Field Gulls Needs a HOF

by iverson2169 on Oct 18, 2009 9:17 PM PDT

John... this might be a question for you to ask your developers if you like the idea... but wouldn't it be cool if Field Gulls had a comments HOF?

I guess the premise would be that any "Green-thumbed-Rec" would be an inductee. You could obviously set the Rec. threshold's at your discretion to capture only the best.

I have often reminisced about some of those great comments from past posts, and thought "Wouldn't it be sweet if John immortalized them in his own Field Gulls Comment Hall of Fame".

I would assume the DEV's could attach a custom field to the ajax comments that could be queried by a plugin and filtered by number of Rec's.

Food for thought...

Poll

Worth Exploring a HOF?

Great Idea

29 votes

Indifferent

29 votes

Bad Idea

14 votes

72 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 30 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

This would be a pretty cool thing for SBN to impliment

by Snowman1025 on Oct 18, 2009 9:47 PM PDT reply actions

Weird...

Those who thinks it’s a bad idea…. could you elaborate?

I think it could also be a good way to encourage quality posting over quantity posting, since ill-formed ideas have almost no shot at induction.

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 19, 2009 1:58 AM PDT reply actions

Guess I should have said quality COMMENTING instead...

Damn … and after i promised Brian I would correctly identify the blog parts and all…

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 19, 2009 2:02 AM PDT up reply actions

I voted yes.

So I have no idea.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Oct 19, 2009 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions

I voted bad idea

Quality posts are much wanted, but I think the green highlight is reward enough. And I know I’ll probably catch flak for this, but I can easily see how a HOF system could cause competitiveness, internal politics, and would probably promote, to some degree, group think. As much as I appreciate USSM, Lookoutlanding, and especially Fieldgulls, if I had 1 criticism its that these site can sometimes feel like a bit of a clique, and I think by rewarding popularity (even more than the rec system already does) could exacerbate that problem.

I know some of you will read this and think “wtf,” but I’ve talked to some quality thinkers at other sites who hold blogs like these in contempt for the group think aspect. I think they are over-reacting- and seriously missing out on some great stuff. Obviously I wouldn’t be here if I felt otherwise, but I can see why they would think that.

Also, I think the greatest comments can only be great in the context of the thread they originated in. When someone pops a completely unexpected clever analogy or relevant .gif, its funny because of the placement and timing, and probably wouldn’t work as well if separated from its context.

For rec’d gifs and images, you could just do what LL does and put them on the side bars. The Magic Cards, the Rally Dino, etc. That would be fine. Text Comments I wouldn’t see the positive benefit of additional special attention.

by kearly on Oct 21, 2009 12:39 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

The comments at USSM are intolerable to me at this point...

though I still read the articles with enthusiasm. Half I don’t understand, half seems sycophantic, all I can do without.

I can see where you are going with that, but the thing about getting “greened” is the thread eventually disappears. I can see the potential for keeping such comments around for randomness. Also, most green rec’d comments tend to be on the funny/humorous side, not on the “group think” side of things. Because of this, I again like the idea.

And, significantly, what is there to lose? If it becomes negative, just eliminate it again. But interesting thoughts about “why” you voted against.

Bird Law in this country isn't governed by reason.

by Tyler Jorgensen on Oct 21, 2009 1:50 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree Whiskey....

I think it would add another dimension of enjoinment to this already superb blog format.

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 21, 2009 11:46 PM PDT up reply actions

To clarify on the group think aspect

Any site that has regulars and ratings, certain members will emerge as more popular and more influential. Influence is best served with subtlety, and a rec often highlights that influence (barring gifs, which are just funny to anyone). If a text statement gets rec’d, its because it strikes a cord within the mainstream of the community. People like to be recognized, so they look for chances to appeal to this. That in turn leads to a type of positively enforced culture, or as outsiders see it, “group-think.”

Then of course, you have the few that try to be individuals and go against the grain (Blache III, Fearless Frog), and I’ve seen a lot of times where they get ripped for it simply for not agreeing with everyone else. Granted, I understand that discussion and debate has twists and turns, but much of the time, it comes across as a loose nail being hammered down.

The rec and proposed HOF system are only loosely related to this phenomina, but I think in a way, it mildly exacerbates the problem. Its kind of like when some douchebag who works half as hard as you do but has connections gets “employee of the month” and you quietly go unnoticed while providing valuable service. Even though its positive in nature, it still has the potential to alienate and enforce a culture. Its not a horrible idea, but my gut reaction was to oppose it on those grounds.

by kearly on Oct 23, 2009 2:23 AM PDT up reply actions

I can appreciate that opinion....

… but can also appreciate that as a blog manager, that “clique” mentality is what keeps people coming back. It’s strange because I thought that the CONTENT on the blog I have been running is what kept people coming back… but in reality, I have discovered it’s the friendships formed (cliques) that keeps people logging in.

A sense of community if you will.

Oddly enough, every community has their role players. On my blog (non seahawks) we have our own “villian” that is always caught up in controversy… but it’s during those most heated exchanges that the blog readership is at it’s highest.

Likewise, if a blog (like this one) has it’s clique’s, there will always be a need for the independent thinkers (like yourself) to provide those pragmatic viewpoints, and to occasionally stir the pot.

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 23, 2009 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions

As a blog manager however...

The idea can promote increased participation.

Another counterpoint as food for thought: I like the idea of dissension (short of bloodshed). I think true critical thought usually comes on the back of healthy debate, and not mutual agreement.

Some of the most participated-in posts I have ever seen, are ones that contain both controversy, and the point/counterpoint argumentation that follows.

For what it’s worth….

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 21, 2009 11:44 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree.

Didn’t want to say it myself.

"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."

by Fearless Frog on Oct 22, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions

It's not a bad idea

I’ll see if it floats and give you an update.

by John Morgan on Oct 19, 2009 11:00 AM PDT reply actions

Cool...

Either way, thanks for considering it.

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 19, 2009 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions

It seems a rec leaderboard would be pretty easy to implement.

by redwolf75 on Oct 19, 2009 11:11 AM PDT reply actions

Hmmmm

Great idea, but so many comments require so much context, that only seeing the rec’d comment might leave many scratching their heads.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Oct 19, 2009 3:39 PM PDT reply actions

Well as long as you can click on that comment

It will hopefully lead you to the thread which can give you a context.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Oct 19, 2009 5:41 PM PDT up reply actions

cool idea, doing it that way...

Sold.

Bird Law in this country isn't governed by reason.

by Tyler Jorgensen on Oct 19, 2009 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions

Scruffy... exactly the idea.

This type of blog format is so well developed that it is probably already setup to do something like this. A fairly simple custom field could be attached to each Rec’d comment and then queried by a filter. The output version could easily be a link back to the original content.

Bring Your Game, Leave Your Name.

by iverson2169 on Oct 19, 2009 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions

That was my only thought...what about the context?

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer, Sam Bradford*.

by Misfit74 on Oct 19, 2009 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions