Yes, return it to General Swimming-Related Discussions
No, leave it in the blog section
Ande's Blog is the longest running and arguably the most popular thread on the forum and should be returned to the General Swimming-Related Discussions. It is more than just a blog in that it has been highly interactive, generating a lot of discussion and addressing a wide range of swimming-related topics.
Last edited by gull; September 22nd, 2008 at 09:57 AM.
It hasn't gone anywhere, and it isn't going anywhere. It is currently and will always be available where it has always been at http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?t=4298. The only thing we've done is to ask that anyone wanting to maintain a blog here from this point forward should do so in the official blogs section at http://forums.usms.org/blog.php?do=bloglist. His new blog there can be found specifically at http://forums.usms.org/blog.php?u=3156.
Ande, like others who maintained a blog thread in the past, can and should link to his old thread in the title or description of their new blog. That way it's always easy to find those old posts for those who want to do so.
Last edited by matysekj; September 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 AM.
I can't remember a life before Google.
Fortunately, I can Google it.
It is just that Ande spent a vast amount of time detailing his workouts, answering questions and giving advice on that thread that it seems such a pity for it to be closed.
Is it not possible for the entire thread to be moved over to the blog section? It is not the same providing a link to the old thread. We all know the fate of closed threads: they slip slowly off the most recently posted page into oblivion. It is far more convenient to have it all together.
What about changing the name of the thread to Ande's workouts and posting under the workout thread? (Ande suggested this). Just don't want to see a good resource closed down. I know it will still be available but it just doesn't seem as effective if it is no longer interactive.
I would vote for retitling the thread to "Ande's Workouts" (or maybe "Big, and Fast!" LOL, or "Performance Swimming," or some such) and moving entire thing to Workouts forum. It's substantially more than what normally appears as a blog.
A blog titled as such and left on Swimming-Related forum would forever more bring questions and complaints ("His blog is there; why can't mine be?").
If a goal of moving blogs off the main page and to their own corner is to limit third-party responses, it probably should be all or none. That said, there are probably ways of keeping Ande's thread more forward.
I'm actually more concerned about our Canadian friends who have contributed so much. If non-USMS, will they still enjoy full participation?
VB
Originally Posted by Syd
Please bring it back! It is very inspirational and extremely helpful. I have already referred a number of swimmers to it.
While I will admit slogging through all the blogs was tedious, I do think Ande's should be grandfathered in to remain on the main page, if nothing else to enjoy the folly of the roll start.
Jim & Rob,
Why was this change made...was there a complaint of some type or someone for some reason just felt the change needed to be made to fit a particular "format".
I respect/appreciate "rules" but at times if holding to said rules actually works against the greater good maybe they need to be reexamined? This change does nothing to advance the interest and advancement of USMS in my opinion.
I crack myself up. It is jealousy. It is Boredom. I Did not accomplish enough when I was young, and I hate anybody faster/younger than me.
I'm not exactly sure what all the consternation is about. The new version of the forum software has a blogging feature, so blogs that were in the regular forum area have been moved to the blogs area. It's not like content has been eliminated, just moved to a different place. Quite a few people have already started blogging. It's just a matter of training ourselves to go to blog area rather than the General Swimming-Related Disussions section.
I agree with VB's thoughts. Is there a reason why it can't go in the workout section? That's more accessible and could more easily provide the back and forth between readers. JMiller's Fun & Fast seems to get good viewership. Ande has dedicated a lot of time and effort to the blog (not saying the others bloggers won't and I have both read and commented on them), but his is unique and used as a resource by many.
Kirk has it right - the change was made because it's a new feature of fhe software we use. I have also heard a number of comments from people about the proliferation of blog threads on the forums. For those who aren't interested in blogs, yes they have complained that they have to slog through them.
Ande's thread in particular is not just a list of workouts. It's a blog. I do not understand why he simply refuses to use the blog tool to continue this, and put a link to the old thread in the description of that blog that shows up at the top of the blog (see quicksilver's blog to view where this description appears). The old thread will not disappear at all if this is done - it will be linked front-and-center on his blog, and those who are interested in his blog can read it and can rate it very highly so that it will show up at the top of the list of "best blogs".
Given that the new capability is here, why not use it? There are some advantages to using a blog tool instead of a forum thread. Blog tools allow for comments to be left on specific blog entries. Viewing that entry includes viewing the comments in context, relative to that entry. Forum threads don't work that way. Ande has very often had to quote lots of posts in his old blog thread in order to put his answers in context. That's not necessary in the blogs - you comment on a particular entry and your comments are kept with that entry.
Bottom line is that if you want to post a workout, feel free to do so in the workouts forum. If you want to blog and talk about other things happening in your life in addition to maybe posting a workout, use the blogs.
I can't remember a life before Google.
Fortunately, I can Google it.
It's a matter of ease of access. Currently, it requires a bit more effort to reach and read thru entries in the Blogs section. This may or may not change as further enhancements occur. but we can only deal with what is.
True. About one additional mouse click!
Can't you just bookmark the blog and have it come up even quicker?
I hate the random blog entry feature.
I have never used Ande's Blog <gasp!> because I come here for workouts, and slogging through all of the posts and details is tedious for ME. I use the Workouts section more than anything and would love to see Ande's workouts separated in that area, and the conversation aspect saved for the General Swimming-Related Discussions.
I know many of you have been here for years and enjoy the discussion in Ande's threads, but for ME, it would be easier to have it separated and NOT in blog form.
Maybe I am becoming cranky like Geek, but I don't see the point of change the forum. Facebook recently changed their format and it is awful. This kinda reminds me of the same. How many people are actually going to use all the new stuff?
I say bring back Ande's thread to the main page. It is fun to hear about his day, being late to practice, etc. I don't even think about a blog link 99% of the time and probably won't take the time to go to a specific page for blogs anyway.
Jim's latest updates make sense in that many people keep blogs, but there never seemed to be a designated place to maintain them until recently.
Ande's may be the exception in that many people have become accustomed reading it over the years, and enjoy participating in what has developed into a very active part of the forum. When it gets rated number one...it will stay at the top of the list every time the blog section is opened. No searching required.
You can subscribe to Ande's blog, and it appears right away.
I voted no because I think everybody should be treated equally. Having said that, this forum is not so active that allowing people to post their "blogs" as message threads knocked other more "relevant" threads off the first page. Sometimes when I come here, the only new/active threads were those blogs. Just because the software has the capability, I don't think that should mean we have to use it. For more active boards, I can see insisting on it but not for this one.
Again, I don't think Ande should be treated any differently from anybody else so unless this restriction is lifted for everyone, I don't think it should be lifted for anyone.
Must be an individual thing. I never read the workout sections, except for the "Fun & Fast" thread. Which, btw, appears to contain a lot of advice and encouragement and reader back and forth much like Ande's former blog.
In general, if I am looking for workout ideas, I'll consult the blog of someone whose training is relevant to mine. I also like following how people are doing in their training and/or meets. Guess I'm a swim geek.
I guess everyone's a geek at something. I'm a brain geek.
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