Forum Makeover - TOPIC RE-OPENED FOR REVIEW

[BackFromUSA]

Hi all

Many of you would know that I was heavily involved in the early days of Saintsational - primarily raising funds to cover the costs of the hosting etc.

I have not been as actively involved for the past 5 or 6 years, but over the past year or so I can see that Saintsational really needs a makeover and some TLC.

So ...

I am putting my hand up to get involved again.

I am asking if anyone OBJECTS to me asking the admin that I become heavily involved.

I am prepared to partially fund some improvements. If anyone is interested in assisting financially, then please PM me. I would like to make Saintsational the best it can be.

I would seek to find the best possible forum software and configure it to ensure we have better features and more control and I shall have my web guy work on it so that forum is restructured to become a more user friendly and hopefully a feature and content rich environment. Of course I would make the #1 priority to update the banner.

I would seek the support of the St Kilda Football Club - something we enjoyed when I was involved previously, so that we have some unique content AND an additional voice for the club to communicate in cyber space.

I would also like to create a new approach to the baiting / abuse problems on the site with a forum DEDICATED to disputes ... this in itself could be very entertaining. I am debating whether to call this forum "TAKE IT OUTSIDE" or "FIGHT FORUM" and I am open to suggestions but once a topic has gone off on a tangent from the OP or into baiting and abuse it would be moved there ... or I may find a forum capability where threads can be duplicated and the argument can run in the new forum while the OP and real thread discussion remains on the main forum ... either way I think plenty of people will read and reply in the disputes forum. I am interested in people's thoughts on this idea.

And we definitely need better TROLL CONTROL.

All suggestions welcome.

And if you do not want to openly object to me being involved - please feel free to confidentially PM me.

Simon

[Dis Believer]

If it makes a better forum you get my support - as long as the first rule of fight forum is that you never talk about fight forum !!

[stinger]

i object to anybody who wants to take over control from the owners......nothing wrong with the site afaic.....so yeah...i object until such time i am in possession of all the facts........and i don't need to pm you to make my feelings known......i don't dislike you..or have any opinion of you other than i usually like your posts.......i just have little trust in my fellow man, and always want to question their motives.....sorry...but that's how i feel.......i don't mind tipping money into the forum...have in the past...but i only wish to help the owners...i don'f ask for..or want anything in return.....the status quo suits me....some of your suggestions concern me......you talk like you want to make all the decisions....

[howlinwolf]

Sounds fantastic !
I'm happy to offer some more support for improvements like these.

As for the disputes forum, it would have to be "The Animal Enclosure" wouldn't it ?

[White Winmar]

If it makes a better forum you get my support - as long as the first rule of fight forum is that you never talk about fight forum !!

And if it's your first night/post, you have to fight!

[BackFromUSA]

stinger ... I fully understand your perspective.

I shall call the original owner tomorrow (well at least his father because last I heard the original owner was working overseas) and see who currently "owns" the site and will be seeking their cooperation.

I am not looking to "own" the site.

Nor am I looking for any personal gain.

I do however want Saintsational to improve.

[Dr Spaceman]

Does sound great BFUSA.

I don't know you nor do I know the "owners". I do know that this site is fantastic, but also that it will die if changes aren't made.

So having confessed to an enormous amount of ignorance regarding the personalities involved, you nonetheless have my support

[stinger]

stinger ... I fully understand your perspective.

I shall call the original owner tomorrow (well at least his father because last I heard the original owner was working overseas) and see who currently "owns" the site and will be seeking their cooperation.

I am not looking to "own" the site.

Nor am I looking for any personal gain.

I do however want Saintsational to improve.

okay...i wil hold fire...keep my powder dry..so to speak...until you tell us more.....

ps...dcstkfc is the person you should be talking to......

[Bernard Shakey]

Happy to support you BackFromUSA.

[WellardSaint]

Stinger and plugger66 are the two most vile posters here.
Promise to ban them for one month and you will have everyone's vote!

[chook23]

I can recall a fundraiser that you had a part in BackFromUSA (dinner and raffle/auctions) where members of the forum attended with a representative from the club...may have also included
john beveridge as a guest speaker

[BackFromUSA]

Stinger ... thank you. I shall report back over the weekend after speaking to them ... ALSO I am open to suggestions on how things could improve ...

Should we hold democratic elections for mods each year?

Should we re-start the webpage http://www.saintsational.com (rather than a mere re-direct to the forum) and place content on this page?

Should we recognise donations for the forum and for the player sponsorship on saintsational.com?

What would people be interested in from a website on saintsational.com and who would want to contribute articles?

Perhaps we could feature great opening posts from the forum on the saintsational.com website with links to the forum discussion?

We can really look at a total overhaul ...

Just ideas at this stage.

An evolving idea.

100% passion.

[Enrico_Misso]

Good on you Back From USA (Simon).
Agree the site urgently needs improvements.
And needs someone with passion and techo knowledge.

You are a voice of reason on this site and I would be happy to support you.

I guess in time you will be able to advise options and costs.
One can then work out roughly what "voluntary" contributions we need to make.

[bergholt]

you talk like you want to make all the decisions....

It'd be better to have someone making all the decisions rather than have no-one making any of the decisions.

[asiu]

i think u will find that battyboy owns the site.
... and uses it to promote / provide traffic through his bigger / other concern

good luck.
... anything that lifts the emotional quotient around this place has my support.
the ignorance 'n the arrogance of the iq set have led the place down the sewer.

[bergholt]

... anything that lifts the emotional quotient around this place has my support.
the ignorance 'n the arrogance of the iq set have led the place down the sewer.

Good points those.

[bigcarl]

If it improves the site I'm all for it, BackFromUSA. Good call.

[SainterK]

Anyway I can help Simon...

I think the banner kind of sums up the state of things.

It's time to spring clean.

[matrix]

well heeeeeelllooooooo

ive only been harlping on about it for a year that it needs doing
put forward questions in threads towards admin etc (even when online) and it doesnt get answered or they never get back to you

im in


make it something like bigfooty cross trues sainters and im in for whatever you need help wise


the traffic is HERE
yet the site needs to be brought up to date in looks and functionality
this could be the best site for an afl team on the net imo

if you know the mods or the owners get in touch and keep us updated
happy to communicate via pm for hints ideas donations etc if needed

[howlinwolf]

There are other much more popular media like Facebook that are competition for this style of communication these days.
We could do with improvements to keep up.
I have been a part of some great music forums/groups over the years using Yahoo etc. Met some incredible people and shared some great music.
That's all died due to Facebook and downloads.
I won't use Facebook. Yes, i know, I'm old....

[magnifisaint]

i object to anybody who wants to take over control from the owners......nothing wrong with the site afaic.....so yeah...i object until such time i am in possession of all the facts........and i don't need to pm you to make my feelings known......i don't dislike you..or have any opinion of you other than i usually like your posts.......i just have little trust in my fellow man, and always want to question their motives.....sorry...but that's how i feel.......i don't mind tipping money into the forum...have in the past...but i only wish to help the owners...i don'f ask for..or want anything in return.....the status quo suits me....some of your suggestions concern me......you talk like you want to make all the decisions....

I object to this post!

[Sainternist]

BackFromUSA, you also have my full support.

Thank you for putting yourself forward in offering to improve the state of the forum.

Godspeed!

[saintsRrising]

Has my tick..


And was one of the reasons I started the Saintsational is dying thread.

The " Fight" Forum was suggested their by another poster and is a great idea. That way anyone that wants to have endless fights can without trashing good threads.

It also gets back to more moderation. Forums can be over moderated too. But we are currently too lean on moderation.

Personally I think that means more mods to spread the load as everyone is busy these days in a 24/7 world, and so a handful of mods cannot work.

[Royston]

BackFromUSA, you also have my full support.

Thank you for putting yourself forward in offering to improve the state of the forum.

Godspeed!

I echo these thoughts......

[BakesFan]

i object to anybody who wants to take over control from the owners......nothing wrong with the site afaic.....so yeah...i object until such time i am in possession of all the facts........and i don't need to pm you to make my feelings known......i don't dislike you..or have any opinion of you other than i usually like your posts.......i just have little trust in my fellow man, and always want to question their motives.....sorry...but that's how i feel.......i don't mind tipping money into the forum...have in the past...but i only wish to help the owners...i don'f ask for..or want anything in return.....the status quo suits me....some of your suggestions concern me......you talk like you want to make all the decisions....

I object to this post!

"One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea." - Walter Bagehot



SS has been stale, boring and bland for quite some time now.....It's quite obvious that that owners/admin/mods simply don't care about the place.


Good luck in your endeavours, BackFromUSA. You have my support and best wishes.