Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

***Craig*** · 03-01-2005, 02:54 PM

In one of the other threads I just had to pull out this quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allen Evans

When Fencing.net is operating at it's best, there isn't a substitute. Who else is putting out ANY information in English that speaks to the fencing community the way Fencing.net does? When was the last time American Fencing published anything as worthwhile as Walter Flashka's essays about the march? Or brought us up to date about the reaction to the new timings and the protests in Korea?

It may not be perfect, ladies and gentlemen, but it's OURS.

So, given that sentiment and that I'm constantly trying to find ways to improve the site and the reporting, what kind of things do you want to see reported and what other kind of content do you want to read that is either: (1) not covered in American Fencing or (2) doesn't receive enough attention.

I will immediately put esskreemr's almost daily digest of headlines on the list.

Craig

Inquartata · 03-01-2005, 07:14 PM

This may not be what you want to hear, but---if it ain't broke, why fix it? New isn't necessarily improved, more isn't always better...

D+F+P=Hadouken! · 03-01-2005, 10:17 PM

A beer cooler. I know that gav gets tired of cleaning up our messes in the watercooler, so I think that a seperate section for attacking members and posting crude, evil things, would be completely appropriate. The only limitations would be common sense things, like, no kiddie porn, no links deliberately made to give you viruses... just basic things like that. Like fencing sucks, only with a better, nicer, fencing.netish interface. It would make the watercooler cleaner for those that do wish to read it and not be pelted with crap.

mrbiggs · 03-01-2005, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

A beer cooler. I know that gav gets tired of cleaning up our messes in the watercooler, so I think that a seperate section for attacking members and posting crude, evil things, would be completely appropriate. The only limitations would be common sense things, like, no kiddie porn, no links deliberately made to give you viruses... just basic things like that. Like fencing sucks, only with a better, nicer, fencing.netish interface. It would make the watercooler cleaner for those that do wish to read it and not be pelted with crap.

It's called fencingsucks. It doesn't need a nicer interface. The low-quality interface relects the quality of the posts, and the members there. (Low.)

D+F+P=Hadouken! · 03-01-2005, 10:18 PM

Also Craig, I'd like to give you props for all that you've done for the fencing.net community. We could not have done it without you.

mrbiggs · 03-01-2005, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

Also Craig, I'd like to give you props for all that you've done for the fencing.net community. We could not have done it without you.

I second this!

ThatReallyHurt · 03-01-2005, 10:57 PM

Yes, indeed - this is a great site and you certainly deserve an awful lot of credit for it. Very, very nice work.

Epee Scherma · 03-02-2005, 12:14 AM

Hm... the beer cooler idea isn't that bad. I think it would be quite humorous to have something like that. But I'm more supportive for a chat room if possible!

Coup de Grace · 03-02-2005, 09:04 PM

Craig-

I agree with the others that is a top-notch, easy-to-use, user friendly site. Let me turn the question around to you: Has it developed like you originally hoped? Are there things that you have wanted to do that have not come to pass?

D+F+P=Hadouken! · 03-02-2005, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coup de Grace

Craig-

I agree with the others that is a top-notch, easy-to-use, user friendly site. Let me turn the question around to you: Has it developed like you originally hoped? Are there things that you have wanted to do that have not come to pass?

Or have things come to pass that you hoped would not happen?

I second epee scherma on the chat room. Now that we have soooo many people on f101, it would rock to be able to chat with all of them.

SenorEste · 03-02-2005, 09:32 PM

I dont post much, but chat would be real sweet, and if not sweet, at least moderatly entertaining or such.

Fun things could be done in chat too, realtime fencing trivia contests, or something, i dunno.

Zelda · 03-02-2005, 09:46 PM

Could we maybe try to expand this out from american centric? I know the AFF has a nice results web interface, but their actual web page makes the USAFA one look like award winning design..... And i know the Brits have a fairly nice page as well, but haveing a repository for lots of national associations would be great....it might help people find comps for when they are on holiday as well......

wflaschka · 03-02-2005, 10:50 PM

More articles! One feature per month, somehow, from a spectrum of writers. The writers don't have to be experts, we just need as many points of view as possible.

I have no idea how you'd get this going. Get 12 people to promise something once a year...? Given the quality and the amount of work some people put into their postings, there's a lot of talent out there.

Quote:

Fun things could be done in chat too, realtime fencing trivia contests, or something, i dunno.

Woo, those are all good ideas. In chats: Trivia with prizes, or monthly point totals leading to prizes. Or, have Q&A sessions w/ experts (or smart people) about how to direct bouts.

Or even have an online referee exam, interactive, where the "lecturer" asks questions. We all answer the questions, and then we can discuss the answers.

Another online chatty thing -- someone throws up some video of themselves fencing, and everybody blurts out <supportive> observations. Like a writer's circle, except for fencing.

Make a wiki for fencing knowledge. A few months of people putting up ideas, making collaborative edits, adding info -- and suddenly there's a comprehensive fencing encyclopedia.

CvilleFencer · 03-02-2005, 11:05 PM

I second pretty much everything that Walter mentioned! Very good stuff. A chat room would be nice for the water cooler crowd, but I doubt I would ever use it. I would love to see more reporting and articles, as well as in depth tactical analysis of various techniques and so forth. Maybe a weapon specific article per month or something of the such would be great, as would tourney reports from the big events.

I don't like the idea of a beer cooler area at all. If you want to trade childish insults, off color remarks, dirty or viscous rumors etc go to fencing sucks. I think it would only lead to animosity among the posters and tend to take all the posts down a bit as people nurse grudges or are unwilling to help out/answer someone else because of something that was said in the beer cooler. Just not a good idea, too many bad and unintended consequences.

Epee Scherma · 03-03-2005, 12:39 AM

i am an easily persuaded person. i rescend my vote for beer cooler now.