Ten Commandments of the RealGM Forums

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Ten Commandments of the RealGM Forums 

Post#1 » by RealGM » Wed May 20, 2009 2:16 am

1. Thou shalt not propose impossible trades.

RealGMers are the smartest fans on the Web and our visitors have Trade Checker™ at their fingertips. Trade Checker is the original salary cap software, the same core technology powering the RealGM product that is licensed by NBA teams and used by NBA general managers to complete real NBA trades. So there is no excuse for thinking up trades with little or no chance of happening. That said, RealGM message boards function as a kind of sports think tank and a hotbed of innovative and intelligent idea-making. And there is nothing wrong with coming up with creative – even radical – ways to make your team better. After all, exploring every nuance of the game that happens off the court (or field), all year round, is what RealGM is all about.

2. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s team.

Love your team without hating others … too much. There is no relationship between how much others believe in or care about their team and how much you are able to enjoy your own. And if your team is at the bottom and your rivals are at the top, remember that what goes up must come down. And what is down … has the draft to look forward to.

3. Thou shalt think logically and unemotionally (most of the time).

RealGMers are insightful fans and it is their insights, exchanged and debated vigorously, that make for a great discussion forum. But being emotional and arguing for what you want to happen, rather than accepting the reality of the current state of affairs, does not add much to a conversation. Just remember that your audience has the ultimate say over whether your contributions are valuable. The ones who are just there to make noise and get under everybody’s skin will burn out quickly. Your fellow posters can simply add you to the ignore list if, after a while, you are just writing a lot or being provocative without saying very much. And eventually you will be suspended or banned when you cross the line. Our forums are a natural meritocracy that weeds out the bad ideas and elevates the good ones. The better your comments and observations, the greater your presence on the RealGM message boards. That said, deep convictions are what drive the best fans, so it’s okay if this energy boils over once or twice.

4. Thou shalt not underestimate one’s aptitude.

The difference between passionate sports fans and the actual GM’s is not as big as you think. Dedicated and intelligent observers of a team know the players’ strengths and weaknesses inside and out and they know every one of their team’s tendencies. When it comes to finding ways to improve a team’s talent, don’t think that your brainstorming sessions, or your ideas for player moves or roster plans, aren’t as good as what the pros can and do come up with. RealGM’s forums are factories for young sports minds in training, farm systems for talented thinkers who generate cutting-edge ideas on a daily basis. For this reason, the RealGM forums are widely read by players, agents, the GM’s and assistant GM’s. And no matter what, y’all know a lot more than the average sports writers (well, at least the ones that work for ESPN).

5. Thou shalt visit opposing team’s message boards wisely and cautiously.

Just like proposing trades, there is nothing wrong, by itself, with visiting another team’s board. Inter-board contacts can produce the most interesting discussions. But do so at your own risk. All teams have fans who hold a permanent grudge and some bad apples may just be waiting for someone to wander into ‘their’ territory to unload before the moderators can step in. So tread lightly. And maybe you should consider timing your visit for the middle of a long winning streak. A very long winning streak.

6. Thou shalt not retaliate.

If someone acts up or is impolite, even rude, let the moderators handle it. Both punchers are going to be disciplined no matter who struck first. So let it go for your own good and that of your fellow posters.

7. Thou shalt not troll.

Self-explanatory.

8. Thou shalt not spam (self-promotions, junk sites, lewd materials, etc.).

Don’t do this either.

9. Honor thy moderator.

RealGM moderators have the final word on our forums and they must have your full respect for the boards to operate at the optimal level. Our moderators are the best on the Web. They’re not always right. But like the NBA referees, they do a tremendous job under very tough circumstances.

10. Thou shalt enjoy the spectacle of Off Topic posts.

And thou shalt feel free to partake occasionally.

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