One issue with AF is having certain opinions just starts an absolute shitstorm. Examples:

- Supporting the Phoenix being in the league.
- Not supporting a 2nd division in the A-League

I tend to lurk on a lot of AF articles simply because I know that if I make a certain comment very specific users will make very consistent comments that kill any kind of discussion.

All they have to do, and I've said this many times, is delete the post and put in italics "Off topic, post removed".

Done.  1000% improvement across the forum within a few days.

There'd be no point shitposting because it would be deleted and blokes would get sick of wasting their time.  Instead threads get locked down or devolve into, as you said "shitstorms".  

Indeed.

I tire of the constant threads that just become public places to attack each other over opinions. God help you if you make a comment arguing against a 2nd division at the moment.

The discussion of actual football is less than what it was. I still follow the A-League even though I no longer have a team in the league and I like to discuss it.

1000 times better than muting everyone because they're only shitposting some of the time and you don't know when they've made a reasonable post or not if you can't see them.

Off topic, ad hominen attacks would disappear overnight. 

I agree, some people just disagree on certain topics and can be respectful on others.

As I said before, there are a number of you that are carrying baggage from another forum and there's been a lot of shit flung from both sides. Because of that banning one member or another would be unfair. Let's draw a line in the sand. Any more harassment from any of you to anyone else will be dealt with swiftly.

I also do not understand why one person's choice to not read someone else's posts is such an affront to some. However, posting that you've muted someone is not clever and people can see that you're being passive aggressive. Cut it out.

BETHFC post sums up my take overall..
Been around for a while but I don't post much for there are too many smart arse's on here.
The place is a skeleton to what it once was, in some case's good, notorganic for eg was his own worst enemy to outsmart others and didn't handle getting back his own, people similar on political views at the same time - like gtfo both sides have good and bad points just as in the football topics, you can't be so one eyed suck it up. 
Those in the know belittle you on any subject and as mentioned the topic goes off track and into banter this banter that. Hey nothing like some fun but too many of you take things OTT and screw things right up. One up man ship - seriously you can't win everything.
HAL to PL to NSL, its all being football supporters but can't live together can we.
The FFA are the enemy and most of the Fox commentators know F all and it goes on and on and on.
An interesting subject just goes to shit.
So many keyboard experts but its going nowwhere lol.
The Multis are pathetic. Grow up.
Its all negative.

Good points raised.

Those two issues have almost been done to death. I think it is bad that specific users can inadvertently kill a thread. I'd like to be informed if I was guilty of doing this and contributing to killing a thread.

I'm quite concerned that this forum showing worrying signs of contracting to the point of no return. The points  you've raised reinforce that view, Beth FC. Some forum mates of mine are becoming bored with the topics.  I see this as evidence of too few posters posting,  resulting in too little generation of new threads and providing new perspectives.

I've seen three Aussie football forums die.

1. TWG 

The owners didn't care about it after a while and it really died a death. 


2. Gippo Sports

Two of us actively  tried to grow the forum, but most of the membership were indifferent. I recruited 20 odd posters. All but one left. It has very little football  specific traffic.


3. Anarchy Football

Started off with circa 1000 members. It must only have about 15 active members now.

I had a lot of discussion with one FA owner about rebooting the site with the potential of him making money. He thought it was a little  too hard and too big a job, but liked the thought of earning a revenue stream.



 I've been involved in a team running a football site before, and a mate runs a very successful site based on one state's football milieu. There is monetary opportunity.


The best thing about football forums is the immediacy, greater knowledge about other state football scenarios and networking. The biggest gap in my coaching knowledge was filled with one poster cutting and pasting some European powerhouse clubs' academy training ground exercises on 442. I've  disseminated them as widely as possible in my home state.

If  442 dies, there are no national football forums left. Big Soccer has too many sections and is not as Australia specific.

This is really bad you feel this way.

Basically, I try to find points of agreement, than disagreement. I'd like to think there are many on 442 willing to accept points of difference, agree to disagree and then move on.

Point taken. Many others hold this view. There is probably a consensus on this from what I've read. 

The ones I've used a long time ago, that a mate set up, were supposed to be light hearted and silly to provide satire - not offend. They've been axed.

I've argued against Div 2 in terms of timeline and have been astonished at the passion opposing this point of view.

Mind you, I've become pretty friendly with one poster who took such exception to my position.

Agree with this.

Posts about "Phoenix shouldn't be in the A League" etc have just become silly and pointless.

There are still just enough people here to know what is going on to make it worthwhile, I suppose....

2. Gippo Sports

Decentric was banned from gippo sports forum for making obscene and irrelevant posts under the Bill Billston label. He went there mainly to talk up his coaching credentials.

Gippo only has some two dozen or so active posters... some are currently in Iran to support the Socceroos.

Yes we get it, he had multis elsewhere and posted bad stuff. His multis here are banned and if he does it again he'll be banned.

Unless you want the same fate.

Good to see some favourable response's.
Decentric, I do find some of knowledge and views very interesting to read but I know if I object to parts of the Youth Curriculum you would only see it your way for eg.......for thats the stamp you have planted on your head from the powers above but just as any job/passion we follow the direction issued.. Leave that for another thread one day I'm just bringing up an example.
As a part timer around here I find the multis just painfully confusing to explain, by your comment about other football forums of the past falling apart and this goes for the other culprits re multis your all turning away possible regular members of the future. The place is such a mish mash of crap typical of school yard behavior I don't blame other lurkers looking and thinking bugger joining 442.
Its funny when I think about it and the FFA/HAL NO to promotion relegation currently and all the other subjects etcetc - this place is just as fecked up as the governing bodies/hidden agendas, so who's better than who.
NONE are.
If you wish this place to hang onto the last core its got right now there needs to be a huge change right now for it to grow for the cancer has been eroding many many members..

I'm just about to  start a big thread in Performance to see what  is occurring in other parts of Australia in different football milieus regarding coaching. There are a few, just a few, strange things that occur and I will highlight a few of these in this thread. Others will probably arise too. I've learnt a lot from other coaches, but maybe they haven't done some basic stuff they should've.

The worst thing about the  curriculum is I've been persuaded by evidence based research, from FIFA and UEFA Technical Departments at FFA and KNVB courses. Perplexingly, most of the trained coaches on this forum must have been asleep in those conferences. Through FFA we have embarked on a pathway that has no alternative if we want to be world powerhouse other than Italy.

Unless someone has a clear alternative pathway, I struggle to be persuaded - only on this issue.

One of the things about more input from more posters, is it effects  and refines my views over time. Sometimes I like viewing discussions where I have little background knowledge.  This occurs  in the cricket section or in those discussions where some know about football finances. Just like you've clarified what is probably a consensus on multis. Stuff I've done a year or so ago, simply as a piss take, may still have ramifications.

I think the Nix are really unfairly pilloried on this forum.

I'm fed up with Nix bashing.

For those who've visited NZ its a pretty good country to visit. I have a strong feeling we make Nix fans feel unwelcome on 442. Why? 

I expect this is a recurring theme.  People turn away from personal attacks. Personal attacks are counterproductive.

On somewhere like Big Soccer there would've been a lot more mod intervention to prevent this occurring, but don't I think they  have an active Australian section and would not have the traffic that 442 does.

I'd also be interested for Kevin Airs to provide some input.

What are the 442 traffic numbers now, compared to years ago with actual number of visits over a month/week, KA? This is your site. Surely, you have a vested interest in traffic numbers.

When I was involved in a football website, we had between 100 and 600 per day according to Google Analytics. A mate of mine has a state based football site and he gets 2000 different individuals a day in the season.

I thought KA told me about five years ago 442 received 30 000 individual hits from unique accounts per week, or probably a month. How do the figures compare now, KA?

Mcjules, did you or some other moderator delete my screenshot of decentric's abusive PM?

If you did, and it was by accident, I'll happily repost.

If you did, intentionally, does this mean you condone decentric's behaviour?

What gives?

what do you mean by heavy handed?  what do you want them to do?

a handful would be. i see some familiar names.  some of the content is good but there really isnt much ongoing discussion happening.  more hit and runs and abuse. 

the butthurt over cahill is strong on 442.  and city are still unduly targeted.  but its mostly victory fans -  which have pretty much over run this forum.  especially after their "triple" when they became the most annoying and indulgent posters on here.  hence my pleasure in giving them a little troll action now and then.

public warnings would be good as well.  just deleting the posts makes it hard to actually understand what happened and for other to recognise what is a bad thing to do.  quoting the offending post and saying - "if this shit continues you will have your post deleted and cop a ban for a couple days" would be good.  it gives a way to publicly set some standards which sends a message.

I didn't delete your screenshot and I'm not aware of any mod that did. I did see it before but there is no need to repost it.

I've already said it quite clearly, I don't condone any of the behaviour you, Munrub, localstar and Decentric have been displaying on this forum amongst each other. An amnesty has been called on all past indiscretions between you, Munrub, localstar and Decentric. There will be no more tolerance of any of it. This includes continuing to bring up said past indiscretions.

Understand?

For gawd's sake mrjules, there's no need to sound so pompous and patronising...

So it's just a return to the status quo, then... nobody on the forum is allowed to criticise decentric's endless twaddle, even if it is done in an objective and constructive way.

I'll stop accusing him of having multis, but I'm not going to stop calling him out for talking nonsense.

^ you can be assured that I have never, or would ever , consider sending ugly, abusive and sexually explicit PM's referencing family members to anyone in here.

Your forum standards are set by the lowest common denominator.

Capishe?

It's only patronising because everything needs to be spelled out to you (plural form of you). It reminds me of how I have to explain things to my own children.

You are absolutely allowed to challenge his ideas, especially in an objective and constructive way. I'm trying to find where I or anyone else has said you can't but I'm coming up empty...

That's great to know. Glad we're on the same page. 

^ somehow I think you missed the point but never mind.

Allow me to raise a glass to your newfound gonnads.

Don't let me down, champ.

Strange... I was always under the impression that you were about 16 years old. But now you have pointed out what a mature adult you are obviously you'll get much more respect (!?)

If you had the slightest idea what goes on on  this forum, you would know that "challenging decentric's ideas" inevitably leads to abusive PMs from the said gentleman.