Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2012 22:31:47 GMT 10
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana" (Groucho Marx)
Forum time indeed has flown.
The Aussie Baseball Forum this week celebrates its fourth birthday, having gone online in late June 2008.
Grassroots baseballers – some anyhow - might like the Forum. Baseball administrators and others probably don’t. Though they don’t visit us. Do they?
Four years and millions of words (some of them incoherent, but no matter). A surfeit of rumour, of innuendo, accusation and counter accusation. Cogent argument balanced with plenty of downright silliness. Maybe some stupidity, even inanity. Flippancy, serious comment, insight, information, misinformation, enlightenment even (well, from time to time).
The Aussie Baseball Forum has offered it all, thanks to a galaxy of passionate baseball persons over the distance – with a current membership of 1330.
To put an accurate spin on that number (for honesty is what we do, right?), some of our members have more than one identity, so that the actual membership is probably something like 1000-1100.
Not all members are active, though some have been known to return after a break.
Around 160 persons – in four years - have been banned from Forum membership. Of those, all but two or three have been identified as spammers, scammers or other such undesirables. The “two or three” would have been whacked for abusing the crap out of us, or casting slanderous aspersions on clubs or other members.
Thus far, we have not been subject to legal action, though some pathetic sniveling has been made in that regard (only from one or two, I should add, who are demonstrably up to no good and/or who have an aversion to the truth being told).
The Forum has even attracted the patronage of a handful of reputable business operators with an interest in Australian baseball. Jet Couriers, Valhalla and Raging Bull continue to support the sport at various levels. We thank them for that , as we acknowledge sponsorship support provided for Australian baseball by any organisation or business.
Of our (ahem) distinguished baseball membership, Forum management is proud to announce that sixteen individuals have achieved “Forum Legend” status and eighteen are currently listed as “Grandest of the Pubahs”.
Well done, all.
Sixty-four (yes, sixty-four!) have done sufficiently well in our online talkfest to have achieved “Grand Pubah” status. That will look great on the CV. Even mentioning the Aussie Baseball Forum should give you a leg in (or a leg over) somewhere, sometime.
In all, hundreds of thousands of messages have been posted in these pages, on a range of topics and baseball issues. Thousands of threads.
While it has been a real team effort – across the spectrum of membership – we should nevertheless acknowledge the milestones of our current “Top Ten” posters.
Heading the table with 1754 loquacious posts is yours truly KC (yes, I’m embarrassed but honoured and definitely humbled, for those who’d like to know). Despite going missing from time to time, chardy has clocked 1295 posts (subdued applause). Authentic has done very well in getting to 1289, especially to surpass moderator goblin on a solid 1265 (c’mon partner, you’re dragging the chain). On 997, p26 has been with us since the start (a stayer rather than a sprinter), while larry42 has pitched in for a creditable 808.
Making every post a winner, old racer sits on 789, lando is the best of the younger brigade with 785, while stuartcapel has produced 760 offerings of serious quality. The Joker holds tenth spot with 737, although he could soon be trumped by an army of commentators – on baseball and on life – who are not far back.
While the Forum has had a distinctly Victoria-centric nature, it is gradually developing a serious world-wide presence (well, maybe not so "serious"), with members signing in from across Australia, from Asia, United States and Europe.
We don’t kid ourselves about what we do – or what we seek to do. In fact, most of the time, we just take the piss out of ourselves and each other. Yet there is a more serious underlying opportunity for those who have embraced baseball as a part of their lives.
The Forum continues to offer an opportunity for those who want to talk about and comment on the game at any level – grassroots through to Major League. It provides a vehicle to communicate news and information, to discuss issues, to make suggestions and to have a bit of fun in a baseball context.
And yes, to make measured – and preferably constructive - criticism when it is deemed appropriate.
Four years. Who would have thunk it?
Cheers.
Forum time indeed has flown.
The Aussie Baseball Forum this week celebrates its fourth birthday, having gone online in late June 2008.
Grassroots baseballers – some anyhow - might like the Forum. Baseball administrators and others probably don’t. Though they don’t visit us. Do they?
Four years and millions of words (some of them incoherent, but no matter). A surfeit of rumour, of innuendo, accusation and counter accusation. Cogent argument balanced with plenty of downright silliness. Maybe some stupidity, even inanity. Flippancy, serious comment, insight, information, misinformation, enlightenment even (well, from time to time).
The Aussie Baseball Forum has offered it all, thanks to a galaxy of passionate baseball persons over the distance – with a current membership of 1330.
To put an accurate spin on that number (for honesty is what we do, right?), some of our members have more than one identity, so that the actual membership is probably something like 1000-1100.
Not all members are active, though some have been known to return after a break.
Around 160 persons – in four years - have been banned from Forum membership. Of those, all but two or three have been identified as spammers, scammers or other such undesirables. The “two or three” would have been whacked for abusing the crap out of us, or casting slanderous aspersions on clubs or other members.
Thus far, we have not been subject to legal action, though some pathetic sniveling has been made in that regard (only from one or two, I should add, who are demonstrably up to no good and/or who have an aversion to the truth being told).
The Forum has even attracted the patronage of a handful of reputable business operators with an interest in Australian baseball. Jet Couriers, Valhalla and Raging Bull continue to support the sport at various levels. We thank them for that , as we acknowledge sponsorship support provided for Australian baseball by any organisation or business.
Of our (ahem) distinguished baseball membership, Forum management is proud to announce that sixteen individuals have achieved “Forum Legend” status and eighteen are currently listed as “Grandest of the Pubahs”.
Well done, all.
Sixty-four (yes, sixty-four!) have done sufficiently well in our online talkfest to have achieved “Grand Pubah” status. That will look great on the CV. Even mentioning the Aussie Baseball Forum should give you a leg in (or a leg over) somewhere, sometime.
In all, hundreds of thousands of messages have been posted in these pages, on a range of topics and baseball issues. Thousands of threads.
While it has been a real team effort – across the spectrum of membership – we should nevertheless acknowledge the milestones of our current “Top Ten” posters.
Heading the table with 1754 loquacious posts is yours truly KC (yes, I’m embarrassed but honoured and definitely humbled, for those who’d like to know). Despite going missing from time to time, chardy has clocked 1295 posts (subdued applause). Authentic has done very well in getting to 1289, especially to surpass moderator goblin on a solid 1265 (c’mon partner, you’re dragging the chain). On 997, p26 has been with us since the start (a stayer rather than a sprinter), while larry42 has pitched in for a creditable 808.
Making every post a winner, old racer sits on 789, lando is the best of the younger brigade with 785, while stuartcapel has produced 760 offerings of serious quality. The Joker holds tenth spot with 737, although he could soon be trumped by an army of commentators – on baseball and on life – who are not far back.
While the Forum has had a distinctly Victoria-centric nature, it is gradually developing a serious world-wide presence (well, maybe not so "serious"), with members signing in from across Australia, from Asia, United States and Europe.
We don’t kid ourselves about what we do – or what we seek to do. In fact, most of the time, we just take the piss out of ourselves and each other. Yet there is a more serious underlying opportunity for those who have embraced baseball as a part of their lives.
The Forum continues to offer an opportunity for those who want to talk about and comment on the game at any level – grassroots through to Major League. It provides a vehicle to communicate news and information, to discuss issues, to make suggestions and to have a bit of fun in a baseball context.
And yes, to make measured – and preferably constructive - criticism when it is deemed appropriate.
Four years. Who would have thunk it?
Cheers.
