where are the power posters from the past?

[[el_CaC]]

Too much interest in issues that are not relevant to yourself.
Keep your nose clean and no one will have to blow it for you.

I have never cared why anyone got banned, booted, excused, deleted, or simply left. It's called "nunya".
As long as they are not charging me admission or paying me a salary to be here, I figure this show is run by the folks who pay for it.

I can play by their rules or go off and find/start a place where I can do what I want, more or less.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

Yep, never question authority or the party line.  Worked pretty good for the residents and employees around Dachau, Auschitwz and other such fine facilities.  Who needs a free press or polite free speech anyway?

You are comparing FF to Auschwitz?! Wow.......I mean really, just wow.

Someone is taking this whole deal WAYYYYY too seriously........seriously!

Run down to Sonic or Dairy Queen, get a jumbo chocolate/vanilla swirl cone and just take a few deep breaths. For real.

Got to admit, ice cream does sound good right about now.

[jackfan1™]

Got to admit, ice cream does sound good right about now.

Doesn't it?

[Guetz]

Too much interest in issues that are not relevant to yourself.
Keep your nose clean and no one will have to blow it for you.

I have never cared why anyone got banned, booted, excused, deleted, or simply left. It's called "nunya".
As long as they are not charging me admission or paying me a salary to be here, I figure this show is run by the folks who pay for it.

I can play by their rules or go off and find/start a place where I can do what I want, more or less.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

Yep, never question authority or the party line.  Worked pretty good for the residents and employees around Dachau, Auschitwz and other such fine facilities.  Who needs a free press or polite free speech anyway?

You are comparing FF to Auschwitz?! Wow.......I mean really, just wow.

Someone is taking this whole deal WAYYYYY too seriously........seriously!

Run down to Sonic or Dairy Queen, get a jumbo chocolate/vanilla swirl cone and just take a few deep breaths. For real.

Nope, not comparing FF, comparing the head in the sand attitude.  But perhaps I didn't write clearly enough for that distinction to be made.

Why shouldn't we know why someone gets banned?  Why shouldn't we know why a thread gets deleted?  If it is all about the RULES, then show how the rules were violated so that others won't make the same mistake.  Best I could tell, there were no rules violations on two recently deleted threads.  They simply questioned why things were deleted and pondered whether there was over-moderation going on that was reducing the fun component of this board.  Perhaps personalities were getting mixed into things, causing bannings and deletions, instead of an objective enforcement of the rules.

Oh, and yes, I do get a little sensitive when I find that arbitrariness might be substituted when dealing with polite freedom of expression, even on a board.  Is it a FF sin to mention such a potentiality?  Does that chafe someone a bit?

Ever heard of a thicker skin?  Might not hurt to try one on.

[Eddie Goodson]

Since May there has been a grand total of 6 people permanently banned. Of those six a couple of those bans were the second username of some who had multiple accounts. Despite what many of you think, we don't did around deleting posts for the heck of it. As I said yesterday, 90% of posts that are deleted are as a result of a report to moderator by a poster. You police yourselves. Sometimes posts that are not out of bounds get caught up in the fray. If a post is reported to the mod, I generally delete every post that has the offending post quoted.

Guetz, I love you brother, but you're way over the top with the Nazi garbage. You should know from some of the debates over politics and religion that people are able to express themselves.

[Quite Frankly]

That doesn't sound Hitlerish.

[Guetz]

Guetz, I love you brother, but you're way over the top with the Nazi garbage. You should know from some of the debates over politics and religion that people are able to express themselves.

It is just such a sterling example, LOL. 

I know that FF, by and large, is an open debate forum.  But is it truly pure of arbitrariness. 

The two threads commenting on FF itself that were deleted during the past two days... what was wrong with them?  If it is the 90% case as you say, that a poster took offense to the threads and requested their removal, does the mod just then blindly delete them without at least a cursory review?  And, if upon review the decision is made based on rules to delete them, what rules were violated by these two threads?  If the decision wasn't based on rules, then what was is its basis other than something personal.  And, if it IS something personal rather than objective, then is the board devolving down a slippery slope into the anarchy of minority rule and ultimate cyber nothingness?  I certainly hope not, I enjoy the heck out of FF and like to see it lively and even a bit contentious at times.

["SHOWKILLER"]

Preacher, here I am! I've turned over a new leaf. Well atleast until week 10, then the pressure will be back for my buddies in Franklin County!!! hahahaha

[jackfan1™]

Oh, and yes, I do get a little sensitive......

Ever heard of a thicker skin?  Might not hurt to try one on.

EXACTLY!

[shotgunbilly3215]

Preacher, here I am! I've turned over a new leaf. Well atleast until week 10, then the pressure will be back for my buddies in Franklin County!!! hahahaha

We'll be waiting to return the favor!!! 

[Eddie Goodson]

Guetz, I love you brother, but you're way over the top with the Nazi garbage. You should know from some of the debates over politics and religion that people are able to express themselves.

It is just such a sterling example, LOL. 

I know that FF, by and large, is an open debate forum.  But is it truly pure of arbitrariness. 

The two threads commenting on FF itself that were deleted during the past two days... what was wrong with them?  If it is the 90% case as you say, that a poster took offense to the threads and requested their removal, does the mod just then blindly delete them without at least a cursory review?  And, if upon review the decision is made based on rules to delete them, what rules were violated by these two threads?  If the decision wasn't based on rules, then what was is its basis other than something personal.  And, if it IS something personal rather than objective, then is the board devolving down a slippery slope into the anarchy of minority rule and ultimate cyber nothingness?  I certainly hope not, I enjoy the heck out of FF and like to see it lively and even a bit contentious at times.

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it has been deleted.

From time to time whole threads do go away. You know as well as I do that threads sometime become derailed or are cluttered beyond saving. Most are moved to the mod board. Of course decisions made by mods are subjective. It depends on the mod and the thread. We are humans, we have bad days too. We have good days and let things slide from time to time, as well. If modding the board was an exact science, they'd have a program that could do it for us.

On the several boards I frequent, many, many good threads have been deleted over the years that I thought there was nothing wrong with. It is a fact of messageboard life. I deal with it and move on.

[Sensitive]

...I enjoy the heck out of FF and like to see it lively and even a bit contentious at times.

I think you are an idiot! 
Not really, I was just being a bit contentious.

["SHOWKILLER"]

Preacher, here I am! I've turned over a new leaf. Well atleast until week 10, then the pressure will be back for my buddies in Franklin County!!! hahahaha

We'll be waiting to return the favor!!! 

Ok, Ok. I'll be pulling for Ozark and the rest of our conference until that team plays us. So come week 10 expect me to be my usual self.
BTW, What's up with your Cardinals? Repeats are hard to come by!

[shotgunbilly3215]

Preacher, here I am! I've turned over a new leaf. Well atleast until week 10, then the pressure will be back for my buddies in Franklin County!!! hahahaha

We'll be waiting to return the favor!!! 

Ok, Ok. I'll be pulling for Ozark and the rest of our conference until that team plays us. So come week 10 expect me to be my usual self.
BTW, What's up with your Cardinals? Repeats are hard to come by!

Same here. We'll be rootin' for you guys up until Week 10. No joke, Cards have fallen on hard times. I was surprised to say the least. There's always next year. Worse things could happen tho......like being a Cub fan. Thank GOD for small miracles.

[hillbilly]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

[Guetz]

...I enjoy the heck out of FF and like to see it lively and even a bit contentious at times.

I think you are an idiot! 
Not really, I was just being a bit contentious.

I can always depend upon you, NLS!

[shotgunbilly3215]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

["SHOWKILLER"]

Sure you can say that but we all know the American league will win the series this year.

[Guetz]

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it has been deleted.

From time to time whole threads do go away. You know as well as I do that threads sometime become derailed or are cluttered beyond saving. Most are moved to the mod board. Of course decisions made by mods are subjective. It depends on the mod and the thread. We are humans, we have bad days too. We have good days and let things slide from time to time, as well. If modding the board was an exact science, they'd have a program that could do it for us.

On the several boards I frequent, many, many good threads have been deleted over the years that I thought there was nothing wrong with. It is a fact of messageboard life. I deal with it and move on.

Accepted.

Now, back to the topic.  In answer to the question posed (Where are the power posters from the past?), I found quite a few over at ArkHSSports. net.  I missed seeing them here.

Why the migration?  Did I miss something in the nearly a year when I wasn't around much?

[MikeDiesel™]

Sure you can say that but we all know the American league will win the series this year.

Just like last year.

[Quite Frankly]

I didn't realize how many people here thought the Indians were going to win.

[AF&B]

if im not mistaken i think jackDback got banned

["SHOWKILLER"]

if im not mistaken i think jackDback got banned

Ahh most of us have been banned sometime or another. If you don't push the limits, life isn't fun!

[AF&B]

i always like messin with the preacher never fun until you mess with him...but now hes gone

[Chief_Osceola™]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

lol, Cubfans™

[Eddie Goodson]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

lol, Cubfans™

There are two absolutes in sports. The New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Cubs will find a way to disappoint their fans. I wasted too many years following the Cubs during the Andre Dawson, Leon Durham, Ryan Sandberg days to fall for them again. The Saints have burned me for the last time as well.

[AF&B]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

lol, Cubfans™

There are two absolutes in sports. The New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Cubs will find a way to disappoint their fans. I wasted too many years following the Cubs during the Andre Dawson, Leon Durham, Ryan Sandberg days to fall for them again. The Saints have burned me for the last time as well.

then why dont we march down to new orleans and protest and then come back to ark befor another hurricane comes

[Quite Frankly]

How can you be disappointed in the Saints when they never have done anything by lose? Mostly that is.

Point being, you have to win a little to have expectations to get better.  NO has only sniffed good seasons about 20% of the time.  Hard to get hopes up for such a typical loser. 

I have issues on the flip.  I like the Raiders.  Great history up until the snow FG by NE off that dang 'tuck rule' and since then a huge free fall.  Right down to last week when they kick a FG to "win" and then after the TO was allowed they miss and eventually lose.

Man.

[Eddie Goodson]

How can you be disappointed in the Saints when they never have done anything by lose? Mostly that is.

Point being, you have to win a little to have expectations to get better.  NO has only sniffed good seasons about 20% of the time.  Hard to get hopes up for such a typical loser. 

I have issues on the flip.  I like the Raiders.  Great history up until the snow FG by NE off that dang 'tuck rule' and since then a huge free fall.  Right down to last week when they kick a FG to "win" and then after the TO was allowed they miss and eventually lose.

Man.

At least twice that I can think of the Saints have begun the season 8-0 and finished 8-8. That'll leave a bad taste in your mouth.

[Quite Frankly]

It's best to block those out.  It only raises your hopes.

Funny thing, the Saints were sort of lovable losers team when I was a kid.  I actually have always liked them but it's not a strong passion.

I put teams in 4 categories:

1)  Favorite team-  norm just one a sport

2)  Likable teams-  teams I generally cheer for

3)  Neutral-  depends who they are playing

4)  Hate-  no matter what I am against them.  If they play each other, I simply don't care

Saints are in the #2 for me as far as the NFL goes.

Disclaimer:  If I happen to have a vested interest in the game then there might be a slight alteration in classifications.  Like for fantasy purposes or a small wager. 

[sam]

This seems like a good spot to say go Cubs!

Pee on you for saying that. 

[sam]

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

Please let it be noted that haha the sequal was nowhere near as good as the original.

[EddiesMustache]

haha  II was waitin on you to say something!!  Everytime something is said about the Cubs you automatically appear. haha

Please let it be noted that haha the sequal was nowhere near as good as the original.

they went for a big pay day on the sequal...no plot.

[jackfan1™]

It pains me to admit it........but sam and eddie have to be in my top ten favorite posters. Simply because even when they are stupid, they are clever.

You guys always find a way to liven up a dry room. Just don't get the big head and start acting all cute or anything or I will have to demote you back to lower ten. M'kay?

[Uncle Ivan]

Yep, never question authority or the party line.  Worked pretty good for the residents and employees around Dachau, Auschitwz and other such fine facilities.  Who needs a free press or polite free speech anyway?

Good thing this ain't Bergen-Belsen and you're not a Jew.

I always chuckle at those who scream about free speech on a message board.  Do note: this is privately owned.  Free speech does not apply.

[jackfan1™]

I always chuckle at those who scream about free speech on a message board.  Do note: this is privately owned.  Free speech does not apply.

If they started charging by the word, some folks would go broke. No names mentioned.

[Uncle Ivan]

I found quite a few over at ArkHSSports. net.  I missed seeing them here.

Why the migration?  Did I miss something in the nearly a year when I wasn't around much?

You won't find a single "power poster" there.  All you'll find is a worn-out private party.

That board does serve a purpose, though: it's allowed FF to take out some of its trash. 

Although, since that site is obviously dying, I'm concerned that the trash will migrate back over here, which is something that is not needed.

[Quite Frankly]

The newest "power poster" is still right here.

I never left.

[sam]

Oddly enough, no one really talks about football over there. 

[GlennMParrish]

I refuse to read 4 pages of posts so this may have been said and if so, it was a wasted post, but more and more schools are limiting access to the board through filters so that may have cut out some of the more zealous kids and school employees.

[Guetz]

"Take the trash out."   Hmmmmm.... I wonder who defines who is "trash" and who is not?  Perhaps private parties are not limited to newer sites.

BTW, since I started to look, both deadboard.com and ARSuperSports.com both seem to be gaining in membership.  This seems counter to hoots predicting site death.

Again, I pose the question, what happened here at FF during the time I was gone that led to competing sites and migration of FF folks, many of whom contributed nicely to FF and who could hardly be termed "trash?"  Whatever it was, it seems a shame and a violation of the precepts that FF previously seemed to operate with.

Speaking of precepts, free speech, as long as it was polite, in the private domain WAS one of the pillars upon which FF rested.  I wonder what the status of that pillar is now when it appears that any speech that questions FF admin is subject to censorship and deletion.  That does not resemble the site that I grew to love through many debates and humorous interludes where freedom of speech was allowed in any polite subject, not just in certain authorized topics.

Personally I hope that FF regains some of its old luster and re-attracts those who have migrated elsewhere.  But for that to happen, there has to be recognition of a problem (hence I keep asking the question; what happened).  It's a shame to have to go to another site to find FlapJacks predictions or Transplants humor.   What needs to be done to bring them home?

[Quite Frankly]

Half of them are now Mod's of one sort or another.  They enjoy that status.  But I heard they don't even have 60 posters on a given day and they have only had 100 online once and that was when it started.

To each his own, but many of those that are over there are supporting their own agenda.  That's there right of course.

Besides, they don't do a thing but hug and play "you know" games.  I heard they have a big disclaimer up that doesn't even come close to allowing what FF does.

They ran cause they got mad and felt censored.  But in fact, they are more controlling.  It's ironic.

As you now know, Preacher ran about half of them off.  He is now there as a last refuge among the very people that ran to get away from him.

No doubt though, some good posters over there.  In particular, RT and a few others.  But 2/3 of their traffic is junk.  I like some of them, but they can have all of that self gratification that they want without me. 

At least 5 people that I know of that were full blown pains are over there almost exclusively.  That's an upgrade.

Anything new always gets a nibble.

[Eddie Goodson]

It's a shame to have to go to another site to find FlapJacks predictions or Transplants humor.   What needs to be done to bring them home?

All that has to be done is for them to log in and post.

[Guetz]

It's a shame to have to go to another site to find FlapJacks predictions or Transplants humor.   What needs to be done to bring them home?

All that has to be done is for them to log in and post.

Why don't they?

[jackfan1™]

It's a shame to have to go to another site to find FlapJacks predictions or Transplants humor.   What needs to be done to bring them home?

All that has to be done is for them to log in and post.

Why don't they?

Trot on over there and ask them.
It is not up to us to second guess anyone's motives or reasons.

[Eddie Goodson]

It's a shame to have to go to another site to find FlapJacks predictions or Transplants humor.   What needs to be done to bring them home?

All that has to be done is for them to log in and post.

Why don't they?

I can't speak in absolute terms for anyone who is now a part of the other boards and I'm not going to bash the other boards. As I've said many times, there is a place for more than one board talking HS sports.

On of the general things that, to me, has made the greatest change in this site is that now there are so many more people online than ever before. There are way more teenagers than ever for sure. 'Back in the day' things were different. A core group of posters talked football and things were great. Then a hundred people a day would log on. Now it's in the thousands. Like it or not, things just will never be the same again. Good posters move on and new ones take their place. I does seem that fewer good ones are coming on the scene these days.

[Guetz]

Trot on over there and ask them.
It is not up to us to second guess anyone's motives or reasons.

[sarcasm=dripping]

Now there is a customer service attitude that inspires loyalty!

[/sarcasm]

[Guetz]

Good posters move on and new ones take their place. I does seem that fewer good ones are coming on the scene these days.

Outstanding!  Finally!  Recognition that there might be a problem worth correcting!  Hoooahhh!

Now, what can be done to reverse this trend?

Sidebar:

I really don't care about headcount on a board during a day.  Tens, hundreds or thousands makes no difference to me, it is the quality of the content, the imagination, the creativity, the incised logic, it is those things that draw me as well as others.  Using a headcount of thousands per day means nothing to me since the same can be said for an AOL chatroom where the quality of content can only graciously be described as abyssmal and profane.  Get the thinkers and debaters in the tens and hundreds of others will follow to watch good content.  Lose them and lose the quality differentiation race.

[EddiesMustache]

I refuse to read 4 pages of posts so this may have been said and if so, it was a wasted post, but more and more schools are limiting access to the board through filters so that may have cut out some of the more zealous kids and school employees.

Now that the kids are off the board, can I start posting some of my nudes?

[Eddie Goodson]

Good posters move on and new ones take their place. I does seem that fewer good ones are coming on the scene these days.

Outstanding!  Finally!  Recognition that there might be a problem worth correcting!  Hoooahhh!

Now, what can be done to reverse this trend?

Sidebar:

I really don't care about headcount on a board during a day.  Tens, hundreds or thousands makes no difference to me, it is the quality of the content, the imagination, the creativity, the incised logic, it is those things that draw me as well as others.  Using a headcount of thousands per day means nothing to me since the same can be said for an AOL chatroom where the quality of content can only graciously be described as abyssmal and profane.  Get the thinkers and debaters in the tens and hundreds of others will follow to watch good content.  Lose them and lose the quality differentiation race.

I don't know there's anything we can do about it. It's a matter of the individual themselves taking part. I think some weary of wading through newbies. Newbies are with us to stay. If we clear out the junk posts, we are accused of censorship.

[Quite Frankly]

Geutz do you really want the trio of us chatting with you to ask a question as to how someone else really thinks?

here is a replay of the spring:

1)  Some posters get mad
2)  Some Mods react
3)  Some posters get more mad
4)  Some Mods get involved
5)  Some posters draw a line in the sand and don't back down
6)  Mods hold the line
7)  Some posters break to form new board to do things their way

Note:  Many of those that leave are posters that prev didn't really get along with each other but shared common concerns and decided to try their own.

  An intial riff started between the boards and some serious back and forth  on each board developed.  As a result each board banned members that were involved.  That included me that went over to the other board to give Preacher the what for because at the time I could not do it here becuase he was still a Mod an highly unreasonable.  But over there, I was free.  It got me banned by Buffinator.

9)  Things settled down and a working relationship was formed.  People were reinstated that got banned in the mess that was.

10)  Things calmed down and each went about their merry way

11)  Ocassionally, some of the things that got some of people in trouble on FF started to rear their head again with some of the migrated posters.  Knowing they had a "fall back" site, a few basically just stirred it up until they got what they wanted....Banned.  But that was only a few.

12)  Football is now started.  FF is the place to be.  There is an alternative, but it has a much lower interest to many as evidenced by their traffic.

The End

that'll be $12.95 in hard copy
or just $4.95 in paperback that will available on Nov 13th at Wal-Mart.

I understand you missing some things.  But human nature is what it is.  This is still the best by far.