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Shadow reports, message boards, Facebook, and where do we go from here?

Shadowracer · 2013-05-28T02:27:49Z

Hello all. I got to thinking tonight about the message boards and such, and just thought I'd put this up and hopefully generate some discussion.Its been apparent to me for a couple of seasons now that the message board as social media is becoming irrelevant. Chatter is way down and no one seems to be posting much anymore.A brief (and personal) history lesson. The Shadow Report was born, on a whim, about 6 years ago. I've always been a race fan...everyone here knows that, but up until that time I was just another face in the crowd. I didn't actually know any of the drivers, or staff...or anyone really. Just went to the races, enjoyed, and went home.Then one night I discovered this board and liked the idea, and the next week I decided to play reporter and took a notebook with me. Enjoying the discussions that came about from the report I wrote, I continued with it the next week, then for a season, and had some fun with it. Then during the off season I was contacted by management and basically given the offer of a couple small perks if I continued my reporting, which I was happy to do. They liked me because, above all, I was a fair and reasonable voice in a medium not really known for fairness toward the establishment. And even though I was helping them out a bit, it was understood that I had some leeway...there was no company line I had to toe, other than to continue being fair and reasonable.So I basically became Delaware's chief message board guy, and internet hack. Was still doing the report and getting a little bit of celebrity in the pit area, which was nice. Remember at the time that there wasn't much going on as far as the races being reported...I was the only one doing it, and there was a lot of appreciation by drivers that now actually had something to show people where they got mentioned. The Shadow Report was filling a niche/void and it seems I found a place in the Delaware racing community. Fast forward a couple of years. Everyones on Facebook now, message board chatter is dying, except for the bitchers and complainers. We tried to stimulate things a bit with the Pick-3 game and a couple of other gambits that worked for a little while then died off. Then last year I put up a few more Shadow Reports in the early part of the season, all to very little or no comment at all. Considering that the whole idea of the Report in the first place was to foster discussion, it seems to have failed, on this medium anyway. (then I had to go in for my surgery in July and it pretty much kiboshed the rest of the season for me....but that's a whole other story.)So what I want to put out to all of you is this: I'm not looking for kudos or kind words. The simple fact of the matter is that message boards have sort of been supplanted by Facebook, Twitter and such. People only have so much time to spend in front of a computer and engaging in forum discussion seems to have dropped off the map. (unless, it seems, someone wants to complain about something) It is just the way of things, and I say that without any bitterness and only a little remorse.What I am trying to figure out, is to find a "better" way to be involved in the internet community, and still stay an independent fan. (I've no desire to actually work as a track employee.)The days of me scribbling furiously in my notebook while the races are going on, then coming home and writing and formatting until 4 in the morning...well its almost pointless. Track PR does a great job reporting. Way better than they ever have, and often the story and full results are up here on this message board before I even get home to my computer. (I used to race home in hopes that mine'd be up before theirs...and it often was.) That niche that the Shadow Report used to fill is gone, and I simply don't want to keep doing it as a lone voice quacking in the void. These days I still carry my notebook, and I'm still involved. I write for the souvenir program, I try to make interesting tweets from the track...I'm not hurting for involvement. But I keep thinking there's something more helpful that I can be using the internet to do. But I'm running out of ideas.Anyone out there?

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CanadianRacingOnline

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May 30, 2013 3:49 pm

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I can lock the portal to show just forums that people use and are not just press releases that's another option.

Canadian Racing Archive Project.
http://www.canadianracingarchives.com/

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ernie

May 30, 2013 3:55 pm

(@ernie)

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I can lock the portal to show just forums that people use and are not just press releases that's another option.

+100 Evan. I prefer the old home page to what you have now but the press releases, although important, should not show up on the recent discussions area. Even going to unread posts you have to filter through the PR.

John, I don't think there is anything you said that I can disagree with. I have never understood why some tracks, including Delaware in the past, have taken the action they have due to forum posts. The old saying is there is no such thing as bad PR, just the way you react to it. Short of personal attacks and libel I say have at it boys!

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ernie

May 30, 2013 3:55 pm

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Damn you are quick EVAN ;D LOL

Posts: 21343

CanadianRacingOnline

Admin

May 30, 2013 4:00 pm

(@canadianracingonline)

Member

Joined: 23 years ago

how about this. on the top is boards recent topics that people talk in and the right side is all of the recent topics. I set it up take a look.

Canadian Racing Archive Project.
http://www.canadianracingarchives.com/

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ernie

May 30, 2013 4:02 pm

(@ernie)

Joined: 1 second ago

Better

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