First of all, I'm not going to pretend that all 10000 posts have been lengthy, thought-provoking essays. Some of my posts have been short, I'm a moderator so I have a lot of posts that are simply moderating discussions and I have participated in conversation threads that mostly involve posts containing only a few sentences. I'm not suggesting this landmark is some great achievement in the history of humanity.
My aim is to be visible in the community and while that does have its drawbacks, I feel that for the most part it's a good thing for the site. I'd rather be involved in discussions and known to the visitors than being an anonymous webmaster and administrator detached from the goings-on in the forum. 10000 posts has certainly achieved that goal.
I posted a thread like this when I hit 5000 and I made the mistake of naming individuals. I say mistake because of course I left people out and really, it's the whole community I'd rather thank. So, if you'll indulge me the time, I'd like to thank some groups of people and offer my thoughts about various topics.
Many thanks to...
...everyone who continues to post. Without you, I'd have 10000 posts simply talking to myself.
...everyone who posts constructively and enthusiastically. There are good discussions to be had in the NLSC Forum and I thank everyone who puts some thought into their posts.
...everyone who keeps up a positive attitude. By positive attitude, I mean contributing to discussions, doing their part to add to discussions and generally being a good citizen. It's disheartening to see people adopt an "Oh fuck off, there aren't any good topics here." attitude when they don't even attempt to start topics they are interested in. To me, that just seems lazy. Fortunately, there seems to be much more enthusiasm in the forum these days.
...all of the patchmakers. Throughout the community, there are a lot of talented people diligently making updates for the NBA Live series and sharing them with other NBA Live enthusiasts. A big thank you for all your hard work and dedication.
...everyone who understands that moderators are only human. We do make mistakes, sometimes we make judgement calls that turn out to be wrong (mistaking ribbing for flaming, for example) and sometimes we enforce rules too strictly. It is therefore only appropriate to thank...
...everyone who is willing to give moderators a second chance. Whenever we warn someone for a serious rule violation, they generally apologise and ask for a second chance, which is usually granted - we'd rather not kick people out if we don't have to. But not everyone is willing to give moderators a second chance when they make mistakes. There are individuals who want infinite chances and the slate wiped clean but won't extend the same courtesy to the moderators. So, I'd also like to thank...
...everyone who acts in a mature and civil manner. In the past, a few people have decided that they will be uncivil and troublesome due to disagreements with moderators, following moderators around making snide remarks and attempting to undermine moderator actions such as warning and requests to get back on topic. This is disappointing because otherwise quality posters turn into real jerks and attempt to ruin the atmosphere of the forum.
...everyone who does their best to follow the rules. It certainly makes moderating easier when people understand why we have rules, why we enforce them and that it's nothing personal. I'm always impressed by posters who take moderating with grace and the resolve to act in a more appropriate manner. It shows a lot of class when the anonymous nature of the Internet can invite classless behaviour.
...everyone who has a kind word or a compliment. It may sound corny and trite, but it does make running a website worthwhile to hear a good word every now and then. As every patchmaker will probably tell you, it's nice to have your efforts recognised and appreciated.
...everyone who has constructive criticism. Especially those who realise that "Fuck off, you suck" is not constructive criticism that can be put to good use.
...all the haters. Thanks for the inspiration.
I know I can't please everybody and I'm sure because of events in the past there are some people who will always dislike what I try to do, no matter how much effort I may make. I'm just interested in pleasing the majority and changing the minds of people who will give credit where credit is due when I meet their expectations, whether it's moderating or fixing problems in a roster patch.
...anyone who opposes me in a discussion. When I first took the NLSC job, I wasn't sure if people would stop responding to my posts in NBA Talk just because I was the admin. Fortunately that hasn't been the case. Very few of the people I'm around away from the NLSC are basketball fans, so it's nice to be able to come online and talk about the NBA with people from around the world.
...the returning veterans. It's nice to see some old "faces" returning and making a contribution. People come and go and sometimes it's difficult for them to be as active as they once were, but it's always great to see a veteran make a comeback.
...the new posters carrying on the tradition. In the past 12 months there have been new posters who have come in and made an immediate, positive impact. That's always great to see, and I hope you'll be around for a while.
...everyone who is willing to put past differences aside. We haven't always gotten along with each other, but it's great to see people willing to put the past behind them and move forward. I'm willing to do the same myself.
...(again) the whole community, everyone in the forum, everyone who continues to support the NLSC and anyone who doesn't feel they can be defined by one of the groups mentioned above. Thank you for your continued support, faith, compliments, feedback and presence in the forum.
As far as the future of the NLSC is concerned, I've got a couple of aces up my sleeve. Oh, and a couple of ideas for the site as well.
I've got some improvements lined up that I'm sure everyone will like. I don't want to be too specific at the moment except to say it's not another design overhaul (but I would like to add some more forum skins including a retro black and blue design) but some additions and changes that will make the site much better.
I plan to keep running the NLSC for a while longer yet, doing my best with all my duties and doing my best to keep getting better in all that I'm involved with as far as the site and forum are concerned.
Thank you to everyone who shown loyalty and support to the NLSC. Truly, without the support of the visitors no website is worth running. Thank you for making this site worth running.
I hope that you will continue to provide feedback and support the NLSC for a while longer.
Well, that's about all I want to say. Thanks again. Cheers!
much appreciated
Congrats.
The countdown is over.
