Let's Talk Squash - SUSPENDED

Squash Mad · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:31 am Post subject: Yard posts continue to move..

The yard posts keep moving re: reasons for censoring or deleting posts

Yesterday I:
- shared the news of the Players Cup Series here on the Forum
- complimented John Nimick on his innovation and perseverance
- provided a nudge nudge wink wink of where to find additional information on the announcement until further details were posted here on squashsite
- alluded to time zone issues (in this circumstance) causing a delay in covering this announcement on squashsite but acknowledged Steve's work ethic indicating details would certainly be here soon

I can only guess:
1. using the Forum for facilitating quick, expedient and timely communication (ie. US Open results) is permitted and encouraged ... but only selectively so
2. using the Forum to share other news (ie. Players Cup Series) is not welcome - especially if:
a) another website appears to “get the scoop” or gets the report in the public domain sooner
b) the news is shared by someone who is not a “favoured son” of the Moderator

Seems petty to me ... other posts in the Forum are being arbitrarily deleted as well ... are we as adults not able to review ideas, articles with enough intellect, critical thinking skills and judgement such that we don't need Big Brother deciding what we can read, discuss? Heaven forbid we would be subjective to differening viewpoits .... maybe some perspectives not seen through rose coloured glasses

P.S. have you noticed the absence of coverage on the PSA site? events that have chosen not to be a part of the Players Series? websites seeming caught unawares of announcement timing and seeming ill-prepared to have their own indidvidual websites updated accordingly
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stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:

Squashmad,

The report you alluded to was not from Howard Harding as you had supposed, but direct from John Nimick's press officer. I hadn't received it because of delays in some email system or other.

So, had John Nimick decided to release his news to selected outlets only, which seemed likely given the information I had, then that would be his decision, and there would be no way I should, or no reason for me to allow posts which highlighted this news which had been denied to us.

Secondly, if I had received the news and was a little slower than usual in posting it, why on earth should I allow a post that simply points out that someone else did it first ? If you sent a letter to the Times about a story in the Telegraph that the Times had missed, would you expect it to be published ?

To answer your questions,

Yes, the forum is appropriate for distributing news such as US open results.
No, the forum is not appropriate for praising apparent 'scoops' on competing sites.

Mick · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:25 am Post subject:

I´m shocked that what seems to be PSA events are publicised on squashsite, squashtalk and not on squashplayer or "the right hook" the PSA website!

The ideal press release for these particular events should be where it hits home !

This gesture or lack of it, should ring alarm bells. If you ask me, the next step would be to start your own tour and forget about the lack of appreciation portrayed by PSA.

Too long have squash bodies worked against each other and it´s about time someone bites the bullet and work towards the true meaning of what their positions entitle them to stive for.

Forget the olympics for now and look within. Criticism as long as constructive should NEVER be deleted from any forum or round table discussions.

So what if certain topics rock the boat, damage to personal reputations is no contest to the damage to all the players around the world and the continued farce that we call the growth of squash worldwide. Oh i forgot squash is the number one contender AGAIN for the Olympics. What scoring system, doubles and refs ??

I feel we all know how difficult the corporation of squash is. Protect your own has been our downfall. Support squash as you commendably do Steve and thanks for the forum platform.

Well done John, at least players don´t have to travel 1000´s of km to each event and the idea of a tour like in tennis is great for spectators as well as players health and travel costs.

Squashandy · Heavy Contributor Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 25

Before we go any further, I think we should just congratulate Steve on a great job. It can't be easy and I think the website is top notch. It's my first point of call to get results and info.

Well done Steve..
Andy
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SquashAndy

Peter C · Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2007 Posts: 9

And it's not really surprising that he's a little sensitive over people using 'his' forum to promote his rivals. If you were so sure that Steve would post the article Squashmad, why not just wait a little while or send a private message about it.

marko · Prolific Contributor Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 144

OK I found something on the web which is advertising Power and Nicol playing together tomorrow

If I publicise it here will steve remove it because he hasn't been told first ? A bit neurotic perhaps ?

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:35 pm Post subject:

The answer to that one is ... it depends.

If it was a charity event for a good cause and we didn't know about it or had simply missed it, then of course that would be fine.

However if it was a money-making venture where the organisers had placed paid-for advertising in other media and for some reason had declined to offer squashsite any incentive to feature it, then I wouldn't be happy.

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:41 pm Post subject:

Oh, and by the way ... Squashmad says the yardposts keep moving.

Sorry, but I do remember saying previously that there isn't and won't be a written procedure, that the process is arbitrary, and that those are the rules.

nyc squash · Prolific Contributor Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 100

Steve says, "So, had John Nimick decided to release his news to selected outlets only, which seemed likely given the information I had, then that would be his decision, and there would be no way I should, or no reason for me to allow posts which highlighted this news which had been denied to us."

Squash site has many virtues, and you can add me to the chorus of appreciation for Steve's work ... but the attitude expressed in this quote is extraordinarily petty.

Because of a perceived slight, Steve says there's "no reason for me to allow posts which highlighted this news." Isn't one of the virtues of an open forum like this that readers can spread information to one another -- even if the moderator of the forum wasn't previously aware of the information (and even if he felt it was an afront that he hadn't been told)?

What would have been the consequence if Nimick had in fact intentionally left squash site off his press distribution list? Would squash site have pretended the news didn't exist? Steve would have reason to be upset, but the proper response would have been to express his anger to Nimick -- not to supress the information by deleting posts here. (Ultimately, doing that is against his self-interest. If readers know Steve makes a practice of withholding information, the consequence is that readers are going to go to competing sites.)

Because Steve deleted Squash Mad's post, we can't know whether SM was in some way rude -- whether, for instance, he chided squash site for being slow to cover the story. But even if SM was rude, that doesn't justify deleting a post with hard information. If he thought it was necessary to defend himself or explain the situation, Steve could have done so in a response.

Viper · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:52 pm Post subject:

I can understand where Steve is coming from, squash is such a small market and deriving income from a site like this in that small market would be very difficult, as such scenerios like the one in this thread are understandable from Steve point of view, this site is not subscription based remember .............
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........ Squash is a drug - and remember there is always someone better than you........

nyc squash · Prolific Contributor Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 100

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject:

No, it's like someone placing a paid-for advertisement in one journal and expecting another one to do it for free.

nyc squash · Prolific Contributor Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 100

There's a difference between advertising and journalism. No one is asking squash site to reproduce an ad. What you're saying is that you won't cover an event as news if the event promoter has chosen to advertise elsewhere but not with you.

In the case at hand, are you saying that John Nimick paid a competing site to report the Players' Cup as news?

WHY? · Heavy Contributor Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Posts: 29

Am I alone in finding it irritating that SquashMad and some of his brethren seem to delight in causing dissent where none exists, masquerading as a defence of fair play and open handedness. Every post they make has a negative edge to it, in a spurious wrapper of reasonable comment and 'man of the people' representation. If you don't like the content why not a) write to Steve privately b) post in a more positive and constructive fashion or c) just don't visit the site. Steve is busting his ass to make this site great, give him support not mischievous attacks.

Canuck · Prolific Contributor Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 123

All I'm going to say on this subject is, that while I have sympathy for those voicing their concerns, is there any other squash website that even provides a forum for its readers to communicate with one another? If so, maybe you (we) can have that conversation over there...

For the record Steve, I don't think there is, and that is my point...

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject:

nyc squash,

No, I'm not saying squashsite won't cover a happening as news if it's withheld from us (although we might cover it differently). There's no reason I know of for anyone to do so, and in this case it was just a matter of a delayed email. But, while I was finding this out, I wasn't prepared to have the forum used to point visitors to a competitor.

Simple as that.

And I'm not paranoid. But squashmad is definitely out to get me ...

nyc squash · Prolific Contributor Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 100

Fair enough, Steve -- that explanation comes across as more reasonable than "there would be no way I should, or no reason for me to allow posts which highlighted this news which had been denied to us."

marko · Prolific Contributor Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 144

Whats amazing is that my post here about what if I knew a news story, would steve remove it.... got removed !>?!?!?!!?!

stevecubs · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject:

No it didn't Marko, NO ... IT ... DIDN'T. Evil or Very Mad

bendi36 · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:22 pm Post subject:

only one way to settle this. staring competition! first one to die loses
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fionnmacual · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:38 pm Post subject:

Mick · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:16 am Post subject:

Come on guys, leave SM alone!

If there is something to think about concerning censorship or info that belongs or however you want to put it on this site or forum.

Consider that the PSA website has NOT announced John N new tour. Why?

The events should´ve been first publicised where it rightfully belongs. then fed to other websites.

So squashsite has breaking news about a bunch of PSA events that seems to be unkown to the PSA??

I feel this is contradictory to a lot of statements made prior.

Whose rocking the boat now, squashsite, Nimick or PSA ?

SM has noticed a problem and a few seem to be looking in the wrong direction!!

Squash Mad

stevecubs · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

I can't put it any better than this:

squish · Prolific Contributor Joined: 28 Sep 2007 Posts: 95

Word to the wise: chat forums that are slow to censor are better than their competitors, and there will always be competitors.