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Analysis on Long Term Growth of HH
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A lot of people have brought up ways to improve discussion or increase traffic here on Hardcore Husky. A lot of different viewpoints have been shared. In this post, I'll try to do a somewhat objective analysis on some of the pressing issues. I will also examine strengths and weaknesses of this site and analyze the long term outlook for Hardcore Husky.
Points of Contention
1. Dawgman Bashing
A frequent complaint has been the matter of Dawgman bashing on this site. Several voices worry it detracts from football discussion. Perhaps it clutters the board, but I view Dawgman bashing as a necessity. With it we can exemplify the ridiculous opinions they have and all that is rotten with the current husky fan base.
From a growth standpoint, Dawgman bashing is a great thing. They are the only real competitor with this site. It has led to an influx of refugees in recent months. Derek says numbers are off the charts and I'll take his word for it. Much of that has to do with this site being an alternative to Dawgman. Without clearly conveying how we differ from them, I assume the recent growth would have been less substantial.
2. GIFs, Pictures, Inside Jokes
A sizable amount of posters have complained about GIFs, inside jokes, etc. claiming it detracts from serious football discussion. That is a silly viewpoint. Part of the charm of this site is the running jokes and quirky posters. Humor has been a main attraction of the HHB boards since their inception. It's what initially drew me in. If you can't laugh at Husky Football after the farce that has been the last 10 years, this site is not for you.
GIF's, funny pictures, etc. are also what differentiates us from other sites. Scout boards have very few images and I don't think they even support GIFs. Younger generation fans like myself are drawn to these visuals. Plain and simple they are good for long term growth.
3. The Banning of Harvey Road
This has been a contentious issue since Harvey was banned in early July. Certainly the bored was much different then. If I had to guess I'd say there were a quarter of the posts daily than there are now. The board is now much more able to support itself. If Harvey was unbanned he would be another "big name" poster to add to the discussion. He probably would hijack some football threads, but the humor he adds to the board would be first rate.
I also understand the role he had in the destruction of dawgboard (RIP). That board is different than this one in several ways. It had yet to pull in the numbers we currently have, while also having a much different ratio of doogs to HHB's. This board has very few doogs currently. IrishDawg was the last to jump ship, and now the only doogish comments are no longer about Sark but Mora. Harv likes to pick fights but this board has a definitively smaller pool of posters for that. This board also seems to be skimp on Cougs. LanceUppercut seems to be the most frequent poster. I imagine if Harv were unbanned we would see an influx of other good Coug posters.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Strengths
1. Site Design
The design on this site is marvelous. It has a 2013 feel that is not too elaborate. The interface is extremely simple, and easy to look at. It has lots of tools for posting that other sites don't offer.
The vote up/vote down/awesome system is unparalleled on other sites. The closest thing Scout has is the 1-5 stars post rating and that thing is a joke. It has a Facebook feel to it, but it goes beyond that with the vote down button. Instant gratification is trending in our society and especially in my generation. Posting something that is well received can now be represented by the tally of upvotes/awesomes, making posting incentive based. As younger fans come to discover this site, this feature will lure them into posting, hopefully consistently.
The profiles are also well done. They are very similar to Facebook. Tracking some of your favorite posters, or even your own posts are made easy. Seeing which posters have a lot of upvotes/awesomes versus downvotes is helpful.
2. Articles
No other competitor combines the depth, humor, and detail into their articles like Hardcore Husky. Derek's interviews with former players, thoughts on Don James, and opinions on the current state of Husky Football are thoughtful and relevant. Duckfighter Illustrated is still the class of College Football satire. It draws in not just Huskies but Ducks, Cougs, and Beavers. Well, maybe only TheGlove. Hardcore Husky predictions generally contain better analysis and humor than Dawgman's equivalent. Mad_Son's Ramblings are a refreshing, and again thoughtful take on the the present state of the program.
Weaknesses
1. The Absence of a Defined Recruiting Board
The biggest advantage Dawgman currently has over Hardcore Husky is the recruiting coverage and discussion. Over here people refer to recruiting as "teen boy stalking" and generally don't like it. I'm one of those people. But it is apparent recruiting is a major point of interest to a majority of fans on Dawgman and elsewhere. For instance, the Seattle Times' Signing Day Live Blog is always among the Top 10 most read stories of the year.
My recommendation would be to add a recruiting specific board to Hardcore Husky and/or have a poster here who follows recruiting write a monthly update on Husky recruiting. That way people here who enjoy recruiting could discuss it without fear of being attacked.
Final thought: The aspect of this site that is its true strength shouldn't need mentioning, but minimal moderation is a beautiful thing.
This is my analysis of Hardcore Husky in its current state. It was a long read, but if you made it through it I'd love to see your analysis too. Thanks for reading.
Points of Contention
1. Dawgman Bashing
A frequent complaint has been the matter of Dawgman bashing on this site. Several voices worry it detracts from football discussion. Perhaps it clutters the board, but I view Dawgman bashing as a necessity. With it we can exemplify the ridiculous opinions they have and all that is rotten with the current husky fan base.
From a growth standpoint, Dawgman bashing is a great thing. They are the only real competitor with this site. It has led to an influx of refugees in recent months. Derek says numbers are off the charts and I'll take his word for it. Much of that has to do with this site being an alternative to Dawgman. Without clearly conveying how we differ from them, I assume the recent growth would have been less substantial.
2. GIFs, Pictures, Inside Jokes
A sizable amount of posters have complained about GIFs, inside jokes, etc. claiming it detracts from serious football discussion. That is a silly viewpoint. Part of the charm of this site is the running jokes and quirky posters. Humor has been a main attraction of the HHB boards since their inception. It's what initially drew me in. If you can't laugh at Husky Football after the farce that has been the last 10 years, this site is not for you.
GIF's, funny pictures, etc. are also what differentiates us from other sites. Scout boards have very few images and I don't think they even support GIFs. Younger generation fans like myself are drawn to these visuals. Plain and simple they are good for long term growth.
3. The Banning of Harvey Road
This has been a contentious issue since Harvey was banned in early July. Certainly the bored was much different then. If I had to guess I'd say there were a quarter of the posts daily than there are now. The board is now much more able to support itself. If Harvey was unbanned he would be another "big name" poster to add to the discussion. He probably would hijack some football threads, but the humor he adds to the board would be first rate.
I also understand the role he had in the destruction of dawgboard (RIP). That board is different than this one in several ways. It had yet to pull in the numbers we currently have, while also having a much different ratio of doogs to HHB's. This board has very few doogs currently. IrishDawg was the last to jump ship, and now the only doogish comments are no longer about Sark but Mora. Harv likes to pick fights but this board has a definitively smaller pool of posters for that. This board also seems to be skimp on Cougs. LanceUppercut seems to be the most frequent poster. I imagine if Harv were unbanned we would see an influx of other good Coug posters.
Strengths/Weaknesses
Strengths
1. Site Design
The design on this site is marvelous. It has a 2013 feel that is not too elaborate. The interface is extremely simple, and easy to look at. It has lots of tools for posting that other sites don't offer.
The vote up/vote down/awesome system is unparalleled on other sites. The closest thing Scout has is the 1-5 stars post rating and that thing is a joke. It has a Facebook feel to it, but it goes beyond that with the vote down button. Instant gratification is trending in our society and especially in my generation. Posting something that is well received can now be represented by the tally of upvotes/awesomes, making posting incentive based. As younger fans come to discover this site, this feature will lure them into posting, hopefully consistently.
The profiles are also well done. They are very similar to Facebook. Tracking some of your favorite posters, or even your own posts are made easy. Seeing which posters have a lot of upvotes/awesomes versus downvotes is helpful.
2. Articles
No other competitor combines the depth, humor, and detail into their articles like Hardcore Husky. Derek's interviews with former players, thoughts on Don James, and opinions on the current state of Husky Football are thoughtful and relevant. Duckfighter Illustrated is still the class of College Football satire. It draws in not just Huskies but Ducks, Cougs, and Beavers. Well, maybe only TheGlove. Hardcore Husky predictions generally contain better analysis and humor than Dawgman's equivalent. Mad_Son's Ramblings are a refreshing, and again thoughtful take on the the present state of the program.
Weaknesses
1. The Absence of a Defined Recruiting Board
The biggest advantage Dawgman currently has over Hardcore Husky is the recruiting coverage and discussion. Over here people refer to recruiting as "teen boy stalking" and generally don't like it. I'm one of those people. But it is apparent recruiting is a major point of interest to a majority of fans on Dawgman and elsewhere. For instance, the Seattle Times' Signing Day Live Blog is always among the Top 10 most read stories of the year.
My recommendation would be to add a recruiting specific board to Hardcore Husky and/or have a poster here who follows recruiting write a monthly update on Husky recruiting. That way people here who enjoy recruiting could discuss it without fear of being attacked.
Final thought: The aspect of this site that is its true strength shouldn't need mentioning, but minimal moderation is a beautiful thing.
This is my analysis of Hardcore Husky in its current state. It was a long read, but if you made it through it I'd love to see your analysis too. Thanks for reading.
Comments
I think adding Harv back would be a good thing. He would add in some more Cougs plus Apple Cup week really needs Harv as he always Coogs it up.
I think by banning him he wouldn't have the same momentum in getting others to play along in his game when he publicly blast someone.
Plus he keeps the doogs on their toes and even keeps us on our toes.
As for the rest I agree. I like the Doogman bashing. Rather rip on their idiotic supporting of Sark with bullshit facts than actually discuss why UW sucks which got old after 23 times.
But actually though: http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/ipe
Agree
disagree
and move on, not waste your time on the internet posting a bunch of crap nobody gives a flying fuck about in the long run. Contrare to what some posters believe, the decision makers at the UW don't care at all about what fans post. Actually I don't realy care one way or another what happens.
Before the season was over, there were more football related posts on here than doogman. If we are a relevant team, that won't be a problem. Almost everyone here is a fan. It's hard to analyze and talk football when we are staring down on another 7-6 season.
I'm sure there will be recruiting talk once the season is over. Well, the season is already over, but I mean after there are no more games remaining on the schedule. It will also be a prime time to make fun of Kim and Eklund and Doogman's chat season.
I was Harv's target while he was here, but I don't care if he comes back. My only issue would be him scaring away new posters by attacking every post of theirs for his own thrills. I would rather let newbies get comfortable and post for a few weeks (within reason) before getting blitzkrieged by Harv, but to each their own.
I understand a lot of you come from this site, but to have 3+ threads constantly on the front page about things happening over there, things somebody there said... Or those conversations hijacking some football topics.
For those of us who do not come from that site, or who don't care anymore, that is a bit too much and it gives this board a second rate feel somehow. And I disagree with your statement it is s great thing for the growth. Dawgman readers only represent a fraction of the husky online fanbase.
But yeah I understand where this is coming from, I've seen that with other sites before where a majority of people moved on to a new site and kept talking about the old one. I hope it dies down with time.
Die in fire
Hope that h's
H that H's
Disagree on Harv. He was intentionally trying to sabotage the board. The recent increase in traffic is fantastic but I don't know if throwing that monkey wrench back in the engine, at the first signs of success, is a good idea. He is a great poster but if he has an agenda, that's a negative to the board.
I think the Dawgman stuff can be a little much at times. I don't mind it because I fucking hate those guys. But it seems like a lot, especially lately. It's probably a necessity right now though.
I'm for a recruiting board, if we call it The Teen Boy Stalking Board.
Only so many times you can talk about how this season that is already over. I mean after 23 times it just got boring.
However, Doogman especially during a losing streak is always giving you gold. I mean Kim tried to use James death as a reason to not rip Sark. He also recently tried to bring up how Eklund's one year old son has the "crud" like that's fucking relevant to anything.
As for Harv? I say let him back in. Sure he'll act like a prick to some of the newbies but as long as others tell the new poster to PM IrishDawg as he has this place dialed in that shouldn't be a problem.
No idea who Harve is.
I prefer it that way.
HTH.