What the heck is going on around here?

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Posted By: Adam J. Baxter

I haven't posted on the board in a little while. Seems like a lot is going on. I thought I saw from a previous thread that scammers are infiltrating the forum? Is that the case? If so, then they're a little more slick then most people realize. I've noticed that the scammers selling fakes are increasing on ebay and they're getting more bold. I think that every month a list should be either posted on the forum or if possible in a hobby publication listing the known ebay fraud sellers userid's until they have nowhere to hide. Maybe a monthly thread listing their userid's, I have the time to start it, if everyone is for the idea. I'll check this post in a few days and if it's a popular idea, then I'll do it. And let the scammers threaten to sue, I have nothing, so I don't care.

By the way, what's the deal with PSA Man or whatever his handle is? Is he just obnoxious or is he slow? At first I thought his posts were annoying, but now I think they're a bit humorous. You'll all have to forgive me, but being an extremely obnoxious person myself (so I've been told) it hard not to recognize natural obnoxious talent when I see it.:-D

Yes PSA Man, this is cool stuff!

--Adam

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Posted By: Ben

I've done a little research on messageboards, and was really drawn in when I came across vBulletin...an advanced database driven bulletin board system. The new system would provide simple solutions to problems that are plaguing the network 54 board right now; problems of anonymity, disorganization, and often, internal conflict. VBulletin is fast, organized, and has many practical features which allow a great degree of interaction between members while maintaining a high level of security and protection for all. Below are some of most notable features and improvements VBulletin offers, and nearer to the end are several links to sites using the VBulletin system.

1. Security . Nobody is anonymous. In order to post in the forum or participate in the chatroom, you must a be registered member. Everyone has a name, and is therefore responsible for what they say.

2. Organization . The forum is separated into a number of categories, organized by subject. Potential categories are as follows (suggestions are welcome): General card discussion, question and answer, ebay talk, buy/sell/trade, post-1920 card discussion, suggestions, and off topic ramblings. Thus, instead of wading through a long list of unorganized topics, you can navigate only what is of interest to you.

3. Customizable personal profiles . Next to each post will be the poster’s personal profile. In it, each and every member will be able to post pictures, create and maintain their want/have list, have a running post count, as well as a little bit of info about themselves (ie. interests, birthday, website, favorite links, etc..)

4. Improved Buy/Sell/Trade forum . Not only can members create and maintain their want lists, they can also have a feedback rating which relates directly to their activity in the buy/sell/trade forum! As previously mentioned, you will always be familiar with whomever you deal with by virtue of the information and pictures provided in one’s profile. Most importantly, the forum will feature AUTHENTIC and UNALTERED cards only! (unless otherwise stated). If you are caught being unlawful, you will lose your posting privileges in the buy/sell/trade forum. Thus, the new and improved buy/sell/trade will provide members with a safe and friendly alternative to Ebay and the unremitting fraud that we see there every day.

5. Editing posts . Forgot to take your pills? Say something you wish you hadn’t? Miss a typo? Engage in late night drunken posting? No worries...you can edit your posts immediately, or even the morning after.

6. Extra features .

a) Instant messaging- every member will have his or her own mailbox on the site, where short messages can be exchanged with other members without worrying about email.

b) Calendar- a calendar will be accessible on the message board, listing everyone’s birthday as well as important dates relevant to the card collecting community (auctions and shows).

c) Search- Ever wish you could go back to an old thread that was of particular interest without having to search through 100 of them? Say, you want to find a thread on t205’s...just click on search, type in t205, and voila- a list of every thread relevant to t205’s will appear.

d) FAQ- any questions? Consult the FAQ!

Listed at the bottom are a few links to vBulletin sites that are already up and running. Of course, our site would be fully customizable in terms of its design.

http://www.sportscardforum.com/forum/index.php?s=8ccfcf573350088af8c21d69dbcc30bc

http://www.rotojunkie.com/forums/index.php

Jimmy Leiderman and I have checked this out pretty thoroughly, and are excited with the possiblities this move would present to us all. This would not be a money making venture for me, Jimmy, or anyone. Also, I dont intend to step on anyone's toes...Elliot, your involvement would be crucial. Quite simply, we need a pleasant and practical space to discuss our hobby. With the help and expertise from the strong nucleus of posters on this forum, we are not far away. Thanks for reading all the way, hope this might take off.




Ben

fisherboy7@hotmail.com

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Posted By: todd (nolemmings)

is there a fee? what are the drawbacks?

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Posted By: Jimmy Leiderman

vBulletin unlimited time Owned License - $160
Domain name registration - About $9
Webhosting (Many plans available depending on how much space and monthly transfer we need)

Of course, there are other FREE options besides vBulletin software:

http://www.invisionboard.com/
http://www.phpbb.com/
http://www.ikonboard.com/

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Posted By: leon

I would vote to leave this the way it is and continue here. Making the long haul from the old Fullcount Board here was hard enough. Mike W. also had one on the old Yahoo chat place....but this one is more condusive to deletions (be careful Elliot ) and easier to use than that one was so this was eventually "picked" as the board. Except for the occasional anonymous dumba** this one works fine.....just my 2 cents.......regards all

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Posted By: julie

although everything I could see lookedsort of newish.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

The site looks interesting but would it shut out the "lurkers" or people just wanting to check out what this board is all about. The majority of the people we are helping is "lurkers", there is a good chance these are the people that need the help more than the "Contributors". I think that if a change shuts out "lurkers" it would not be beneficial to all.

Is it possible to "lurk" without registering in the new site?

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Posted By: Jimmy Leiderman

First let me start by saying that the idea of a new board is not a personal venture of any kind and not intended to trash the current net54 community, just an idea that came up after the "anonymous" attacks.

Our small community MUST interact in just one place.

This needs to be approved by Elliot in first place and regular posters.

A board migration will always bring some trouble, but I think it's a good move for the long term.
I think net54 offers Simplicity, but it lacks too many things. Guess Ben already resumed them in his previous post.
A new board doesn't have to be a cluttered and difficult place to post and lurk just because it's new and modern.

I don't need to be involved in any way with a possible change, but as a regular here, I think we should move out to greener pastures.

Please post your comments.

Lee - Yes, anyone can "lurk" without prior registration.

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Posted By: Hankron

As I stated in another post, Elliot can set conditions of use of this board. As example: while anyone could lurk, to post one would have to be registered (as simple as sending a name and email to Elliot). Not only could there not be any outside trouble and all posters would be known, but Elliot could removed someone from the list if they caused excess trouble. This system would not be restrictive, as it would take two seconds to email Elliot with one's name and email.

I have been for this approach since the Dr Koos fiasco, but Elliot has specifically been against it (I'm not saying he hasn't had legitimate reasons).

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Posted By: Hankron

I wish to point out that other than Koos, this latest Bozo and Roy Huff (exceptions in the extreme), I have not wished anyone to be banned from posting.

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Posted By: Ben

In order to post in the forum or participate in the chatroom, you must a be registered member.

Lee, if an editing feature were available to me, I would add the following to my first post: lurking is welcome in net54, and will always be welcome, whether or not we as members choose to upgrade. Newbies, or lurkers, who are interested in contributing to boardwide discussions, shouldn't have a problem divulging their real names and email addresses. People who aren't willing to dish their info are the people with negative aspirations.
Oh, and new emoticons.
I know at least one person who is going to be excited about this. Ohboyohboy.



ps. I think I spelled a word wrong in that paragraph. Drats, where is spellcheck when I need it?

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Posted By: Ben

First, I want to make it clear to Elliot, and everyone on Net54 that if a board upgrade were to occur, there would be no change in the balance of power. My intentions are honest, and this is not a private venture of mine. I just want a board that is a easier, and deeper more information resourse and I know I'm not alone in that feeling. I want Elliot behind the controls. However, Elliot may feel that his job is too time consuming and might need help moderating threads...Reading EVERY post on a busy message board is a very time consuming task. vBulletin supports multiple moderators, so if the moderator needs backup mods, I can think of handfulls of members who are well equipt for the job. My role, however, will remain poster, chatter, and interested reader.

Now that things are a little clearer...

In order for this board to maximize its useful and practical potentials as a source of information to both newbies and more experienced collecters, it must have a SEARCH FEATURE.

Say, someone is new to pre-war collecting, and wants to pick up a few t206's...they don't want to have to sort through 150 old threads. We need a search feature, where you can type in any keyword and come up with exact word matches. As soon as our newbie types in "t206", a list of exact hits will come up on another screen just like one would do with google or yahoo.

Newbie: Lets see, whadda we have here...oh! just what I was looking for: a thread with tips for identifying t206 reprints with pictures of fake and real cards, and a thread in which we the board discussed the tougher cards in the t206 set. That way, particular topics that have been rehashed over and over in the past can be easily accessed, added to, and not duplicated. Since vbulletin threads are categorized, we could even have a category dedicated to t206's by itself, that way, any collector who is tired of reading about t206's can read what they want to read.

More experienced collectors can access threads where obscure cards and sets were discussed or even mentioned once. I'm pretty sure that the vbulletin search feature allows you to not only search thread titles, but all the content within the thread as well. So, say I want to learn more about 1888 S.F. Hess California League (N321), I can read every thread in which that set is mentioned. Sounds pretty cool to me.

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Posted By: julie

Gather all the mentions of T206s so that someone just has to click of "T206" and voila--they got it?

So basically the only difference is that people wanting to post or respond have to register--by the way, does ANYONE know Elliot's e-mail? I hate writing him through ebay all the time!

..and there could be multiple coordinators.

It's O.K. by me.

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Posted By: Ben

Julie, there are many, many more differences than just that. Those were just two examples. All the new features are outlined in my initial post!

Anyways, judging by the minimal response this thread has had, it seems like nobody cares about whether or not we upgrade forums. If that is in fact the case, I will just drop the idea.

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Posted By: julie

If you constrict us with "categories," how can anyone ever post "What the heck is going on around here?"


I've been up since 6 (got to bed about 1), so I'm not really with it. Not sure I want to post my family pictures, interests, etc. Not sure everyone wants to see these things!

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

Ben,

I don't think you should assume a general lack of interest for such an upgrade-- it may just be that people are digesting and thinking about it. I for one would love a search feature-- it would make the board a hundred times more useful. Fewer popup screens than Network 54 gives us would be nice too.

Like you I feel that Elliot's leadership is outstanding and should not be brought into question. But if we can upgrade the medium in the context of continuity, let's explore it

Tim

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Posted By: Nick

Greetings from Sin City,

I think that Elliot is crucial to any move. I think he does a great job!

The Network 54 domain certainly has it's faults. This is a first class forum that deserves a first class domain. The options that Ben has mentioned would certainly be an upgrade. If there were a site with spell check I would favor that move!Long term our community would benefit from the move to a better site.

Those who are posting messages to burry threads are attempting to stop the board from getting word out about their illegal activities.

One simple solution is: we could simply stop discussing all of the fakes and crappy cutouts on ebay and get back to discussing pre-war baseball. This would eliminate our efforts to clean up the hobby, but we wouldn't have to move the site.

My two cents.

Nick

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Posted By: julie

you SHOULD be willing to give your e-mail address--and that's MY two cents.