A Few Comments -- FORDHAM RAMS FOOTBALL FORUM

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Subject: A Few Comments

Author:
Rob Smith
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Date Posted: 15:32:59 03/29/05 Tue

My goal this morning in not deleting a certain post was not to create the debate the ensued. I saw and responded to it before any of you had the opportunity. While the poster was way off base to assume that the alleged behavior was typical of Fordham Football players and fans, I in no way condone what was posted on the other site. I agree that is is a sick and disgusting attempt to create "Shock Value." I have been in contact with the VOY administrators and am willing to work to identify the source of those posts. Once identified, I intend to either suspend or ban that person from posting on this board as well. It it no secret that I completely disagree with the existence of the other site, but I will not sitback and tolerate this type of action. We have all worked hard to build Fordham football to where it is now, and this does nothing to further the team and its goals for the future. The attempt to link the post of those pictures to the site's moderator is especially unfortunate. That said, I urge him to take the photos off of his site. If he needs help in doing this please contact me. I have already requested VOY management to review the site and am working towards having it shut down, but this does absolutely NOTHING to help me. Please hold yourselves to higher standards than this.

The moderator of the other site has an open invitation to email me the IP address of the poster and I will agree to block them from posting on this site as well for a yet to be determined period of time.

I also invite JoDete(I forgot his new name) to explore the opening of a new message board that will allow for more control and a better experience. By setting up Football and Basketball forums in one location, we can help to promote Fordham Athletics like we haven't been able to before.

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Replies:

Subject Author Date

Now can we turn the talk back to football, Spring Ball is 3 days away! (NT) Rob Smith 15:35:10 03/29/05 Tue

END OF DISCUSSION (NT) Rob Smith 17:22:55 03/30/05 Wed

If u are serious why not unban the aff guys so they can post the the ip address of that creep (NT) -- Minion, 17:39:53 03/30/05 Wed

They are more than welcome to email it to me (NT) -- Rob Smith, 18:04:02 03/30/05 Wed

If I had more time I would gladly look for a new location for this and the hoops board. Unfortunately that time is not currently available. (NT) ace93 18:46:37 04/01/05 Fri

Re: This board is fine - don't let those jerks make you move. The Hell with them. (NT) -- Go...'gate, 21:18:12 04/03/05 Sun

Go...'gate, I am not sure if you moderate a board on voy or not, but in my opinion these boards are not fine. They lack one key feature, log-on capability. There is a lot of nonsense that gets deleted on a regular basis that would be greatly diminished if posters were required to logon. (NT) -- ace93, 12:03:04 04/05/05 Tue

Re: I don't moderate a board, but it's a shame that we are going in a log-in direction. (NT) -- Go...'gate, 12:25:13 04/05/05 Tue

I would avoid it if I could, but it seems to be the only way to handle things. I have found a very good board to use as an example, but I don't want to shell out $160 on my own. To bad we can't get the Sports Info Department to foot the bill. But, if that happened, this board would cease to be independent of FU. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 18:19:52 04/05/05 Tue

As an administrator who reads the board, and looks to implement good ideas when I hear them, I could not access a board that required actual identification. I fear a valuable means of feedback would be lost. (NT) -- anonymous, 11:00:10 04/06/05 Wed

This is a very good point. I know several Fordham administrators at high levels that read this board with interest. Such a change in policy would eliminate the opportunity for these people to implement change at FU based on creative ideas posted here. It would also preclude current Board members from posting. This is a huge negative factor for making such a change. (NT) -- Rambacker, 11:24:57 04/06/05 Wed

Anonymity would be maintained. (See inside) -- Rob Smith, 14:38:16 04/06/05 Wed

The additional features would be to numerous to list here. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 14:48:03 04/06/05 Wed
But the e-mail address connected to the username eliminates anonymity, correct? That remains a problem. I think the current board is fine. What has prompted you to change? (NT) -- Rambacker, 15:49:28 04/06/05 Wed

The email connected to the user name is not seen by anyone. It is just there to prevent someone from registering multiple names and to prevent them from replying to their own threads as someone else. My desire to make change stems from having to check in on this board every 30 minutes or so to delete posts that are offensive and do not belong. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 17:33:17 04/06/05 Wed

Wow, that's a lot of checking in to prevent problems. Kudos to you for the commitment to making this board work. You do a nice job. I must say though that I'm not convinced all will believe that their e-mail address won't be revealed if you go to the new process. It's hard to prove and those that are important that come here will probably stop. (NT) -- Rambacker, 18:07:11 04/06/05 Wed

I've only been on the 30 minute check ins lately due to the recent events. Other than that I try to check in daily. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 20:27:55 04/06/05 Wed

Again, I think the e-mail requirement in the new process will stop many from posting. Particularly those in the administration, Board, etc. I would suggest you keep this format. (NT) -- Rambacker, 22:38:42 04/06/05 Wed

On most boards you are still able to read without logging in. I do not think that many posters would be lost if a log-in approach was taken, but we would not know for sure until we tried to implement one. The moderating is really becoming a chore, not that it was every a breeze, but checking the board every hour or so is a necessity if one wants to keep the board somewhat clean. Rambacker, you know very well that it requires constant monitoring. On the basketball board you asked me to delete one post at 12:51, 2:22 and at 5:01, so daily monitoring is cleary not enough for even your liking. (NT) -- ace93, 17:37:52 04/07/05 Thu

Is the solution more monitors, with a schedule for each? (NT) -- JoltinJoe, 20:24:30 04/07/05 Thu

This could be a solution. I can assure you that a number of important people who can implement positive change at Fordham will not read or post on the board if they are required to provide their e-mail address. Unfortunately, with all the crazy people out there, constant monitoring is a fact of life to make these message boards viable. (NT) -- Rambacker, 21:30:02 04/07/05 Thu

We already have 3 people monitoring the basketball board and that is not enough. Almost every log-in required board I have visited allows you to read without logging in so that will not be an issue. Posts from those concerned with registering may be a different story, but that may be something we have to live with. The important information will find its way to the board one way or another. That said, unless Rob Smith ends up implementing a change then it most likely will not happen though b/c I am much closer to shutting down the basketball board than I am to starting a new one. (NT) -- ace93, 21:59:15 04/07/05 Thu

I'm sorry to hear this. Are you saying that you are planning on shutting down the basketball message board? That would be a shame because it has been a forum for positive change and is read by Fordham administrators. I am sure that logging on with an e-mail address will severely limit quality posts from significant people who can make a difference at Fordham. There must be a solution here. (NT) -- Rambacker, 22:42:57 04/07/05 Thu

No, I am not saying that. (click to read more inside) -- ace93, 00:10:49 04/08/05 Fri

My greatest concern here is that I disagree with you on the value of the posts on these two boards in general. Most of the posts may not be "revolutionary", but the boards serve as a forum for alums, fans, students and administrators to express their views on our athletic program. This has never been done before and is invaluable for FU administrators to gauge the "wind" direction. It has had a positive effect already. As for me, I'll just stop posting if we need to provide e-mail addresses, as will some others. No big deal. (NT) -- Rambacker, 12:53:32 04/08/05 Fri

Did you not register on the A-10 board which requires an email for registration? My ultimate point, which we will have to agree to disagree on, is that anonymous posts from an administrator have little value. What provides value in my opinion is the posts by alums that can be read by administrators. That valuable piece will not be lost in my opinion. Either way, this is probably a bit too much debate on a topic that most likely will not happen anyway, at least b/c of my doing. (NT) -- ace93, 13:33:39 04/08/05 Fri

No, I only read the A-10 Message Board, I don't post there. You can read without registering there. Here's my point - some alums who can help greatly with posts will no longer go on the board if there is an e-mail requirement, therefore their valuable posts will disappear. The result? A much watered down message board. (NT) -- Rambacker, 15:19:22 04/08/05 Fri

While I include my e-mail address when posting on either the FB or BB boards, I understand why others don't. These boards have their share of silliness, yet disussion here is generally on a pretty high level. Aside from talk about this game or that player, there have been broad-ranging discussions on these boards--of Fordham's direction as an an institution, of the role athletics could/should play in a national university, even of development & campus architecture--that WOULD be of interest to me if I were a trustee or administrator. Let's not "throw out the baby with the bath water." (NT) -- Ram'69, 22:55:47 04/09/05 Sat

This situation is not so much about whether or not these boards are valuable, although I may have sort of turned it into that. It is mainly about moderators being unable to monitor things in a timely enough manner to keep up with the nonsense that goes on. On a board that does requires registration it does not completely disappear, but it does make life a bit easier. I will use my example from above again, in a 4 hour period I was asked to delete a post 3 times. Is it unreasonable to think that one person is unable to visit the board over 4 hours and therefore unable to delete something? (NT) -- ace93, 23:18:17 04/09/05 Sat
If someone is capable of posting on these boards then they are capable of opening a hotmail account for example. In your case you could open an account such as Rambacker@hotmail.com. You would then be as traceable as you are now b/c the only thing people would have is your IP address, same as moderators do now. (NT) -- ace93, 23:35:17 04/09/05 Sat

Sorry, this message was meant as a continuation of my message to Rambacker, not you Ram'69. (NT) -- ace93, 23:37:53 04/09/05 Sat
When I said "people" would have your IP I meant moderators, not the general board posters. (NT) -- ace93, 23:39:30 04/09/05 Sat

This hangup on an email sort of worries me. Are administrators, people on the Board and valuable alums really that unresourceful that they cannot open up an email account through one of the numerous free email providers and use that to register? If that is that impossible and/or difficult then we have bigger things to worry about. (NT) -- ace93, 23:25:01 04/09/05 Sat

I like the present format, as I think many others do. Is it possible you could get some more help monitoring the board? Provide strict guidelines and get help from a few students? 6th Man Club? (NT) -- Rambacker, 09:26:11 04/10/05 Sun

The problem is that currently you are unable to give "limited rights" to other users to help moderate the board. Voy is supposed to be adding this feature, but it will force users to pay for its use. I don't want to ask anyone to shell out money to help moderate the board. Then again, something needs to be done, I cannot continue to do this alone. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 10:33:30 04/11/05 Mon

Do you have people that are interested in helping to moderate? (NT) -- Rambacker, 11:04:29 04/11/05 Mon

Everyone I have talked to declined saying they didn't have enough time. (NT) -- Rob Smith, 13:44:02 04/11/05 Mon

Perhaps it's worth a new post asking for people who would be interested in helping. You might find a few prospects. (NT) -- Rambacker, 22:39:33 04/11/05 Mon
I'd be willing to help moderate but I'd have to stay anonymous so I'll just use my initials (NT) -- FXM, 16:04:03 04/12/05 Tue