Over the past year we've added some great writers (Nick, Jake, Ricky) and some fun ways to connect like Twitter (thanks Kevin) and Facebook (thanks Jim). In an effort to continue to improve the site today we're adding a discussion forum. We know we have a lot of smart readers with great ideas for discussion topics. The Comments sections here are fine, but it's sometimes hard to know where to post an idea or a question. On the new RP Forum you can create your own topics, ask a question, or link to an interesting article. We think it will be a little less formal and hopefully a lot of fun. We hope to see you there and that you enjoy it.
Just so you know, before starting the Forum I tried several software programs. Each one has it's pros and cons. I wanted something that was easy to use, free, and looked nice. I was close to using the phpbb format, it was fast and looked great, but was just a bit too complicated (for me at least). So ultimately I ended up using the one offered by Lefora. It's a fairly basic layout right now, but expect it to evolve over time, just like this site has. It's simple to use but offers a lot of features. You can post pictures, flash, links to interesting articles about the Rays, and much more. Check it out and let us know what you think.
You can get there by clicking on the RP Forum logo on the sidebar (just below the Twitter now, may get moved) or by clicking on this link.
Thank you! This is a great idea from a great site run by great people!
ReplyDeleteHope you like it, and thanks for the kind words. I can seriously say you'll never meet nicer folks than the ones who write and read here.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how much interest there is, but I know we have hundreds/thousands of readers from all over the world with great eyes for news and ideas for articles. I can't see a down side for adding this.
One note: you can't post as Anonymous on the Forum. We've been very lucky with posters here being polite (only ever deleted a couple of comments, and they were actually funny, but over the line), but on there you'll have to pick a name. We realize some of you can't post under your real name for obvious reasons, so just pick out something cute :).
I think it gives us a chance to talk about the Rays, MLB, and baseball in general without stepping on the toes of our friends at DRB and RI or other baseball sites.
For me, I love the business side of minor league baseball, and hope the forum gives me a chance to talk about that more without straying too far off topic here.
Long term we would love to have contributors from each of the Rays 9 affiliates, yes including the VSL and DSL Rays. If you are local to an affiliate and are interested in writing, drop me a line at dougmilhoan @ hotmail . com.
You may not think you'd like to write, but just ask Jim Donten. He started out with pics only, but now he's a major contributor to this site. You just never know.
Anyway, thanks again for the nice sentiments Anon.
Its me form the first comment again. I am maniac29, and I just started an account on the forum. Is there any way I can sign on as my username for comments like these? Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteManiac, you can either use name/URL or OpenID when selecting from the "Comment as" dropdown box.
ReplyDelete