Number of Postings Here

[Cleveland1]

The rating system is the worst thing this site ever did and thank God they got rid of it. Made the whole thing into a popularity contest.

Now its just +s

No more social filter. I can only go up unless i say something that is warning-worthy.

Its still a popularity contest.

Anyway to the topic.

Could be because all the reasons posted, as well as dci going hard towards "progress". While things in dci change, the attitudes or issues don't. If you are against electronics and narration you are also probably against french horns and trombones in dci too.

So for a while we had 3 active and one dead thread in a week that focused on the issue of narration and electronics, and the "drum corps these days is bad" or "i miss drum corps when i marched"

And those discussions are explosive. But you can project the path of that thread usually. You aren't going to sway a hardcore traditionalist to embrace electronics or vice versa.

We now just have those threads that dominate the debates.

The other threads are usually circle jerks about a corps or the show. Which is fine, i don't want to go into xcorps thread and bash their show if i hate it, i'll stick to doing that on event specific threads. I only go to show threads to see news or updates on the shows i like. Which by this point is useless, but preseason is useful. (For the most part)

So every time a new poster comes in and posts about "something something hopkins is ruining the activity" we crap on them because we know how it goes.

One last reason, g7 threads are rare. Except for the one about "i guess the g7 isn't happening".

[MotorCityMusician]

Now its just +s

No more social filter. I can only go up unless i say something that is warning-worthy.

Its still a popularity contest.

Anyway to the topic.

Could be because all the reasons posted, as well as dci going hard towards "progress". While things in dci change, the attitudes or issues don't. If you are against electronics and narration you are also probably against french horns and trombones in dci too.

So for a while we had 3 active and one dead thread in a week that focused on the issue of narration and electronics, and the "drum corps these days is bad" or "i miss drum corps when i marched"

And those discussions are explosive. But you can project the path of that thread usually. You aren't going to sway a hardcore traditionalist to embrace electronics or vice versa.

We now just have those threads that dominate the debates.

The other threads are usually circle jerks about a corps or the show. Which is fine, i don't want to go into xcorps thread and bash their show if i hate it, i'll stick to doing that on event specific threads. I only go to show threads to see news or updates on the shows i like. Which by this point is useless, but preseason is useful. (For the most part)

So every time a new poster comes in and posts about "something something hopkins is ruining the activity" we crap on them because we know how it goes.

One last reason, g7 threads are rare. Except for the one about "i guess the g7 isn't happening".

Thats it right there. In the last two days ive been told to leave and how much better it was back in the day. Ive been on these forums longer than my account says and its the same people from when i started being on here that say "death of drum corps", "better back in the day", and "they are getting screwed over by DCI".

[DrumManTx]

It's like my parents always told me when my brother and sister were being outrageously annoying, "just ignore them and they'll stop". There's always those idiots that try to get a rise out of you, the worst thing you can do is write up some big rant in response, because that's exactly what they want. That happened to me a few weeks ago, ignored this certain poster, reported it, and boom, haven't seen a peep out of them. There's always going to be people out to criticize what I, you, or anybody says, it's just your job to decide who's opinion is actually worth taking the time to read and take seriously. I stopped taking everything so personally on here, and it's become a lot more enjoyable. When one of those people decides to go after me, I just ignore them and let them on their merry way. If you ignore those people, there's actually some really awesome discussion that goes on here, lots of awesome people to disagree with that will respond in a civilized manner, Mr. Brasso comes to mind, sure sometimes what he says is pretty out there, but I love the way he puts things, in a respectful manner. And as far as MMs, staffers who read on here, I always keep in mind when I'm typing away that what I'm saying doesn't make me look like a fool to them.

And for those bringing up the red and green like/dislike buttons, I think that was part of the host site that does these forums, there's another site I use that uses this same set up and when they upgraded those went away as well, I don't think that's the DCP admins doing.

Edited July 8, 2014 by DrumManTx

[GUARDLING]

It's like my parents always told me when my brother and sister were being outrageously annoying, "just ignore them and they'll stop". There's always those idiots that try to get a rise out of you, the worst thing you can do is write up some big rant in response, because that's exactly what they want. That happened to me a few weeks ago, ignored this certain poster, reported it, and boom, haven't seen a peep out of them. There's always going to be people out to criticize what I, you, or anybody says, it's just your job to decide who's opinion is actually worth taking the time to read and take seriously. I stopped taking everything so personally on here, and it's become a lot more enjoyable. When one of those people decides to go after me, I just ignore them and let them on their merry way. If you ignore those people, there's actually some really awesome discussion that goes on here, lots of awesome people to disagree with that will respond in a civilized manner, Mr. Brasso comes to mind, sure sometimes what he says is pretty out there, but I love the way he puts things, in a respectful manner. And as far as MMs, staffers who read on here, I always keep in mind when I'm typing away that what I'm saying doesn't make me look like a fool to them.

And for those bringing up the red and green like/dislike buttons, I think that was part of the host site that does these forums, there's another site I use that uses this same set up and when they upgraded those went away as well, I don't think that's the DCP admins doing.

pretty true..sometimes you gotta also look at some posts, wording is funny, there's more insults thrown around but put in pretty packages. lol...Many do see through it though and then it becomes entertaining and amusing.

Edited July 8, 2014 by GUARDLING

[BRASSO]

In a nutshell, I'll take a stab with some wild guesses on why DCP traffic might be down over the last few years. It could be a combination of the following :

A) the G7. :..... this was a very hot button issue a couple of years back and it brought out the single biggest DCP traffic in a long time at the time. Since then, the two sides have publically agreed to keep things low key, and in house, and try to make the marriage work. As for the G7 itself, Boston did crack the G7 bubble in 2012 ( finishing 7th ), but since then the G7 has reassumed its placement positions, and that has perhaps stilted the discussions.

b) Madison Scouts :.... without question, historically, more than any other DCI Corps, this Corps has more national fans than any other. We used to have thousands of more thread discussions on them. But their inability of late to move up from lower top 12, has no doubt had some long time regular DCP posters and readers drift away, imo

c) Blue Devils :.... the last couple of years, BD has been a lightening rod with shows that caused conflict, frustration, confusion ( and yes, in some quarters, admiration ). Because BD was winning with these arguably non fan friendly shows, this was a source of irritation to some fans, and this brought out these fans to express their displeasure, and the BD fans to defend it, and this made for interesting debate and dialogue... and it is interesting and vigorous debate and discussion that naturally most people find attractive, and thus the increased DCP traffic then. But fast forward to today, and Crown won last year, and this year BD has a 2014 show that is less the lightening rod than recent previous editions. Thus, less controversy.. thus less DCP traffic with this.

D) Newer Fans :... as DCI loses its older fans that either drift away or die, the newer fans that replace them, by comparison are younger, and more tech savvy.. but less prone to want to stay on sites for any sustained time that most in depth intelligent discourse typically requires. They have twitter, reddit, facebook, etc and multiple sources to get a quick hit on info, then leave for something else.

E) Corps winter hibernations. :.... Corps essentially disappear after August Finals. DCP loses fans with that, as we then go 7 months of so with info blackouts for the most part with all these Corps. My guess, some DCP'ers leave around Labor Day with hopes of returning the following May or so, but they don't. They just drift away, as other interests take hold of them in that blackout period, and they then become lost forever to the DCP community.

F) Cadevaliers.. :..... most fans like big and shocking results in placements. That drives traffic. In 2008, when Phantom came back from 2nd place in the Semi's to beat BD at Finals by a tenth, that was an electric moment for natiional fans who crave new things happening. Few corps ever win Finals outright that do not win the Semi's... but Phantom did so, and they are not one of the Cadevaliers. So that brought out DCP traffic bigtime after 2008.. but then in 2009, the Cadevaliers Royal Family returned to the DCI Monarchy again, and that probably drove down DCP traffic some with that too. Crown then reemerged as " the Next Big Thing " for a challenge and we watched their surge on the Cadevaliers.. lots of threads on them, and they won... now this year, they are not the " Next Big Thing ", anymore and are in 3rd, 4th, with the Cadevaliers 1,2, and the third wheel ( Cavs ) making their push. The thought of the Cadevaliers winning once again, does not make for an environment for heightened DCP traffic.

Anyway, these are my thoughts on some possible DCP traffic drop off of late.

Edited July 8, 2014 by BRASSO

[Ghost]

Amen Brother Kamarag, Amen... we need more scarlet letters of some sort., and also names... we need to collect names.. real names..... then addrresses and telephone numbers on people that say things..... and a data file... we need data files on these people with perhaps wrong thinking... we could store the data on them... just to keep an eye on them, or whatever we then decide to do with them .

I nominate you to do this. You seem perfect for it.

Thought the NSA was tasked with this request.

[lindap]

Yes.

Trombones.

Let it slide :)

Now that I know I qualify ... marched DC 10 years, taught guard and stuff, watched FN for last 4 years, attended 2 DCI finals.

I have an opinion, now where did I put it ...

[BRASSO]

The people that are opposed to the conventional instruments of Marching Band now being used now in DCI left long before trombones, sousaphones, were approved this offseason. Thus, you'll notice there is little to no controversy on the use of Marching Band instruments on DCP as most of those former Drum Corps fans piled into their cars and trucks and rode off into the sunset and left DCP and DCI a long, long time ago.

Edited July 8, 2014 by BRASSO

[jjeffeory]

Thats it right there. In the last two days ive been told to leave and how much better it was back in the day. Ive been on these forums longer than my account says and its the same people from when i started being on here that say "death of drum corps", "better back in the day", and "they are getting screwed over by DCI".

Really sorry that this is happening to you and I'm not saying that it isn't happening ( I think you're great), but during the past off season, it has been suggested that "I" leave if I don't like trombones, et cetera.

I've been around here for quite a long time, and I've tried to start interesting topics in the past that go nowhere because all people really want to do is just #####.

Honestly, I've been to several shows this year in California and Wisconsin. I plan on going to Iowa tomorrow and then La Crosse this weekend ( maybe other shows to) before I head back to California, but I'm probably not going to post anything about it here because too many people get cranky when they're criticized. I'm never RUDE, or I try not to be, but I have opinions, and many of us feel that we can't civilly express them, so if I want to post, it's either positive, or an aside that isn't directly related to the corps so that I don't offend.

I know "I" want to participate in conversations, but I also like to tell it like it is, otherwise, what's the point?

[BRASSO]

.

Also have not heard much from Michael Boo this season. This has left the rest of us trying to pick up the slack in being the voice of sanity and honestly, most of us aren't qualified.

What we might lack in intellectual gravitas, I believe we make up for in sheer unbridled confident bloviation, and in other cases, creative self deprecating gallows humor. ( haha!). We DCP'ers are the reason that Howard Johnson's first decided to expand his ice cream flavors beyond the usual vaniilla, chocolate, strawberry. He knew there are people out there that might prefer ( for one example ) rum raisin, and other exotic ice cream flavors... so he went to 28 variities..;. and later other ice cream makers followed that model. So thats DCP, imo. We have what seems like 28 different flavors here, and some are bound to please, while others are bound to gag, but our favorites can be the ones that make others want to gag, and vice versa..;. And both let us know in no uncertain terms too which does which.. And with that, we naturally have a few sensitive types that don't want to visit our DCP ice cream shoppe anymore because of that daily serving. But thats fine. It leaves more ice cream for the rest of us here that remain, and there is always the Dairy Queen or other soft serve shoppes somewhere nearby for the ones that might've lost their taste for at least one of the 28 flavors of DCP real ice cream served up daily here.

Edited July 8, 2014 by BRASSO