Post of the day! I would also add in the DF effect! When I joined PFT Byrnes, Gaffney, Spartanburg were all contenders every year! All those fans are really passionate and followed their teams strongly. Unless it's b/c they are mostly on social media or b/c of how strong DF is as a football program and people don't bother with conversation anymore - their rise has been hand in hand with message boards going down hard. No fault of theirs at all - it just seemed to be a lot livelier when "there was more question marks about who would win it or not"! Now, it seems to be a forgone conclusion in 5A. In 3A I think Dillon kind of did the same thing. People just kind of didn't want to sign on and get beat up for "even have the nerve to suggest their team was good"! So, instead of being internet beat up about it, folks just don't log on.AHS14 wrote:The use of forums has been in steady decline the past few years mostly because of the rise of social media like Facebook/Twitter - the social media platforms are more accessible to a lot of people and they are also more mobile friendly than message boards as well. Many people especially the younger generation use their cell phones as the main way of accessing the internet. Information is everywhere these days - it isn't as necessary to browse boards to get the inside scoop as it maybe was 10+ years ago, but I still think they serve a purpose. The boards are a more closer knit community than those big social media networks and the conversation is better IMO.
Combine with the previously mentioned management issues of the other message boards, and we've landed where we are today. The fact that this board is managed and operated by fans and not one person or a newspaper/media conglomerate gives it more stability - it would be simple to transfer management over to someone else should the time come. It looks like the folks in Spartanburg has more or less pulled the plug on PFT. No new users have been able to register for several months now, and recently no one has been able to post either, so it's basically become a museum now for past discussions. I wouldn't be surprised if the current newspaper owners or sports journalists over there have just completely forgotten about it.
I like talking football! Football formations! Traditions at schools around the state. Players on each team to watch out for. And the little of bit of ribbing I do like to engage in is all good natured. Like telling slick, "Come Here Deer" as the Stallions Hunt them down on 3rd and long!
But, remember, these kids are "made different now"! Everything is fast and immediate. You can log on to this site from your phone and post; but they just twitter about it.
Just my two pennies - in summary - the lack of parody in contenders in my opinion had a huge impact. Too many people talking politics or getting overly heated about something much to nothing(a positive opinion about one's own team most times) and more immediate social media have all taken a toll on message boards.
Still - this format is far better for fans who want to read about teams from across the state. Best place to hear various opinions as well! Nobody is going to send long messages like this on twitter or fb. Which may be good; but it could also mean you miss a bunch of the detail.
