I love THP, but...

[Nebgolfer]

My one comment about thanks vs "awesome" posts is that thanks don't bump a thread. If we had announcement threads that had no responses but just a bunch of thanks, that thread would VERY quickly move off the front page and people might not see it. By having 20 pages of fluff, that thread is kept on the front, and even near the top for everyone to see. Even with the 20 pages of fluff, people still come on a week after a big announcement and still say "how did I miss this", and with just using thanks, I think that would increase.

 

[DevRickus]

My one comment about thanks vs "awesome" posts is that thanks don't bump a thread. If we had announcement threads that had no responses but just a bunch of thanks, that thread would VERY quickly move off the front page and people might not see it. By having 20 pages of fluff, that thread is kept on the front, and even near the top for everyone to see. Even with the 20 pages of fluff, people still come on a week after a big announcement and still say "how did I miss this", and with just using thanks, I think that would increase.

There are plenty of posts with questions and information. These events are extremely exciting and everyone should share in that excitement. I don't think you will see those threads end up on page 20.

 

[mikedean441]

I can say with confidence the promotion in advance for events will never stop. Seeing the excitement thereafter makes it all worth it and adds to the buildup of the event. Perhaps we need to do a better job of updating the first post with updates that may be sprinkled through out the thread.
#rollteasers

 

[Jman]

I just read through this and smile. There was a time this round table discussion wouldn't have been able to happen and that is a fact.

 

[DevRickus]

I can say with confidence the promotion in advance for events will never stop. Seeing the excitement thereafter makes it all worth it and adds to the buildup of the event. Perhaps we need to do a better job of updating the first post with updates that may be sprinkled though out the thread.
#rollteasers

Perhaps an event section with the current events and details stickied. And then seperate threads to discuss.

 

[blugold]

I can say with confidence the promotion in advance for events will never stop. Seeing the excitement thereafter makes it all worth it and adds to the buildup of the event. Perhaps we need to do a better job of updating the first post with updates that may be sprinkled though out the thread.
#rollteasers

I think the first post is adequately updated. I think some people may not think to actually go back and read it. That is the reader's fault.

 

[ArmyGolf]

I can say with confidence the promotion in advance for events will never stop. Seeing the excitement thereafter makes it all worth it and adds to the buildup of the event. Perhaps we need to do a better job of updating the first post with updates that may be sprinkled through out the thread.
#rollteasers

I'm glad to hear this, I actually like receiving the juicy information one tidbit at a time. It helps me to truly think about what is happening and digest it without skipping over it for a "juicier" detail. Plus, seeing the ongoing excitement in threads is contagious and you can't help but get your heart rate up and join in IMO. Keeping all relevant updates in the first post of a given thread would be a great way to help people to find everything.

 

[JB]

Why do we need to provide encouragement to new members. No one held my hand and I just showed up at the first Morgan cup. Didn't know anyone on the forum and now call a few of those guys my brothers.

It's not like opinions are bashed by the staff of THP or not welcome. As for Other members, well we are all grown folks here and maybe should take things so personally or literally.

Brother, i love you, but this is dead wrong. As a member of the staff or a proud member of the community, or just a way of life. The more welcoming people are, the better this world is.

I haven't been to an "official" THP event yet (this year for sure), but did meet up with a bunch a THP'ers down in NC earlier this year, and you couldn't ask for a better bunch of guys to meet up with. Not nearly as much grab ass IRL, just a bunch of friendly and helpful people that I wished I lived more local to meet up with more often.

As far as extraneous posts go, I think maybe some of it is brought on by MC cup restrictions. When I first came upon this site, obviously one of the first things I saw was things I saw was this amazing golf event called the Morgan Cup. What an amazing and unique opportunity! Alas, it's not something I even concern myself with, because I just don't feel like I have 300/posts a month to actually contribute to these, or any online forum. I'm on the forum pretty much everyday, and love the reviews and previews, and interject when I feel strongly about something or think I can help and contribute... And I realized early on, that's just not going to happen 300 times a month, and that's ok. I also realized early on that if you stripped away all the events and giveaways, I'd visit and participate just as much. That is clearly not the case across the board. I see members who joined 3-4 months ago with 3000+ posts. Obviously most of that is banter and spam, and a cynical person might see it as an effort to improve their chances at event invites, and IMO, it's what drives a large portion of the thread spam that I think the OP is commenting on.

Gill,
Im glad you are here and enjoy your posts, but I could not disagree with this post more. First off its 200 posts in a month. Secondly that is 6.5 posts a day. And frankly if someone cannot make the time (about 5-10 minutes) to make 6.5 posts a day for the opportunity to be in what I consider the most impressive amateur golf event ever created, it is just not for them.

Also, there are no invites. People are not invited to events. They signup and spend their hard earned money to go to these things. Some people just like to say how appreciative they are a bit differently than others.

I have only seen the issue the OP brought up in THP "announcement" threads and the only problem there is when there is additional relevant information on the event and you have to skim through pages of "awesome" and "can't wait" to find it.

All major announcement posts get the 1st post updated to make sure nobody misses any information.

I'm sorry, but I don't find that a problem at all. I think it is easy to see who is a post padder and who is a useful poster.

Doesn't bother me.

Whether you do or not, is of little concern. Frankly I dont either, but if it does others, its important to be cognizant of that. To give you an example. It would not bother me if you decided to not wear pants while sitting at your desk at work. However it might bother some there. So perhaps its important to pay attention to others feelings.

I'm not trolling anybody right now. I have been trying to dial that back. I get that threads get cluttered. It may bury some information.

I actually think that one of the best ways to not clutter information get rid of teaser threads. Equipment previews are great, and necessary. But is a "Big Things Coming Up" thread actually doing anything but clutter the board? I hate seeing all of the threads that get created that have no business being there. But I just go past them. I don't waste my time with them

The Thanks button can be used more. Sure.

I guess we should not do sneak peeks at equipment either? I mean they are the same exact thing right?

My one comment about thanks vs "awesome" posts is that thanks don't bump a thread. If we had announcement threads that had no responses but just a bunch of thanks, that thread would VERY quickly move off the front page and people might not see it. By having 20 pages of fluff, that thread is kept on the front, and even near the top for everyone to see. Even with the 20 pages of fluff, people still come on a week after a big announcement and still say "how did I miss this", and with just using thanks, I think that would increase.

I agree with this. Perhaps a better way to bump a thread if you feel like it is to bring attention to a post in there, or just say "bumping this".

______________________________________________________________________________

Im going to add a few things here. We are an open community. We share what we are working on, how we are working on it and do it for all to get excited that want to. Im not going to stop getting excited about something that I spend months working on.

Im also not going to walk on eggshells over my excitement about things. THP is doing things that have never even been thought of, let alone attempted and I get pretty darn excited about it.

What I will say is that I think that people do get off topic a bit much. I do think the inside jokes happen too often. And I do think regulars troll a bit much. All of that will be changing.

 

[JB]

Perhaps an event section with the current events and details stickied. And then seperate threads to discuss.

We have an events section
And when the 2014 calendar is complete, it will be stickied without question.
It will actually be stickied in each forum.

 

[DevRickus]

We have an events section
And when the 2014 calendar is complete, it will be stickied without question.
It will actually be stickied in each forum.

I meant separate it into a current events section but I love the idea of it being stickied in each forum.

 

[Smithfaced]

A few things in this thread have jumped out at me and I thought I'd give my opinion. As far as being new and feeling left out, the best cure for that is going to an event. I realize that is not a possibility for some people but at least going to golf with some local THPers helps with the "feeling new" feeling. I didn't know a soul when I showed up for the MC and I was shocked at how welcoming everybody was. There literally wasn't a single dude who didn't say hello to me or just come hang out and talk for a few. Of course there are "groups" but I have found just about every THPer I've met to be very welcoming.

The "awesome" posts are just people showing excitement or giving encouragement. JB, Morgan, Mike, and all the mods and testers put a whole lot of time and dedication into THP and many of them have stated in this thread that seeing everyone's excitement gets them pumped. When I was testing the OptiForce just a simple "dude, great thoughts" post motivated me because I knew people were reading what a regular Joe like me had to say. Information about clubs and events has always been relatively easy to find. If you have to do a bit more digging than so be it.

Last thing, the only time I have felt...not sure of the word to use here, maybe embarrassed, on this site is when I made a post that was completely glossed over by other people saying insignificant things. JB had some strong words about this situation and I know the mods really try and address banter in certain threads. This has only happened to me once or twice and really wasn't a huge issue. THP is growing fast and I think the site is handling the growth pretty well. This thread is evidence of that.

 

[Slammin'SAM]

I think a possibility to decrease the need for bumping is a separate forum, perhaps called something like "Hot Topics", for the threads that are getting a lot of posts.

 

[Barberakb]

I'm sorry, but I don't find that a problem at all. I think it is easy to see who is a post padder and who is a useful poster.

Doesn't bother me.

Sometimes in life it's not what YOU see that is important, but what the others around you see.
I think that is the point.

 

[AZArmyGolfer]

JB,

I'm new here and you pointed out to me I was cluttering a thread with "banter" which I recognized as correct. I went back and deleted a number of my off topic posts. I agreed with you that I was cluttering.

I may be missing something but it seems to me that when I intend to reply to a specific post the reply "posts" at the end of the thread rather than as a sub-post below the intended target. Am I doing something wrong or am I mistaken about this?

I suggest you modify the way the forum handles posts within threads to hide replies to posts behind a link directly below the top level. If members choose to drill down and follow a side conversation they may by clicking on the link below the original post. In other words, offer two choices for posting to a thread - 1. top level on the subject or 2. reply to a top level post which will post behind a link below the original which may be followed if members so choose. This should keep the number of top level posts more manageable from a viewing perspective and reduce the "rabbit hole" deviations (clutter) that are the bane of most forums.

I read articles on the Golf Channel site and many have numerous replies at the end. The vast majority of the comments are from a small group of individuals who snipe back and forth for hours. It tends to get ugly. Hopefully that does not happen here.

 

[blugold]

I love THP, but...

Sometimes in life it's not what YOU see that is important, but what the others around you see.
I think that is the point.

Honestly, I don't understand what you're try to say here.

I get the point. I understand JB's concerns about banter invading important threads (I'm trying to get better myself josh). I get why nut hugging posts bother some.

I am wearing pants. And usually do when at the office

 

[JB]

You definitely did not need to delete your posts. We are a lax group here and unless it gets ugly we let people talk.

To your question about the reply. If you just click reply, it will go on the bottom. You must quote the post if you would like it to engage the referenced post. Just the button right next to it that says reply with quote rather than just reply.

 

[Martsy]

Gill,
Im glad you are here and enjoy your posts, but I could not disagree with this post more. First off its 200 posts in a month. Secondly that is 6.5 posts a day. And frankly if someone cannot make the time (about 5-10 minutes) to make 6.5 posts a day for the opportunity to be in what I consider the most impressive amateur golf event ever created, it is just not for them.

Also, there are no invites. People are not invited to events. They signup and spend their hard earned money to go to these things. Some people just like to say how appreciative they are a bit differently than others.


.

Ok, firstly maybe it's my perspective always on my mobile and my fat fingers being slow typing on my phone, but each one of my posts take 5-10 minutes on average lol. Secondly, my bad on the 300 posts, could have sworn when I joined that's what I read. Agree with you, it is the most impressive amateur event I've ever heard of. All the more reason I personally disagree with an arbitrary amount of monthly posts being required to even be considered. From what I understand the process is already pretty involved with video entries and what not, and I'd think that once a selection was made, because of the impressiveness of the event, that some more introspective on the type of posts and member the person is, rather than how many. I'd be willing to bet you already do this, which begs the question on why have minimum required at all, because undoubtedly does play a part in some of the gratuitous posting.

Also, maybe I misspoke on the word invites or events, but certainly for most of the events there is a selection occurring, whether it be MC, granddaddy, the king, gauntlet, etc, and there is undoubtedly a perception, wrongly deserved or not, that the more you post, the better your odds. And I don't think posts necessarily indicate how "worthy" a member you are.

 

[JB]

Ok, firstly maybe it's my perspective always on my mobile and my fat fingers being slow typing on my phone, but each one of my posts take 5-10 minutes on average lol. Secondly, my bad on the 300 posts, could have sworn when I joined that's what I read. Agree with you, it is the most impressive amateur event I've ever heard of. All the more reason I personally disagree with an arbitrary amount of monthly posts being required to even be considered. From what I understand the process is already pretty involved with video entries and what not, and I'd think that once a selection was made, because of the impressiveness of the event, that some more introspective on the type of posts and member the person is, rather than how many. I'd be willing to bet you already do this, which begs the question on why have minimum required at all, because undoubtedly does play a part in some of the gratuitous posting.

Also, maybe I misspoke on the word invites or events, but certainly for most of the events there is a selection occurring, whether it be MC, granddaddy, the king, gauntlet, etc, and there is undoubtedly a perception, wrongly deserved or not, that the more you post, the better your odds. And I don't think posts necessarily indicate how "worthy" a member you are.

Why do we have a minimum number? Frankly we shouldnt have to. But history has told us we need to.
As for the perception, it is just that. Perception. It is dead wrong on who is getting in. In 2013 we had over 15 events. All but 2 were done on a first come first served signup basis. One was the Grandaddy and it was a contest each month to see who got in. If you think post count had a way in that, check who got in and how many posts they had. The other was the Morgan Cup. We had guys get in with less than 200 total posts.

So while I wont diminish your opinion or perception, factually it is not accurate.

 

[Barberakb]

Honestly, I don't understand what you're try to say here.

I get the point. I understand JB's concerns about banter invading important threads (I'm trying to get better myself josh). I get why nut hugging posts bother some.

I am wearing pants. And usually do when at the office

My point is that sometimes it doesn't matter what we think. What matters is whats best for everyone.

For example: Fugly doesn't bother me at all. I thinks it's relative feedback on what a customer finds really ugly.
But others don't see it that way and it kind of offends them.

So even though I see know problem with it I will refrain from using that term.

Make more sense?

 

[Grins]

Why do we need to provide encouragement to new members. No one held my hand and I just showed up at the first Morgan cup. Didn't know anyone on the forum and now call a few of those guys my brothers.

It's not like opinions are bashed by the staff of THP or not welcome. As for Other members, well we are all grown folks here and maybe should take things so personally or literally.

Some people like yourself don't need any encouragement and can jump right in. Other people are much more hesitant and want to feel like they are welcomed. It's not an issue for those that feel like they can be involved from the start, but what's the harm in providing encouragement to some people that may be hesitant about posting? Like it or not, there are those that may feel that their views aren't taken seriously because they are a high handicapper or only play once a month or only post once per week, or any other number of reasons. If all of us can be more open and helpful to those people, what's the harm?

Freddie, I understand what you're saying. I'm not thinking "Handholding" as much as doing the nice thing & making the site easier to navigate/find important stuff that relates more to new members more than it would established ones. I'm not sure that what I had in mind would actually ake things easier or better lol! As is oftern the case, sometimes making changes like that end up making things worse/more complicated.

And BTW - I think Tadashi70 IS a great handholder! He's one of the people I think of here that is super accomodating & helpful to everyone (at least that's my experience).

 

[Grins]

I'm going to chime here.

I first found THP, while searching for golf tips, I joined up, then soon after gathering that some members were from Florida, and I was heading down in the spring.
I asked if anyone would like to play a round, and JB, Wake, & War Eagle invited me to a round.
I must say I was very intimidated (might be a bad choice of word) by them, I had the feeling of not belonging, but that was more of a product of ME comparing my game to theirs, not necessarily on the personal level.

I stuck around, and I'm glad I have. THP is a complex place, as is society in general. There are cliques, there are some that may seem stand offish, there are negative, and positive people. This place is what you make it personally.
It may seem sometimes that your a small fish in a big pond,but aren't we all in the same pond?
All us "fish" are here for our own reasons, and we all are part of the pond.

I've attended an event, a few gatherings, met some amazing people. But I'm sure there's some out there I probably won't like, or see eye to eye with. Or won't like me. But I'm glad I've met the people I have.I treasure the connections, and friendships I have made.

People don't find THP looking for the off topic threads, they find us for information on equipment, product reviews, etc.
Banter is a good thing, and there are places for that.


I post in off topic (non golf) mostly, because who wants input from the worst golfer here right?
As I continue to grow in ability on the course, I'm sure I could offer more in that area of the forums.
In regards to golf discussions, I think it SHOULD be about golf. That's why most come here, that's how most people find us!

We hear all the time, "so-and-so just gets what THP is about" I'm aware that that statement means different things to different people.
But I think I "get" what THP is about.

I'll continue to try to grow here, not only as a golfer, but also as a person.
There's a place here to accommodate both, and I am thankful for that.
Isn't that what THP is about?

Off topic...someone that doesn't like you is a total fool and needs their head checked. Ur good people CJ never let anyone tell u differently

Amen to that...except for following the wrong sports teams, of course.

 

[Grins]

Nailed it with the teasers. I'll usually just go to 1st post and wait until I see what has been announced then go find the post with actual announcement and read to the end from there.

I have only seen the issue the OP brought up in THP "announcement" threads and the only problem there is when there is additional relevant information on the event and you have to skim through pages of "awesome" and "can't wait" to find it.

I know when I was trying to follow all the Morgan Cup threads, I couldn't figure out who was playing with what equipment and for which team. I couldn't find this information very easily.

Maybe if the first post in a thread like that was kept updated, then you could always go back to the the first post to get "cauhgt up" on the news & jump back into the end of the thread feeling more knowledgable & maybe feel like you could make good contribution to the conversation.

I know MikeDean did this for the OH/MI/PA outing thread, and it made things very easy to find.

 

[JB]

There was an entire page on the home page that had every participant, a picture of them, what team they were on and what company they were sponsored by. There was even a tab on the home pagethat said Morgan Cup.

EDIT: Here is the link

http://www.thehackersparadise.com/?page_id=19781

 

[Smallville]

If somebody is excited by a topic or update and want to express that excitement but can only think of "awesome!" Then that person should post that. I find no problems with it. Discouraging those posts is discouraging a person from expressing their thoughts. That's not right IMO.

I don't have that big a problem with the "awesome" posts. We have had them since the beginning. What I think clutters up threads more than anything is when someone posts a bunch of pictures, and then the very first person replies by quoting all the pictures and saying "nice pics". When it gets too bad, I'll sometimes go back and remove them, especially if we have five posts in a row quoting all of the pictures. Hopefully people know that they can edit quotes to remove the pictures, or at least, to remove the pictures they aren't commenting on.

I just read through this and smile. There was a time this round table discussion wouldn't have been able to happen and that is a fact.

I am not sure about that. I think we have been doing a pretty good job of keeping things civil here from the beginning. And as the site grows and the need arises, we add more people to get things back to civil if it's gotten off track. Plus we have the debate room for topics that can get volatile.

We do have people who come in and do their best to cause trouble, but for the most part they get ignored. In fact it just happened a few weeks ago. A guy came in and said something totally unnecessarily and not one person replied to his post. The funny thing is that this person, a few months earlier, chastised someone about posting something that was only meant to cause trouble (when it really wasn't).

 

[Jman]

I am not sure about that. I think we have been doing a pretty good job of keeping things civil here from the beginning. And as the site grows and the need arises, we add more people to get things back to civil if it's gotten off track. Plus we have the debate room for topics that can get volatile.

Being one that was on the outside at one point and fell victim to it, I strongly disagree with this, that's ok though because that's what this thread is for. The new THP has improved all of these things tons, and it will continue to do so. I love that.