Thoughts And Comments On Forum Expansion

[Trav]

I HAVE BEEN TAZED BRO!

And labeled as one to incite on assumption

And labeled as one who overreacts before giving a benefit of the doubt

Is this just Trav being Trav? If so, then does anything I do really shock anyone?

There is going to be some issue taken to my approaches as there always has been and always will be. I read things literally and I do not assume anything. I take what has been put in black and white and determine them as they are. If I was to make some misstep in speech or forget to clarify on a subject and it ruffled a few feathers, everyone knows there would be a dozen members to point out my error. Is Phil above this same criticism? Sure, it is his site. He can do what he wants.

None of us have to keep our mouths shut though. Are we all a bunch of slap happy friends around here? I don’t think so. We are individuals who make a whole. Without the allowances for the adversity, OAF would be like any other site. Do we really want to feel like a tourist who has to watch out what we say to the natives? Someone mentioned how other sites have ‘clicks’ and it is true. Most are bullied by a group, who in their numbers will alienate everyone who has anything to say which might put a bad light on the popularity of the majority. Not to mention look at everything under a microscope in the hopes to create an element of superiority. I am just Trav. No better than anyone else. I have a methodical grass roots way about myself. I don’t do protest marches and demand change. I write my opinion (good or bad) and inform those who may not know what is going on around them. I am aggressive about it and know how to get my word out if I see it is necessary, even if that necessity is only justified in my own lonely opinion.

With this said, I have been pretty silent over the winter and all of a sudden I am labeled (yet again) as a doomsday theorist the minute I speak up. I didn’t go anywhere. I have been lurking around and reading what everyone has been up to the entire time. I decided not to post on every little thing I had an opinion about and stayed clear of anything politically oriented. I actually did it for the site. I could have kept the boards screaming with debate but I new it would only instill unwanted hostility.

I am going to suggest that maybe there might be a need for a more intimate Ozark site, one where locals don’t have to sift through the tourist’s naiveté. A place where everyone knows what each other is talking about and we don’t have to explain for the hundredth time that you don’t need a thermometer in Lower Taney to catch a bass.

We definitely need a place which won’t punish a moderator or anyone else for that matter for building awareness, especially if it “goes too far”. Speaking of which, I noticed that my name was listed as a figure head for the Lower Taney Forum but I was unaware I was considered a moderator. My profile continues to say “Fishing Buddy”.

TAZE ME AGAIN BRO!

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[Phil Lilley]

Phil one other comment about your original question. I don't have any areas/waters I would like added. But I would like somewhere to go for travel suggestions - specifically fly fishing. Maybe a forum on this in the fly fishing section? Personally as my kids are nearly grown I have more of an inclination (and somewhat more $$) to travel out west, Canada, Alaska, etc. I know the members here would be a good source of info.

Greg

I have regions set up for that. I had a travel forum but it got little traffic I deleted it.

I'm NOT moving the forum. Never was. No reason to.

To speed up loading the only thing someone could do is move it to a faster server, upgrade the software on the server and/or increase the service/bandwidth. Moving from one domain to another doesn't do anything for speed.

[Greg]

I have regions set up for that. I had a travel forum but it got little traffic I deleted it.

I'm NOT moving the forum. Never was. No reason to.

To speed up loading the only thing someone could do is move it to a faster server, upgrade the software on the server and/or increase the service/bandwidth. Moving from one domain to another doesn't do anything for speed.

I didn't remember the travel forum ever being there. Probably because as you say it got little traffic. I'll use the regions for info as you suggest.

I didn't mean to imply that you ever planned to move the forum. All I meant to suggest was that if you did (for whatever reason) it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Thanks for all you do with the forum,

Greg

[Phil Lilley]

I made Trav a moderator for the lower lake last spring.

I have no other comment on the subject.

[ness]

So....... how 'bout them Tigers? Not to change the subject, or anything.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Great game. Love thoses Tigers! Way to go coach. Only 3 years at Mizzou and lost 7 players from last year. Big 12 Champs this year!

[jdmidwest]

Gun Sales are brisk, another fine day at the Missouri Gun and Knife Show. Something happened in Nov. and business is good.

[Kutter]

Phil, as a newby here, I certainly do not have a voice in what you do with your site, it's yours to do as you wish. I would like to tell you why I joined Ozarkanglers. I live outside the Ozarks, but not by much, St Louis area. I am returning to my roots as a flyfisher and am learning all over again. So much has changed since I last flyfished, 45 years ago. I found this site while searching for likeminded folks who fish southern MO streams and rivers for anything that will bite, C&R everything except possibly a streamside meal once or twice a year.

I also am big into catfishing on the Mississippi River. For that, I have another site I have been on for 10 years or so. I also am an avid deer hunter, gardener & photographer. I have other forums to go to for those things also. This is Ozarkangler and is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for it.

While my reasons for being here are individual, I am sure many others came for the same reason. If I was a bettin man, I'd bet you started this place for very similar reasons.

[Quillback]

Bring on the new site! As I have said before, I would like to see more Oklahoma coverage. And the entire state of Arkansas.

[jscheetz]

Hey Phil,

I read through most of this post (until the part that Trav hijacked) so don't know for sure if this has been said - but...

I love this site and actually plan my fishing trips with it's help. But lately it certainly has gotten a bit big and hard to meander through. Moreso than other forum sites - there seems to be a bit too many topics listed to sort through and find what I am looking for. But having said that, I think expanding it and making it cover the world would be awesome! Need a complete section on Montana waters, CO waters etc etc - - -

But..... then it just gets bigger.

What I would like is to be able to pick and choose what I want displayed on my page. Like iGoogle homepage - any of you use that? I have widgets on my igoogle page for all the specific sports, news, and subjects I want - all in one place, easy to find with tabs... etc - if you haven't used igoogle, or netvibes or pageflakes or something like that you should - takes everything you want to see on the web and puts it in one spot.... Anyway I digress - If I had my "own" page at OAF then I could just have the forums to the waters that I want to check on a regular basis right at the top - I would still want to be able to access all of the others, but only when I want to - this is really what all sites are going to if they are not already there - more personalized for each individual. Really a way to organize it for the way each person wants to see it, that way you could cover everything and people would not have to "wade" through so much stuff. I find that I "forget" to check some forums just because I don't scroll all the way down the page to find them.

Anyway - May sound crazy - but make a "facebook of fishing" where people can list their fav forums at the top of their page and see the world paddle a path to your door...

JS