Seven Ways You Can Improve ArmchairGM
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Last week, quietly, ArmchairGM celebrated its 4 month anniversary. We're glad you all could be a part of what we hope will turn out to be the sports world's ultimate fan community and resource, and with your help, we're on our way. We're nearing 1.5 million page views, 100,000 edits, and 15,000 articles. And we're fast approaching having member 1,000 join our ranks!
On numerous occassions, community members have discussed and bantered about ways they can help improve and grow the community. The ArmchairGM Support Team -- reachable at support@ArmchairGM.com -- has put together seven things you can do to make this site -- your site -- even better.
But first, thank you. While ArmchairGM launched, officially, in early March of this year, we started putting in countless hours starting well before then. Thanks to the 750++ of you, the entire experience has been worthwhile, and better than we ever thought it could be.
#1: Help New Users
Many new users are unfamiliar with three of the site's more important features: categorization, linking, and how to communicate with other users. More seasoned users can assist them with easy, though:
- Add their articles to the right categories. For example, when a user writes an article about the NHL, but forgets to put it in [[Category:NHL Opinions]], you should edit the article to insert the category.
- Similarly, let's say a user mentions Michael Jordan, but doesn't surround the name in brackets. You can, for him!
- Finally, let the new user know what you did. Go to their "User talk" page and leave them a note, explaining to them what you did and why you did it. (And be polite!) Also, explain how they can respond to you, via your "User talk" page.
For those who don't know, your user talk page is simply "User talk:Username" -- where "Username" is whatever your username is. (You can also access it by clicking "My talk" on the left-side menu.) Whenever someone leaves a note for you on that page, that red "message" button appears.
#2: Tell a Friend About ArmchairGM
You like the site. Your friends probably will, too. We have a handy-dandy little tour you can show them -- that's a good way to explain the site.
#3: Share Your Favorite Stuff With Non-Armchairs
We're sure that you talk sports on other places, too -- message boards, chat rooms, email lists, blogs, etc. Many of the people you speak with there don't know about the great thing you just read on ArmchairGM. Why not tell them? If you see a great article about the Dallas Cowboys, and you read a Cowboy blog, send them an email. If you're a regular on NBA message boards, maybe share some of our NBA stuff. The list goes on.
#4: Start a Project
While the news and opinion articles are biggest parts of ArmchairGM, the community is much bigger than that. Many members have done great things on the site -- like developed the Denver page, the Pitching Opinions section, made sections for Snooker, created things for all sorts of minor league teams, etc. You can do those things, too.
Remember, you don't need anyone's permission or blessing. As some shoe company once said, Just Do It.
#5: Collaborate and Listen
(Sorry, couldn't resist.) In the same vein as above, there are literally hundreds of users, just like you, who are building these projects. Work together to make them even better. Fan tags are a great way to help you find people who are interested in similar teams, schools, and players. You can also propose your project using the opinion creation form so that the rest of the community can help. And of course, you can solicit individual users by contacting them via their talk page.
But don't wait for an invitation. The recent changes page, found on the left-side menu, will let you see what people are working on in real time. If you see something interesting, contact the user working it it via their talk page and ask how you can help.
#6: Add To The Blog Index
We have big plans for the blog index -- you know, that section of the site that catalogues all the sports blogs out there?
You may have noticed that the MLB team pages have been redesigned. There's a box now that says "community," with links to "Fans" (ArmchairGM users with that team's fan box on their page) and "Blogs." Wouldn't it be cool if you could click that one link, and, *poof*, be met with all the (say) Detroit Tigers blogs out there? Yeah, we thought so too.
So, add the blogs you find. It's easy to do. Oh, and let the bloggers know you added them. Maybe they'll put up the link-back image, making the Blog Index even more powerful.
#7: Keep Emailing the Support Team With Your Suggestions
Most users can do most things, but sometimes, the ArmchairGM Support Team needs to implement structural or technological changes to make things happen. Unfortunately, the one thing the Support Team cannot do is read minds.
So, we need you to tell us what you think we should do next. And we reply to (almost) all emails, and take all suggestions seriously and aim to implemenet them. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but here's a quick list of stuff that, off the top of our heads, we added because a member asked us to:
- Threaded comments
- Better comment voting and a voting "scorecard"
- The ability to imbed YouTube and Google Videos
- More photos, using the flickr group
- An RSS feed for your own work
We're also working on a page that will allow you to keep track of your recent votes and comments, so that you can keep a conversation going, even if the story has fallen off the front page, league pages, or team pages. And there's a ton of other stuff in the works that members suggested. You'll see.
Date
Tue 07/11/06, 8:59 am EST
