Monitoring the message boards

Sorry if it's D-Bing, but just saw this. Kind of interesting, and wonder how much writers check out message boards to see if there's stuff they need to check out.

http://www.mrhowdy.com/nyt.htm

 

I monitor it daily. For all the crap that's on there, including crap about myself, they occasionally here something that's true.

 

Yeah, in this day age, I think you've got to monitor your school's message boards. You can start to get the feel of which posters know their shit, which posters apparently have pretty good contacts within the program, etc.

Obviously, you can't quote from a message board, but often times a message board post broadcast to the entire world can be just as good as a tip phoned directly to your cell.

 

Many times stories I never would have seen pertaining to the team, or the sport in general, are linked. Nice to have other people doing some research too.

 

Very true. Although sometimes I wonder where these people work that have all this time throughout the day to post all that stuff on message boards.

Oh yeah, uh, never mind... ;D

 

I'm always on the message boards. You can find some good things there for future stories, and Some Guy is right that you might find a poster who has access to information others don't. Personally, I've been able to use message boards to promote my paper and interact with fans - but I wouldn't advise that on many message boards.

 

Do you post using your real name? There are a couple of writers in my neck of the woods who tried that, and it wasn't pretty. The fans around here see us as the nattering nabobs of negativity, to quote a great American.

 

I signed up for an account under my real name on a message board in Texas, but I don't post. I just use the account to e-mail people for more information about stuff they are posting.

 

That's a really good idea.

 

Not my real name, but a handle that leaves little doubt who I am and a link to my e-mail. Generally, it's been positive. I had a coach call me on something I shouldn't have said once, but otherwise no complaints. There are some people who do cause shit, but you just ignore them.

 

I don't know if you are joking or not, but it has helped me break some coaching position stories and it is helping me right now on a big story I am working on where a school district is balking at giving me information.

 

My experience with message boards that are ripping you is that when you sign on and give even a couple of tidbits, or respond to something without taking offence, you can make 99% of them your biggest fans.

There will always be the anonymous message board coward bullies who will use the opportunity to rip you even more, just to be contrary and get attention. But they'll do that anyway. And the rest of the "family" will tend to tamp them down a tad.

As long as you don't take anything personally, it's great to make your "enemies" your friends, by killing them with kindness.

Just don't say anything that might get you into trouble on your beat. Assume everyone is reading it, even if they aren't.