I am going to use this thread for keeping notes and getting feedback on ideas. Feel free to add your own ideas or discuss any ideas presented. Pros and cons of them, etc.

- A custom advertising platform built specifically for ohiochatter that will allow local businesses to advertise with us. This would include things such as banner ads or text ads. Essentially exactly what is already on here with the google ads, just with a local flavor. Also allow businesses to sponsor specific forums, i.e. some auto dealership in Columbus could be the official sponsor of the Serious Business forum.

- Allow local businesses without a web presence (mom and pop shops with no websites) to create "microsite" within ohiochatter. They would have an http://momandpop.ohiochatter.com page that they could put their info, pictures, etc on.

- Possible forum realignment. I am thinking of adding a "tech/gaming" forum. Possibly contracting some of the high school forums back into the "everything else" forum.

- Removing the Buy/Sell/Trade forum for an actual classifieds section.

- Adding a store. Ohio Chatter merchandise, as well as general Ohio merchandise. I'd like to eventually get into the tshirt business (I believe I've mentioned this before). I'll just need a little more money to work with before this can be a reality, I think.

- A "pick em" platform to allow users to create pick em leagues that are automatically tracked and do not require someone to manually tally the results. Pick em leagues can be for anything from HS football to NFL football.

- How about an "Ohio Chatter Network" that other smaller league or school forums and websites could sign up to join that would really do nothing more than link their site to ours and our site to theirs.

- An interface for tournament directors to run their tournaments through Ohio Chatter. They would be able to set up brackets, print brackets, track results, etc.

- An interface for tracking statistics, i.e. hs football stats

- High School Fantasy Football. Just kidding.

1. New administration.
2. wes' drunkin articles.

wes_mantooth;565982 wrote:1. New administration.
2. wes' drunkin articles.

Jerk.

Sadly, he was being serious.

My ideas are either so good and so well thought out that they require no further discussion or they are so bad that you're embarrassed for me and are avoiding this thread.

I would say the latter.

Also, I wonder what it would cost to have a banner up at the state football finals....

Why would I look into the future of something with no future?

Jesus, I hate you all.

justincredible;570842 wrote:Jesus, I hate you all.

I can see me working on coming up with actual legit ideas, but you'll have to give me a bit o' time. I'm at the beginning of a hellish week at work, so I can't see me having the mental energy to work on using the Internet for much more than snarky comments (ie: the usual) for a few days...unless I desperately need a work break, but also feel like using my brain.

I will say that t-shirts are a good idea. I also like throwing the less-used HS forums into the Everything Else with the disclaimer that if one particular sport exhibits a shitload of discussion, it can get its own forum. On the stickied SB thread about the site, some guy made a great point of how his smaller site spread itself too thin with sub-forums and eventually failed. That's something to take into consideration before deciding something like "tech/games" is big enough to legit warrant its own forum. I will say that, IMO, the weakest aspect of Yappi is that I think their equal to SB is spread out to the point where you have a multitude of diluted products.

Hmmm...looks like I did use a work break to use my brain. YAYYYY!!!!!

Updated the list.

Good points Rob. I already "contracted" the Hockey forum to the everything else forum since it had 5 threads and all were locked.

I still say tech/gaming doesn't draw enough interest to justify being separated from Serious Business. While there are a halfway decent number of posts about it, I think pulling it out will just create 2 slow forums (except for that one week every year when NCAA comes out and everyone wants to start dynasties). There's still 12 hours worth of posts on the first page of SB, so it's not like it's oversaturated.

ts1227;573829 wrote:I still say tech/gaming doesn't draw enough interest to justify being separated from Serious Business. While there are a halfway decent number of posts about it, I think pulling it out will just create 2 slow forums (except for that one week every year when NCAA comes out and everyone wants to start dynasties). There's still 12 hours worth of posts on the first page of SB, so it's not like it's oversaturated.

Yeah, it would be different if the traffic was knocking shit off the first page after just an hour or so.....I do agree with putting the low traffic high school forums into the Everything else forum.

Also, a tech forum will just be imex spamming.

justincredible;573678 wrote:Good points Rob.

These rules apply to ALL forums:

1. No personal attacks or unwarranted name-calling. Just because someone has a different opinion doesn't mean they're an idiot.
2. Do not reveal anyone's identity.
3. No swearing in thread titles.
4. No pornography or gore.

I hate to be 'that' guy. But, if you are going to start considering local advertising, might we want to cut back on the language and such of the site? I'd imagine that would be a turn off to any local businesses that would be interested in possibly advertising?

True, isn't that an instant banning....we have the worst front office ever!!!! Worse than the Indians or Pirates.

wes_mantooth;574139 wrote:Worse than the Indians or Pirates.

THAT'S UNPOSSIBLE!!!!

GoChiefs;574138 wrote:I hate to be 'that' guy. But, if you are going to start considering local advertising, might we want to cut back on the language and such of the site? I'd imagine that would be a turn off to any local businesses that would be interested in possibly advertising?

Two things: there is the swear filter that is turned on by default. Unless you want to see the swearing it's censored. Also, take the "you're making my vagina hurt" part out of your signature or edit it a little bit.

justincredible;574298 wrote:Two things: there is the swear filter that is turned on by default. Unless you want to see the swearing it's censored. Also, take the "you're making my vagina hurt" part out of your signature or edit it a little bit.

Only if you get rid of that god awful avatar.

And yes, I know there is a swear filter, and the swearing doesn't bother me anyways. Was just throwing it out there.

You didn't have to remove the whole thing, I thought it was funny. The vagina part was all I was worried about.

And yeah, I get the language thing. That's something I'll just have to deal with when I get to it. I don't see the swearing as a big deal but I know some people do.

Yeah, I know, I just had it up as a shot at Tearnan since he figured he would take the opportunity like a child, to do the same.

By the way, how the hell do you turn that filter off? I didn't see it in the settings anywhere. Of course, I'm blind as hell, but regardless, I didn't see the option for it.

I am currently rather drunk......I will be spending the next hour writing an article so we can move into 2nd place

I'm not even sure I belong here with all this idiocy floating around...


PLEASE DON'T BAN ME!!!