*** CowboysZone Feedback Thread ***

[Reality]

We would like to hear your comments on CowboysZone and any suggestions you have on how we can improve the site for you. While we cannot make any promises, we can assure you that we will read every comment and suggestion you make!

#reality

[Muhast]

Ive been a member of websites that have the "like" option. If you enjoy a post, you can click a little button under the person's name.

[Idgit]

I don't have specific recommendations, except to say that I really like the direction the moderation has taken over the last 12 months or so. You guys always do a good job, but it's obvious a conscious effort was made to eliminate some of the chronic drama, and it's made a big difference. Along with this came, in my not-so-humble opinion, some much-needed respect for the posters here with unique access to information about the club or the league. Coupled with the ignore feature, it's all anybody needs to enjoy the site.

If we're spit-balling, there are a ton of posters here with direct experience with the quality and UI experience of the various NFL information sources. It'd be nice to have a wiki or a thread somewhere with a synopsis of the strengths and weaknesses of the relative services. So, for example, if you're in a discussion about OL pass blocking, there's a reference for where posters can go to get quality information to use in the discussions, with input from the people on the site who actually use the data for their own sophisticated analyses.

This way, we're not talking so much about what Richie Whitt thinks, or what Bleacher Report has to say on a topic, but instead using meaningful data to try to compare more apples to other apples. You can even pull affiliate links for most of these services so CZ could get a bit of a contribution whenever a member signs up for a service. The same for resources like the DirecTV All 22 footage and whatnot.

Easy to do technically, though it would require some pretty active moderation to get it started.

[CowboyMike]

I've made this suggestion in the past, but I'd really like to see mobile options for the Zone. I'd suggest implementing Tapatalk, which is really easy to set up. If not, perhaps a mobile skin option for the site? I have experience working as an administrator for vBul and would more than happily be willing to assist.

[Reality]

Originally Posted by CowboyMike

I've made this suggestion in the past, but I'd really like to see mobile options for the Zone. I'd suggest implementing Tapatalk, which is really easy to set up. If not, perhaps a mobile skin option for the site? I have experience working as an administrator for vBul and would more than happily be willing to assist.

This is mentioned in the FAQ.

#reality

[CowboyMike]

Originally Posted by Reality

This is mentioned in the FAQ.

#reality

My bad, Reality. The FAQ was opened in another tab, (on my phone, coincidentally) and I got overzealous and posted here first since it was the first tab I had opened. Apologies.

[Reality]

Originally Posted by CowboyMike

My bad, Reality. The FAQ was opened in another tab, (on my phone, coincidentally) and I got overzealous and posted here first since it was the first tab I had opened. Apologies.

Oh I wasn't criticizing your post I just knew it was in the FAQ and would be better read and answered there.

#reality

[tupperware]

XenForo, perhaps?

[superpunk]

I know this is probably gonna fall on deaf ears like it has every time I've brought it up to any member of the staff but here goes.

If you are permanently banned from CowboysZone, it means you have committed repeated violations of the Forum Rules or you did something so severe that it warranted an immediate ban. Once an account has been banned, it will be hard for you to return to this site. That said, we have created a reinstatement process for banned accounts.

The severity and repetition of your infractions that led to your account being banned as well as your actions and comments after your account was banned will play a key role in whether or not your account ban is considered for reinstatement.

If your account has been banned, you should not attempt to create a new account. We aggressively monitor all new accounts to prevent banned users from returning using other accounts. If we find that a banned user has created a new account, we immediately ban the account and make a note that will make it even harder for that user to return to the site in the future.

[View Full Quote]You must wait a minimum of ninety (90) days before you can ask for your account to be reinstated. Depending on your actions that led to the ban and your actions and comments after your account was banned, we may not consider your reinstatement request at all or we may require a lot more time to pass before it will be considered.

If your account has been banned and it has been over 90 days since that occurred and you have not attempted to create any new accounts, you can begin the reinstatement process by sending an email to reinstatement@cowboyszone.com along with your request and the reason you feel you should be allowed back on this site. Once we receive your request, we will consider it for review and contact you if and when the staff makes a decision. This process could take days, weeks or months, so you will have to be patient. During this process, you should keep in mind that any additional negative actions or comments may lead to your reinstatement request being removed from consideration or delayed indefinitely.

-The Staff

I believe you are completely missing the forest for the trees.

Bannings should be used sparingly if at all. To get rid of spammers and people who post goat porn, etc. Unfortunately, what we see instead is interesting posters/personalities being lost from a site because they have accumulated too many "infractions". This could be for something as minor as putting asterisks in a word to self-censor. Or it could not. Who knows? Every member of the staff addresses these nonsensical yellow cards differently - and this is likely not their fault, it's because the whole system is too ridiculous to be implemented fairly. It's also being implemented by human beings, who cannot resist letting their personal feelings and prior interactions with posters on the forum cloud their judgement, which leads to uneven enforcement, which leads to frustrated users, which leads to frustrated users getting banned.

Another thing these users get frustrated with is preferential treatment, particularly to posters who claim special insight or knowledge. In this site's attempt to curry favor with these posters, who generally have nothing to say that couldn't be found on twitter or any number of sites, they are protected as sacred cows - any criticism or attempt to hold them accountable for the things they've said (and been wrong about) is viewed as "running off good posters" - and in turn ACTUAL good posters who may never have claimed special insight, knowledge or sources are run off or banned. If someone wants to claim special knowledge, and bathe in the internet adoration that results, they need to be ready to be held accountable when members of the ACTUAL good user-base realize that they are full of it.

So what happens when many of the long time interesting posters and personalities are gone? Myopia. There is a *right* way to think and the few dissenters are shouted down as trolls and worse.

It's a discussion board. You should be encouraging "discussion", not discouraging it by policies and enforcement that slants toward a particular viewpoint. Disagreement promotes discussion, but that's not what is promoted by this site's policies and methods. You may think that these policies and methods are necessary to ensure this is a nice cozy place for certain people who hate having their views and statements challenged, or hate seeing anything contrary to their previously held opinion. My question would be why those people are on a discussion board in the first place? They should just buy a mirror and talk to that.

[Reality]

Originally Posted by tupperware

XenForo, perhaps?

XenForo is a dead product until they get their legal issues out of the way. The developers hardly even post on their own site any more.

#reality

[Reality]

Originally Posted by superpunk

I know this is probably gonna fall on deaf ears like it has every time I've brought it up to any member of the staff but here goes.

I believe you are completely missing the forest for the trees.

[View Full Quote]Bannings should be used sparingly if at all. To get rid of spammers and people who post goat porn, etc. Unfortunately, what we see instead is interesting posters/personalities being lost from a site because they have accumulated too many "infractions". This could be for something as minor as putting asterisks in a word to self-censor. Or it could not. Who knows? Every member of the staff addresses these nonsensical yellow cards differently - and this is likely not their fault, it's because the whole system is too ridiculous to be implemented fairly. It's also being implemented by human beings, who cannot resist letting their personal feelings and prior interactions with posters on the forum cloud their judgement, which leads to uneven enforcement, which leads to frustrated users, which leads to frustrated users getting banned.

Another thing these users get frustrated with is preferential treatment, particularly to posters who claim special insight or knowledge. In this site's attempt to curry favor with these posters, who generally have nothing to say that couldn't be found on twitter or any number of sites, they are protected as sacred cows - any criticism or attempt to hold them accountable for the things they've said (and been wrong about) is viewed as "running off good posters" - and in turn ACTUAL good posters who may never have claimed special insight, knowledge or sources are run off or banned. If someone wants to claim special knowledge, and bathe in the internet adoration that results, they need to be ready to be held accountable when members of the ACTUAL good user-base realize that they are full of it.

So what happens when many of the long time interesting posters and personalities are gone? Myopia. There is a *right* way to think and the few dissenters are shouted down as trolls and worse.

It's a discussion board. You should be encouraging "discussion", not discouraging it by policies and enforcement that slants toward a particular viewpoint. Disagreement promotes discussion, but that's not what is promoted by this site's policies and methods. You may think that these policies and methods are necessary to ensure this is a nice cozy place for certain people who hate having their views and statements challenged, or hate seeing anything contrary to their previously held opinion. My question would be why those people are on a discussion board in the first place? They should just buy a mirror and talk to that.

We are a family-friendly site and have been since day one. If you follow the Forum Rules, you are free to post whatever opinions and viewpoints you have.

#reality

[superpunk]

Originally Posted by Reality

We are a family-friendly site and have been since day one. If you follow the Forum Rules, you are free to post whatever opinions and viewpoints you have.

#reality

It's like I can see the future.

Originally Posted by superpunk

I know this is probably gonna fall on deaf ears like it has every time I've brought it up to any member of the staff but here goes.

What you said has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote. I wasn't clamoring to allow pornography or profanity or anything of the sort that would make this site less "family-friendly".

[tupperware]

Originally Posted by Reality

XenForo is a dead product until they get their legal issues out of the way. The developers hardly even post on their own site any more.

#reality

Last time I checked out XenForo it was booming, that's sad.

Not a lot of alternatives out there then other than IPB or VB4.

[Reality]

Originally Posted by superpunk

It's like I can see the future.



What you said has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote. I wasn't clamoring to allow pornography or profanity or anything of the sort that would make this site less "family-friendly".

With the exception of spammers, it is rare that a user is banned from this site. That said, when it does happen, the user has received multiple infractions and second chances with the entire staff being aware of the details of each. When users are banned, it is a staff decision, not that of an individual. You can find more information in the FAQ.

#reality

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by superpunk

I know this is probably gonna fall on deaf ears like it has every time I've brought it up to any member of the staff but here goes.

I believe you are completely missing the forest for the trees.

[View Full Quote]Bannings should be used sparingly if at all. To get rid of spammers and people who post goat porn, etc. Unfortunately, what we see instead is interesting posters/personalities being lost from a site because they have accumulated too many "infractions". This could be for something as minor as putting asterisks in a word to self-censor. Or it could not. Who knows? Every member of the staff addresses these nonsensical yellow cards differently - and this is likely not their fault, it's because the whole system is too ridiculous to be implemented fairly. It's also being implemented by human beings, who cannot resist letting their personal feelings and prior interactions with posters on the forum cloud their judgement, which leads to uneven enforcement, which leads to frustrated users, which leads to frustrated users getting banned.

Another thing these users get frustrated with is preferential treatment, particularly to posters who claim special insight or knowledge. In this site's attempt to curry favor with these posters, who generally have nothing to say that couldn't be found on twitter or any number of sites, they are protected as sacred cows - any criticism or attempt to hold them accountable for the things they've said (and been wrong about) is viewed as "running off good posters" - and in turn ACTUAL good posters who may never have claimed special insight, knowledge or sources are run off or banned. If someone wants to claim special knowledge, and bathe in the internet adoration that results, they need to be ready to be held accountable when members of the ACTUAL good user-base realize that they are full of it.

So what happens when many of the long time interesting posters and personalities are gone? Myopia. There is a *right* way to think and the few dissenters are shouted down as trolls and worse.

It's a discussion board. You should be encouraging "discussion", not discouraging it by policies and enforcement that slants toward a particular viewpoint. Disagreement promotes discussion, but that's not what is promoted by this site's policies and methods. You may think that these policies and methods are necessary to ensure this is a nice cozy place for certain people who hate having their views and statements challenged, or hate seeing anything contrary to their previously held opinion. My question would be why those people are on a discussion board in the first place? They should just buy a mirror and talk to that.

Discussion on CZ is more a boxing match than a no-holds-barred knock down drag-out. Personally, I much prefer it that way. It's not that hard to follow the rules, but it sets a bar for both the quality and types of arguments. Otherwise, the threads devolve into tail-chasing where there aren't consequences for saying especially stupid, unsupported, incendiary things.

I also think it's obvious that sacred cows are necessary. If the site's big enough that there are legitimate sources of information that are willing to share, it's hugely in your interest to protect those sources. Granted, they should be validated as legitimate from the mods, but, assuming they are, why would you want a bunch of teenagers driving them away for no better reason than the fact that a teenager likes to be argumentative and isn't mature enough to know better when he's on the wrong side of an argument? This place ins't a popularity contest: it's a source of information and a source for interesting intellectual conversation.

Yes, this means CZ loses some really interesting posters from time to time, and that really sucks. But the alternative is having every thread be a madhouse where the monkeys are throwing poo at everyone and smarter posters poke their heads in, see what's going on, and leave. Granted, it's fun to blow off steam in no-holds-barred fashion, but there are other boards for that. And visiting them makes it clear why CZ needs to stay something else.

I do agree with you that the family-friendly definition here could stand some loosening, but you do have to draw the line somewhere. The mods here have decided to draw it at G/PG rated content. Could it stand getting stretched to PG13? Probably. But it's no sweat, really, either way. The alternative is what we had going on here a few months back where the site was getting tough to even enjoy because of the attitudes from an influx of new, young posters.