been left at Jason's post.

 

I thought so too.

 

Look the idea is that it has gotten bad here. When looking at the numbers, Soxtalk's post totals have fallen way off. Looking down the list of people in the top 10/50/100 posters who don't show up anymore is stark. The one thing that is repeated over, and over, and over again by people is that they are sick of the tone here. Its not the arguments, but the way that arguments are made. You couldn't disagree with anything without being shouted down. That has led to a pretty significant migration, to where the biggest group of people left on the board are fairly negative, and seem respond mostly to the negative situations. The reality is that most people want to celebrate and look forward to the positive things about baseball. That is why most people watch it.

 

Well now we are taking Soxtalk back for that silent majority. The whole idea is that the vast majority of people want to have somewhere to go to talk about their team and enjoy it. Why would you you want to go somewhere that made you feel worse than before you got here? It makes no sense to me. Hell it wouldn't have been so bad if it were even kept into a thread or two, but instead of just being game threads, like it started out years ago, it spilled into the other threads. The crap just spread like a virus throughout the whole board. Even the topics that have nothing to do with the Sox are filled with ridiculous statements of no substance or intelligence. Pick up the game here Soxtalk. You can be upset with the team, and still make intelligent posts. I have seen the names of people who do it a lot.

 

I know the want now is for "specific examples" so that it can be pushed right up to the ledge, and then answered with "well I didn't do exactly that". This is going to be vague, because you can't project exactly what hyperbole isn't an exact science. If that is too vague, well sorry. Any changes in people's posting status's will come from a long discussion amongst mods and admins here. Believe me when I say it will be a process. It isn't going to be Jason, or anyone else, just banning people. Pretty much all of the staff hates doing, but we hate being put in a position to take action on someone even more.

[NorthSideSox72]

Hyperbole....

It's become a world-wide epidemic. And only one moron doesn't seem to get it. Ozzie has to be beyond a shadow of a doubt the worst World Series winning manager in league history.

 

Personal attack...

Good one. I'm not sure if you have made a meaningful contribution in any thread since you've been here.

 

Just a bunch of angry swearing garbage...

How the f*** do you know if he woke it up? How many games have we played/won since this incident? He showed up his pitcher, period. REFUTE THAT, for christs sake, instead of bringing up other irrelevant s*** that has no basis on the topic of this thread, which is AJ showing up his pitcher. It's this kind of s*** that he's been known to do on just about every team he's been on

 

Those are sort of three classifications of what I'd consider garbage posts. Not necessarily postERS, by the way, but posts.

 

And mind you, I am not saying (and I don't think Jason is either) that posting something like that gets you an instant suspension or something just for making one post like this (as noted earlier, we discuss these things at length and people do get slack). The problem is when the board is riddled with s*** like this, which at times it is, and that just makes this place a lot less fun.

 

Hope that helps clarify a bit.

 

[southsider2k5]

I think you are being a bit defensive here.

 

The lollipops and gumdrops posters get mocked and laughed at just as much or more as some of the negative nancy guys.

 

I think guys like you, that usually take a pessimistic approach, but do so in an intelligent manner and seem to have some sense of reasonable and rational thoughts in your mind, are respected, even though you do take a bit of s***. But you've got to expect that, given the fact that you are on a White Sox fan forum and where you're coming from most of the time with your opinions.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have been mentioned, by name.

[SoIL]

As a long time poster who has taken several extended stays away from the board because of the hyperbole, I applaud Jason on this. In fact, it's been long overdue.

 

 

I personally have no issue with being "negative" or "positive" - its the way its delivered. You can say "Oh come on Ozzie, really? Leaving Peavy in for another batter? WTF?", and we all get that. But when your post says "Ozzie is a f***ing ass-clown who couldn't manage a little league team!!!", and when the board is full of posts like that... who wants to read that? This, IMO, is the biggest reason why we see fewer and fewer good, in-depth discussions, and why many of the knowledgeable posters stay mostly away. They are smart enough to see that their good points would just get lost amongst the hyperbolic bloviations of a few loud, obnoxious posters.

 

 

I agree with this, a lot of negativity. This used to be a place to get info and latest news and discussions on upcoming games.

 

I'm a long time reader, not so much a poster, and I have to agree with these statements. I still stop by every day, but mostly I just don't read any threads or if I do, it's only a few responses. The overwhelming negativity of the titles and the posts are enough to make me move on to something else.

 

In the past I especially appreciated when some of the "insiders" would post what they had heard might or might not be happening. What the front office was possibly thinking. When those people started getting shouted down because they were "wrong" I stopped seeing posts of that nature and this site started getting less interesting. The Sox are a frustrating team this year, but there is no reason to constantly rip players, coaches and management.

[Milkman delivers]

Hyperbole....

 

 

Personal attack...

 

 

Just a bunch of angry swearing garbage...

 

 

Those are sort of three classifications of what I'd consider garbage posts. Not necessarily postERS, by the way, but posts.

 

And mind you, I am not saying (and I don't think Jason is either) that posting something like that gets you an instant suspension or something just for making one post like this (as noted earlier, we discuss these things at length and people do get slack). The problem is when the board is riddled with s*** like this, which at times it is, and that just makes this place a lot less fun.

 

Hope that helps clarify a bit.

 

It does, very much. The initial posts left out those key elements, along with the examples. Thank you.

[iamshack]

If you really don't think any amount of negativity after a win is looked at in disgust by more than a few posters, then I think you're just blind to it. Hell, we had a guy basically swear a vendetta to get negative posters banned because he was tired of the negativity which is caused directly by the team's poor play.

 

I think the real issue comes down to where people vent their frustrations. It seems to me that those viewed as negative vent towards the team, whereas the other side vents towards the negative ones.

Well, I think the distinction that needs to be pointed out is that sites such as this are in their very nature going to be a place where positivity is going to be looked on more favorably so than pessimism. The spirit of a place like this is always going to weigh more heavily towards people wanting to celebrate the team's successes more so than it's failures. It's just a fact and something the pessimistic posters have to live with.

[NorthSideSox72]

It does, very much. The initial posts left out those key elements, along with the examples. Thank you.

To be clear on what I said and you bolded... its entirely possible or likely that a single post like that will result in some sort of reaction from the Mod/Admin team, especially the personal attack - but if its isolated and not a poster-specific pattern, we usually say something in-thread, or send a PM, etc. I cannot even remember a time where a poster was just outright suspended before SOMETHING else was done first (exception being a brand new poster who posts 4 times, and its all that kind of crap). I'm sure its happened, but it has to be rare.

 

[hogan873]

It's not so much the negativity that bothers me. Hell, it has been hard to not be negative so far this season. The personal attacks have no place here though. And, as several posters have already mentioned, we see more personal attacks aimed at those posting negative stuff or posts that are all sunshine and lollipops.

 

I'll say one thing, I don't need to see another thread about how bad Juan Pierre or Adam Dunn are. We all know. I doubt Juan and Adam read this site, so we're just preaching to each other. And even if the players do read this site, do we really think they'd give a damn what we think?

[elrockinMT]

I respect other peoples opinions and think that as long as they are respectful and add something to a conversation I have no problem with folks disgreeing with me. No one deserves to be ridiculed becasue they don't see things the way another person does. That type of conduct is a detriment to what I bel;ieve is the best Chisox site around. You will have no problem with me.

Edited June 24, 2011 by elrockinMT

[StrangeSox]

I'll say one thing, I don't need to see another thread about how bad Juan Pierre or Adam Dunn are. We all know. I doubt Juan and Adam read this site, so we're just preaching to each other. And even if the players do read this site, do we really think they'd give a damn what we think?

 

We need catch-alls for them, maybe a safe zone for hyperbolic ranting on KW, Ozzie, Dunn, Rios, Pierre, Peavy etc. Somewhere to blow off steam that keeps it out of discussion threads.

[Balta1701]

We need catch-alls for them, maybe a safe zone for hyperbolic ranting on KW, Ozzie, Dunn, Rios, Pierre, Peavy etc. Somewhere to blow off steam that keeps it out of discussion threads.

We actually tried this a few years ago. It was something of an Epic Fail, IIRC.

[StrangeSox]

We actually tried this a few years ago. It was something of an Epic Fail, IIRC.

 

Try, try again.

 

actually I could see huge problems with that, too many "keep your negative crap outta here!" to any critical posts. But we don't need any more Dunn/Rios/whoever sucks threads.

Edited June 24, 2011 by StrangeSox

[Kyyle23]

We need catch-alls for them, maybe a safe zone for hyperbolic ranting on KW, Ozzie, Dunn, Rios, Pierre, Peavy etc. Somewhere to blow off steam that keeps it out of discussion threads.

 

filibuster rules just dont work within PHT

[StrangeSox]

filibuster rules just dont work within PHT

 

I was more thinking of merging all "dunn sucks!" threads into one thread.

[Balta1701]

I was more thinking of merging all "dunn sucks!" threads into one thread.

Every time we do that, someone decides that there aren't enough threads to state how bad player x is.

[Steve9347]

I reserve the right to still hate on Juan Pierre. Should I add his WAR to my signature so I don't have to back it up with concise argument everytime?!?

 

I kid, I kid.

 

[GoSox05]

I think really good posts should be rewarded with gift cards to Sizzler.

 

Just Kidding.

 

But, no seriously.

[StrangeSox]

Every time we do that, someone decides that there aren't enough threads to state how bad player x is.

 

You're tempting me to post some new threads...

[Steve9347]

It is a strange season, though, I think we can all admit that. I mean, if Rios and Dunn would just wake up, this team would be so dominant. That's leading to more frustration than normal.

 

I mean, Adam Dunn was the easiest guarantee in baseball...

[Milkman delivers]

Uh oh, J4L's typing...

[southsider2k5]

I was more thinking of merging all "dunn sucks!" threads into one thread.

 

Usually we do. Honestly, it never deters the next person who thinks their spin on Juan Pierre sucking is completely new and uncharted territory.

[Steve9347]

[ChiSox_Sonix]

To be clear on what I said and you bolded... its entirely possible or likely that a single post like that will result in some sort of reaction from the Mod/Admin team, especially the personal attack - but if its isolated and not a poster-specific pattern, we usually say something in-thread, or send a PM, etc. I cannot even remember a time where a poster was just outright suspended before SOMETHING else was done first (exception being a brand new poster who posts 4 times, and its all that kind of crap). I'm sure its happened, but it has to be rare.

 

Happened to me last year for reasons I still don't understand

[maggsmaggs]

Priceless.

[BigSqwert]

Love the new sig maggs.