Whaddya Wanna See from TST?

[Phil McGleno]

My momma told me charity begins at home-How's 'bout you show us some examples of you doin some of this?-You got 2200+ posts and area Forum Leader.[quote name="inthehole" url="/t/76739/whaddya-wanna-see-from-tst#post_1045095"]

To be brutally honest, my only criticism & it's just aimed to the membership as a whole ... there doesn't seem to be a lot of camaraderie amongst the members.[/quote]

[GHIN0011458]

To be brutally honest, my only criticism & it's just aimed to the membership as a whole ... there doesn't seem to be a lot of camaraderie amongst the members.     Just one example, the best shot thread - everybody posts their best shot of the week, and its a rare thing for someone to respond - everyone just posts their shots for others to read, and that's it  ... rarely see a "Heckuva shot Jim", "I know that hole Fred, fantastic shot", ""the way you cut that dogleg Rick, not sure I would have tried that", etc.     Just seems like there's not a whole lot of back and forth friendly dialogue.    The blow-up hole thread - two pages of cringe-worthy epic blow ups so far, and not a single reply. It's human nature I guess - everybody's busy today, and maybe doesn't have the time to devote to it - I'm as guilty as anybody. Of course, you get the banter threads, which brings out those that like to argue.

I'm not bashing the site by any means, as I spend more time here than any others - I like the layout of the site, and have learned a lot from the members ... and this is just an observation compared to other golf discussion boards, which seem to be a lot "friendlier", maybe "chummier" would be a better word, as there are plenty of friendly people here ... not sure how we as a group move in this direction, I would just like to see people take the time to respond to threads .

That is because there are guys like @Phil McGleno on here.

[Ernest Jones]

That is because there are guys like @Phil McGleno on here.

Don't recall ever seeing you welcome a new poster, for that matter, pretty sure I've never seen @inthehole do that either despite the fact that there has been ample opportunity for him practice what he preaches since his post.

[GHIN0011458]

Don't recall ever seeing you welcome a new poster, for that matter, pretty sure I've never seen @inthehole do that either despite the fact that there has been ample opportunity for him practice what he preaches since his post.

I don't recall me ever doing it either. I do like it when someone comes on here wanting to be on tour though and everyone rips them apart.. those are good reads. There are guys here who think they are right 100 percent of the time and everything is tried and true with them. No wonder people might be worried to say something and then have three guys jump on a bandwagon and say they are totally off line with what they say. I think that if you weren't hounded on for giving an opinion you would get a lot more posters who may have sat in the background and never said anything because there are guys that will just jump on them.

[Phil McGleno]

Yeah-People like me. Sure thing pal. Youre the guy who came on and launched a crusade against someone for shooting a 90 in a qualifying tournament.-All I did was point out ot you the wrongness of your posts in how a good golfer should NEVER EVER shoot 90. IOW - you came on and behaved like a boor.-And your only contribution TO THIS THREAD is to continue to try to call out other people.[quote name="GHIN0011458" url="/t/76739/whaddya-wanna-see-from-tst/36#post_1049826"]That is because there are guys like @Phil McGleno on here.  [/quote] Good contribution mate.-Well on ya.

[Ernest Jones]

I don't recall me ever doing it either. I do like it when someone comes on here wanting to be on tour though and everyone rips them apart.. those are good reads. There are guys here who think they are right 100 percent of the time and everything is tried and true with them. No wonder people might be worried to say something and then have three guys jump on a bandwagon and say they are totally off line with what they say. I think that if you weren't hounded on for giving an opinion you would get a lot more posters who may have sat in the background and never said anything because there are guys that will just jump on them.

The ironing is delicious.

[iacas]

@GHIN0011458 , just block people if you want.

Let's move this topic away from personal squabbles and back to the issue of content, mmmmmmkay?

[Jeremie Boop]

I think there is plenty of camaraderie here... I think people mistake discussions and debates as arguments or personal attacks. I've seen much worse behavior and attitudes on many forums I've been on in the past. One thing that is true, this forum doesn't "suffer fools", in that if you come on here claiming anything *quick fixes/distances hit/swing theories/etc* you had better have facts and figures to back up your claims or you are in for a tough time. I wouldn't want that to be changed, we need to do our best to keep the information on this site reliable and factual. I have heard that we have a bad rep as not being friendly, and I've been on the receiving end of some not so friendly comments when I first came here. However, the truth is the comments weren't really unfriendly so much as they were blunt. Finding out what you thought you knew is wrong is somewhat painful and the kneejerk response is anger and/or denial. That is not to say that some people are definitely not exactly "nice" most of the time.... I've learned more and made more progress with my game in the relatively short time I've been on this forum than all of my years before and for that I'm grateful. I've met and played golf with some great people that I never would have had the opportunity to otherwise also.

Anyway, that's my take on that particular aspect. In general, I don't know of anything that I'd like to see changed here besides maybe a few more regional get together golf outings in my general area

[dsc123]

Just seems like there's not a whole lot of back and forth friendly dialogue.

I don't remember the source, it was probably a movie, but the quote went something like this: "Son, there are two things nobody ever wants to hear you talk about: your golf game and your fantasy football team."  In addition to those threads being limited, these 'let me tell you about this shot I had" sort of threads always seemed to me like someone who wants to talk about themselves.  its usually not interesting and there's really not anything constructive that another person can say.  What is there to add?  "Nice job"?

Same with the introduction threads.  I always thought those were silly. Does anybody actually care to read those, apart from trying to show kindness to new members?  Seems to me that new members care more about how they are treated when they comment than the number of welcomes they get.

---

I have actually found my interest in TST dwindling a bit.  I still spend way more time here than I should, but I find myself becoming much more selective with the threads I read.  I'll go a couple pages deep on the new post page before clicking often times.  I'll explain my progression as it may help Erik and Mike, but I'd also be interested to know whether others feel the same way because I think I notice the same progression in others.

When I first came here, I knew basically nothing.  I soaked up all the instruction I could and as I started to get it I would participate in those threads.  Its like the school kid raising his hand to show what he's learned and to share the knowledge with others.  You see that a lot, I think.  Newish members come in and join a sort of bandwagon that jumps every thread with corrections to misunderstandings of the ball flight laws or whatever.  Then that got old, partly because topics repeat themselves and partly because there's not much value in regurgitating what the more qualified members have explained far better than I can.  I pretty much stopped commenting on instruction threads, though I still read them if they contain new information.  At that point I started to gravitate more towards the grill room sort of discussions, where I felt like I might have something to offer.  Equipment, books and gadgets, too.  The LSW and Gamegolf threads are two that have kept my interest recently.

I am probably still in that phase now, though I participate less.  There have been times when I'd get into debates that spanned days and hundreds of posts and it can be exhausting, so I try to steer clear of that for the most part.

All of that being said, I don't think this is a flaw with TST--that's exactly what TST is and is supposed to be.  People come here looking for different things, and what they are looking for changes over time.

Hope that's a helpful perspective.  You guys have a great site and I really wouldn't change it.

[Lihu]

I think get gatherings like last weekend are great for camaraderie. I would like to see more get together s. I'm trying to stir one up in the Chicagoland area on @cipher's thread. I think it helps when people meet face to face. I might be a bit old fashioned I suppose. They wouldn't have to be anything elaborate, just getting together to play golf.

Yeah, like I enjoyed sharing a cart with you. It was a fun round.

I think more golf tourney/outing/gathering threads are in order.

[iacas]

All of that being said, I don't think this is a flaw with TST--that's exactly what TST is and is supposed to be.  People come here looking for different things, and what they are looking for changes over time.

I think that, for many people, that's basically the way EVERY forum works.

I'm on a car forum for my Kia Sorento (just to keep apprised of things). I posted a little (ten posts? fifteen?) when I first joined sharing my thoughts on a few things (like the shitty key fob that detaches easily from the key part), and after that, I'm just repeating myself. But I visit regularly because I still want to be apprised, and I don't care enough about my car to regularly post and share my opinions on everything on the site.

I think some people are either better at having tolerance for the incessant "newbie" type stuff (everyone was once a newbie, after all), and some people are just generally more passionate about golf than others.

Nothing wrong with any of that.

[WUTiger]

Let's see...

I'm a Republican, a Roman Catholic, teach at a private university, and blog regularly on TST.

Of all these organization, TST comes closest to meeting my expectations. For example, the GOP has never contacted me to test a new set of TaylorMade SLDR irons...

As we used to say in the previous century, TST should "just keep on keepin' on!"

[Club Rat]

Would it be possible to add handicap calculating to the member profile page?

I know it's software / programming, but would be a great asset for the site.

Club Rat

[CarlSpackler]

Would it be possible to add handicap calculating to the member profile page?

I know it's software / programming, but would be a great asset for the site.

Club Rat

I hate answer for @iacas , but I don't see how that could be done. There a ton of sites out there that calculate handicap. Just my thoughts for what they're worth.

[David in FL]

I hate answer for @iacas, but I don't see how that could be done. There a ton of sites out there that calculate handicap. Just my thoughts for what they're worth.

Like you, I wouldn't want to speak for Erik, but I'd also like to think that they would encourage members to obtain/maintain an official handicap that would allow them to participate in organized, competitive events.

Perhaps links to the appropriate handicap sections in the individual state golf associations, Canadian, and where possible, other national associations where someone can easily and inexpensively establish their own official/sanctioned handicap?

[Club Rat]

I hate answer for @iacas, but I don't see how that could be done. There a ton of sites out there that calculate handicap. Just my thoughts for what they're worth.

My point exactly. The TST would benefit greatly if it offered it and probably acquire more new members.

Club Rat

[iacas]

My point exactly. The TST would benefit greatly if it offered it and probably acquire more new members.

I don't think it would do anything for membership, and no, we cannot add that feature. Again, we were asking about what we could do in terms of content, not site features. The site features are not under our control.

[nick1998bunker]

An app so it's easier to get on when not at the computer. Most young people only use their computer for word, which is being replaced with some apps. Also, if you got a notification when your response is quoted, so you can keep up with your posts a lot easier. Also maybe 2 ratings attached to your name, voted on my members when you post. 1 is a percentage that shows how accurate and relevant your posts are. And 2 is a growing number based on how much you post. Like eBay, however it works. I wouldn't get good ratings but it would still be helpful when judging how goods someone's response or answer is