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"Go out and run 'em."
- Lindy Ruff, 23 Feb. 2007

Yeah there was 1/2 hearted after the fact contact between the webmaster and the mods.
(shhhh we're all still mods over there)

it happened like this:
1. they changed the boards
2. the boards sucked but we gave them the benefit of the doubt and some time to make improvements
3. When that didn't happen we expressed the issues as we saw them and even spoke to mods for other teams that were on the new format.
4. no action was taken regarding the significant issues the users had with the new system
5. We asked again
6. We said fuck it and I threw this site up
.
.
.
7. something like 2 month later the webmaster reached out to us and basically asked why the site was so dead and what he could do to make it better.
8. we informed him he had been provided that information months ago
9. the official sabres message boards contain mostly tumbleweeds and passers by looking for the old gang.

The Sabres organization made a decision about how important that part of their online presence was and treated it accordingly.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Oh...I'd like to add, I won't use those boards on general principle...it takes like 5 seconds for a page to load.
It's borderline unusable even when you don't take functionality and layout into account.

A message board is 2000 technology...it's not hard.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

forums.sabres.com - gone but not forgotten

Alas, poor forums, we knew you well

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mechaphil

It's such a shame, the Sabres forums were probably one of the most active forums in the league. The NHL does a good job with reaching out to its fans through new technology that the internet provides, but they really dropped the ball with trying to integrate all the team's forums into one, big online community.

But at least there was some good that came from the official forum's downgrade, which is this website.

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

What I miss about forums.sabres.com the most were the other team's fans who posted so frequently. Holmer, PruchaNYR (I still talk to Linz on AIM - she's a fuckin hoot!) and the rest were top notch.

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mechaphil

Unfortunately, the new forums make me want to kill myself.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Yeah, XC recounted it pretty much exactly. It was a joke.

I got the following PM from the old webmaster 3 months ago after I made a comment over there about why everyone left:



That set me off. As XC said, we gave the guy lists of things that you guys complained about, and stuff we noticed ourselves. Remember the problems and suggestions threads I started? He told me he never saw em, even after I sent him a PM TELLING him I set them up to make things easier for him.

He made comments later about how he wondered why traffic to the site had dropped off dramatically. I just laughed. I gave up responding to him some time ago. Other teams had to deal with the change too, but they had active webmasters who listened and tried to make changes.

Ours ignored everything that was said.

Fuck him, we're better off here.

Sabres.com: Pants on the ground.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

dammit!

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I was contacted on 10/29 regarding the decrease in traffic. I never replied.
I couldn't find the words to adequately express my opinion since it had already been stated numerous times nearly two months prior.

Even if the majority of our concerns had been addressed, the overall format still sucks. Other NHL forums have made changes so it's my impression that the Webmaster truly is clueless. The old forums were also one of the few that didn't have active Admins because the Mods did all the work.

Those boards make me sad.

The Islanders board isn't integrated though...

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

enjoy these pictures from home

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PSA: I am an overly sarcastic person. If you take me at my word, then i will most likely anger and offend you.

I just got serious sad

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mechaphil

Gary Coleman grinning at a porn star oughta cheer you up...

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Hey, that's former gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey!

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mechaphil

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Works ever time.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

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mechaphil