Dear DBR

[peteandpete]

I am growing weary of some of the posters here telling other posters how to feel about the frustrations many of us have over the current men's basketball season. It is a forum. It is not expected, or rather, it should not be expected that we all agree. It is almost chilling to see some people telling others that maybe they should seek different outlets for their frustrations. People don't need to be lectured or called names. Stop projecting. One of the problems is that the college game has been seriously overexposed. Expectations (of players and fans) are unrealistic and we continue to see issues caused by the American evolution of the game which focuses on flash over fundamentals. Many of us don't know each other personally and don't know what's going on in the personal lives of posters. I have cancer, for example. Please stop telling others how to feel. Stay safe and well. Let's Go Duke!

[Southgate0809]

Agreed. There seems to be a collective backlash when anyone expresses any disappointment or negativity. Same if someone speculates or asks what-if questions. The usual response to a what-if question on this forum is "Well we don't know, so shut up and stop asking questions." Don't speculate on things we don't know." It ruins some of the fun of an online message board, where one of the main purposes should be to debate, respectfully argue, speculate, ask crazy what-ifs that aren't based in reality, AND express negative emotions when we're discouraged or feeling down about the team. If there's a topic you're not interested in discussion, don't discuss it. You also don't have to try to regulate someone else's posts as long as they're not saying anything hateful or offensive.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I am growing weary of some of the posters here telling other posters how to feel about the frustrations many of us have over the current men's basketball season. It is a forum. It is not expected, or rather, it should not be expected that we all agree. It is almost chilling to see some people telling others that maybe they should seek different outlets for their frustrations. People don't need to be lectured or called names. Stop projecting. One of the problems is that the college game has been seriously overexposed. Expectations (of players and fans) are unrealistic and we continue to see issues caused by the American evolution of the game which focuses on flash over fundamentals. Many of us don't know each other personally and don't know what's going on in the personal lives of posters. I have cancer, for example. Please stop telling others how to feel. Stay safe and well. Let's Go Duke!

I hear you. I don't think there's a single poster on this forum who isn't somewhat frustrated by the results of this season thus far.

But what I see the esteemed moderators here doing isn't telling people how to "feel" about our Duke team. I see them encouraging people not to be dismissive or upset with the players or coaches. (I'm not referring to the front page article I rarely read those - this is just in reference to the forum discussions).

This has never been a place for lashing out. Or for doom and gloom posts. Certainly not for bashing 18 year old kids - I haven't seen that here recently, thank goodness.

DBR for better or for worse has content standards most sports message boards do not. Heck, you can't even use adult language here.

Fact is, DBR doesn't try to be for everyone. Not even all brands of Duke fans. It has caused some strife and rifts over the years. There are several much more open-ended communities that don't police the language or intent of posts.

I'm definitely not trying to shuffle people off to other forums, but fact is, some people are more comfortable other places, and that's okay too.

To your last point - absolutely everyone brings their own baggage and situation to the table. I've been incredibly stressed with work stuff and have felt compelled to issue to PM apologies this week as I've been short tempered and said things I regret.

Remembering that we are all in different headspaces is ALWAYS a good rule of thumb


And Eff Cancer. Good luck.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I hear you. I don't think there's a single poster on this forum who isn't somewhat frustrated by the results of this season thus far.

But what I see the esteemed moderators here doing isn't telling people how to "feel" about our Duke team. I see them encouraging people not to be dismissive or upset with the players or coaches. (I'm not referring to the front page article I rarely read those - this is just in reference to the forum discussions).

This has never been a place for lashing out. Or for doom and gloom posts. Certainly not for bashing 18 year old kids - I haven't seen that here recently, thank goodness.

DBR for better or for worse has content standards most sports message boards do not. Heck, you can't even use adult language here.

Fact is, DBR doesn't try to be for everyone. Not even all brands of Duke fans. It has caused some strife and rifts over the years. There are several much more open-ended communities that don't police the language or intent of posts.

I'm definitely not trying to shuffle people off to other forums, but fact is, some people are more comfortable other places, and that's okay too.

To your last point - absolutely everyone brings their own baggage and situation to the table. I've been incredibly stressed with work stuff and have felt compelled to issue to PM apologies this week as I've been short tempered and said things I regret.

Remembering that we are all in different headspaces is ALWAYS a good rule of thumb


And Eff Cancer. Good luck.

Can't spork. Well said.

And agreed. Eff cancer. Hopefully we can all agree on that.

[HoKogan]

This could be more about how social media is reacting to Duke's current struggles than DBR. I would venture over to TDD for comparison but that place got coopted by alt right ghouls to drive more people to the paid (and actually moderated) boards.

[Southgate0809]

This could be more about how social media is reacting to Duke's current struggles than DBR. I would venture over to TDD for comparison but that place got coopted by alt right ghouls to drive more people to the paid (and actually moderated) boards.

haha yes, seems like a great time to insert politics into the discussion

[budwom]

This could be more about how social media is reacting to Duke's current struggles than DBR. I would venture over to TDD for comparison but that place got coopted by alt right ghouls to drive more people to the paid (and actually moderated) boards.

is that true? I admit I hangout solely on Premium Hoops and Elko Lodge (the best discussion of Duke football you can find)...I have found TDD and DBR to complement each other rather well..

[HoKogan]

is that true? I admit I hangout solely on Premium Hoops and Elko Lodge (the best discussion of Duke football you can find)...I have found TDD and DBR to complement each other rather well..

It was, but its been a while. It was rife with trolling threads and spam for most of 2021 and early 2022. I used to post more there and lurk more here at the time, and it just became unbearable. It didn't help that they demodded the regulars that frequented the free board, so I bolted.

Its nowhere near as lively as it used to be, but its been losing users ever since 247 bought out scout. I do miss the old board. I'd always heard the comparison that DBR was like your church pot luck gathering, and TDD was the local dive bar you hung out at the Saturday before.

[DevilYouKnow]

Well, I get weary of the Scheyer bashing. Who expected that Scheyer would come out of the gate equalling the success of the Greatest Hoops Coach of All Time?

If we compare Krzyzewski’s and Scheyer’s first seasons at Duke it’s no contest. Plus, K wasn’t a rookie coach, plus he inherited starters Banks, Dennard and Vince Taylor.

[scottdude8]

I hear you. I don't think there's a single poster on this forum who isn't somewhat frustrated by the results of this season thus far.

But what I see the esteemed moderators here doing isn't telling people how to "feel" about our Duke team. I see them encouraging people not to be dismissive or upset with the players or coaches. (I'm not referring to the front page article I rarely read those - this is just in reference to the forum discussions).

This has never been a place for lashing out. Or for doom and gloom posts. Certainly not for bashing 18 year old kids - I haven't seen that here recently, thank goodness.

DBR for better or for worse has content standards most sports message boards do not. Heck, you can't even use adult language here.

Fact is, DBR doesn't try to be for everyone. Not even all brands of Duke fans. It has caused some strife and rifts over the years. There are several much more open-ended communities that don't police the language or intent of posts.

I'm definitely not trying to shuffle people off to other forums, but fact is, some people are more comfortable other places, and that's okay too.

To your last point - absolutely everyone brings their own baggage and situation to the table. I've been incredibly stressed with work stuff and have felt compelled to issue to PM apologies this week as I've been short tempered and said things I regret.

Remembering that we are all in different headspaces is ALWAYS a good rule of thumb


And Eff Cancer. Good luck.

Also can't spork, but wish I could.

I don't think that anyone here, be it a mod or someone with a bunch of sporks, ever intends to suppress conversation or dissent. But there's a difference between saying "I'm concerned the team might not make the tournament this year, and here are my reasons why" and the venting of negativity that we've seen after losses of late. DBR isn't the place to scream your frustrations into the void, because it isn't a void: other people read it. Screaming into the void is how you get some of the insanity that comes out of places like IC (hence the entire Twitter account devoted to their ridiculousness), and it also changes the general tenor and environment of the board. DBR aims to be more than just another fan forum, which is how it's become a legit community for many here.

I love vigorously debating other posters here when we disagree. But it needs to be a debate: fact based, grounded in reality, and respectful. The only times where I've seen people get upset here is when posts get away from those principles. If you disagree with me about the team's status for the tournament, bring your data... because I will, or at least will try to before Kedsy beats me to it.

[JasonEvans]

I am growing weary of some of the posters here telling other posters how to feel about the frustrations many of us have over the current men's basketball season. It is a forum. It is not expected, or rather, it should not be expected that we all agree. It is almost chilling to see some people telling others that maybe they should seek different outlets for their frustrations. People don't need to be lectured or called names. Stop projecting. One of the problems is that the college game has been seriously overexposed. Expectations (of players and fans) are unrealistic and we continue to see issues caused by the American evolution of the game which focuses on flash over fundamentals. Many of us don't know each other personally and don't know what's going on in the personal lives of posters. I have cancer, for example. Please stop telling others how to feel. Stay safe and well. Let's Go Duke!

If you feel like you are being lectured to in a way that is dismissive or disrespectful...
If you think someone is calling you names...
If you think someone is arguing in bad faith or being mean...

I urge you to report the offending post. I guarantee multiple mods will look at it and give the complaint some thoughts.

[johnb]

I am growing weary of some of the posters here telling other posters how to feel about the frustrations many of us have over the current men's basketball season. It is a forum. It is not expected, or rather, it should not be expected that we all agree. It is almost chilling to see some people telling others that maybe they should seek different outlets for their frustrations. People don't need to be lectured or called names. Stop projecting. One of the problems is that the college game has been seriously overexposed. Expectations (of players and fans) are unrealistic and we continue to see issues caused by the American evolution of the game which focuses on flash over fundamentals. Many of us don't know each other personally and don't know what's going on in the personal lives of posters. I have cancer, for example. Please stop telling others how to feel. Stay safe and well. Let's Go Duke!

Interesting.

I hear you about the DBR slant, though I think it has been good for me.

I like to be basically positive and to only say things online that I would also say to the involved person's face. I have at least as many snarky thoughts as the next person, and it's much easier to have snarky thoughts when we lose winnable games, miss a lot of jump shots, aren't moving the ball well, etc. There is something fun about blowing off steam or going a little overboard, but I like being reminded to behave. And I also try stay aware that the people I'd be tempted to criticize are my own guys, are trying hard, are more upset about the losses than I am, and tend to be teenagers. They are also exceptionally good at what they're doing and are learning on the job in front of millions of people while also attending class. The DBR angle is NOT that you can't criticize, but that the goal is to be substantive, fair-minded, and basically generous with our guys. My impression is that a lot of the regular posters don't like posts that feel like quick, snarky hits--especially when they also seem misguided.

In other words, I feel like it's a fairly high bar to post on here without getting some critique--though nowhere near the bar that is required to actually play Duke basketball.

[Natty_B]

I am growing weary of some of the posters here telling other posters how to feel about the frustrations many of us have over the current men's basketball season. It is a forum. It is not expected, or rather, it should not be expected that we all agree. It is almost chilling to see some people telling others that maybe they should seek different outlets for their frustrations. People don't need to be lectured or called names. Stop projecting. One of the problems is that the college game has been seriously overexposed. Expectations (of players and fans) are unrealistic and we continue to see issues caused by the American evolution of the game which focuses on flash over fundamentals. Many of us don't know each other personally and don't know what's going on in the personal lives of posters. I have cancer, for example. Please stop telling others how to feel. Stay safe and well. Let's Go Duke!

There is certainly a Mean Girls vibe to some posters.

[Southgate0809]

I don't think anyone here has a problem with someone else disagreeing with them, even if I have a negative take and someone else has a positive take. What I notice on DBR that's really annoying is you often get told directly or in an implied way by other posters that you shouldn't have said what you said at all, or that the discussion shouldn't be taking place. I posted a lighthearted thread earlier in the season about what Scheyer's nickname should be as a coach. The vast majority of the responses said something along the lines of "we shouldn't be talking about nicknames this early in his career." Ok, then feel free not to participate in that thread.

I think something along the same lines happens when someone expresses negative feelings or discouragement. Some people respond to that by giving a different perspective and saying "I look at it in a more positive way. I see it like this." No issue there. Others respond by sending the message that the original poster shouldn't have said what they said, or that the topic should not be up for discussion. That's not debating or disagreeing with someone respectfully. It's regulating for no good reason.

[jwillfan]

I have one, a single, poster muted because I grew weary of the constant and frequent negativity. But I often see their posts when others quote them in replies. Any way to prevent that?

[Southgate0809]

I have one, a single, poster muted because I grew weary of the constant and frequent negativity. But I often see their posts when others quote them in replies. Any way to prevent that?

I can't tell if you're joking or not. Hard to tell when you're just reading text.

If you're not joking, my question is why? Can't you just disregard what he has to say? It might be an appealing idea for me to go back and edit the final scores of all the games Duke has lost, so I can be content with the idea of us having a perfect record so far this season, but that's not reality. When I look at Duke's schedule, I see all the green W's, and I see all the red L's too.

[OldPhiKap]

I have one, a single, poster muted because I grew weary of the constant and frequent negativity. But I often see their posts when others quote them in replies. Any way to prevent that?

I can't tell if you're joking or not. Hard to tell when you're just reading text.

If you're not joking, my question is why? Can't you just disregard what he has to say?

It’s not that easy.

For example, a certain backpfeifengesicht has been reinstated on several social platforms. I never want to hear from that schmuck again and would not follow. But if I cannot auto-block posts from others that put his corpulent festering gob in my feed by reposting the putz, it lessens my enjoyment of the platform — perhaps to the point of not using that platform anymore. Blocking does little good if it just shows up again in a different form.

I do not know if it can be done technically, but I would welcome the exact thing jwillfan requests.

FWIW, YMMV. Void where prohibited.

(I am, of course, talking about ClemmonsDevil)

Oh, and peteandpete is right too IMO.

[jwillfan]

It’s not that easy.
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backpfeifengesicht
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THANK YOU - you get me, OPK, you really get me! And, love the "backpfeifengesicht" call out! Worth a google if you aren't familiar with that word. Historically I have associated it with Ted Cruz...

[SouthernDukie]

THANK YOU - you get me, OPK, you really get me! And, love the "backpfeifengesicht" call out! Worth a google if you aren't familiar with that word. Historically I have associated it with Ted Cruz...

Ah, I've learned something new. Thanks!

After last night's game Sixers/Nets game, I think I'd associate the word with Joel Embiid.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I have one, a single, poster muted because I grew weary of the constant and frequent negativity. But I often see their posts when others quote them in replies. Any way to prevent that?

Ignoring infrequent posters is fine. Blocking negative posters is fine. Ignoring frequent posters is difficult. Blocking frequent posters leads to nearly illegible threads.