This can't really be happening !!!!!!! :eek:

The PDGA is suppose to make things better for the members NOT take things away for the bottom line !!!!!!! :confused:

A way to communicate with the local club members and golfers is essential for the growth of our sport !!!!!!!

source of this info:

From the Minutes from May 2011 Teleconference (http://www.pdga.com/discussion/../pdga-documents/minutes-from-may-2011-teleconference):

Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset"> Social Media & Discussion Board Update </td></tr></tbody></table>


The new social media functionality, which is primarily blogging, will be ready for the new website launch. We are also planning on having �featured bloggers� that will have more exposure than our normal users. These featured bloggers should ideally be disc golf insiders who are willing to share their thoughts and experiences. I haven�t started the search process yet but if you have any suggestions please don�t hesitate to ask me.

Users will also have the ability to comment on a user�s posts if we enable that functionality. I can see it being a useful tool but I can also see it easily abused. I really need to research comments and moderation capabilities in depth and will come back with a recommendation for the June teleconference. In regards to the discussion board we do have one stumbling block. After some research we determined that it will be difficult to share users between the two systems due to conflicting password encryption methods. Initial conversion won�t be difficult but afterwards the choices are to either allow users to be created independently in both the new website and the discussion board or to shut down the ability to create new users in the discussion board. My assumption is that since we will be phasing out the discussion board that shutting down the ability to create new users is the best decision.

- End of IT Report


if you don't like this decision, here's a link to contact page to send emails (please be civil): http://www.pdga.com/contact (http://www.pdga.com/discussion/../contact)

Its not like they CARE about what I think !!!!!!! :eek:

But the "Club Affiliates" should be a major concern to the PDGA and don't they charge the clubs money every year to be on the discussion board !!!!!!! Then what's the problem !!!!!!!! :confused:

Just doesn't make since to ME !!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

I've spoken with the PDGA office concerning this issue - there is no definite timeline for this decision yet, when the new website launches it will contain both a "blogging section" & the D-Board - with their plan being to phase out this board - mainly to do with technical difficulty of registering for blogging and registering for the D-Board not working together

there are people on the Board and in the Office that don't necessarily like this decision also

I have been asked to pass along this info:

Please send E-Mails, these can be taken to the BOD to be considered - if enough of us do this, something can hopefully be worked out

please...Don't cuss them out and be mean about it, state your case, why you like and use this board and ask them to not phase it out, it has been considered a benefit of being a member and we don't need benefits taken away, heck we need more

A lot of us know incoming BOD Kevin McCoy, Peter Shive has also ran on a platform for standing up for the membership - this incoming BOD might be the best we've had in a long time that might actually do something about it!

we all have way to much time and money in this org to just abandon it over this without trying to get something done about it first

if you don't like this decision, here's a link to send emails (please be civil): [email protected] (http://www.pdga.com/discussion/../contact)

Here's an idea:

Instead of being chicken little and freaking out that the sky is falling, why not wait and see what the new interface is like? What if the new social media based environment is actually BETTER than a traditional message board interface in the vein of the message boards produced by vBulletin, phpBB, bbPress, Simple Machines forums, etc. which are the ones most commonly utilized on the internet these days?

What if having a simple blog with text, pictures, video, as well as links to Facebook and Twitter, and then comments coming afterwards from anyone who wants to follow up, actually ends up being a far better interactive experience than what we have now, which is a slow and buggy message board?

Seems to me like a lot of people are jumping the gun simply because they fear change. I know next to nothing about the new "social media based environment" but I'm willing to give it a chance and the benefit of the doubt. Until I see the new interface, I'm not going to crucify the PDGA, all over the thought of the message board going away. Seriously?!?

If we give the new interface a chance, and after a reasonable amount of time it's fairly obvious that it stinks, then there's reason to gripe. And at that point, it's absolutely justified to contact our publicly elected Board of Directors, the PDGA Office, etc. to lodge complaints. If that's the case, I'll be at the head of the pitchfork mob leading the charge, I promise you that.

In the meantime, all these sky-is-falling-chicken-littles should take a chill pill! http://www.pdga.com/discussion/images/icons/icon13.gif

No freaking out from this end !!!!!! I was reading another clubs board and came across the discussion and wanted some more information !!!!!! So....... I asked the question this can't be happening !!!!!!!

The chicken Little comment seems to me to be a little over the top !!!!!!! But maybe the Senior Member thinks we shouldn't ask questions about our own organization (PDGA) !!!!!!!!! :confused:

This discussion is a first hand reason why the discussion board is a very important tool to the success of the PDGA !!!!!!! :)

So........................ NO chill pill needed !!!!!!! :rolleyes:

Here's an idea:

Instead of being chicken little and freaking out that the sky is falling, why not wait and see what the new interface is like? What if the new social media based environment is actually BETTER than a traditional message board interface in the vein of the message boards produced by vBulletin, phpBB, bbPress, Simple Machines forums, etc. which are the ones most commonly utilized on the internet these days?

What if having a simple blog with text, pictures, video, as well as links to Facebook and Twitter, and then comments coming afterwards from anyone who wants to follow up, actually ends up being a far better interactive experience than what we have now, which is a slow and buggy message board?

Seems to me like a lot of people are jumping the gun simply because they fear change. I know next to nothing about the new "social media based environment" but I'm willing to give it a chance and the benefit of the doubt. Until I see the new interface, I'm not going to crucify the PDGA, all over the thought of the message board going away. Seriously?!?

If we give the new interface a chance, and after a reasonable amount of time it's fairly obvious that it stinks, then there's reason to gripe. And at that point, it's absolutely justified to contact our publicly elected Board of Directors, the PDGA Office, etc. to lodge complaints. If that's the case, I'll be at the head of the pitchfork mob leading the charge, I promise you that.

In the meantime, all these sky-is-falling-chicken-littles should take a chill pill! http://www.pdga.com/discussion/images/icons/icon13.gif

HEY JEFF -

I'm the state coordinator for Arkansas, I've just had 2 upcoming events cancel sanctioning their events over this, I have dozens of players complaining to me - the PDGA must confer and communicate with the member base more - this is being seen as a loss of benefit by many

there's no way FB can provide the order that the D-Board has, it's too big, too fast

blogging is fine but perhaps we need both

the PDGA must confer and communicate with the member base more - this is being seen as a loss of benefit by many



no doubt, what's so hard about issuing a simple statement over the issue instead of letting speculation run wild over something mentioned in passing in the minutes of a board meeting? sounds like a job for the ED to me...

Hey Evan !!!!!!! I was just thinking about next years membership and I was wondering if they decided whether to keep the discussion board or not !!!!!!!! :confused:

Sometimes know news is good news, but ya never know !!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

I have no new info on the matter, if anything develops I'll pass the info along