Reading the Tea Leaves on Patrick Patterson

Just leave Mark and keep posting over on the rivals site where you are welcomed. :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by unexpected

I think what bothers me most about Watzone's posts are that they create a "fraternity of information."

In an era where news and information are becoming increasingly transparent, it saddens me that something as pure as college hoops seems to be going the other direction.

There's no problem with you running a for-pay site, but it's not fair to say that we can just "ignore it." Posts like yours promoting your site are like pop-ups, and there is a reason that pop-ups failed as an web advertising medium.

It's also not fair for you to say that since you yourself link back to DBR, everything is kosher. Your site gets a couple thousand hits a day. DBR is the most popular Duke Basketball site on the web - the two don't even compare.

There are several posters here that run their own for pay Duke sites. None of them promote their site as aggressively as you do.

The general trend I see is that the long-time posters seem to be the ones with the grudge, while the new posters appreciate the info. I think that's because the new posters don't realize that we all used to be a group of friends that got along, and then one of them just jumped off and started charging for what used to be free.

Watzone, I understand that there are costs associated with traveling and everything, but don't dump them on us. College Basketball is supposed to be your hobby. Keep it fun. We're not forcing you to go cover AAU tournaments in the name of Duke. I understand that esoteric information should have a price, but with this whole PP thing, well it's like charging us for food when we're dying of starvation. We're supposed to all be friends, but it feels like you're pulling a fast one on us because we're your friends.

DBR is probably your easiest access to fast growth, so you should use it to your advantage, but don't abuse it. Friend don't like to be taken advantage of. It makes us feel dirty and makes us wonder why you were our friends in the first place.

I think you need to decide whether or not you want your blog to be a business or a hobby. If you want it to be a business, then treat us like customers, develop a thick skin, understand why we feel like you're prostituting information to us, and develop around it, so everyone feels warm and fuzzy. If you want it to be a hobby, then sure, charge us for the AAU interview you had with Greg Monroe 6 months ago, but if it's a hobby, for big stories, you should tell us - after all we're friends, right?

Good gosh! So, I am to assume you are a long time poster? It is no secret that a few people have attacked me, my way or whatever for a long time, but it certainly isn't all the old timers.

It seems we are living in the past, so keep in mind that many of the few posters were the most ignored on DBR message boards with stats to prove it. Others were booted for good.

What gets me is that a rep of DBR has said this is okay. The key thing they said was that I *sometimes* come off as schilling. They clearly said let it go, but then you come in and refuse to without your two cents.

Two cents of opinion or a message that could have easily been sent to me via private message.

I am aware of a certain e-mail group where I am the topic of discussion and guess what? I do have thick skin for it doesn't bother me.

You say that other posters here run pay sites, yet how often do they post? Who are they? Have they contributed 24 plus articles to DBR as I have? Can you type in their name in a search engine and see the many contributions or references to this site?

Another thing is that I do not hide behind annonymity. I put my name out there and put up with attacks from a *few* for doing so. We have mods here that never release their name, acting as if their is a double secret reason. Well, there is an advantage to that - you don't put up with personal attacks as people who use their name. No, you put up with the crazies and I am not talking Cameron Crazies.

What I am saying, is that a name adds credibility IMO.

As for how I run my site, well you seem far to worried about that. It is indeed a lobor of love, but my subscribers are glad to pay in order to get better, detailed recruiting and ocasional inside information. Add to that my knowledge of the subject matter be it history or present and you have a good delivery of the subject matter.

Now, do you tell these other posters that run sites what you have me? Okay, I advertise in the most popular forum out there.

Do you think my contributions have brought DBR hits over the years? Do you think that helped grow the site in a small way? Could you not get where JK just said that our sites compliment each others? Are you aware that i refer to this message board as my unofficial one, nor do I plan to ever get one becaue of my relationship to DBR? Can the other site owners claim this? Is it not possible for my free section to grow and get this place more hits? Do the other site owners have a long history of working with the DBR? Do they know the owners personally or better yet, get along with them? Do they intentionally direct traffic here in any way? Do they claim to have gotten part of their start here or show appreciation as I do?

Just because you feel one way or your group of friends do too, doesn't reflect on DBR posters as a whole. Also, how do you know what long time posters think? How do you know who they are? I mean some posters names have changed.

Are you living in the past? Is DBR not growing into something new, attempting to be bigger and better, reach more people? This is the board as it is today and this was my reason for being upset with throaty's antics in that he invited the group of ten or less people to jump on their soap box and tatter the evil, supposedly self serving watzone.

I am baited for a response from what should be a dead issue, despite the word from the owners. I would consider the stance of the critics a lot more if they would approach this is a more up front manner, by putting their names out there or handling the situation with a little more professionalism.

Please do not tell me how to run my site though. If you want that kind of control, get your own:) The service I provide is somewhat necessary and has been well recieved. There are people from other sites that will gladly come here and continue with the pot shots for their annoymity allows them the oportunity as does an open forum. I understand thats the way it is.

I am not against annonymity, it serves its purpose. Some posters are abusing that, not having to put up with the repercussions, literally hiding behind a made up name. They could be opposing fans, people who judge me from my beliefs, an old classmate from school who thought I wronged them... you get it in that it could be anyone.

Still, it was a moderator who really got the ball rolling and the thread deteriorated ever since. Go figure.

Lastly, it is not like pop ups, it is not all the time. It is within a post and peolpe say things that are far worse than a link my site. You avoid them, hate you read it, etc. Oh, and there are plenty of references to sites in signature lines and I have been told that is okay, but choose not to do it.

Again, if it involves subject matter, I may link my site. That has been okay'd by the site owners, so is it asking too much for you to overlook it as you do an offensive post? Can you use the block feature if it bothers you that bad? Most of all, can you and certain other posters let this go as you have been asked to do. Can you accept the DBR's explantation or do you speak for them?

How about this! If anyone else has a problem, send a message through the system. Clean this up for it is not a trial. If you disagree, fine. It's America, but show the members a little respect and quit baiting me for responses.

With a thread that has gotten so off topic, it may be time to just let it go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by watzone

With a thread that has gotten so off topic, it may be time to just let it go.

LOL! But only after you get to post your 1,000 word diatribe, correct?

This thread is too funny.

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldspar

LOL! But only after you get to post your 1,000 word diatribe, correct?

This thread is too funny.

I will gladly accept my ridiculously long post being removed , provided that people 1- do not bait me, 2- take it to private message.

Maybe the words, "Enough Already," weren't clear to some of you. So maybe this will be clear instead: Since you all obviously can't control yourselves, the thread is now locked. Kudos.