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[Reality]

What decides if a post or topic that was started and created in Fan Forum, is moved to another forum - ala Overtime, Roster, Draft zones, etc.

also since this Topic seems to a cornerstone FAQ section, should we keep it around as a Sticky ?

If we get enough participation over time in this thread, I will probably create an FAQ from it, though with shorter answers and link to this thread for more details.

As to your question, that really varies on several things.

For example, when a lot of new threads are being created by users such as during the season, draft, etc., threads that are not directly Cowboys related or are about older topics will likely get moved out of the Fan Zone.

If someone posts something that's meant more to annoy a segment of the users and contains no new information or details to discuss, it will likely be moved.

If someone creates a thread about a player on another team they want the Cowboys to get either through trade or by signing in free agency, that thread will be moved to the Roster Zone. The reason is that's simply wishful thinking at this point on the part of the user.

Now, if there are official rumors the Cowboys are interested in a player on another team such as near the trade deadline, those would be allowed because there's a realistic chance at least that it could happen.

If a thread is off-topic or an old over rehash topic, etc. it will likely be moved to the Overtime Zone.

The Overtime Zone was setup to be the Fan Zone alternative for threads that may interest fans but not really relevant to the majority of users.

We start allowing draft threads to be posted in the Fan Zone once its 30 days or less to the draft. The reason for this is that so much can change prior to that time so it's pointless for them to be in the Fan Zone.

The one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of users read the site via the New Posts page which completely ignores forums.

CowboysZone is more than just one forum so just because a thread is not posted or allowed to remain in the Fan Zone does not mean it will not be seen.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Why do we differentiate this image thread from that image thread?

I started the Wacky Web Images thread years ago and all types of images went in it without moderation except those that pushed boundaries of a family friendly site. Now, we have This is funny images thread. This is interesting image thread, this is informative image thread, this is a funny cat image thread, this is an image thread that isn't to be discussed.

Why did the moderation of image / video threads become so anal? I honestly cannot make rhyme or reason of that.

 

[The Fonz]

That's actually what I typed in a reply that I deleted

I figured someone may think I was being serious

The secret is out now

 

[Reality]

Why do we differentiate this image thread from that image thread?

I started the Wacky Web Images thread years ago and all types of images went in it without moderation except those that pushed boundaries of a family friendly site. Now, we have This is funny images thread. This is interesting image thread, this is informative image thread, this is a funny cat image thread, this is an image thread that isn't to be discussed.

The reason for the different image thread is that people are interested in different things. Some people care about interesting images while others only care about funny cat images.

Also, with them being separated into a topic, it allows people to view them as they have time. Funny memes, cat images, etc. for example are a get-in-watch-get-out process when people do not have a lot of time or a lot of bandwidth, while the Interesting Images thread is better viewed when people have more time to read linked articles, posted information, etc. along with them.

Another benefit is with them being separated, it's easy to go back and find a posted image to share with someone else.

Why did the moderation of image / video threads become so anal? I honestly cannot make rhyme or reason of that.

If you are referring to them being separated, that's an easy one. Many people cannot watch videos at work so if they are mixed together, they will miss all of the videos if thread read those threads and just see images at work.

If you mean moderation in general, that has more to do with the Forum Rules and requirements from the ad networks. Google is very strict about what is and is not allowed on sites that show their ads. The higher quality ad networks have so many rules in place and they keep adding to them. There are many topics not allowed on sites in their ad networks and we have to be proactive in not allowing them rather than reactive and waiting for them to contact us about it.

CZ benefits from its family-friendly forum rules by having a great reputation with Google. Even with that though, their automated systems will still flag things every so often on the site that we have to deal with immediately. Just removing ads from a specific forum or thread is not sufficient to solve the problem as the site is judged as a whole. That said, I don't blame them because they have to maintain a quality ad network and platform for their advertisers.

 

[YosemiteSam]

The reason for the different image thread is that people are interested in different things. Some people care about interesting images while others only care about funny cat images.

That my friend is an assumption. The first thing I teach my IT staff is never to assume. The reason being is all mistakes start with an assumption.

I would also consider it running afoul of premature optimization!

To prove my point. The Wacky Web Images thread was clearly extremely popular as you could tell by A) how big (how many posts) it got, B) the immense view count, but also C) I received a ton of PMs from users (many I didn't even know) thanking me for it. Not a single one of them every complained about the content in that thread. The only complaint I ever got from it was due to the how slow it could be at times loading all those images.

Today, pretty much everyone is on broadband and it's no longer that much of an issue.

 

[Reality]

That my friend is an assumption. The first thing I teach my IT staff is never to assume. The reason being is all mistakes start with an assumption.

I would also consider it running afoul of premature optimization!

To prove my point. The Wacky Web Images thread was clearly extremely popular as you could tell by A) how big (how many posts) it got, B) the immense view count, but also C) I received a ton of PMs from users (many I didn't even know) thanking me for it. Not a single one of them every complained about the content in that thread. The only complaint I ever got from it was due to the how slow it could be at times loading all those images.

Today, pretty much everyone is on broadband and it's no longer that much of an issue.

I have found that if you can split one mega thread into four smaller threads, people tend to read and reply a lot more often. That's not an assumption, it's based on research.

A lot of images, videos, etc. would be missed if they were all in one thread because a lot of people visit the site when they only have a moment to spend and other's get caught up watching a video and then exit the thread never viewing the rest.

There's a method to my madness and I don't expect everyone to understand or agree. I do what I think is best based on the data, research and experience I have and while it may not be the actual best solution, it seems to work.

 

[aria]

I don’t have any direct questions now but I’m sure I’ll think of some in the future so in the meantime I would truly like to say thank you for creating this site and 99% of the MOD’s for doing a great job.

Anyone who has any familiarity with my posts (I think there are very few, if any) know I’m very open and opinionated. Contrary to what one would think, I’m actually a very private person in real life. I keep a tight circle of friends, generally stay away from people outside of bars and concerts, and there is only one other “social media” site I used to regularly use and it’s specific to an alcoholic beverage.

Point being, with the different range of topics we are allowed to talk about here and the rather loose moderation I’ve experienced compared to the previously mentioned site, I’ve been more tempted to “open up” . I’ve even posted a picture or two of myself (not including tattoos) which are probably 2 of 3 that exist anywhere on the internet.

The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate. The different forums, especially off topic, make searching for certain topics that much easier. The fact that we are allowed to start a thread about almost anything is great because not only does it make the site more entertaining but it allows us to bond in other ways outside of football. It’s pretty funny to “talk”, agree and find things in common, with some of the same people I’ve argued with on virtually every subject Cowboys related, about everything from beer to tattoos to music to movies to books, etc.

As I mentioned earlier, I especially like the loose moderation. For the most part, we are allowed to hash it out with each other and will get a warning before any action is taken which is very nice, effective and fair. I don’t try to push boundaries but there has been a time or two when I couldn’t bite my tongue and have said something I thought might get a warning but you guys let me carry on and I would usually realize my mistake and correct it myself by toning it down. I know there’s a fine line and you guys do a great job at letting us make jokes and express ourselves (anger, frustration, criticism, etc) without moderating every little thing we say. If we weren’t able to do that, I think it would be a huge turn off and take away from a large part of what makes this site so great. The last site I mentioned single handily destroyed themselves due to discriminating and heavy handed moderation. They started losing users so they tried to fix it but after years of damage it was too late and it’s now a shell of it’s former self.

Anyways, this is pretty much my one and only social media site and for good reason, all the reasons I mentioned above. Thanks for the time, thought and and effort that you and your staff put into it, you’re doing a thankless and terrific job.

 

[Reality]

I don’t have any direct questions now but I’m sure I’ll think of some in the future so in the meantime I would truly like to say thank you for creating this site and 99% of the MOD’s for doing a great job.

Anyone who has any familiarity with my posts (I think there are very few, if any) know I’m very open and opinionated. Contrary to what one would think, I’m actually a very private person in real life. I keep a tight circle of friends, generally stay away from people outside of bars and concerts, and there is only one other “social media” site I used to regularly use and it’s specific to an alcoholic beverage.

Point being, with the different range of topics we are allowed to talk about here and the rather loose moderation I’ve experienced compared to the previously mentioned site, I’ve been more tempted to “open up” . I’ve even posted a picture or two of myself (not including tattoos) which are probably 2 of 3 that exist anywhere on the internet.

The site is very user friendly and easy to navigate. The different forums, especially off topic, make searching for certain topics that much easier. The fact that we are allowed to start a thread about almost anything is great because not only does it make the site more entertaining but it allows us to bond in other ways outside of football. It’s pretty funny to “talk”, agree and find things in common, with some of the same people I’ve argued with on virtually every subject Cowboys related, about everything from beer to tattoos to music to movies to books, etc.

As I mentioned earlier, I especially like the loose moderation. For the most part, we are allowed to hash it out with each other and will get a warning before any action is taken which is very nice, effective and fair. I don’t try to push boundaries but there has been a time or two when I couldn’t bite my tongue and have said something I thought might get a warning but you guys let me carry on and I would usually realize my mistake and correct it myself by toning it down. I know there’s a fine line and you guys do a great job at letting us make jokes and express ourselves (anger, frustration, criticism, etc) without moderating every little thing we say. If we weren’t able to do that, I think it would be a huge turn off and take away from a large part of what makes this site so great. The last site I mentioned single handily destroyed themselves due to discriminating and heavy handed moderation. They started losing users so they tried to fix it but after years of damage it was too late and it’s now a shell of it’s former self.

Anyways, this is pretty much my one and only social media site and for good reason, all the reasons I mentioned above. Thanks for the time, thought and and effort that you and your staff put into it, you’re doing a thankless and terrific job.

Thank you for the kind words!

I enjoy my time on this site especially as a user. The Off-Topic Zone (OTZ) is my favorite forum on the site because there are so many topics to choose from.

You are bound to find several that pique your interest allowing you to have enjoyable conversations with people you were just debating with in the Fan Zone over some random player.

I know many people just come here for the Cowboys news, but I hope over time, they find there are a lot of online connections and friendships that can be made here if given a chance.