Bleed Cubbie Blue

hang in there Al, it can only get warmer

When? June?

hope sooner

I forget how insane the Spring weather changes can be back home. One day 75 and sunny the next 33 and rainy.

I still can remember playing baeball for Taft High School and out game against Schurz bieng snowed out. Sucked doing the warm ups in the snow flurries waiting for Schurz to show up, and finally the ump called the game when they did not show up at all.

Cold

I’m a Cub fan in Twin’s country; I can’t wait to listen to them complain about April weather next year. (They move outdoors).

Jasely - April 14, 2009 reply

They've been giving the game temps.

And what they’d be if the new stadium was open now.

Today might not be bad, nice & sunny, still, we’re going to see some spring and fall weather issues – bet on it. And a few good summer rainouts, I’ll wager.

MN exile - April 14, 2009 reply

Night game in October or April

is insane for an open stadium in the Twin Cities

Temps this time of year...

in MSP are usually a tad warmer than at Wrigley. Not being next to a giant lake full of ice will help them greatly! :)

But we're the land of 10,000 lakes?

So if we add up all those little lakes, does that count as one giant lake?

Arbusto - April 14, 2009 reply

a friend of mine here in Austin, TX

is from Austin, MN and happened to be born and raised in the ONLY county without a natural body of water

Only?

Only in MN, only in the US, where?

I know Saudi Arabia has no rivers – and (as far as I know) is the only nation so “blessed” by nature.

MN exile - April 14, 2009 reply

MInn

No...

n/t

MN exile - April 14, 2009 reply

I'm so excited for this

I’m going to go the coldest games I can just because it’s more fun that way.

Arbusto - April 14, 2009 reply

People should just ask themselves

WWWD

What would Worf Do?

See, satire belongs IN threads, not their own threads.

Worf - April 14, 2009 reply

Shouldn't it be

Do as Worf says not as Worf does? Because if we did as you tell us then we would all be shutting up, and then shutting up more after that.

That is a power that should be used wisely

Or drunkenly :)

Worf - April 14, 2009 reply

Thankfully

I have never been at the other end of that, but the times I have seen it used it was priceless.

Because you are the most insightful and respected poster on this board

and never get into any arguments either..

Chanman25 - April 14, 2009 reply

actualy

his recent posts have been quite enjoyable, so do not wake the inner dragon please

I just hope everyone takes the time to read this

so that we can all have a great time talking baseball (Cubs mainly).

Thanks Al, hope this helps BCB stay top dawg.

As a bill collector, regarding you statement about"

would you say that in the same room as the person

i was trained

if you would not want to see yourself quoted on the 5 O’Clock News saying it, DO NOT say it

if you think it is wrong, it probably is, do not do it

now I know I am not always 100% Mr Happy pants in my posts, but i do try to catch myself often.

You might had wanted to mention to use Outlook or Word to spellcheck when making a FanPost or FanShot so that there is puncuation and spelling is proper. I would rather read 100 more of the satire posts before one without any puncuation.

That's a good point.

You can use Outlook or Word… if you use Word, you can paste directly from there into your post if you use the WYSIWIG editor (click on the link that says “Switch to WYSIWIG editor” at the top of the posting box, then you’ll see a MS Word icon, which will allow you to paste your post directly from Word.

Rules are NOT made to be broken

they are to keep this a great site. There are many readers here that never post, just browse. As soon as they see a fanpost or fanshot get ugly, they’re out of here. We all have the Cubs in common and posting should keep our interest in the topic not turn us away. If I want baseball news or specifically Cubs news, this is where I go. LSA for Al for doing all this for us and keeping this a great site.

mrcubsfan - April 14, 2009 reply

Thanks, Al

Some things bear repeating and I appreciate your doing so with regularity. With so many newcomers what may seem painfully obvious to regulars is decidedly less so to those less familiar.

To underscore, with any established blog/online community it is always good to observe the culture for a few days before jumping in and to spend a few moment perusing the community guidelines. You can get a lot of information in just a few minutes and that knowledge will prove helpful along the way.

"Observing the Culture" is a good point....

Like any blog, too many people jump in not understanding the sarcasm, inside jokes, and general mayhem at BCB. And then they get pissed and defensive and then start cussing like sailors. Hard to welcome new folks when they start out like that. Not everyone, but you see it almost every other day.

Also, when personal attacks happen, that’s the low of low, imo. You can disagree with someone’s opinion without posting “You’re an idiot if you think that” or “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”. There’s no place for that here and one shouldn’t be surprised when others “gang up” on them when it happens.

carmen_fanzone - April 14, 2009 reply

OMG you are insane, that is the worst post ever

SARCASM***********

Not funny

carmen_fanzone - April 15, 2009 reply

I think I read this site for more than a year before posting

It helped to give me an idea of who people were, what their general attitudes are, what they find funny, etc. It also helped to give me an understanding of what is and isn’t acceptable. I still don’t post that often, since I’m at work ALL the time, but I always read because it’s an entertaining read. Overall, I find that the community here is excellent and is made even better when you know what most people’s quirks are. The discussions here remind me of conversations friends or relatives would have. Good stuff.

same here

i joined early last season and didnt post until November or December of this season.

Same here

I usually just read, and it is much more enjoyable when no one is posting obnoxious or hateful things.

lindz221 - April 14, 2009 reply

+1

n/t

chilango2 - April 14, 2009 reply

Same here.

Seriously, I lurked for almost all of 2006 before I started posting in 2007. I would highly recommend this move.

it pays off to lurk

after biding his time, Daver has gone on to a highly successful posting career, having amassed over 20,000 posts.

Bill Potter - April 14, 2009 reply

Imagine if I'd started posting right away.

I could actually be in a position to challenge Al for ultimate comment supremacy. Then again, I probably would’ve made a number of unforgivable faux pas, been labeled a troll and found myself driven to the outskirts of town by a virtual torch-carrying mob, so…again, lurk first, people.

I'm only

300 or so short.

see, I was proud to hit 5K in a calendar year

but you guys put me to shame.

Bill Potter - April 14, 2009 reply

I lurked for several weeks before I even signed up

once I decided I liked the place I lurked for a few days trying to find the unwritten rules of the comment section. After that it was just jumping in and hoping the regulars would accept me.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

And someday we might.

;)

Do let me know

If/when that happens. :-)

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

How do you keep someone waiting for acceptance in suspense...?

Gosh

I hope you tell me tomorrow!

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

did you go thru the initiation?

i am still scarred

Cubs' Schedule

I apologize if this is a stupid question, however, does anyone know the justification for the day off today? I figure there is some reasonable justification, however, since the Cubbos were just off Thursday (and traveled only to Milwaukee) it doesn’t seem as though they would be “due”…dunno about the Rockies. Thanks.

Don Gerard - April 14, 2009 reply

Early in the year...

and especially the first home series the have a planned day off to factor in weather delays or cancellations. If the schedule was packed and the game was called yesterday there would be scheduling problems down the line.

The off day...

… after the home opener has always bothered me. I understand, but it just seems like it would make a lot more sense to have the off day after the final game of the series… For example if the off day was tomorrow instead of today, there would be flexibility for the entire series. It could rain tomorrow just as well as it could today, and if tomorrow is rained out, there are fewer rescheduling options. If game two was today and the off-day tomorrow, they could just delay the finale one day. And if hopefully the weather is great for all the games, the Rockies would have an extra day for travel between series.

dmlichte - April 14, 2009 reply

They don't want to have the risk of a rainout on the travel day.

What happens if it rains on opening day, they reschedule for the third (off) day, then it rains THAT day? They’re screwed in that case.

Not what I'm saying

I guess there are lots of configurations as to how they schedule games. Whats different is that the Rockies have two days off in a three day period this week. It seems to me that often times, teams have opening series that is M, W, and TH, then start a new series on Friday. These are the situations that bother me. There are always possible rainouts and what not. It just seems to me that especially when there aren’t these two off days in close proximity, they should put the off day at the end of the series.

dmlichte - April 14, 2009 reply

Opening Day is a big deal.

Some people travel to see their team. If, by chance, it gets rained out they want to play it as soon as possible, preferably the next day. And, no, they don’t want to play a doubleheader.

I think a variation on that is the reason

If there is an off-day in-between, then ticket holders for the originally scheduled game can still attend opening day.

Exactly.

And this rule goes double for a city like Chicago when early to mid April can be anything from twenty degrees with snow to seventy and sunny.

when

has it been seventy and sunny in Chicago in early-to-mid april?

JANUARY, sure. April?

And apparently the ball was flying well those two days

11-10 both games.

Archie - April 14, 2009 reply

You may apologize when ready.

I apologize

for thinking that april weather in IL sucks.

Humbly accepted.

but april weather in IL

sucks. most of the time. :P

I'll miss it

when my glasses fog up the minute I leave the house.

At least October baseball is nice and cool…

Thanks!

Don Gerard - April 14, 2009 reply

Also,

many of the players have not been “home” to Chicago for some time. For those that do not live in Chicago year round it gives them a day to settle into a hotel, apartment or home. Married guys have their wives to do some of this but a rookie would not know how long it takes to drive to Wrigley even so an off day when the season starts is to the players benefit also.

mrcubsfan - April 14, 2009 reply

I'd suggest a "read this before you sign up"...

…sort of email that is sent to people after they sign up. It would have these guidelines stated in the email.

Also, have you considered allowing a few of the trusted BCB commenters some rights of policing the threads? I think you can probably think of giving one or two people that you know and trust access to the site so that they can shut down comments from trolls temporarily before they get out of hand. Yesterday there were some whoppers in the first gameday thread. Just because you’re not there to stop them doesn’t mean that this sort of abuse has to continue.

IowaCubs- - April 14, 2009 reply

Would they get badges?

BADGES?

we dont need no stinkin badges

Darn, beat me to it.

Or perhaps, I can quote the permutation from SNL:

“Badgers? We don’ need no stinkin’ badgers!”

Cubfansince1957 - April 14, 2009 reply

But we like Badgers...

Especially the Shanghi variety.

Aw, shucks

This is most certainly not from SNL

It is from one of the greatest movies of all time. UHF.
Side note, the guy who said that line (Raul’s Wild Kingdom) killed himself shortly after the movie was completed.
“Today, we’re going to teach poodles how to fly!….”

Just doing my job policing the pop culture references.

Fukudometer - April 14, 2009 reply

And for that, "You win a drink from the fire hose!"

good idea

and to confirm your account, you have to click the link in the email, maybe have the link written as www (dot) bleed cubbie blue (dot) com (back slash) confirm and the person reading has to be able to convert that to the web address. That forces the person to actually read the email to see it and enter it as a web address to confirm and activat the account.

Wow

Whats next a secret handshake? hehe Seriously though, when I joined the Crawfish Boxes, they were making fun of BCB’s “Faschist waiting period for new users”. So I think that alone has to cut down on people dropping in to troll and start stuff.

Faschist?

This guy?

Funny, I’ve never heard any classical music on this site :)

TC Cubby - April 14, 2009 reply

dang it

stupid jokes are even worse when the link doesn’t work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Friedrich_Fasch

TC Cubby - April 14, 2009 reply

and then you have to go Bach to post again

That's HIGHLY significant!

I hope I’m not the only one who gets that… ;)

PacificCub - April 14, 2009 reply

Work computer filtered the pic

I’ll have to look at home

I wouldn't bother making a special trip...

JohnM - April 14, 2009 reply

It's ok, I have to go there anyway.

My bed is there.

Great quote!

“…I prefer the Fugue…”

Richie Hebner 18 - April 14, 2009 reply

Ahhh, Bach.

Ahhh, Bach!

BigJohnAZ - April 14, 2009 reply

Funny

Yeah I knew when I wrote it I spelled it wrong, maybe thats a good thing.

I make many mistakes.

secret hand shake

you dont know it? be gone

SARCASM**********

OMG!

I had to wait two whole days before I could start posting about what a stud Hoffpauir is and how he should totally be our everyday shortstop!

If nothing else, one can use those two days to do as Em suggested above and absorb the culture. BCB is…different than other sites. It’s not an all-out snark-fest. It’s not a virtual Disneyland, nor is it a virtual Las Vegas. It’s a strange admixture of the above with a healthy amount of baseball (especially Cubs baseball) thrown in, and it is mostly populated by adults, some of whom are indeed old enough to be your (grand-)parents.

I like seeing new folks, especially in the Game Threads, but a couple of days to familiarize yourself with the culture and some of the more prolific posters (and their styles) can only help ease a newbie’s transition into the insanity which will soon consume their every waking hour between April and October.

+1

n/t

chilango2 - April 14, 2009 reply

Cos a two-day wait equals fascism.

Somebody update the Wiki article!

Therefore, strikeouts require two-day waiting periods.

Submitted in triplicate at that.

Well considering the popularity of BCB

I’m sure the waiting period is an easy target.

BCB: Still quicker than the DMV.

or the IRS

And fewer douchebags.

Debatable

I said "fewer."

Not “free of.”

Conversation yesterday

I talked to someone at the game yesterday about the internet and recommended they give BCB a try.

They mentioned they had tried it before and it was a particularly contentious time. I urged her to give us another shot. I said there are times when it can get somewhat contentious but 99.999 percent of the time it’s the best baseball discussion on the web.

I pointed out that of all the sites the contentious times are a lot less often than other sites and even so it’s mixed up with great baseball discussion.

His name wasnt Danny Satan by chance?

that poster should join WOO WOO on a bus to no where

I missed the game thread yesterday...

…so lemme guess: That guy ended up being a problem?

he was...

interesting.

Given the fact that he dropped an F bomb in his first comment...

…and put “Satan” in his user name, that doesn’t surprise me.

Was he part of the group

where we were in, what, the 3rd jump thread, and they were still talking in the first?

yes, something like that.

He humbled up a bit

When he realized he’d been baited into posting into a thread devoid of any real posters.

Another quick thing

Al is the most patient webmaster there is. The crap I’ve put him through and he let me back and such is a great example.

His patience is legendary but you can push him too far.

Al does a great job here and that’s the main reason it goes so well here.

Rec'd

DGU - April 14, 2009 reply

+1 for your crap

That's gotta be a first.

A 1 for a #2?

Yep.

I meant what I said

I meant what I said. I have made no secret of my admiration for the way Al runs this site and my gratitude for his patience with me.

If I could do half the job Al does running the site I do for a totally different subject I would be doing a good job.

Al,

this was posted before, you didnt search the FanShots or FanPosts and make this a comment there?

SARCASM ALERT**************************

OT Happy Birthday Madog

So not exactly worthy of a fanpost or fanshot but still worth mentioning and this is the current thread
Greg Maddux turns 43 today. Given how Moyer, Johnson & Glavine are doing he probably did the right thing in retiring but damn I miss him.

Doggie Stalker - April 14, 2009 reply

Beat me to it

Beat me to it. It is my friend Steve’s birthday today as well same age too.

It’s also Kyle Farnsworth’s birthday 10 years younger.

I have a pic of me and Greg from the 87 convention. We look so young.

Happy birthday, Greg.

Your spot on the Cubs pitching staff awaits…

??

JohnM - April 14, 2009 reply

Maddux

coaching staff, methinks.

Bill Potter - April 14, 2009 reply

Youthinks correct.

It sounded right in my head but I can see how reading it could be confusing.

Thought you planned to coax him out of retirement or something

JohnM - April 14, 2009 reply

No, I think he's had his time.

But he’ll be invaluable to any coaching staff.

Glavine should retire

Chanman25 - April 14, 2009 reply

How long have you lived in Atlanta?

Hell, I didn’t even want him back from the Mets.

eh, I don't live in Hotlanta

but grew up watching tons of Braves games though, here and there. I’m in essentially the 90s Braves territory.

Chanman25 - April 14, 2009 reply

Happy B-Day to Mad Dog, indeed.

Al, I word of advice

I find it increasingly difficult to navigate BCB. The “game” and “post-game” threads are so overwhelmingly large that they are bogged down for the person wanting to post something. Also, the fanposts have become so numerous and so disjointed and vague in description that it is hard to pick and choose. It didn’t use to be this way. Maybe BCB is feeling the weight of its increasing popularity? Maybe you (or a designate) should approve fanpost topics? Maybe there is something that can be done to make some of the game and post-game threads less cumbersome to hop onto?

BLou - April 14, 2009 reply

One thing that would greatly help...

Elimination of pictures unless posted by Al. They do bog things down.

BLou - April 14, 2009 reply

boo hiss

+10

I too love the pictures. They sometimes are the one thing that bring a smile to my face in an otherwise awful day.

Whether the Cubs win or lose, I sometimes check the game blogs even if I wasn’t on during the game and the pictures are often the best part. I love the creativity that many posters have in their photoshop efforts. It would be a shame to stifle the creativity of the BCB photo-posters.

LAcarl519 - April 14, 2009 reply

no, they don't

not when they’re under 100k like Al has requested.

possibly

btut when at work, it takes a long time to load a thread loaded with pics

if they're really <100k

they shouldn’t bog down any decent connection.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

true, unless there are 321321321616516513216515165151 pics loading

that many, even small, it slows down

feh ;-)

couldn't have said it better myself!

LAcarl519 - April 14, 2009 reply

That was my fault.

I was using multiple servers to post 321321321616516513216515165141 pictures at one time. The other 10 images were someone else’s responsibility.

Dave, WTF?

There is a strict 321321321616516513216515165140 picture/post limit.

I’m shocked. Shocked, I say.

Actually, 25-50 KB is standard for web sites 72 dpi

JPG quality = 30

There are many free image resizing/reducing tools.

Paint.net is one of them. Get it here.

Reducing does not lose quality when posting to the web.

For example, compare these two Erins.

Original is just under 100KB

Reduced with PAINT.NET, 27KB

Equal opportunity photos of Geo, original is 138 KB

Reduced with PAINT.NET, 21 KB

For MAC users, try one of these two freebies:

Seashore or GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

I don’t use a Mac, but have heard of these.

flachimesa - April 14, 2009 reply

ty for posting links

for those who like to post pics and do not know how to resize

the ONLY reason I am griping (but trying to do so in a kind manner) is I cannot access gameday at work, so I have to rely on BCB for insight to what is happening (and I am thankful to have those here that do give me such insight).

This might help you get to gameday

Here:

SurfFreedom is an online browser which enables you to surf the internet securely and privately. It is totally web dependant which means there is no additional software to download and install, allowing you access anywhere at anytime with just an internet browser and connection.

Its supposed to help you get around blocked sites at work without getting caught. I haven’t tried it but it might help some of you cube monkeys.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

I change my PROXY when needed to access

XRT or 670 the Score currently. I will check that, thanks!

All of those red x's look the same to me

Stupid work computer blocking pictures :-(

chitownhawkeye - April 14, 2009 reply

the only problem with that

is that you have to rehost the pics when you resize them.

drewishdrewid - April 15, 2009 reply

I have no

problem with the pictures. They should stay.

sue369 - April 14, 2009 reply

I agree on the pictures!

Some posts get littered with tons and tons of silly pictures that the thread takes forever to load up. IMO, 95% of them are not necessary.

Al, any thoughts of addressing this?

calicubfan - April 14, 2009 reply

When silly pictures are outlawed,

only outlaws will have silly pictures.

Give me silly pictures or give me death! (Patrick Henry)

They can take our lives, but they can never take our silly pictures! (Mel Gibson)

I wouldn’t belong to any club that didn’t have silly pictures. (Groucho Marx)

znohitter - April 14, 2009 reply

LMSPAO

Laugh My Silly pic A$$ Off

You'll get my silly pics out of my cold, dead hands

Sounds like the pics have it.

Al Yellon - April 15, 2009 reply

4 score and 7 silly pics ago

BCBers

have complained about the quality of fanposts for a long time.

It’s the beginning of the season. Fair-weather fans are looking around to talk to people. In two months, that Danny Satan guy will be gone, and so will half of the rest of the newcomers.

Totally agree.

Baseball is back and the Cubs are off to a great start, so there’s bound to be all sorts of Johnny Come Early’s skittering out of the woodwork, spreading their nonsense and hysterics. Let the marathon take full effect and many of them will die off when life isn’t as simple as, “Hey! DLee has only one hit! He sucks!”

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call them on their BS but…it’s a long season. Things will calm down. Probably.

it did last year right?

we didn’t have to create more than a few “alternate” game threads…

Yeah, I don't recall many "alternate" threads as the season wore on.

IIRC

we never lost more than four games in a row, or if we did, it only happened once or twice. That probably helped.

Just that series with Tampa

and that awful stretch in September that Lilly KILLED DEAD when he, well, did the same to Molina.

I agree wth you to an extent, Mike.

Over the years I’ve been on BCB, it has both (1) become more of a community of friends and (2) become less formal and more of a “meeting place” for Cubs fans before/during/after games. I think that’s why you see us joking around so much via snarky posts or pictures. As for the large thread size, I think that’s just great—we have a lot of readers and fans.

An easier trick to finding the most recent game thread

Under the title of the thread theres this header:

by Al on Apr 13, 2009 1:15 PM CDT in Game Threads

Click on “”http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/section/Game-Threads" >Game threads" and it’ll take you to the category page where the most recent official game thread is on top. You don’t need to wade through all the game threads to find the jump links. Unless its like yesterday when the rain delay pushes the overflow into a fanshot the “overflow” threads will be on THAT page.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

Also...

The latest official Game Threads are also listed on the right-hand sidebar (but kind of buried). A browser search for “Recent Stories in Game Threads” will get you there rapidly, though.

Lots of little tips ‘n’ tricks for SBN sites. Anyone know if they’ve all been gathered in one place?

I haven't seen a list

Probably would be a good idea to at least jot down the most useful though.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

And thanks for fixing my link

I don’t know what happened there.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

NP - Trey was good enough to fix mine yesterday

I wouldn't mind

seeing that section moved up higher.

Considering that those are the most trafficked parts of the site

I can definitely see that box being given a more prominent location. Al?

Done!

Democracy...IN ACTION!

wewt

Awesome. Thanks!

thanks!

Two more suggestions

When writing a fanpost, give it a title that actually makes clear what it’s about. If your post on Milton Bradley’s injury is entitled “We all knew this was going to happen,” rather than “Bradley’s injured already,” there’s going to be a duplicate fanpost. Guaranteed.

Second, if you do post a duplicate fanpost, don’t be embarrassed. I’ve done it. But there’s a “delete” button at the bottom of your post and you can get rid of it at any time. Now if your fanpost actually provided some analysis or information not included in the first post, then go ahead and keep yours up. But if all you are doing is reporting the news with a comment from you, then delete yours and put your comment in the original post.

Josh Timmers - April 14, 2009 reply

Another good point.

It always surprises me when people don’t realize they can delete their own Fanpost/shot.

Question:

Ever thought about having moderators? I know other SBN sites do, but then again, this site was around before SBN became one community.

Possibly.

For now, I’ll do it myself.

Seems like a big job. Do you have any idea on page views or membership numbers? I’m sure this site has grown exponentially since the recent Cubs’ success over the last few years. I know it has since I’ve been here.

Actually, nevermind. You probably don't wan to devulge that kind of information.

Didn’t mean to pry.

??

Why would he not want to devulge that information?

kanderber - April 14, 2009 reply

As I posted below

I think we have a terrific group of long term posters who while they aren’t official mods they are good at diffusing situations and such.
You can’t be here 24/7 especially when you’re at Wrigley so in game threads people jump in and diffuse and I’m sure report things to you to call something to your attention.

One additional point about the search function!

When your results come up, you’re going to see four tabs: Stories, FanPosts, Fanshots and Comments. (These tabs are set against a light blue background directly under the search bar.)

It’s important to click on each tab to see exactly what has been previously posted in each category. Sometimes I’ve done searches and there have been no results under “Stories,” which is the first tab that’s always open initially, but many results under “FanPosts” or “FanShots.”

So while it may appear nothing has been posted about a given topic (if there are no Stories on it), there may already be a Fanpost or a Fanshot about it. The only way to know for sure is to click on that tab and look.

I hope that makes sense.

Al

Another good thing AL does is he lets us police ourselves for the most part. He puts trust in the regulars to diffuse a problem and he doesn’t just jump to ban people he feels it out and makes a decision and gives people a chance to settle down.

Another thing is this place has been around a while and newbies should get to know there are some long standing kidding around and running stuff. 99 percent of it is all in good fun.

I think we welcome newcomers here better than a lot of places especially for a group that has been together awhile.

Also we are a very diverse community that gets along well especially considering the age range we have here.

Also as a woman I definitely feel more welcome and accepted here than in any sports forum I have ever been on. And not concidentally we have the most women regulars of any site I’ve ever seen.

Jessica, Sue etc. How do you feel about this?

Try The Cub Reporter

I enjoy reading it most of the time especially for the incredible posts of Arizona Phil who knows more about the Cubs minor league players then Hendry BUT it is very tight knit male bonding group. I think I posted there about two years ago but never since and I have never seen any woman post there since.

Doggie Stalker - April 14, 2009 reply

sigh.

I hate off days.

Amen

lindz221 - April 14, 2009 reply

Same

Even worse that yesterday was double fun with Dyngus Day and all. Cubs win, polish buffets, and beer. Hard to go wrong. Stinks to have nothing on, eating healthy, and drinking water today.

Today I'm grateful for it

a lot to do today (stuff arrives tomorrow tra la!). Sadly, once I start work on Monday my viewership will cut way back. This makes me very sad.

Having multiple moderators wouldn't be too bad.

Am sure SBN can afford to pay mods for the site that makes them the most money.

xene - April 14, 2009 reply

I doubt that is very practical

but if you see something that is a serious violation you should e mail Al directly ASAP using the link on the site.

Doggie Stalker - April 14, 2009 reply

I disagree.

I think Al should be the only moderator. Mulitple moderators would lead to lots of problems in my opinion.

sue369 - April 14, 2009 reply

I just think this site has seen overwhelming growth.

It’s bound to get bigger, too, not smaller, with Cubs success. At some point it’s just too damn big for one person to moderate. At the same time, there are enough old timers around (I think most of us know who us/they are), that we do a good job of moderating each other. I’m fine with it being either way, but it has to be an increasingly bigger and bigger job for one person. It started as Al’s own blog, so I understand the desire to retain it as such without sounding like a dictator (which he is not).

Dan

Agreed

Al, and not insulting anyone else here, is really impartial to what any one person is doing, and is fair about that. When you have more people with that type of control, you risk less objectivity, and more subjectivity, with the policing of threads, fanposts, fanshots, etc.

Agreed and rec'd

No offense, Dan, but that’s a pretty reasonable take on it.

Like I said, I’m fine with it going either way, because I know most of the people on here and am comfortable with any number of them acting as moderators. If it is just going to be Al, that’s fine, too, with me. No offense taken, fellow Badger.

And I don't mean to step on anyone's feet here

I was just throwing out my $.02. Like you said, even if there were other moderators, chances are, it wouldn’t be Dan Satan or whatever his name was. I’m also a logically thinking adult, so I’m not going to do anything that’s going to cause trouble anyway.

Having a mod who was available during games

wouldn’t be completely horrible.

Not that Al doesn’t do a good job on game thread stuff, but when he’s either at the game or going to bed early, sometimes having someone with power to do stuff round would be handy…

But its not really necessary unless Al feels that the job is something he now needs help on.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

I thnk Evil BCB does just this. Game thread moderator.

Yep. Looks a little somethin' like this:

I'll do it.

But only if Al lends me his Uzi 9mm with a 40 watt range.

I'd do it

for free. The benefit of the site is worth it.

Drew Power!

course

Al wouldn’t let me run another T-shirt project. :P

That WAS you, wasn't it!

I’m gonna fillibuster you to moderator.

I didn't run the first one

but I wanted to run one myself. He decided to go with the store option.

Um...I'm pretty sure Al doesn't get paid for doing this.

So I would guess any additional mods wouldn’t either.

serious? Al probably wont admit to it, but look at the site.

10 000 + average visitors per day and ads all over the place. SBN is most def. making money. And don’t forget the new partnership with yahoo. I bet Al is also cashing a fat check. ( not that there is anything wrong with it, Al)

xene - April 14, 2009 reply

Hmpf, that's a bold assertion.

We shall see if Al confirms or denies.

Not that it's any of our business, but I figure he's making some money

Especially given the amount of work that running the site likely takes.

I don't think this requires either

Al’s money. Al’s business.

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

You don't think it requires Al's money or his business?

Or you don’t think it requires a response?

A response

Making sense. Something I’m clearly not able to do today. :-P

halfblindcubbiegirl - April 14, 2009 reply

Oh, I agree.

I certainly wouldn’t hold it against him if he was getting some kind of monetary compensation. He certainly puts in the time.

Agreed -- with both of you

Essentially, that’s what I was trying to say above — just didn’t do a good job of it.

"fat" check? highly doubt it.

and divided by the number of hours Al devotes to this site, I’d wager far less than minimum wage.

True.

I do make some money here. How much is my business alone.

But I thought BCB was a socialist website.

I expect, nay, DEMAND my cut!

Per hour of your posting?

No

per

individual

post.

Nice try.

I gotta get to 20000 somehow.

I knew I should have been copyrighting my stuff....

poop.

santoswoodenlegs - April 14, 2009 reply

Clarification: poop is not to be shared.

Agreed.

Thrown? Well, sure, sometimes. But never shared.

Another shred of my innocence, lost.

Keep walking..

..preacher man.

MattHaggard - April 14, 2009 reply

meta BCB
another update from Al
official form here

joeschmitt - April 14, 2009 reply

The haikus are out
in full force today, I see.
Love these off day threads.

znohitter - April 14, 2009 reply

Oh, that is awesome.
Likely unintentional,
but still made me laugh.

Random thought

Anyone find themselves revisiting this site today hoping to see that magically, there was a game today, or some relevant news? I feel like the guy who contantly checks his fridge many times over, even though he knows what’s already in there.

You never know when a fake gamethread could spring up on some random off day.

santoswoodenlegs - April 14, 2009 reply

I wonder how long people here could keep something like that going.

Apparently you weren't around these parts last season.

Remember

Remember the posts during the cancelled HOF game?

Craig in South Bend - April 15, 2009 reply

Oh crap

I do remember now. Not sure how I forgot about something like that. My bad.

I'm just bored

Not that I don’t enjoy a good conversation, even if it is on the merits of what is required for a good conversation. :-)

chitownhawkeye - April 14, 2009 reply

OT from the other thread earlier today

wanted to thank everyone for convincing me to go to Culvers for lunch today

Should everyone REC this post

to keep it on for a while?

It's on the front page...

…so I’m not sure how much more up it can get.