Format of Utehub

[Longview]

The problem with the thumbs up and down is that it reduces the likelihood that people will post.  If you compare Utehub to Cougarboard, Cougarboard is more interesting because there is more posting/ more user content.  I believe the posting occurs at a higher rate because feedback is not given with thumbs up/ thumbs down.  Consider it.  

Thanks for the great site.  It is solid.

 

[DieHardUtahUtesFan]

The frequency of posting is a product of a diluted online fanbase (1/3 of which would rather post about politics, 1/3 of which has been alienated by rabid politics posters, and 1/3 of which would rather use twitter than a message board). It has nothing to do with thumbs.

[EagleMountainUte]

Thumbs down for complimenting that s**t website. Last I checked it was about how many TDS shirts they saw on their last road trip. 

I think less content on this website because we don’t need to stroke ourselves about every little thing. It is July generally I got s**t to do like take care of my family and my job. I try to post links but rarely get replies. 

I say get rid of the thumbs up and thumbs down because it limits input. Many are happy enough to just thumb you rather than reply. I also don’t expect replies to make me feel better about myself. 

[Utah]

I like the thumbs up feature and I think it helps people post. For example, if you post something and get some thumbs up, you are more motivated to keep posting.

The thumbs down, I think it does the opposite.

I’d say keep the thumbs up, get rid of the thumbs down, or make it that you cannot thumb down unless you post a response.

Also, I’d say that if a poster is stalking another poster and thumbing down every post they make, then there should be a suspension of privileges. That person is just a troll and isn’t needed.

[Thlete]

I like the thumbs as a quick “ditto” or “agree” instead of creating a huge trail or quick replies that don’t add any value to the thread. Let’s the poster know I read it and like/dislike their take. 

[Tony (admin)]

As an admin I can view every like/dislike and see who did them. After all, I programmed the whole thumbs system! There have been a couple of cases of users stalking other users and thumbs downing everything they posted.  In both cases I contacted the stalkers directly to find out what their problem was.  Both thought the user who they were downing was not really who they said they were.  After clarifying both situations, the stalking ended. 

[Tony (admin)]

You lost me at “Cougarboard is more interesting…” The average user here doesn’t post. The vast majority of visitors to this site, and any forum site just reads the posts. A small percentage of the users actually write topics or comments. Whether or not the thumbs up/down exsited wouldn’t change that.

The thumbs up/down feature gives users an easy way to express an anonymous opinion. The feature also shows us all popular and unpopular posts and give us a quick and easy way to express our appreciation to users for good content.

[Dwight89]

Might I suggest the real answer that will p**s everyone off?

 

Cougarboard is more popular. 

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Ok breathe everyone.

If you compare Cougarboard to Utehub on SEMrush they had 77,000 unique visitors in June compared to 5,000 unique visitors on Utehub. So, you are invariably going to get more content posted there if you have more engagement and visitors. Tony, looking at your back end analytics does that 5,000 unique visitors for June match your reports? I would be interested to know how accurate SEMrush is. 

The question is, why is Cougarboard more popular? Well, the two likely reasons are A) Cougarboard has been around a lot longer than Utehub and B) there are more engaged BYU fans online than Utah fans. Does anyone else have any other ideas?

So, what can we do to get more fan engagement online? 

[EagleMountainUte]

Productive members of society vs Pathetic myopia. No offense to the posters but ridiculous hypothetical conversations are stupid. Also they are incorrectly categorized when your main point is about TDS put it in the correct category. We don’t play that s**t team until November and I really am not interested in hypotheticals about them. 

[Thlete]

Been around much longer plus only BYU fan location whereas our fan base is splintered across multiple options. 

[Tony (admin)]

Average unique visitors per day for June (a slow month): Secure: 1815, Non secure: 552.  (dumb stats won’t total both).  Total average per day: 1467.  During the 2017 football season that was around 3-4K per day.  Let’s not forget this site is less than 3 years old.  Other sites have a hell of a head start on user base and SEO etc…

[jrj84105]

There is lots of political talk on Cougarboard, but that category is for donors only.  It’s also less decisive because until recently the BYU fanbase has been much, much, much more ideologically homogeneous than ours.

The other thing Cougarboard has going for it is the cheapness of the fanbase.  Most of the best online Utefans post exclusively on one of the premium paid boards.  This leaves the free boards (which are already splintered) devoid of some of the most insightful posters.  BYU’s paid forums suck.

[32utahutes]

I get in CB as much as I get on UteHub for the pure fact of just getting a comical reaction to what’s posted there .They specukate about things that don’t matter. They bash on the Utes so much it’s hard to believe. I love reading about how they think we are an average P5 team. I don’t have an account so I never post on there. Honestly, just for my entertainment. Tony has done a great job of UteHub. I love coming here and I wish more content was posted. However, CB is the better site just because of how long it’s been around. It’s a lot more developed, with a lot more users, with a lot more content. I think UteHub is the best Utah message board and in a few years will be way more developed with a lot more content/users. It’s obvious Tony works hard on this site and it’s great for me, as a Ute fan, to get to be apart of discussion. I don’t even get in utesfan.net .I think it’s a terrible site. I love the thums up/thumbs down feature as well.

[ladyinred]

I think people are too sensitive in general about the thumbs down feature. I like it because i can get a sense of how others are thinking about something. it can also make you realize your own opinions are not un-controversial.

 

i have looked at but never posted on this cougar board place. my impression was that it was a place full of self-important douche hats who spent too much time congratulating themselves, and also talked about sports sometimes. it is probably popular because they can publicly stroke themselves over their perceived superiority, cause by the gravely mistaken belief that anyone cares they went to byu? 

 

Utehub is also much easier on the eyes.

[noneyadb]

Can onlyu have a red thumb for any post liked or disliked?

[Cesar Chavez]

Cougarboard SUCKS! all they talk about are hypotheticals, what ifs, national championship probability, how they are better than Utah, and church ward crap. They’ve also been in existence for longer. We need to some how advertise the site to more Ute fans, there are 32,750 enrolled students at the U, and tens of thousands bormer U grads; they’re just not getting the word that this site exist.

[Longview]

That is not what I mean.  I mean that they can react easily with the thumb up, rather than reacting with words which creates more interest for the rest of site visitors.

[Longview]

I also think broader posting takes the spotlight off of individual posts which reduces stagefright.  go ahead.  If you want to thumbs down me or up me, don’t — rather state what you like and don’t.  

[Duhwayne]

I thumb myself, occasionally.

[Tony (admin)]

Sure. 

[EagleMountainUte]

Just make sure you wash your hands after you do this is the proper etiquette.

[Puget Ute]

Dude, whatever it takes.  You need to be efficient with your use of time…

[FtheY]

Thanks Duhwayne, this is why we can’t have nice things. 

[Cesar Chavez]

That sounds nasty!

[PlainsUte]

If they posted a differing opinion they are likely to be either shouted down, have their posts deleted and/or get a suspension.

[EagleMountainUte]

Welcome to the internet… that is how EVERYONE functions across all boards. Anonymity makes people braver than they really are. Most are cowardly lions. 

I prefer Utehub sans a few users who like to bring the typical BS.