Threads that Ask for Interest in Hypothetical Leagues

kq76 · 11-15-2008, 09:09 AM

Someone has asked if we can do something about the threads that are purely looking for interest in a hypothetical league. I suggested that we could prefix those thread titles with something like "Gauging Interest:", but I'm not sure that's descriptive enough. I guess "Gauging Interest in a Hypothetical League:" is descriptive enough, but it's kind of long. One might suggest that we start a sub-forum and I probably would if I was the admin, but I'm not and the admin tends not to like to add sub-forums. Another option could be to add them all to one thread, but I don't think that would work well since many are asking for public feedback and it'd get too messy with multiple leagues. I certainly don't want to prohibit those threads (I was asked if we could require that the league have some kind of web presence before soliciting interest, but I don't think we want to require people to waste their money on a website when they're not sure about starting the league) so if we want to do anything at all I think what we're left with is a standard prefix. Here and there I've been changing non-descript titles (e.g. "ootp" or "interested?") to titles that are at least a bit more descriptive and no one has complained about that so I doubt anyone would with me adding a standard prefix and in time I think most people would add their own kind of like how people just know to prefix their logo request thread titles.

To anyone who may be thinking of starting a gauging interest thread in the future I'd like to say that in my experience I think what normally happens is "if you build it [and do a good enough job with everything including advertising as much as necessary], they will come". If you don't, then they won't. Sure, ask people if they're interested ahead of time if you want, but I think the most important questions you need to ask are of yourself: will I be dedicated enough to this, will I consistently have enough spare time, will I have the patience to deal with problems that will inevitably arise, etc etc. If you're sure you can do it and will do a good enough job then by all means go for it because people are drawn to good leagues. If you're not sure, you just think it would be cool, then maybe you should let it go because you'll more than likely just be wasting your time and the time of others. Maybe I shouldn't say that because I do want to see our community grow as much as possible, but at the same time I think online leagues that don't do well sometimes turn off people from other leagues and we don't want that so maybe discouraging would-be league starters who are not in it 100% is wise.

Anyway, I can see this thread easily going in different directions due to that last paragraph and that's fine, but I'd particularly like to get some feedback on that prefixing suggestion.

rem · 11-15-2008, 07:15 PM

I think the satus quo is more than fine.

satchel · 11-18-2008, 06:23 PM

The status quo is not fine with me.

If this is a place to talk about "proposed leagues" and to "gauge interest" then real leagues, which actually exist, face the danger of being snowed under by an avalanche of proposals and ideas. What if a poster had ideas for thirty different leagues, and made a thread for each one? A recent poster has three threads going to "gauge interest" in different leagues. Some of us have real leagues and we need real owners, and we don't want our threads buried by bullcrap.

There are 25,000 members of this forum. No matter what kind of league you make, no matter what it is, if it's based in Jamaica, if it's populated by Hobbits, if it's in 18th-century England, no matter where and what it is, you're going to find enough owners. That will never, never, never be a problem, as long as your league has even a kernel or quality. There's no need to "gauge interest" so you can get your ego stroked. Do the work, make the league, and recruit owners here. Otherwise, post not.

kq76 · 11-24-2008, 10:17 AM

I just went through the last two pages and prefixed those threads that I could easily see were of that type. I'm not sure it really helps the "snowed under" effect, but I guess it does somewhat because people can more easily pass over those threads if they wish to.

I'm going to ask Andreas if there is some way he can allow me to create and delete sub-forums. That way we can play around with it, see what works, what doesn't work, without having to ask him to do it for us.

satchel · 11-24-2008, 12:27 PM

The idea of sub-forums is a good one. Give people a place to toss around proposed leagues, I think it would benefit both those proposed leagues and established leagues. If proposed leagues have a place of their own, they can pick up momentum there, and maybe it would become a hotbed of good ideas. And existing leagues wouldn't have to compete with them for attention, and owners looking for a league that's already running wouldn't have to wade through the proposals.

11-15-2008, 09:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
kq76 Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 7,623 Thanks: 282 Thanked 332x in 190 posts	Threads that Ask for Interest in Hypothetical Leagues Someone has asked if we can do something about the threads that are purely looking for interest in a hypothetical league. I suggested that we could prefix those thread titles with something like "Gauging Interest:", but I'm not sure that's descriptive enough. I guess "Gauging Interest in a Hypothetical League:" is descriptive enough, but it's kind of long. One might suggest that we start a sub-forum and I probably would if I was the admin, but I'm not and the admin tends not to like to add sub-forums. Another option could be to add them all to one thread, but I don't think that would work well since many are asking for public feedback and it'd get too messy with multiple leagues. I certainly don't want to prohibit those threads (I was asked if we could require that the league have some kind of web presence before soliciting interest, but I don't think we want to require people to waste their money on a website when they're not sure about starting the league) so if we want to do anything at all I think what we're left with is a standard prefix. Here and there I've been changing non-descript titles (e.g. "ootp" or "interested?") to titles that are at least a bit more descriptive and no one has complained about that so I doubt anyone would with me adding a standard prefix and in time I think most people would add their own kind of like how people just know to prefix their logo request thread titles. To anyone who may be thinking of starting a gauging interest thread in the future I'd like to say that in my experience I think what normally happens is "if you build it [and do a good enough job with everything including advertising as much as necessary], they will come". If you don't, then they won't. Sure, ask people if they're interested ahead of time if you want, but I think the most important questions you need to ask are of yourself: will I be dedicated enough to this, will I consistently have enough spare time, will I have the patience to deal with problems that will inevitably arise, etc etc. If you're sure you can do it and will do a good enough job then by all means go for it because people are drawn to good leagues. If you're not sure, you just think it would be cool, then maybe you should let it go because you'll more than likely just be wasting your time and the time of others. Maybe I shouldn't say that because I do want to see our community grow as much as possible, but at the same time I think online leagues that don't do well sometimes turn off people from other leagues and we don't want that so maybe discouraging would-be league starters who are not in it 100% is wise. Anyway, I can see this thread easily going in different directions due to that last paragraph and that's fine, but I'd particularly like to get some feedback on that prefixing suggestion. __________________ Useful Links: Manuals \| Downloads \| Newsletters \| Knowledge Base \| New Tech Support \| Updated Forum Rules Interactive Online League Directory - find or advertise a league today! Canadian Baseball League - uses OOTP11, running steadily since April 2002

11-15-2008, 07:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
rem Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: College Park, Md. Posts: 4,998 Thanks: 7 Thanked 7x in 5 posts	I think the satus quo is more than fine. __________________ Born To Play: Commissioner, Baltimore Orioles GM MLB 93: Baltimore Orioles OTBA: Washington Filibusters 2005 Winner of LL's Pick the Loser Contest! - 15-0

11-18-2008, 06:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
satchel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Ft Smith AR Posts: 2,680 Thanks: 52 Thanked 48x in 26 posts	The status quo is not fine with me. If this is a place to talk about "proposed leagues" and to "gauge interest" then real leagues, which actually exist, face the danger of being snowed under by an avalanche of proposals and ideas. What if a poster had ideas for thirty different leagues, and made a thread for each one? A recent poster has three threads going to "gauge interest" in different leagues. Some of us have real leagues and we need real owners, and we don't want our threads buried by bullcrap. There are 25,000 members of this forum. No matter what kind of league you make, no matter what it is, if it's based in Jamaica, if it's populated by Hobbits, if it's in 18th-century England, no matter where and what it is, you're going to find enough owners. That will never, never, never be a problem, as long as your league has even a kernel or quality. There's no need to "gauge interest" so you can get your ego stroked. Do the work, make the league, and recruit owners here. Otherwise, post not. __________________ JL Commish NPBL Rhode Island Reds ’33 ’34 ’35 TCBA San Francisco Railbornes ’74 ’76 ’77 ’78 FL New Orleans Black Sox ’56 ’57 ’58 ’59 IOLD

11-24-2008, 10:17 AM	#4 (permalink)
kq76 Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 7,623 Thanks: 282 Thanked 332x in 190 posts	I just went through the last two pages and prefixed those threads that I could easily see were of that type. I'm not sure it really helps the "snowed under" effect, but I guess it does somewhat because people can more easily pass over those threads if they wish to. I'm going to ask Andreas if there is some way he can allow me to create and delete sub-forums. That way we can play around with it, see what works, what doesn't work, without having to ask him to do it for us. __________________ Useful Links: Manuals \| Downloads \| Newsletters \| Knowledge Base \| New Tech Support \| Updated Forum Rules Interactive Online League Directory - find or advertise a league today! Canadian Baseball League - uses OOTP11, running steadily since April 2002

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11-24-2008, 12:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
satchel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Ft Smith AR Posts: 2,680 Thanks: 52 Thanked 48x in 26 posts	The idea of sub-forums is a good one. Give people a place to toss around proposed leagues, I think it would benefit both those proposed leagues and established leagues. If proposed leagues have a place of their own, they can pick up momentum there, and maybe it would become a hotbed of good ideas. And existing leagues wouldn't have to compete with them for attention, and owners looking for a league that's already running wouldn't have to wade through the proposals.