FanPost

Newbie Observations


This RR entry is a natural follow-up to Rhubarb's "SSS Meme Glossary" and is meant to encourage SSS newbies, and seasoned pros, to post their observations of SSS. I'll list just a few to get the thread going, starting with general observations and then moving on to those more specific to SSS.

General observations of the medium.

[1] Comments have a very short shelf life

Although you have shared one of the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", your comment will likely be lost in about five minutes.

[2] Succinct comments have the highest readership

People avoid reading posts that have lots of words, unless they know that the author has a reputation of humor and/or wisdom.

[3] Be prepared for the "You're an idiot" reply

Communication via the written word is a tricky endeavor. Chances are that someone will not pick up on your cleverness and respond in a negative fashion. The negative response can be minimized by putting careful thought into your words. However, the risk in being too careful in crafting a post, particularly during a game thread, is that the world will pass you by and your comment quickly becomes obsolete.

[4] Where to post?

With the number of available threads as options for posting a succinct, well-crafted comment, it is sometimes difficult to know where to post. The comment might not be directly related to the topics of the daytime threads and you don't really have enough to say to put into a full fan post. It is also difficult to know on which thread to put a comment that will have the greatest amount of "traffic" and increase the chances of having useful, helpful, and/or humorous replies.

Observations specific to SSS.

[1] It's (nearly) safe for work

Aside from the Miller Liteguards advertisements, I can feel safe in having SSS open on my computer at work and not worry if my colleagues think I'm browsing for boobies. There are times that I have to offer the coarse language warning when I'm sharing something I think is funny on SSS with a colleague.

[2] There is a sense of community

People do generally care about each other at SSS. It is difficult for newbies to "crack the code" on SSS and Rhubarb's glossary is helpful. I would guess that at least 50% of the comments that "go green" involve humor that is directly linked to SSS comments or themes.

[3] Content is quite remarkable

Jim and his merry band of contributors put a great amount of information at our fingertips. They make it easier to be a serious fan of the White Sox. Also, there's a "sh**load" of work that many people contribute to SSS for free. I've learned much about the White Sox and other topics (e.g. spotify), thanks to people who are willing to take the time to post information. Also, I'm guessing that the IQ of the average SSS poster is quite high compared to those living near Lake Wobegon.

[4] Consensus is quite valuable

If I were a general manager of the White Sox, I'd be visiting SSS regularly. The consensus view of informed individuals could provide another "data point" to consider related to longer term issues such as roster moves and potential in-season and off-season trades. Of course, the GM would have to winnow out the views of the wacko that occasionally make their way here. However, even a wacko can be right twice a day (if his/her watch is broken).

Now, let's start the second half of the 2011 season by making Verlander look like Zoolander.

SouthSideSox is a community-driven site. As such, users are able to express their thoughts and opinions in a FanPost, such as this one, which represents the views of this particular fan, but not necessarily the entire community or SouthSideSox editors.

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