only a little?

I am curious to know how many people [if any ], are on the waiting list....if there are many, maybe we could have a one time amnesty program and allow them in [with proper documentation of course].

Who knows...there might be someone out there right now.....someone who is just waiting as I type this.... someone who might even have the answer to the Merion thread..........and we are just sitting here.........clueless .

Who knows...there might be someone out there right now.....someone who is just waiting as I type this.... someone who might even have the answer to the Merion thread..........and we are just sitting here.........clueless .

Surely only God knows the answer?

Paul and TE,

Ask yourselves, was the site better before or after the Sports Illustrated article ?

Did the growth in the number of participants diminish the quality of the discussions ?

While I am a bit of a wallflower here I would caution against opening the flood gates. From my limited experience on other sites I've found that nothing will send a message board spiraling into the abyss like a rapid influx of new members. Typically, the vanguards of board content (usually only a few dozen people in practice) are slowly but steadily overwhelmed by new voices, and the quantity of off topic posting increases while the quality of on topic discussion goes downhill. Not long thereafter the old guard becomes frustrated, decreases their posting frequency, and the new members essentially take over.

If you like the personality of this board then I think you'd be wise to advocate a very gradual increase in new membership. New blood can be a good thing, but when too much arrives too quickly the character of the site can be compromised in a very short span of time, and there is no going back.

Very ironic that this topic is up today because just as I was opening GCA I was asking myself what I have been learning here lately.

On the other hand, I do enjoy the voyeristic aspect of seeing pics of courses I have yet to play.

The OT posts are the most indicative of inbred nature of the forum.  We all know each other, know where the other guy's goat is tied, and constantly pull each other's chain, be it politics, sports, or culture.  When a topic like Merion breaks out, the responses and answers are 90% predictable.  

But, just reading the above ideas, the issue has two very good cases to be made for and against. This same topic is discussed every off-season.  Many of us not able to get out to play and see new courses get daffy (more so) in winter.  Although as a northerner, I already have 4 rounds in in 2007, it isn't the same as being able to really go somewhere regionally and experience new or interesting architecture.  So, we get into food fights, and long debates about the BCS and such.  tis the season...  We usually get over it and back on track later in spring.  Yet, we get interesting posts in the winter as well like the Riviera and Rustic comments.

I guess I come down on the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  That said with the caveat that we should let others who are waiting to get their 2 cents in, post.  The moderators may have to nix and nip in the bud early, any flame throwers and forum disrupters, as we have had some of those in the past.

...I think things are fine as is

Is inbreeding really the problem?  I think it has more to do with natural tendencies toward factions and cliques, and the conformity that these bring.  There are highly predictable patterns relative to who participates on any given thread based on who starts it and the immdiate replies as opposed to the subject matter.  Since human nature is not readily prone to change, little can be done about it.  Adding people on a regular basis may keep it fresher, but unless we can go off topic, the threads and commentary become repetitive for most who've been here awhile.

 

John if you throw enough s%^& some of it is bound to sitck.. . I am a newbie when it comes to this stuff. If I see something that strkes me the wrong way I post or if I see somehitng I actually know I will post. My main pet peave is the distance threads (Ie punish the long hitter to make it fair)Mostly I like to read some of the stuff and look at the pics you all post. If you add more people, like some one said add a few at a time not thousands.

John if you throw enough s%^& some of it is bound to sitck.. . I am a newbie when it comes to this stuff. If I see something that strkes me the wrong way I post or if I see somehitng I actually know I will post. My main pet peave is the distance threads (Ie punish the long hitter to make it fair)Mostly I like to read some of the stuff and look at the pics you all post. If you add more people, like some one said add a few at a time not thousands.

Brian,

How does reducing overall distance for everyone "punish the long hitter to make it fair"?

Thanks

Perhaps there is a reluctance to post on GCA because some people simply don't like getting ridiculed on a public forum.  You aren't sitting down and having a private conversation over a drink or over the telephone - your words are being read by as many as 1500 people.  People can be wrong and their errors can be noted without a personal attack.  1500 people can bring enough knowledge and insight to a subject to keep the discussion interesting provided they are not hesitant to do so.