A Friendly Reminder...

Editor's Note: Please rec this up so it stays up.

I follow a very simple problem-solving process. My friend Oscar Rodgers outlines it right here (glove tap to Searching for '93): 

Now, I've been a little delinquent in staying on top of everything that gets written at this site mostly because so many people are contributing fanposts, fanshots, and comments. It's no joke when Chemmy and I say that the community makes this site. Back when I wrote on Blogger and no one visited I didn't have to worry about anything because my mom and dad were okay with the ocassional swear.

Now that Chemmy's saved me from purgatory I put in four part community guidelines:

This is not HockeyBuzz. Please act accordingly.

Feel free to disagree. Defending your view point is encouraged but keep it clean. In fact, keep it well-written too.

Swear if you must but picking your spots will make the swearing much more effective.

If you are a fan of an opposing team, play nice. We have it bad enough as it is. We welcome opposing viewpoints but trolling will not be tolerated.

For the vast majority of the time 1, 2, and 4 are as good as I have seen at any site. I love writing and coming to this site and knowing that I can talk Leafs all day long. If 1967ers has posted a fanshot I'll probably even learn something new. Rene Robert a Leaf? Twice? What a country! Even the newcomers/opposition fans that come and talk crazy eventually get housebroken by everyone's calm, good looks, and natural charm.

But....3's getting away from us a bit and Chemmy and I have been complicit in its running away so it's no one's fault (but Chemmy's). So in the hopes of catching it here are some thoughts that have been percolating and are directed at no one in particular and serve as a reminder to everyone most especially Chemmy because he is a dirty old man.

I understand the development of language and once all of the old people die we'll be dropping f-bombs like crazy but...keep in mind that you can make your point (usually) just as well without. Obviously the next time ToskaLOL let's one in through his seven-hole or from 197 feet away a torrent of vile language will fly his way and that's fine because it's frustrating after the first 30 or 40 times it happens.

Since the inception of Chatty Cathy everyone's been good about sticking to shop talk in the front page posts and keeping all of the crazy off-topic talk to the fanshot of the day. It's a great place to read about Winkle's latest work-related rant, find out Blurr is spending his sun filled days (beach? or beach? or maybe beach?), see if Karina or LFiV have survived Vancouver's latest snowfall (3 inches? PANIC!) or share hilarious links and website (FU Penguin is a ridiculously good find). It's become a great place to know your fellow community members. There was even picture sharing which showed that not only are we the male-run sports blog with the most female commenters but we have the best looking group too. Also, Jared's arms are not pythons. That diminishes their size. It's like looking at Crosby's thighs coming out of a man's chest.

However, despite what our slothful vigilance has suggested, there is a limit to what can be covered. Keep in mind that some visitors come during work hours (shocking, I know) and because of the multinational nature of the site now it's always work hours somewhere so be nice to your friends and mark links as Not Safe For Work and watch the graphic language so no one gets canned.

As for the Game Threads, they are a special breed because, as we've noted before, they are basically like an online sports bar. Especially with the way some of you guys (and girls!) drink. However, it's not a sports bar that should make sailors run out screaming while covering their ears. Again, some West Coasters are reading these while still at the office and others are reading them while at work the next day. Remember, sublety and innuendo are often funnier and much more appropriate than graphic details. For example:

Good

You're so cute I wish I could take you home and [do something that equals a 467 on the Tlusty scale of NSFWness].

Bad

You're so cute I wish I could take you home and [graphic description of things that you had only heard stories about before the confirmation that the human body can actually sustain that kind of exertion]

And, at the end of the day, an anonymous e-mail that I got provided a perfect reminder for all of us:

We should all remember that the site is first and foremost a place to talk, discuss, and debate everything Leafs with other like-minded, hopelessly devoted Leafs fans.

We do this amazingly well. From the fanshots to the insightful fanposts to the brilliance that is the front page the discussions that go on here are top-notch. This post is not meant to scare off any of the regulars around here because you're those crazy cool early adopters that businesses are always chasing. Plus, seniority has its privileges*. But I also don't want to scare off any potential newcomers because they'll be the damn young whippersnappers of tomorrow that bring a new point of view and new comedy (except F*ck Tank Nation who was just straight nuts) to the community.

As a final note, if you guys ever have any questions or concerns or suggestions or tips you can find my e-mail right at the bottom of the screen. It's pensionplanpuppets at gmail dot com.

Alright, that seriousness aside, let me tell you about this one time I met this girl at Loblaw's and [details deleted]! She was writhing in pain and needed crutches for a month!

I probably shouldn't have pushed her down those stairs.

*Seniority provides no real privileges.