LRC Without Anonymous Posts

There's a reason why all the traditional running message boards have fallen off and LRC is still going. When you force people to put their name with what they say, people think twice before posting and discussion doesn't flow as freely. What I would like to see are some features by which the discussion can still flow but each user can customize what they see. This would be accomplished with a "hide" button. You click the hide button and the post or comment disappears to you as long as you're signed in. So when the latest 17 minute 5ker comes on to bash Chris Solinsky, I can see his crap and respond to it, or I can get rid of it and not have to see it. Another feature I would like to see is transparency in the form of a moderation/deletion log. I've seen other anonymous boards do this and it works very well. I really don't think any new features are going to happen though. This board has been just about the same since it started as far as I know. I would like to see a new board come up to challenge this one(let me know if there are any), a board that is anonymous but enables you to say who you are. I'd like to see a tradition implemented by which anonymous posts are allowed but are not given as much weight as posts from a verifiable person.

I've also seen it happen a few times. The board admins suddenly feel that they need to get control over who posts and demand registration and even show IP-adresses of those who posts. This always leads to fewer posts and eventually to the death of the message board. It's your opinion that matters, not who you are.

letsrun is the big fish in the sea with no competitors. Flotrack and Runnerspace only exist as supplements to letsrun. I only go to flotrack and runnerspace to watch races I read about on letsrun. Dyestat and trackshark used to be letsruns competitors, but they made stupid business decision, that even their member base told them were stupid, and met their demise because of these. Thats why letsrun won't change, it works, has no need to change, and changing might bring about a competitor.

The key to longevity for the fanboy websites are that they are free and supported by interest from mom's & dad's trust funds. None of the fanboy sites are making money. The wealthy have been pretending to be journalists to obtain access to sporting events since the Ancient empires of Egypt, Persia, Hindustan, China, Rome, and Greece. Twitter, Facebook, Smugmug, Youtube, Flickr have decimated Runnerspace & Flotrack, and Twitter has cut into Letsrun postings.

Jackington wrote:

Could this message board exist if it were a traditional board where users could only post if signed in with their username? The number of posts would be displayed by each person's name.

I think this would make for a less hateful enviornment, but I also think that there would be about 75% less posts overall.

On the inflammatory post front, there would be less names posting, since they could only use one.

However, it would hurt the running posts, since people might not want their real name attached. I like anonymity when it comes to my running.

I can't believe this hasn't been done before. 75% of the posts right now are absolute garbage anyway.

There's no structure at all to the board in it's current state. There were 13 Alan Webb threads on the front page the other day ffs!! Nonsense like this only encourages more trolls.

This isn't up for debate because it would for sure be a massive improvement. Why it hasn't been done before.. well who knows?

A few basic things we can't do now:

- See what threads we've already posted in

- Quote more than one person

- Properly post links

- Post pictures

- Make polls

- Ban blatant trolls

Yeah you can tell me to stay away if I don't like it but the fact remains that Athletics is a minority sport and there isn't a lot of online resources when your looking of your fix of T&F news.

I will continue to use Letsrun but it could easily be greatly improved.

Racehorse wrote:

However, it would hurt the running posts, since people might not want their real name attached. I like anonymity when it comes to my running.

You don't have to use your real name. 'Racehorse' could be your username and you log in with that everytime.

Ive watched a few sites go to FB only registration. Talk about killing a board.

If you want the kind of board where the only responses are "yeah, way to go (insert runner here)." Then go for that type of registration. Also I like reading all the crazy names people come up with.

This thang aint broke, do go tryin' ta fix it.

NEEDS TO BE DONE wrote:

This isn't up for debate because it would for sure be a massive improvement.

.

NTBD's mom wrote:

I prefer the anonymity.

Actually it is up for debate. That's what we're doing on this thread. For the record, so does your mom, apparently (and see there, I quoted more than one person!).

Letsrun with required names = dystat

guy fawkes mask wrote:

NEEDS TO BE DONE wrote:

This isn't up for debate because it would for sure be a massive improvement.

.

NTBD's mom wrote:

I prefer the anonymity.

Actually it is up for debate. That's what we're doing on this thread. For the record, so does your mom, apparently (and see there, I quoted more than one person!).

OK but look what happens when I try and quote your whole post. Not a big deal but still..

People saying they prefer the anonymity.. um maybe don't use your real name?

The was I see it is that the current archaic layout makes it difficult to moderate and encourages trolls.

Update the message board and have users post under the same (anonymous) username everytime they come to the site.

NEEDS TO BE DONE wrote: The was I see it is that the current archaic layout makes it difficult to moderate and encourages trolls.

Okay, you want them to update the forum to encourage trolls.

I agree, more trolls means more interesting threads. For letsruns that means a lot more website visits. More visits are where it is at for websites.

NEEDS TO BE DONE wrote:

There's no structure at all to the board in it's current state. There were 13 Alan Webb threads on the front page the other day ffs!! Nonsense like this only encourages more trolls.

You are projecting YOUR desires for what you believe is the appropriate structure for this board. The fact that is has no structure and there are threads about all sorts of subjects, including ones you do not like, is the reason it still works.

John Stuart Mills, "Marketplace of Ideas" in its most basic form

You could offer a forum for anonymous and a forum for registered names, OR you could also allow the person starting the topic to decide whether tho allow anonymous replies or not. I favor that.

Its fine..dont fix it...I only came here becasue "DIE"stat changed their format.

BROJOS LEAVE LETSRUN ALONE AND KEEP UP THE DECENT WORK

now anyone here any mormon jokes lately 8-) jkjkjk

Jackington wrote:

Could this message board exist if it were a traditional board where users could only post if signed in with their username? The number of posts would be displayed by each person's name.

I think this would make for a less hateful enviornment, but I also think that there would be about 75% less posts overall.

You should go update your Facebook status with this and see if anybody you actually know even cares.

Jackington wrote:

Could this message board exist if it were a traditional board where users could only post if signed in with their username? The number of posts would be displayed by each person's name.

I think this would make for a less hateful enviornment, but I also think that there would be about 75% less posts overall.

NEEDS TO BE DONE wrote:

A few basic things we can't do now:

- See what threads we've already posted in

- Quote more than one person

- Properly post links

- Post pictures

- Make polls

- Ban blatant trolls

Hey, look what I just did.

Jackington wrote:

I think this would make for a less hateful enviornment, but I also think that there would be about 75% less posts overall.

Yes, but the vast majority of those missing posts would be almost worthless!

The other day, the front page was proud to say that "LRC Message Boarders Do It Again" regarding the inside info about Solinsky dropping out of the Olympic Trials, but what price do we pay? Are these nice little "scoops" once or twice a year genuinely worth the other 95% of the anonymous posts with their incessant trolling, spam, profanity, racism, and misogynistic comments? Everyone seems to conveniently ignore the fact that there have been many national and world-class athletes (as well as their coaches) who have been driven away from the LRC boards by the exact same environment that has temporarily earned this praise. The real question is how many great insights have we actually missed by cultivating the National Equirer of track & field?

Why should a small measure of accountability curb discussion? It might at a bit of civility, but I don't see why it should prevent people have voicing opinions about running.

This isn't a rouge political message board in some repressed country were the government is going to track you down for saying something unpopular. You think the USATF is going to find STUPIDUSERNAME01244 and revoke their membership if they say Alan Webb sucks?