The yahoo forum has seen better days, the amount of activity is low, even though it caters for any and all gameplan discussion.

This NFLAY (and C etc) Forum only has a few members but a great amount of activity.

This indicates that this format here is a great one for a community of gameplan coaches, and if we made a bigger better more powerful feature laden forum, took all the Yahoo and AY/C content to this custom scratch-built forum then the activity level of other leagues may also rise to the level of the AY and C.

The plan is for the forum to have a big communal area for discussion of topics that are universal across all forms of the game, similar to what we now have at the top of this forum.

Then EVERY league we know of would have its own section or sections, and each section would have informative sections about team availablity and so forth. This is to encourage any coach of any gameplan team to come and read and post in his league's forum, and learn and discuss gameplan in the common sections and make new friends, make contact with other coaches in his league and maybe even branch out and try a new form of the game, (advanced/basic, pro/college).

Initially I propose we would have similar sections to those here
Common Areas
*anouncements (important official information for coaches to read)
*technical support (tips and help for people for whom IT is not their mother tongue)
*rules section (for people to query others about questions they have and perhaps an area to help teach newer players the game
*pure strategy (the great thought provoking debates on play/formation/training/key/bonuses that have graced yahoo and AY forums over the years)
*roster topics (discussion of the franchise building tactics that are part of gameplan)
*off topic (every forum has one, usually called "the pub", removing the temptation of go off topic in a thread, an area to discuss anything you want.
Leagues
A forum will be created for every league and people who have their own forum will be encouraged to close it down and integrate it to ours. Each section will have information about websites, available teams, league history and anything else you wish.
For very active leagues with many coaches topics that produce much activity (like MTP's brilliant AY tipping service) more than one section may be maintained if activity is so high that finding the correct thread becomes difficult.

For people who have never been a member of an internet forum and especially those who are accustomed to the way Yahoo groups operate the different forum sections may seem daunting.
I am confident that once you have used it you will soon see the power and conveinence that it offers. You know exactly where to look for whatever you seek. Furthermore every thread  is marked as to whether or not it has new posts since your last reading. So you need not visit a thread if there has been new activity.
You can also usually choose a link option that sends you straight to the most recent post in a thread rather than start from the start.
You can also select the option on any individual thread to inform you when there are replies.
Many forums have the option to email you notification of any new activity or to send you a digest of all the new posts for the thread you have subscribed to.
We will be exploring these options to make sure those people who are accustomed to reading Yahoo Gameplan Group via email have similar options at the new forum.


This forum would be ALL INCLUSIVE and will replace all online gameplan communities including yahoo and including the AY and C forums.

Every league will have a place to come, where you can gather content for and post newsletters and websites, discuss matches, stats, predictions, rosters, strategy, rules and anything your heart desires. You may even find that the forum offers such good formating and distribution that you no longer need to put together a separate newsletter every week, perhaps like I do with the AY weekly preview you can just post it in your forum, and add some pictures to make it look good (e.g. see the link in the news section on the front AY page to my preview of the AY action).

This forum is an effort to revive gameplan and bring EVERYONE TOGETHER!

We really need everyone, really EVERYONE, to put their input as to what they want and do not want.
Pease take the time to think over what our options and contribute your thoughts here or at yahoo if that is easier.

Alan and I will administer the forum, Alan will handle the technical side, I will contribute graphics and handle the day to day moderation.
If coaches are willing to get on board you will be very welcome to become a moderator of your own league's specific forum (like how Mr Parr is currently moderator of NFLC forum here).
This may not be nessessary, but every little bit helps and if it saves us time it will mean we can spend more time making this forum all it can be.

Nothing has been decided yet, except that we think will be a great boon for all those involved in gameplan.
A community built around our love of this game, where everyone is included is just what gameplan needs- to inject the positive spin on the game that has seen both the AY and C rise from obscure empty leagues to thriving near full leagues over the last 2 years, the new forum will offer coaches old and new  a real oportunity to learn, develop, compete and achieve.

Who knows, perhaps if we can get all leagues to come together, and activity and interest rises we might even be able to show that there is a strong market for gameplan- worthy of contined product development and improvement.

As l mentioned at yahoo, l am happy to talk gameplan on a street corner anywhere anytime as long as we can get everyone together to help continue to development the game and it's interest, l still think the game in it's current state has so much to offer. l actually don't think there are any problems with the game at all after exploring some recent changes to my gameplan and play calling.


Sometimes it only takes one or two to talk loud enough and people start listening and before you know it coaches starts leaving, because someone voiced an opinion loud enough and got people to listen, l still think gameplan in it's current form is a wonderful unique product, and l hope over the next few seasons l can demonstrate that the so called invincibles are not in fact so  untouchable, that is my aim. lt only takes one or a few to actually prove that something can be done and that can help lead the way.

Getting everyone in one place can again help improve the game by exploring the endless possibilities.

Alex/Alan and others involved in the move, l am happy what ever you decide to go with, keep up the good work we all appreciate it.
 

--Last edited by STORMIN on 2007-06-28 11:05:33 --

Hi all,

To me both are very good and each has its good and bad points IMHO
but I think withou them this game would be a little less exciting! Just
an idea or two of my own: I'd like to see more attention (if it is to
go ahead) given to the Basic leagues (at least the major owes)....also
has anyone put forward the idea of a GP knowledge base ? Anyway thats
my 2 cent worth.

cheers,

Jay

As long as there is still a forum to discuss all matters gameplan would have no problems merging the forums. Would bring us all together rather then having to keep an eye on each forum to see what is happening in the world of gameplan.

I love the way Alex has designed this forum and as long as the new forum has the same kind of eye candy then would have no problems. The current setup is excellent and easy to use so as long as it is a similar setup don't see any problems.

I like how the Yahoo forum has a section to download newsletters and other stuff so if that is also added to the new forum that would be great also. Gives a chance for all of us to see what is happening around the leagues and if we want to join a league it is a lot easier to see the quality of the league prior to joining.

Would be great to have all the gameplan coaches and leagues on the same forum as everyone would agree the game is a 100 times better when you can talk with opposing coaches before and after each game.

Good points guys, keep it up.
thanks.

In principle I think it is a good idea as far as Gameplan goes. Both forums have been extremely beneficial to the game and the coaches enjoyment of the game.

I prefer the format of the AY forum myself.

I get the feeling that there has been a bit of "them and us" rivalry between the two forums (UK & OZ), so maybe one forum will help bring the two together and help us to appreciate each others gameplans.



It would be great if the combination of the two forums led to more of the experienced UK coaches coming into the AY or C and maybe a few more Oz based coaches venturing into predominantly UK coached leagues, so that we end up with a handful of extremely competitive leagues that are fully coached!

Since migrating to Oz and joining AY, the forum that Alex & Co put together has played an immense part in making the past four years the most enjoyable of my gameplan life, so I hope that the future forum will do the same.

As long as I am playing gameplan, then I will be active in a forum, and continue to run a tipping competition for the benefit of anyone who wishes to take part!

In the words of Sid James "Carry On Gameplanning"....

 

--Last edited by alex on 2007-06-29 17:25:53 --

just joting down a few things I'd like to see in the new forum incase they're not mentioned elsewhere or here yet-

* a shoutbox or instant chat thingo like IRC in a prominant place like at the top of each page, to encourage interaction and help people make new friends.

* a standardised way of identifying what leagues and teams each person is in, even something as simple as their teams being listed in their sig

* each person having their own individual avatar, taking it a step further than here with the helmets, an avatar IMHO should be a pic that no one else has that helps other people identify you on the forum (brains remember things like funny pictures and colours better than names IMX)

* an email digest option

* really good looking appearance,

* a calender would be good

* file attachment to a post in a thread would be good, so for example for a thread announcing a league's shedule for the upcoming year, a PDF of the schedule could be attached to the post for download.

more ideas to come!

Sounds good Alex, you are on fire.


l want to book a Pamie poster if l cannot have the Titans Cheerleaders.

Quote :

* a standardised way of identifying what leagues and teams each person is in, even something as simple as their teams being listed in their sig

Check! NExt to every person's post is a user modified list of their leagues nad teams,

Quote :

* file attachment to a post in a thread would be good, so for example for a thread announcing a league's shedule for the upcoming year, a PDF of the schedule could be attached to the post for download.

check!  

--Last edited by alex on 2007-07-03 01:47:44 --

Yo Al, You're Da Man!!

THe leagues created from expressed interested so far are:

advanced
NFLA, moderator Alan Milnes
NFLAR, moderator Gordon Milnes
NFLAY, moderatory Norman Goetz
NFLC, moderator Mike Parr
NFLI- none
basic
NCAA7, moderator Graham Beaton
NFLBG, moderator Paul Gorner
NFLBN, moderator Dave Flesfader
NFLBP- none
NFLBS- none
NFLD, moderator Jon Gick

all leagues welcome, offers to help develop appreciated.

Can we have the facility to download photos of ourselves so that we can get a "rogues gallery" of fellow coaches and maybe even their exploits.

yes you can upload photos that are shown in thepost you attach it to.

We have done all we can for the features you all wanted, with potential to discover new ways of doing things in the future.

The most important features are done and the site is ready for you to sign up and start using.

If you encounter any problems let me know.

Please take the time to read hte anouncements in the Press box (news) area, it will help you learn how to use the site as it is intended.
Those used to this forum should have no problem adjusting to the new improved features on alan's gameplan.org.uk site.

links are on the AY forum front page.

any questions feel free to email or message me
alex