ANNOUNCEMENT: Boards Closing May 5 (New Date)

[jimmypowder]

6 minutes ago, A Fish Called Yanda said:

Just got on for the first time in a while, only to see this announcement.

What a disaster of a decision.

The decision to close down free public access to the team in Westminster was way worse. 

[3-4ravdef509]

Disappointed. 

 

What's the overall consensus of where most members here are going to migrate to?

[Admin 3]

17 hours ago, EdTheMythicalOne said:

Why did I just get a new TOS agreement again if the boards are actually closing? Why have new TOS rules if there will be no more board to post on at the end of the month?

@EdTheMythicalOne A line was added (in bold) to the top of the TOS, letting members -- new and old -- know that the boards will be shutting down at the end of the month. We wanted to ensure we communicated the message to as many members as possible in case people happen to miss the announcement or this thread. We realize that some people are checked out and will be surprised when they return after March 31, but we are using all available features to minimize that.

[Admin 3]

14 hours ago, K-Dog said:

THIS

THIS 

THIS 

The timing is the worst, okay, maybe not the worst, but of I mean in the off season, now is the time when things are getting exciting once again. It is a terrible idea to shut it down either way, but the timing is bad. 
I love how they say " careful consideration"  I don't think that was the case.

@K-Dog @rossihunter2 We definitely considered timing, but, as @T3hRaven pointed out, there is never a best time to close these as the NFL has become a year-round topic of conversation. We have discussed this move since before the start of the season, but obviously didn't want to close the boards then. I suppose a case could have been made in closing them in mid-February -- arguably the quietest time of the League year -- but we wanted to keep them up as we continued our research and further evaluated everything. Technically, the new League year begins today, so that was an option, but it just seemed to make sense to let the community live through the end of the month.

[Admin 3]

14 hours ago, ellicottraven said:

Sorry Admin 3. This is not intended directly at you, but the heads that made this decision are just plain short sighted and foolish. In the short term, you'll find no increase in traffic to your FB or twitter feeds and moreover will end up losing fan interaction which is critical to fan engagement. That is how the dollars flow - fans to club. I just hope whoever made this decision (probably anticipating some pushback but thinking it was needed to cut costs or whatever) better hope that the real powers that be - Owner Steve Bisciotti and President Cass are fully aware of this decision. Because if this novel business school churlish idea backfires, their heads will be the first to roll.

Thank you @ellicottraven for your critical, yet level-headed and respectful comment. No offense taken.

Let me explain to you and others that there were many factors that went into this calculated decision and it was made after much careful thought and consideration. And to address two common points many members have made -- the monetary cost of running the boards (or anything involving sponsorship) was not the driver of this decision. Also, the purpose of the move was not to try to drive traffic to or increase our followings on other social media platforms.

We looked at a lot of data -- both internal (about our boards) as well as external (digital and social media usage habits in today's world). While many here have argued that the site's traffic will significantly decline because the majority was made up by usage of this board, our numbers did not show that. Over the last several years, we have seen significant declines in the number of active users while audiences on other social platforms have drastically increased. We understand that the smaller group of regular board users here are extremely active and we very much value your avid support of our team. We are constantly evaluating everything we do with the intentions of delivering the best to our fans and reaching the widest number of fans that we can. There came a point when we felt that we could better server our fans if we devoted our resources -- including time -- to other initiatives.

We fully support thoughtful and insightful discussion and always prided our community on that tenet. We understand Facebook and Twitter may not be everyone's favorite modes of communication, but there are plenty of other fans who feel differently and use them to engage teams, athletes, media members and other fans in thoughtful dialogue. Everyone may not be in agreement, but it's widely accepted and acknowledged that conversation today occurs on these platforms. And while trolls and negativity are present on those channels, we have seen (particularly over the last several years) an equal amount of trolling/attacking/negativity on these boards. (I realize the users may not have seen it, but just ask the mods how many inappropriate comments have needed to be removed from this community.) The intent was never for Facebook or Twitter to completely replace the boards. We are only encouraging members to visit those platforms because they provide ways to keep you engaged with us and each other.

The "powers that be" are aware of this decision. Our team was well aware that the very active people in our community would be upset by this move. I don't want you to believe that we don't care about you, because we certainly do -- we are reading every single comment. As others have recognized though, the digital landscape is evolving and we are doing what we feel best serves our fanbase as a whole.

I am not asking that everyone now agree with our decision as I truly understand the disappointment being felt by some. However, I hope that everyone can respect the thought that went into it, know that it wasn't made on a whim and realize that the fans are always at the forefront of our minds in everything we do.

Thank you for reading. And thank you for your loyalty, support, passion, heart and dedication. It's those traits that make the Ravens Flock -- undoubtedly -- the best group of fans in the world.

[Ravenskid2085]

Haven't logged in in a long time, but just wanted to say that I've been reading these boards a really long time and it's sad to see them go. A salute to all of you. See ya on reddit. 

[rmw10]

2 minutes ago, Admin 3 said:

Thank you @ellicottraven for your critical, yet level-headed and respectful comment. No offense taken.

Let me explain to you and others that there were many factors that went into this calculated decision and it was made after much careful thought and consideration. And to address two common points many members have made -- the monetary cost of running the boards (or anything involving sponsorship) was not the driver of this decision. Also, the purpose of the move was not to try to drive traffic to or increase our followings on other social media platforms.

We looked at a lot of data -- both internal (about our boards) as well as external (digital and social media usage habits in today's world). While many here have argued that the site's traffic will significantly decline because the majority was made up by usage of this board, our numbers did not show that. Over the last several years, we have seen significant declines in the number of active users while audiences on other social platforms have drastically increased. We understand that the smaller group of regular board users here are extremely active and we very much value your avid support of our team. We are constantly evaluating everything we do with the intentions of delivering the best to our fans and reaching the widest number of fans that we can. There came a point when we felt that we could better server our fans if we devoted our resources -- including time -- to other initiatives.

We fully support thoughtful and insightful discussion and always prided our community on that tenet. We understand Facebook and Twitter may not be everyone's favorite modes of communication, but there are plenty of other fans who feel differently and use them to engage teams, athletes, media members and other fans in thoughtful dialogue. Everyone may not be in agreement, but it's widely accepted and acknowledged that conversation today occurs on these platforms. And while trolls and negativity are present on those channels, we have seen (particularly over the last several years) an equal amount of trolling/attacking/negativity on these boards. (I realize the users may not have seen it, but just ask the mods how many inappropriate comments have needed to be removed from this community.) The intent was never for Facebook or Twitter to completely replace the boards. We are only encouraging members to visit those platforms because they provide ways to keep you engaged with us and each other.

The "powers that be" are aware of this decision. Our team was well aware that the very active people in our community would be upset by this move. I don't want you to believe that we don't care about you, because we certainly do -- we are reading every single comment. As others have recognized though, the digital landscape is evolving and we are doing what we feel best serves our fanbase as a whole.

I am not asking that everyone now agree with our decision as I truly understand the disappointment being felt by some. However, I hope that everyone can respect the thought that went into it, know that it wasn't made on a whim and realize that the fans are always at the forefront of our minds in everything we do.

Thank you for reading. And thank you for your loyalty, support, passion, heart and dedication. It's those traits that make the Ravens Flock -- undoubtedly -- the best group of fans in the world.

I think all of this makes sense, but I'm still questioning the timing of the move.  I know the NFL pretty much takes no days off, but this is closing right in between two of what I would guess are the busier times on these boards - free agency and the draft.  After the draft, you have a dearth of pretty much nothing.  Some mini camps that ultimately mean nothing, and that goes all the way up until training camp.  That seems like much better timing to me.

[GrimCoconut]

@Admin 3

I think the execution is the poor part in all this.  You should've waited to make this move until after the draft to close the forum on a high note. I will tell you I never use the social media avenues besides this one because I don't want my views attached to me personally and I like the anonymity provided here. Granted you could've justifiably given less, I think more advanced notice would've been wiser and prove to be a far better execution for your fan base of which the team supposedly values.

 

While I may follow the Ravens on Twitter and Facebook but my participation there is nonexistent and it won't change at all because of this decision. While I understand the need to divert resources to more utilized avenues, I think isolating a portion of your fan base that prefer message boards fails to recognize the needs of a niche of your audience.  I may have my own views I won't share right now on this issue, but I think that you're making a mistake in this decision since the money wasn't a deciding factor here, according to your statement. If that's the case, I don't see how retaining this forum negatively impacts your ability to properly give the more lucrative and in-demand social media avenues the attention they require. 

Edited March 9 by GrimCoconut

[arnie_uk]

No matter your reasoning to stupid doing it before the draft. Stupid stupid stupid 

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

On 3/9/2017 at 0:58 PM, arnie_uk said:

No matter your reasoning to stupid doing it before the draft. Stupid stupid stupid 

No arnie, this is bad english

 

 

And I agree with you.(yes I understand british slang... Don't ask why and it's not the interet)

 

 

[rossihunter2]

9 minutes ago, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

No arnie, this is bad english

 

 

And I agree with you. This is Bollocks(yes I understand british slang... Don't ask why and it's not the interet)

 

 

i was surprised that it wasn't a banned word to be honest lol... forgot it wasn't an american thing

[Halshayeji]

On March 8, 2017 at 6:57 PM, ellicottraven said:

I promise to never engage in social media from the Ravens. It is terrible and not fan friendly and this is just an internal cost saving measure period. I suspect that we may lose some hard core fans over this fiasco as well. Its just plain idiotic from my perspective because we had people chime in from all over the world. So where do we get to bash Harbs, Pees, and Flacco now? It is heart breaking!!

Indeed it would be. This sucks! 

[K-Dog]

Bleck !!

[The Mom Gene]

Is there really a good time to do it???  I mean really, I think we all would have had the same reaction regardless of when it's done. 

[AsianRice]

Quality >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Quantity....It applies in every aspect of life....Would you trade Mosley for bunch of undrafted rookies?

 

I would take 10 guys in this message board community over 100k trolls on FB or twitter or any social platform....

 

For monetary reason, I don't think there's a big jump, but slightly jump instead.

 

For expanding pool of fans, I don't think there's any improvement; may be some bandwagon fans.

 

If the Ravens organization want to expand their fan base, wouldn't it be better to have both message board and FB?

 

PS: I think whoever made this decision isn't thinking about fans' feelings and the money they saved is not going to replace the heart and soul of this community... 

[ellicottraven]

On 3/9/2017 at 1:00 PM, LosT_in_TranSlatioN said:

No arnie, this is bad english

 

 

And I agree with you. This is Bollocks(yes I understand british slang... Don't ask why and it's not the interet)

 

 

Total, Herculean, Unadulterated 

[allblackraven]

52 minutes ago, The Mom Gene said:

Is there really a good time to do it???  I mean really, I think we all would have had the same reaction regardless of when it's done. 

There isn't but they showed a total ignorance with this timing (FA, combine as others pointed out already). Makes me think somewhere down the line numbers won't exactly match their projection.

[terrynjulia03]

Just reading the note. What "costs" are associated with this board? Running a message forum is child's play really and costs little to nothing, especially considering the ancient format we use here. I'm not a computer guru by any means, but I know one thing, the cost of maintaining this board is far less than that advertisers bring in. Not to mention this is directly linked to the main Ravens page. 

Honestly I think you need a better marketing team. As the OFFICIAL Ravens website message board, it's pretty pathetic you don't have links to Ravens week in OC, or promoting sponsors, or doing much at all for promoting the team. Sure, bunch of posters, with a wealth of knowledge crap chatting, but it could be so much more. Just my .02

[redrum52]

Let it be known before the boards shut down that the Browns are making BRILLIANT moves.

[trevorsteadman]

20 minutes ago, redrum52 said:

Let it be known before the boards shut down that the Browns are making BRILLIANT moves.

It's like they realize how to run a franchise all of a sudden it is so beautiful to watch.

[Dr. Kelley]

4 hours ago, Admin 3 said:

Thank you @ellicottraven for your critical, yet level-headed and respectful comment. No offense taken.

Let me explain to you and others that there were many factors that went into this calculated decision and it was made after much careful thought and consideration. And to address two common points many members have made -- the monetary cost of running the boards (or anything involving sponsorship) was not the driver of this decision. Also, the purpose of the move was not to try to drive traffic to or increase our followings on other social media platforms.

We looked at a lot of data -- both internal (about our boards) as well as external (digital and social media usage habits in today's world). While many here have argued that the site's traffic will significantly decline because the majority was made up by usage of this board, our numbers did not show that. Over the last several years, we have seen significant declines in the number of active users while audiences on other social platforms have drastically increased. We understand that the smaller group of regular board users here are extremely active and we very much value your avid support of our team. We are constantly evaluating everything we do with the intentions of delivering the best to our fans and reaching the widest number of fans that we can. There came a point when we felt that we could better server our fans if we devoted our resources -- including time -- to other initiatives.

We fully support thoughtful and insightful discussion and always prided our community on that tenet. We understand Facebook and Twitter may not be everyone's favorite modes of communication, but there are plenty of other fans who feel differently and use them to engage teams, athletes, media members and other fans in thoughtful dialogue. Everyone may not be in agreement, but it's widely accepted and acknowledged that conversation today occurs on these platforms. And while trolls and negativity are present on those channels, we have seen (particularly over the last several years) an equal amount of trolling/attacking/negativity on these boards. (I realize the users may not have seen it, but just ask the mods how many inappropriate comments have needed to be removed from this community.) The intent was never for Facebook or Twitter to completely replace the boards. We are only encouraging members to visit those platforms because they provide ways to keep you engaged with us and each other.

The "powers that be" are aware of this decision. Our team was well aware that the very active people in our community would be upset by this move. I don't want you to believe that we don't care about you, because we certainly do -- we are reading every single comment. As others have recognized though, the digital landscape is evolving and we are doing what we feel best serves our fanbase as a whole.

I am not asking that everyone now agree with our decision as I truly understand the disappointment being felt by some. However, I hope that everyone can respect the thought that went into it, know that it wasn't made on a whim and realize that the fans are always at the forefront of our minds in everything we do.

Thank you for reading. And thank you for your loyalty, support, passion, heart and dedication. It's those traits that make the Ravens Flock -- undoubtedly -- the best group of fans in the world.

Ever think that maybe the drop off in posting traffic over the last few years has been correlating to the steady decline of the team? There is a reason that there is only a small portion of the posters still active- because they are the die hard fans and will stick with the franchise no matter what. 

I think it speaks volumes about where this team is at now, that they would punish the core of the fan base - not to mention keep away a venue for newer fans to congregate online. I would say I'm surprised, but then again, this is the same franchise that traded away annual Bolden so we could get Marcus spears and Michael huff, so I guess I really shouldnt be surprised at all.

 

Bad, bad move.

[K-Dog]

3 hours ago, The Mom Gene said:

Is there really a good time to do it???  I mean really, I think we all would have had the same reaction regardless of when it's done. 

Good? No there is not, but there is bad and better.

The current plan is bad.

[K-Dog]

3 hours ago, The Mom Gene said:

Is there really a good time to do it???  I mean really, I think we all would have had the same reaction regardless of when it's done. 

Good? No there is not, but there is bad and better.

The current plan is bad.

[AsianRice]

It feels like your parents are doing the matchmaking for you although they know you are really in love with your GF......just break us up from the Ravens message board community and force us to marry the trolling FB and any other social platform?

[K-Dog]

3 hours ago, AsianRice said:

Quality >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Quantity....It applies in every aspect of life....Would you trade Mosley for bunch of undrafted rookies?

 

I would take 10 guys in this message board community over 100k trolls on FB or twitter or any social platform....

 

For monetary reason, I don't think there's a big jump, but slightly jump instead.

 

For expanding pool of fans, I don't think there's any improvement; may be some bandwagon fans.

 

If the Ravens organization want to expand their fan base, wouldn't it be better to have both message board and FB?

 

PS: I think whoever made this decision isn't thinking about fans' feelings and the money they saved is not going to replace the heart and soul of this community... 

Man I wish I wrote this. 

Absolutely spot on.

And yes I do feel snubbed by the organization. 

[nextgen_RavensFan]

Just wow !! A team/organization that can waste multi millions on talent that should not be on any pro team refuses to spend what about $300.00 a year on a forum for the Fans. What a class act. Charge more and more to see the team that produces less and less on the field year after year for a few years now and cannot even leave us this for free. 

[Moderator 3]

We bad.  Guess that word is going to land in the filter for our last few days. :-(

[Mahatma_Sloth]

see you on FB and twitter where i can do that freely...... Good move

[Inqui]

Just now, Mahatma_Sloth said:

see you on FB and twitter where i can do that freely...... Good move

If the higher-ups are curious as to why Facebook and Twitter aren't adequate options for intelligent discussion, here's your case in point.

[Purple Punishment]

Not to be rude, but whomever decided that FB and Twitter were better vessels for fans to connect, needs to have their head examined.

 

I come here for quality football talk and I will certainly not get it anywhere else because I DONT HAVE A FREAKING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT. I can't wait to have out quality community here battle with twitter trolls and give up on team social media.