I think it would be unique for a message board to incorporate this feature because it would probably be a first for forums since this is usually something that's associated with Twitter, Instagram and even Facebook.
Nowdays in the media, the use of hashtags seems to be used a lot in order to show what's "trending". Every time there is a media event like the American Music Awards or a TV event like The Walking Dead you'll usually see a hashtag for said event which encourages people to use during discussion.
With sports, there are definitely all kinds of trending topics so I think hashtags would work here. There is always something to talk about with sports and all kinds of news and crazy games/performances that happen daily so maybe hashtags could help to really highlight what's being hot at the moment.
It would also bring some type of unison for board posts across the website because you can see how posters can relate and whatnot. It'll help build more bandwagons which may sound bad at first, but I think it could make RealGM more interactive.
For example:
"We need to give Kentavious Caldwell-Pope more minutes! #FreeKCP"
^^ Then Pistons fans can go and use that hashtag in their posts regarding KCP.
"James Harden had another monster game tonight! Wow. #FearTheBeard"
^^ Rockets fans could use that hashtag whenever Harden has a great game or whatever.
Kobe's finally back!!! I know he'll probably play some limited minutes tonight, but man I'm so happy to finally see him back on the floor again. Our bench has been amazing lately so if Kobe starts playing well then we'll have so much firepower on this team to make a Playoff push and really surprise everyone who doubted us." #BlackMambaReturns
^^ Whatever hashtag posters would use for Kobe's return would definitely be trending on RealGM like crazy.
And if this feature were to be implemented, maybe there could be a "Trending" area somewhere that shows all the trending hashtags that are currently being used. That way you'll know if a certain team is hot at the moment or whatnot, and you can click the hashtag to see all the posts regarding that topic and active threads people are discussing it on.
It could also potentially help RealGM gain some new members. Because people randomly visiting the forum section of the website for the first time might be attracted to the fact that we have trending topics which get shown in a "Trending" area somewhat like a live news ticker (in list form). The website would have a fresh and "current" vibe to it that may attract browsers to sign up and join.
Also, the great thing about the hashtags being used on RealGM is that there isn't a 140 character limit on posts like there is on Twitter, so it would be nice to catch up on hashtag posts and seeing all the quality posts that many posters have made regarding hot topics in the NBA and other hot topics.
This could also possibly add a boost of visits to off topic boards like the Media Lounge or Gamers Lounge who don't get as much traffic. A hashtag like "#RIPPaulWalker" would have definitely led people to post their condolences in a media lounge thread whereas without a hashtag people probably wouldn't think to post about it here.
This feature would be even more utilized come playoff time. With all the intense moments that happen, you'll definitely see active hashtags being developed. We would see hashtags like "#OKCvsHOU" being used depending on series matchups.
Also, for crazy Playoff/Finals moments, we could see a lot of big hashtags being used.
For example: When Ray Allen made that game tying three pointer in Game 6 of the Spurs/Heat Finals series, we would have seen a lot of Ray Allen hashtags like "#JesusShuttlesworth" or "#RayRay" which would show that he's the hot topic of the night.
The NBA Draft would also be a big night for this feature.
So yeah, just a suggestion/idea for the board. I know there's a big chance it would be hard to pull off or even be considered so if hashtags can't be used then it's okay.
