Of blog-related note this afternoon:
1. Regarding the logo contest, it’s still on like Donkey Kong! The parameters remain the same: $50 and a cut of merchandise sales for a pair of logos, one 500×100-pixel logo and one watermark-style 150×150-pixel logo. I would prefer if the colors include red, white, black and/or gray, but you’re otherwise allowed to use your imagination. You can email the logos to rtxg@yahoo.com, post them in the comments (a hosted image or PNG file will do), or share your work via Facebook or Twitter. There is no deadline per se: when we get a couple more logos, we’ll hold a fan vote.
2. Freedom isn’t free, at least for me, so I would kindly remind you that http://www.patreon.com/themalikreport and http://paypal.me/TheMalikReport are options by which you may fiscally aid TMR and keep this blog/community ad-free. In terms of Patreon subscriptions, as little as $1 a month is of great assistance, and Paypal offers both single-sum and recurring options. Moreover, if you can tell your friends about this little blog, that would be greatly appreciated!
3. Regarding the comments section, I haven’t been able to read every comment due to the trade deadline’s heavy workload, but I try very hard to read every comment, and I have noticed that our little community’s general angst regarding said trade deadline has resulted in some arguments, some of them not so pretty.
As this community grows, I expect each and every member to treat others as they would themselves, and to “play nice” via making comments in a respectful and courteous manner, even when you may disagree with your fellow community member. This blog is not a democracy–I am running the show as a benevolent dictator, and I will not hesitate to act if any of you feel that you’re being harassed, harangued or otherwise attacked.
This is not a place for “locker room talk”–I want to foster some genuine community here, and that involves you and me both behaving and speaking like adults when disagreements arise. We can disagree and disagree passionately without being jerks to each other.
Excellent post George.
If you are looking for further site suggestions…maybe on the left-hand banner where you have “Recent Posts” you could include a small number indicating how many comments have been made on said post. So “Stuck in the middle with Ken” (5). That way, someone can see that this article has 5 posts, that one has 2, and that one has 0. So if you want to discuss with other fans you know which article people have congregated at.
I like this idea, especially on a busy news day. I do see right below there is a list of recent comments and that also helps know where the conversation is.
Great George. Thankyou!
I don’t watch any TV because of commecials, I don’t listen to most radio because of commercials. (Red Wings games excepted.) I avoid websites that force feed you as you scroll. I DO pay Slacker monthly to stick to the music.
What you are attempting here is a great business model me, who just wants to enjoy a distraction free environment. You can count on me paying true value for your comprehensive, exhaustive, 110 % efforts. Thanks.
Try KEXP. Zero commercials except for the occasional sponsors.
Got it. Thanks!
If you can avoid the uber repetitive negativity in the comments that is freely available at other sites, it’d go a long way towards my contributions to your bottom line.
I ain’t got time for folks who live to see their own words, repeated ad nauseum, under your work. And you clearly don’t either.
Yes yes yes
Guys, I agree. But George has given us a very important tool to avoid reading those comments by listing names avatars at the top of each comment. So if I see a name I can give the person a chance or I can very quickly scroll past that post and ignore it.
The last thing I want is a hall monitor, and I don’t think George wants one or wants to be one.
However, George, you might need to put together a few people you trust to act as moderators. I would suggest their jobs would be to try and settle things down with a single post, and if that doesn’t work to notify you of the problem so you can decide how you want to handle it. Sometimes an email to the people asking for civility or whatever is needed from you in a polite format in private can solve more problems than making a big public stink where someone can get embarrassed and respond with worse behavior.
If you would like, I can provide you with a link to the rules of another forum I am a member of that are written very politely and give the carrot rather than the stick. Please email me if you are interested in reading it. I think you’ll like their clear, concise rules and I think something like that could work very well here.
I agree. An Ignore feature is sorely lacking. There’s no other more-delicate way to say it. I checked for Chrome Extensions that do this for WordPress already and came up empty. 🙁
I know George doesn’t want to mod the comments himself, and I don’t blame him.
Keep up the great work George. Just added my $5 a month to the cause.
That’s it?
George,
I just signed up with Patreon. I would like to suggest adding a $2/month option alongside the existing $1, $5 and $10 monthly subscriptions.
Regarding ads: If you do find that you need to have some advertising (hopefully relevant to the site) at some point in the future I ask that they be static picture ads, no flashing or movement or anything else distracting as I am prone to migraines and cannot stand those types of adds. But static adds (also work safe) I have no issue with so long as they are small and unobtrusive.
I hope you can succeed on crowdfunding alone but if you can’t please have this in mind.
George,
I keep bugging my wife to get in on the logo contest but she just started a new job and it’s taking up all her time. Hopefully she can get something in, she is very creative and talented.