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The Dames

I'll answer all of your questions...

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Guest HVilleThugg

I assume that you want us to post our questions here...

 

What was the rationale for removing the SWF Article from the homepage?

 

Da "I'm a conceited bastard, and i sign all my posts like this because i'm a dork" H

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Guest Powerplay

Xero: Huh?

 

Dames, we'd just like to know why we make this site a less credible website. We think that we are pretty well run, and Mark would be sure to put out some very good columns.

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What was the rationale for removing the SWF Article from the homepage?

The rationale was pretty much as follows.

 

You guys know that we host the SWF as well as OAOAST.

 

I had been in talks with Edwin MacPhisto for a few weeks on trying to get a column on the main page, but things fell through when I became quite ill for a few weeks. Talks resumed with Grand Slam and Thoth not too long ago and we had decided on a column once a week (Tuesday) with Grand Slam as the main contributor to it.

 

The moment that we put up article number one, I got an IM from the OAOAST "leader", asking to write a column as well. I didn't realize until then what could happen.

 

I pay 100 dollars a month for the server, out of my own pocket...and I'm unemployed. The Admin and myself had decided that the only way to try and make some money off the site without using pop-ups and banners (which I didn't want to use) was to charge a small fee for being hosted. I had been under the impression that you guys were paying all this time, which is when the deal with Thoth was made. I thought it was a fairly good one....5 bucks a month, payable in amounts of 20 every 4 months, so I won't see anything until at least February.

 

Problem is this....when the server was originally purchased, I didn't have the money immediately and borrowed it from someone in the OAOAST. He told me he wouldn't collect the debt as long as I allowed them to be hosted for free. That sounded like a good idea to me.

 

This past weekend, I spoke with a few writers not associated with either of the E-feds who all shared the same view on it. Any other E-feds that we end up hosting will want to write on the main site and it'll clutter up the main page with things we never intended to be there, taking up space for our articles and taking away some of our credibility as a serious site. After taking a few days to think about it, I decided that no E-feds should have articles on the main page.

 

I would like to compensate you guys in any way that I can. I had already told Grand Slam that if you guys do make a website, I would host it for free and link to it on the main page. I'm not kicking you guys out or anything, I just need you to understand that I can't play favorites here, even if I wanted to.

 

My DEEPEST apologies.

 

Dames

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Guest chirs3

Edit Rachel Leigh Cook back into the Miss SmartMark competition, Dames, and all will be forgiven.

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Guest BA_Baracus

PROMO (Stubby P. McWeed);

"Fucking lovely.

 

What a bunch of spineless political bullshit.

 

Mothernature says..."

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Guest Edwin MacPhisto

Dames, a thought:

 

Do you honestly expect any more e-feds to appear here? The SWF and the OAOAST have been the only ones since these boards were born. Remember how Smartmarks Championship Wrestling went?

 

I'm not totally sure what the problem would be if you gave OAOAST a column. Or, for that matter, entirely understand the logic of saying "no" to the SWF column.

 

If you're looking to make this place a serious wrestling site, wouldn't it make sense to have some focus on the e-feds there? The SWF is a serious organization with storylines and character that blow anything going on in American wrestling today way out of the water, and the OAOAST is a lighthearted, wickedly goofy satire of said wrestling madness.

 

If, however, you just want a "serious site," with the wrestling as merely one focus...well, I wish you luck in that. Don't consider this flaming, but consider it a simple criticism: you need to pick up writers who aren't merely interested in aping Scott Keith and trying to piggyback on his style, which isn't so solid in the first place.

 

A new site won't gain legitimacy unless it's a bit unique...and I for one genuinely believe that a column recapping the events of damn fine e-fed is a most esteemed unique item.

 

We *are* paying for hosting space, small as the dollar-dollar bills may be, and I think it is somewhat not-cool to say "no" to the column of a paying contributor. While I know that you certainly don't want to set a "Can I write a column? I'll give you 5 bucks!" precedent, realize that this is representing not one person but an entire group of people. There is a substantial difference between a column that speaks for a fluctuating group of people ranging from 30-40 community members and up, and some hack wanting a space to get his words out.

 

I am very disappointed, and sincerely hope that you and whoever exactly are the authorities on the issue reconsider.

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Guest AnnieEclectic

I can see and understand both viewpoints, but on the whole Edwin makes an excellent point. I mean, it would be a bit different if we were just some morons pulling crap out of our ass and posting it for ego, we're a group that have been around for two years writing our hearts out. If it weren't for the fact that we're seriously hurting for membership, and that we all don't want to see two years of history end it probably wouldn't be such an issue. Plus, the addition of two weekly columns can't be too much clutter. If the OAOAST want one as well, perhaps we can make the articles bi-weekly. SWF one week, OAOAST the other. That way it's at least less clutter, both leagues get visits, we'll pay for space on the site (I understand too, as I'm currenlty unemployed but when my job kicks in I'm sending $20 US to Thoth immediatly).

 

As for the website, I'm sure we can mock something up. I don't know, it's just that we're suddenly feeling a membership pinch, and we need all the help we can get.

 

-Annie

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Guest HVilleThugg

As unpopular as it may seem, I tend to agree, somewhat, with what Dames has said. When their idea for the site as established, there was no mention of e-fed columns...that's nt to say that they can't work because I think that they can, especially with an e-fed like ours and the way that Mark writes the columns. However, it would be highly unfair for them to allow us a column and not allow OASTAS (or whatever it's called), even though they are not a "serious" e-fed. Mocking or not, if we are allowed a column, they should as well because they are, in principle, paying customers just like us. They may not be paying monthly like us, but since they paid the oroiginal money, the return on their investment is in the form of hosting their fed. So, in essence, they are paying customers and deserve a column as much as we do.

 

It's a tough situation for Dames to be in, as he doesn't want the site to focus on e-feds or the like. While one or 2 columns a week wouldn't constitute a focus, he has to look a little bit more long term in that, what if a another or a couple of other "established" e-feds want to be hosted here and are willing to foot the cost. Dames will certainly give them a home to help pay the bill on the server, obviously. Now we have 3, 4, or 5 feds that are paying customers, and all should be allowed to have columns...and now the front page is cluttered with e-fed banter. Personally, I'd love to see it, but for a site that's trying to establish itself in the wrestling community, having e-feds being the focal point would almost certainly be damaging to that effort.

 

Now Annie has a good idea...splitting up the time on a monthly basis. Kind of like, Tuesdays can be the e-fed day, with one week Mark, the next that other fed, and so on like that. Then, if more feds come in, they can just jump right in the rotation. I think that's a wonderful idea...

 

As far as Dames's proposition of hosting a website. I've been working with Mark today to get that pumped out as quickly as possible. I already have the space dedicated on my server to host the site, so we certainly don't need your space, but if you did host it, it would make things easier on Mark and me as far as updating becuase I share my server with a friend which means we have some very strict security rules. If you host, Mark could update easily instead of having to go through me, especially since I can be hard to find these days. Either way, I hope that you'd link to us off the main page, and hopefully we can bolster attention that way.

 

In all honesty, I think that the major uproar is more because of the timing of this move, not the move itself. We're currently in a bad place with our roster a little depleted, and we were all looking forward to some people coming out way as a result of Mark's column...I think that's the bigger issue here.

 

While I do not like the decision to cancel the column, I understand the situtation and the decision. I think everyone who's angry about this should take a step back and look at the bigger picture for the site, which I believe is the reason for the move. I could be wrong though, but I doubt it. :)

 

Also, Stubby...come on man...I don't think yelling at Dames is the way to go here. That kind of reaction has never gotten us anywhere, internally or externally. Everyone seems to posting witch constructive comments, and as our "leader" I think it's important for you to do the same instead of just saying that it's political bullshit. The only good that would do woudl be to piss off Dames and he kicks us out....which he has the power to do. Flames just don't seem like the way to go here...or maybe that's just me. In my opinion, since you're "in charge" of the SWF or whatever, I think you should be in contact with Dames on a more regular basis instead of leaving that for Thoth to handle...you should be working with the powers that be on these boards in trying to make this the best situation possible for all of us, instead of stamping your foot and calling it bullshit.

 

Then again, what the hell do I know...

 

Da "rant over" H

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Guest Thoth

Talking to Dames, it's clear that he wants to help us, and short of giving us our column back, he's willing to compromise.

 

I believe that his idea to host us for free is great. When we get the website up, he can just change the front page link to point at the website, which would then point at the boards.

 

The onus is now on us, of course, to get the site out.

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Guest Tod deKindes

Would it be too much to ask your other columnists to simply add in their text "hey, after you're done reading this, while you're at it, check out the SWF e-fed if you're into that sort of hobby, check the SmartMarks forums for info." ?

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Guest AnnieEclectic

...actually Tod, I think it might. Unless there's a column -on- wrestling related hobbies, maybe.

 

-Annie

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