Author Topic: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)  (Read 63951 times)

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Offline Jeff

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This isn't easy for me, so I'm going to just rip the bandaid off and say this up front.

The time has come for CelticsBlog forums to split off from the parent site and become an independent site. This change will happen sometime in August but we need help (more on that below).

Please understand, this has nothing to do with any of you or even the forums itself. Long ago when I sold the blog to SBNation, they were gracious enough to keep the forums running, even though it was not part of their business plan, nor did they know much of anything about how to run a forums site.  There's no business value to keeping the forums going because forums don't sell ads effectively. So the decision was finally made to pull the plug on them.

In talking this over with the staff, there seems like there's enough interest to move this to an independently run site but that will require a lot of logistics and probably a few people willing to take the lead on running it.  I imagine it would require hosting fees (enough to cover the traffic that these forums generate) and some kind of forums software that everyone is comfortable using and customizing.

SBNation is willing to throw some tech support and even cover most of the transition costs. It is important to them to help out as much as needed. But in the long term it is going to be on the community to keep it going.

Members of the moderator staff are willing to help, but nobody has enough tech savvy to research and implement the changes necessary.  So we need your help.  Anyone that has experience running the tech side of a forum and is willing to help the transition to a new platform/server, please raise your hand and let us know ASAP.  If nobody steps forward, there may not be a new home for these forums to move to.

Again, this is a sad day and I understand if people are frustrated by this decision. This is was purely due to a lack of resources (both financial and time). I hope you understand and accept my apology in advance.
Faith and Sports - an essay by Jeff Clark

"Know what I pray for? The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference." - Calvin (Bill Watterson)

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2018, 01:29:43 PM »

Offline manl_lui

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it's about time, cuz i feel like the site was slowing down and always times out.

I do have some experience with maintaining sites (server side, I'm a system administrator for a web hosting company) but I am unsure if I am what you need? I am interested in knowing how other sites work just to gain more experience

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2018, 01:30:10 PM »

Offline byennie

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I'd be willing to help out on the technical side, all the way up to hosting the site. I have a side company that was previously part of a SportRadar accelerator and could potentially be the entity behind it. My experience is not with forum sites per se but I am a VP of Engineering / software engineer willing to dig in.

Is there a good channel for digging into much more detail about what's available to us, required, etc?

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2018, 01:30:52 PM »

Offline mmmmm

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Say it ain't so, Jeff!

Hmm.... need to think about what I can do to help.  Not sure just yet.
NBA Officiating - Corrupt?  Incompetent?  Which is worse?  Does it matter?  It sucks.

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2018, 01:38:30 PM »

Offline gouki88

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:(

I myself am technologically inept, but I have faith in this blog!
'23 Historical Draft: Orlando Magic.

PG: Terry Porter (90-91) / Steve Francis (00-01)
SG: Joe Dumars (92-93) / Jeff Hornacek (91-92) / Jerry Stackhouse (00-01)
SF: Brandon Roy (08-09) / Walter Davis (78-79)
PF: Terry Cummings (84-85) / Paul Millsap (15-16)
C: Chris Webber (00-01) / Ralph Sampson (83-84) / Andrew Bogut (09-10)

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2018, 01:46:12 PM »

Offline BringToughnessBack

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As far as the tech side of things, I cannot help with that although I could be used for opinions on proposals to do that stuff and help with vetting if needed. As far as the marketing side/paying the bills/making money side, I would be willing to advise you on how to make that a reality where you can not only get by but perhaps use any proceeds for a worthy cause/charity. I am currently CMO/CGO for online company and have been involved with the online space since the mid 90's. Feel free to reach out to me for anything.


Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2018, 01:47:23 PM »

Offline Tr1boy

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sad news :(

<---- technologically inept also

Hope everything works out

Worst case would like to see a Celticsblog reddit group page created. Better than extinction

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2018, 01:50:55 PM »

Offline byennie

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@Jeff @BringToughnessBack I could set up a Slack channel to chat things over, or potentially jump on a phone call this weekend if we want to scramble.

My partner at Fanstreme also does marketing for the Clippers and may be helpful with sponsors.

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2018, 01:53:56 PM »

Offline Jeff

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byennie and manl_lui - thanks very much (I'm not assigning this to you but you are the first to offer tech support and if you want to take the lead, feel free - but others are welcome to join in and help)

setting up a Slack channel sounds like a great idea too - go for it

THANK YOU
Faith and Sports - an essay by Jeff Clark

"Know what I pray for? The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference." - Calvin (Bill Watterson)

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2018, 02:00:47 PM »

Offline byennie

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Everyone here interested in contributing directly: please PM me your email address and I'll add you to a Slack channel/ chat. I can take lead on vetting some options, will have lots of questions about what SBNation can provide, etc, etc.

Suggest we pow-wow in more detail there and provide updates here.

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2018, 02:07:34 PM »

Offline SparzWizard

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NoooOoooo it's finally happening.

My number 1 Celtics source and entertainment....the great Celtics forums is migrating  :'(


#JTJB (Just Trade Jaylen Brown)
#JFJM (Just Fire Joe Mazzulla)

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2018, 02:09:12 PM »

Offline jambr380

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Just terrible news. If the front page had a better set up (no, Fan posts are not the answer), then it could be a pretty seamless transition. My fear is that if we set up a separate site just for forums, then that will eventually fall out of favor to many current CB users. Sucks having to start over from scratch (no post or TP count) on another site.

Personally, I always click on the main page and scroll for new/interesting articles before venturing into the forums, but the forums are by far my preferred form of Celtics (and everything else) news. I have very few friends, hate Facebook, and have almost no online presence besides this site. I get almost no enjoyment from being online besides occasionally going to Youtube.

It is obviously not Jeff's or anybody else's fault, but at least for me, this is going to be a major change (reduction) in how I browse the internet. CB forums have been automatic for me since like 2004.

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2018, 02:22:06 PM »

Offline byennie

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Just terrible news. If the front page had a better set up (no, Fan posts are not the answer), then it could be a pretty seamless transition. My fear is that if we set up a separate site just for forums, then that will eventually fall out of favor to many current CB users. Sucks having to start over from scratch (no post or TP count) on another site.

Personally, I always click on the main page and scroll for new/interesting articles before venturing into the forums, but the forums are by far my preferred form of Celtics (and everything else) news. I have very few friends, hate Facebook, and have almost no online presence besides this site. I get almost no enjoyment from being online besides occasionally going to Youtube.

It is obviously not Jeff's or anybody else's fault, but at least for me, this is going to be a major change (reduction) in how I browse the internet. CB forums have been automatic for me since like 2004.

My first thoughts here... hopefully there is an opportunity to import the archives and reclaim screen names. Also if SBNation would consider continuing to link to it.

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2018, 02:23:48 PM »

Offline GratefulCs

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the big question: will our stars/TP carry over?

ha
I trust Danny Ainge

Re: Big Announcement: CelticsBlog forums phasing out (need your help)
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2018, 02:26:42 PM »

Offline Monkhouse

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Sad day :(

I wish I could help, but I'm also technologically inept.

the big question: will our stars/TP carry over?

ha

Same here lol.
"I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses
Can't define how I be dropping these mockeries."

Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
It's based on your perspective, quite simply
We're the same and we're not; know what I'm saying? Listen
Son, I ain't better than you, I just think different