June 05, 2004

If you place your ear close to the monitor while visiting SportsFilter, you should be able to hear the sound of hammering. No big announcements yet, but it would be helpful to know the answer to this question: What's the number 1 bug or missing feature that we should be working on? One kvetch per customer, please.

posted by rcade to feature requests at 09:16 AM - 62 comments

Why aren't there ads in the sidebar?

posted by yerfatma at 10:15 AM on June 05, 2004

More categories in the Locker Room (Fantasy Leagues and Game/Event discussions, for instance) or better yet a new (fourth) main page for such threads, with a left margin side bar on the front page listing threads. RCade, would this be related to the AskMefi post kirkaracha made about a certain software package the other day?

posted by billsaysthis at 11:16 AM on June 05, 2004

I don't know anything about a AskMetaFilter post.

posted by rcade at 11:51 AM on June 05, 2004

A chellspecker?

posted by Fat Buddha at 12:04 PM on June 05, 2004

I'd like to be able to sort threads by most recent commented in. I have no idea if thats easy, or even possible, though.

posted by dng at 12:38 PM on June 05, 2004

I think we need more samsonov14.

posted by Samsonov14 at 02:07 PM on June 05, 2004

Pay more attention to me...

posted by StarFucker at 02:35 PM on June 05, 2004

I second dng's request. Oh, and more interviews (get on the case wc2k2!)

posted by trox at 02:35 PM on June 05, 2004

As my one serious comment, fixing the SQL for the All Comments pages so all comments in one post are grouped together regardless of when they were made. I'm happy to help with this if needed (though I realize it's fairly simple).

posted by yerfatma at 03:46 PM on June 05, 2004

trox: Oh, and more interviews (get on the case wc2k2!) That's not a bug. It's a feature. Well, hey, maybe I should interview you.

posted by worldcup2002 at 07:43 PM on June 05, 2004

Getting my SpoFi clock to show the correct time would be nice. It's currently showing CDT when I live in the EDT. I've looked in the "Cusomize" area and can't find a place to correct the clock in there. It's no big whoop really, but for some reason it's bugging me.

posted by NoMich at 09:59 AM on June 06, 2004

I think the logo could use some improvement but I don't think thats the kind of suggestion you're looking for...

posted by Stan Fields at 12:16 PM on June 06, 2004

All suggestions are welcome (with the one-per-customer rule). We want to know what needs to be addressed and how important it is to people. The one that's most important to me is this: Good headlines in the RSS feed.

posted by rcade at 12:37 PM on June 06, 2004

Is there a Locker Room feed? That'd be handy.

posted by Ufez Jones at 05:58 PM on June 06, 2004

how about a locker room search?

posted by goddam at 07:51 PM on June 06, 2004

How about the ability to search goddam?

posted by billsaysthis at 10:29 PM on June 06, 2004

How about the ability to MC Serch?

posted by NoMich at 10:32 PM on June 06, 2004

People who derail the threads get the Gas Face.

posted by gspm at 12:54 AM on June 07, 2004

Speaking of 3rd Bass, did you know that Zev Love X became MF Doom? Me neither.

posted by yerfatma at 06:44 AM on June 07, 2004

fixing the SQL for the All Comments pages so all comments in one post are grouped together regardless of when they were made. Seconded! Also, useful titles on comment pages would be helpful.

posted by Jugwine at 06:48 AM on June 07, 2004

hmm, so what's with the ask.me thread? i thought rcade was gung ho to code from scratch. if the thread is related, i would seriously suggest MetaPhilter. it's been abandoned, but implements 100%+ of the familiar metafilter interface, is a breeze to set up, and is finished. MetaPhilter's biggest drawback is speed/performance, which has been shown to be related to the templating system. tracicle at monkeyfilter has worked around this problem by hardcoding some of the template elements (which makes MetaPhilter less Movable Type like, but fine for developers who know a little php). tracicle and some other folks have started a sourceforge project where, i think, the optismised code can be downloaded. if rcade/the pantheon would be interested in reviving MetaPhilter/the SF-fork as part of the SpoFi recoding effort, i think it would be a very good thing in terms of the big picture for open source mefi clones. (my bug request will prolly be fixed by default...the cookie/login problem where people are not reconized as logged in on their first visit to the front page, but are if their first visit is to the lockerroom.)

posted by danostuporstar at 08:45 AM on June 07, 2004

I'm still gung ho, but if Expression Engine or some other existing software can fully emulate this interface, that would be cool. I can't get the latest MetaPhilter fork release via anonymous CVS. Have you been able to download it?

posted by rcade at 11:43 AM on June 07, 2004

I don't know if the Metaphilter fork project is still going - I had to drop out earlier, and haven't gone back yet. I assume its still going, although it might just be Tracy (who runs monkeyfilter) and her husband still working on it. Also, supposedly Metaphilter has problems when trying to run two separate sites (sportsfilter and the locker room, say )from the same database (tracy made a post on her weblog here about the problems she was having). Metaphilter/monkeyfilter also doesn't yet allow you to view users old comments and posts. So, all in all, I don't know how useful Metaphilter would be to you, rcade.

posted by dng at 01:03 PM on June 07, 2004

On the sidebar, the link to this thread asks about users' thoughts for SpoFi's future, and we Original 7 have been chatting behind the scenes about mostly technical changes, but I would like to say something here to all SpoFi members, myself included: One big feature that makes SportsFilter unique is the ability for users to write and post columns (then for everyone to comment). I'm disappointed that few have taken the opportunity to do so (myself included). We have strong personalities and opinions here...and we have a way to present those. Embrace it. Go forth and write more columns. Find your inner Rick Reilly.

posted by msacheson at 02:45 PM on June 07, 2004

I agree, msacheson. I would write a column or two if my writing skeelz were up to snuff, but they're not, so I'm not writin' a thing. However, I have always enjoyed the well written columns on this site. Please y'all, write something!

posted by NoMich at 03:01 PM on June 07, 2004

NoMich, my writing skillz are mad but my idea cupboard is bare, so if you want some help...

posted by billsaysthis at 03:57 PM on June 07, 2004

I want a Sportsfilter favicon. Preferably a rotating one (like the logo), but if that's not possible, make it a baseball. Otherwise (and more seriously), I would like the menu at the bottom of each comment page to be context-sensitive. Too many times in the locker room I've clicked "archives", only to be whisked into Sportsfilter's archives.

posted by rocketman at 04:08 PM on June 07, 2004

Okay - one real thing about possible upgrades, and I'm very serious about this. No emoticons. Please please please don't even consider it. Emoticons derogate from every poster's credibility, and to see them here would make me cry. A lot. But I guess if I was crying, maybe an emoticon could help you understand my heartwrenching pain better. You know, maybe by having a ridiculous yellow smiley face express my pain with giant cartoonish blue tears. Don't do it, man. Please.

posted by Samsonov14 at 03:28 AM on June 08, 2004

And Rocketman, I realize you were only joking about favicons. Let's never talk about anyCONs again, though. Please. Except for maybe the Decepticons. Or the Dinocons. The Dinocons were awesome.

posted by Samsonov14 at 03:33 AM on June 08, 2004

Weren't they the Dinobots?

posted by dng at 04:53 AM on June 08, 2004

Did someone say Decepticons?

posted by smithers at 07:27 AM on June 08, 2004

ComicCons are kinda cool. In a geeky-teenage-guy sorta way.

posted by grum@work at 08:11 AM on June 08, 2004

my credibility is shot! :..( (unless you weren't poo-pooing the lofi emoticons to the same extent you are poo-pooing the graphical message board emoticons. I've only used a handful in my life and don't make a habit of it cause i think they can be kind of dumb. as dumb as the flames losing two games to end their Cup run). and what's wrong with a favicon? i'd vote for one.

posted by gspm at 08:22 AM on June 08, 2004

gspm, you've shown through your posting that your credibility cannot be ruined by a few lofi-emoticons. I meant no offense. And dng, they were indeed the dinobots. I was thinking constructicons. I'm humbled, and I will be quiet now.

posted by Samsonov14 at 08:30 AM on June 08, 2004

Some suggestions. 1) Just put a little list next to the post box with the HTML tags people can use in their posts (for the uninitiated or people new to HTML who just wanna make a link). This would be in lieu of blogger-style buttons which let people add links and formatting easily, which would be the preference. 2) More 'community' features. Namely, if there was a place on our user profile to post a 60 pixel by 60 pixel image, that would be kind of fun and a clear departure from MetaFilter. This could get really complicated, so I'll leave it at that. 3) Templates: a slightly modified layout would be nice. Basically, better visual cues for readers to tell when a new post is starting on the page. To someone unfamiliar with this style, the front page of sportsfilter, and comment pages, can look like one kind of incoherent run-on. There are probably a lot of people with great sports knowledge that just hit the back button after 20 seconds of looking at the page and not being able to immediately figure out what it's supposed to be about. 4) Tagline: in line with user experience, a nice, snappy description or sensible tagline next to the sportsfilter logo (esp. on the first page) would be a good clue to new visitors of this site what it's supposed to be about. 5) Recruiting: MetaFilter provided a good early pool of people to recruit for this site, but clearly, the cross-section of MeFites into sports has been tapped out (as a slow rise in membership has indicated). If every really active member got a friend to join, we could substantially increase, well, that would be cool. This of course requires us to look at a few things. Do we want more new members? I say yes, the more people, the more interesting things we will see about sports. The thing is, so many people are members of highly specialized web groups (read: messageboards). The regulars on a sports messageboard typically don't blog or have any connection to the world most of the SpoFi or MeFi ilk are familiar with. The classic example is my college roommate, who is a fucking nutcase Hoosier fan. He spends hours on Peegs and I can't convince him to add a site to his sports reading regimen. I guess it's the only thing that fits when you want to talk about Hoosier basketball at 2 am during the off-season.

posted by insomnyuk at 09:53 AM on June 08, 2004

I don't think you'll have to worry about emoticons (or avatars). The goal is to keep the interface of SportsFilter intact. We will be changing code and server. We will be adding some new features (per your requests). There may be some slight design changes, but SportsFilter will not transform into a generic message board. And, yes, I am disappointed that the Pacers and Smarty Jones lost.

posted by jacknose at 10:07 AM on June 08, 2004

No emoticons. Please please please don't even consider it. Emoticons derogate from every poster's credibility, and to see them here would make me cry. A lot. Read and weep, bitch. And I have no credibility...

posted by dusted at 12:07 PM on June 08, 2004

Those still aren't as cool as grum's dancing Krusty...

posted by MeatSaber at 12:16 PM on June 08, 2004

I like the dancing banana. That should be our favicon. SpoFi: All Dancing Bananas, All The Time. FEATURE!: We should have randomized taglines. Every registered member should be able to post one, and the SpoFi Randomizer(R) will throw one up everytime the page is called. As an alternative, we could also have a daily vote, and the winner would be the tagline of the day for the next day. It could also serve as a great tagline generator for our text ads. I know, I know. You can all sit down and stop clapping now.

posted by worldcup2002 at 12:43 PM on June 08, 2004

That's not just a dancing banana. It's a homeland security terror alert banana.

posted by rcade at 01:34 PM on June 08, 2004

Someone called for Krusty? In general, I'm against those fucking smilies. I'd also like to make sure people don't hotlink to images they don't have on their own personal servers. The last thing we need is someone seeing the hotlink and then changing a cute smiling kitten into goatse and polluting SpoFi permanently. I do like the idea of randomized taglines, but if they are voted on, it should be on a monthly/weekly basis, not daily.

posted by grum@work at 01:39 PM on June 08, 2004

image.animation_mode == "once"

posted by yerfatma at 02:12 PM on June 08, 2004

posted by Samsonov14 at 03:41 AM on June 09, 2004

The banana is kinda phallic, if you ask me.

posted by aacheson at 09:41 AM on June 09, 2004

so, what's phallic-er - a dancing sausage or a dancing banana? you decide.

posted by gspm at 10:39 AM on June 09, 2004

posted by corpse at 11:28 AM on June 09, 2004

Oh those are cute, corpse. Cute! The basketballer angel marshmallow is a strong candidate for the SpoFi header I think. But I still like the banana. Its timing, energy and confident, precise movements aptly capture the focused insanity that is SpoFi.

posted by worldcup2002 at 12:08 PM on June 09, 2004

is this a terror alert banana i see before me?

posted by BigCalm at 12:52 PM on June 09, 2004

okay, if there is one thing i'd add that hasn't been mentioned it would be a remaindered links/quick links pile in the sidebar akin to what you might find at many places (Anil Dash or Six Different Ways to pick two examples). I think it would get used. for lack of a better outlet I started a couple of link dump threads in the lockerroom. still, i've seen three things in the last couple of days i'd share but are pretty pointless in devoting a whole front page thread to. and the last link dump thread didn't make 50 comments or so before being bumped from the lockerroom front page so that format has limits. such minilog content doesn't need discussion per se, just sharing. i'd like to see more day to day items on spofi rather than just whatever the major stories are. i really don't visit too many sports websites (espn and cnnsi mostly) and spend more time here than I should. if spofi could do more for me then it would be the one-click stop for all things internet + sports + interesting/notable.

posted by gspm at 11:22 AM on June 10, 2004

gspm, excellent thought.

posted by garfield at 12:42 PM on June 10, 2004

I would love for that area to be called Link Dump. It just goes so well with a dancing banana.

posted by worldcup2002 at 12:52 PM on June 10, 2004

Come on guys, don't make worldcup .

posted by jerseygirl at 01:33 PM on June 10, 2004

Oooo, crying beribboned marshmallow. I do so love those. Yippee. *clap clap clap clap*

posted by worldcup2002 at 01:58 PM on June 10, 2004

worldcup, worldcup... it's not *clap clap clap clap*, it's The second an emoticon is used outside of this thread, SpoFi must mobilize to crush the offending poster. Kind of like this:

posted by dusted at 02:08 PM on June 10, 2004

*clap clap clap clap* You mean this, of course: for the record, this is my favorite emoticon. SpoFi must mobilize to get more waddling ducks.

posted by jerseygirl at 04:26 PM on June 10, 2004

oooo, I love that clapping smiling marshmallow, too. Ooo, how cute! Tee hee hee. Tra-la-la. But dancing banana is still my best friend.

posted by worldcup2002 at 04:41 PM on June 10, 2004

You're about 10 seconds from showing us your Pochacco sleeping bag, aren't you? :)

posted by jerseygirl at 04:52 PM on June 10, 2004

Allow me to show you (to) my Pochacco sleeping bag.

posted by dusted at 10:31 PM on June 10, 2004

I'm sorry, JG, but the dancing banana is still the king of emoticons. But that duck is kind of cute, too. I think it's safe to say that this discussion shouldn't go in our "best of" collection for SpoFi...

posted by grum@work at 11:09 PM on June 10, 2004

Let's get this back on the Star Wars track...

posted by MeatSaber at 11:44 PM on June 10, 2004

MeatSaber: This animacon is second only to dancing banana.

posted by worldcup2002 at 10:58 AM on June 11, 2004

Yeah,but how can i add some picture here?anybody knows?

posted by google163 at 02:20 PM on November 05, 2004

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