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Forum Ideas Thread

Toast

Established Member
I much preferred the forum before we had individual player threads. Now half the posts seem to be people screeching at one another that player X is utter ****e / godlike. These threads just seem to have a polarising effect, with posters picking a few players they like and a few they dislike and then spamming those positions relentlessly without nuance or genuine discussion. It's boring as ****.

It also inevitably draws all focus to the individual and individual performance, while football is a complex team sport. There's no longer a place to really discuss broader football stuff or particular issues. We used to have threads like "The set piece problem", "Arsenal tactics talk" and a thread about midfield balance that were pretty well frequented. Yes, I realise some of those still exist and that we can still create them but they are not and would not be used in the same way because a) polarised bullshit derails everything and b) there are so many player threads that any non-player threads tend to quickly be pushed off the first page and into oblivion.

So, I think it'd be a positive to move away from individual player threads but I suspect that really won't be a popular idea these days.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
I much preferred the forum before we had individual player threads. Now half the posts seem to be people screeching at one another that player X is utter ****e / godlike. These threads just seem to have a polarising effect, with posters picking a few players they like and a few they dislike and then spamming those positions relentlessly without nuance or genuine discussion. It's boring as ****.

It also inevitably draws all focus to the individual and individual performance, while football is a complex team sport. There's no longer a place to really discuss broader football stuff or particular issues. We used to have threads like "The set piece problem", "Arsenal tactics talk" and a thread about midfield balance that were pretty well frequented. Yes, I realise some of those still exist and that we can still create them but they are not and would not be used in the same way because a) polarised bullshit derails everything and b) there are so many player threads that any non-player threads tend to quickly be pushed off the first page and into oblivion.

So, I think it'd be a positive to move away from individual player threads but I suspect that really won't be a popular idea these days.
In fairness we have always had individual players threads and they've always been subject to the kind of hyperbolic commentary we are seeing now. I agree with you in general though that sometimes that hyper focus takes away from a more nuanced analysis, however I think this can still be mitigated.
 

OnlyOne

‘Donkeys don’t have a peak, they remain useless’
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I think the most liked post is when we won some game at the same time someone was having a baby. Think I saw something around 70 likes at the time. Probably went higher.

Was just about to say that. It was the FA Cup match vs Hull if I recall correctly.
 

OnlyOne

‘Donkeys don’t have a peak, they remain useless’
Trusted ⭐

Country: England
I don't think it's possible atm, sorry mate. I couldn't find anything.

giphy.gif
 

Toast

Established Member
In fairness we have always had individual players threads and they've always been subject to the kind of hyperbolic commentary we are seeing now. I agree with you in general though that sometimes that hyper focus takes away from a more nuanced analysis, however I think this can still be mitigated.

Unless my memory is failing me, it seems to be much worse now than before the individual threads. And yes, we had player threads, but not like the current setup. As I recall, they were mostly 'temporary' threads, created to address specific questions or because of player comments etc.

Not sure how things can be mitigated without curbing player threads tbh. There are, what, 20 odd threads per page, excluding stickies? There are 28 individual player threads. Since people jump on player threads after every game that's a minimum of 11 bumped threads after every game, so any non-player thread gets lost very quickly. Perhaps specific discussions threads could be stickied, but would that really work? Who decides what to sticky and when to unsticky it and would people actually read it? I tend to gloss over the stickied threads and I suspect others do too.
 

Aevi

Hale End FC
Moderator
Here's a request of my own. Can anyone find the old drool emoji?

I loved that one, can't find it anywhere though.
 

say yes

forum master baiter

Tosker

Does Not Hate Foreigners
I am happy to leave the way the forum is run to the who care, but anything - ANYTHING - which helps to separate news from opinion would probably add a good few years to my life expectancy
 

Toast

Established Member
How about merging player threads into groups? I.e. an 'attackers' thread, 'midfielders', 'defenders' and 'goalkeepers'. Four threads instead of 28. It'd create space for more general threads while fulfilling basically the same function as individual player threads. It might even rein in some of the more hyperbolic stuff, though admittedly there's just as good a chance they'll just get derailed with polarised bollocks.

Threads for individual players could then still be created for specific situations, e.g. for questions regarding roles or following comments in the media.
 
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