Check It Out/Think Tank Dialogs

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:
We also pulled all the blogs, too, except for Chris’.
[/quote]

Damn, I enjoyed those blogs quite a bit.

Funny, that’s exactly the reason why I LIKED it. With all due respect to the T-Nation readers, there are plenty of places for their voices to be heard. Closing the Think-Tank Dialogues to random imbeciles was its major draw. Quite frankly, the 9000:1 ratio of average moron posts to T-Nation expert posts tends to bring the quality of the forum threads down. The density of quality information on the TTDs was off the charts. I checked them almost every time I checked the site. To be honest, I don’t care what SuperJacked69 thinks about the merits of 10x3 vs. 4x8; I care about what Thibaudeau, Waterbury, etc. think.

If giving feedback to curious readers is a concern, why not bring back the Reader Mail feature? That was always one of my favorites back in the day because I found that the questions answered were often the very ones that I was wondering about myself.

I checked the TTD daily. I was rather disappointed when they disappeared.

I never did get to read all of those articles that CT posted.

figures…

wlk

I am disappointed to say the least. The TTD was my favorite section of the site. Come to think of it, the leg discussion got something like 7000 views. That’s twice as many as some of the most popular forum posts in here. How does that show it to be lame performance. My two cents… BRING IT BACK ON LINE!

[quote]Chris Aus wrote:
Were you kidding? I didnt find it boring in the least…

Round tables on chest legs arms back… Cool russian articles… Discussions on genetic limits fibre types time under tension etc are pretty interesting in my opinion

Did you mention youve been here 3 years to indicate how that youve been here a long time or that you infact havent been here that long compared to the people who have been here for 8? I dont get it…[/quote]

The science is good, but I’ve got to be in the mood to read science. Otherwise, it’s pretty dry.

My mention about time was to cover the fact that I’ve been around more than five minutes.

[quote]Atreides wrote:

The science is good, but I’ve got to be in the mood to read science. Otherwise, it’s pretty dry.

My mention about time was to cover the fact that I’ve been around more than five minutes.
[/quote]

There’s many of us that have been here much longer than 3 years. It doesn’t validate you. The TTD and some articles are the only things I read here anymore. The things boondoc mentioned about the forums wore on me a long time ago.

I’d vote to archive the TTD.

Also, why start a new topic in TTD only to pull the entire section a couple days later?

Been away from my computer all day and I am just now seein’ that TTD is no longer gonna be around. DAMN! I loved the TT. From an interest standpoint, I think there was plenty of interest from us, the readers. I could see if it was too time consuming for the contributors, (which I’d understand) but I think the discusions w/in TT were sooooo informative and such a great read.

Disappointed…

Danny

Dammit!

I just noticed today that it was gone.

I loved reading the roundtables on preferences for training different bodyparts.

Considering most of the topics on this website have absolutely nothing to do with improving health, physical abilities, or appearance, the TTD were a great resource. I’m sad to see them go.

I also agree with the front page (mostly products for sale) being too long.

While I can understand why some think the front page is too long, products being for sale is something I think we just have to deal with. It’s a free website with some of the best information available. You can’t get something for nothing. It’s run/backed by a supplement company (a pretty darn good one), so you’re going to see some advertisements. Not to mention, some of the prices and products sold to members of this sight aren’t sold anywhere else. So, for a price break and a chance at Biotests latest supps, I’ll deal with it.

I would suggest making the “article library” section a lot smaller. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great feature, but I think you would only need a link to it from the home page, not the whole table.

I would say the same for the T-Jack reports. Maybe only show the newest T-Jack, not all of them. Or keeep it just the title with a spotter when there is a new item, like the blogs have.

I love the sight just like it is, because I’m on it just about every day. I have no problem finding my way around. But, I can see how it would be discouraging for new users.

You know, if there had been this much enthusiasm towards the Think Tank when we had it running, we would have kept it up.

Except for the last thread, which featured a juicy fight between John Davies and Eric Cressey, most of the threads got about 2000 hits, and that was after being up for two or three weeks. People hit on that last thread because it was like watching a car wreck.

And now I’m reading on this thread that we have too much information. Is that really a problem? I ask that in all sincerity.

If so, then bringing back the Think Tank would only compound the problem.

(Still, to me, complaining about too much info is like going into a restaurant and complaining that there’s too much food on the plate, or complaining that your life is too enjoyable. You get the idea.)

I think a good solution would be to have “Think Tank Guest Forums” with themes.

The guest forums always get tons of action, and tons of good questions. I think maybe you should offer a “Leg Training” forum with Davies and Waterbury fielding questions. For example. That would keep the questions more focused towards a specific topic and hopefully avoid the

“hey guyz ive been liftin pretty hard for like a month now so i was thinkin you could maybe write me a full 12 week lifting program and diet plan for free, my goals are to gain 80 lbs of muscle, and im takin this cell tech stuff is that good?”

that was always my pet peeve about the guest forums, that the writers’ time was monopolized by people that could get their questions answered by doing a quick search, and those of us who had real questions and/or wanted personal opinions had to wait.

Just an idea I had.

I like the options. Sometimes sticking to just hardcore training and physiology research interpretations gets a little dry. Having the other features and topics lighten it up a little and help to represent the multi-dimensional minds of the guys and women that log on all the while still staying at least loosely related to lifting,having testosterone,and generaly being a ball scratching big bald ape.
I realy don’t agree that the page is too busy. Call me crazy, but when I scroll down and across using the arrow keys, everything appears quite clearly and legibly.
I guess it would be good to keep in mind that you can’t please all people all of the time.

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:
You know, if there had been this much enthusiasm towards the Think Tank when we had it running, we would have kept it up.

Except for the last thread, which featured a juicy fight between John Davies and Eric Cressey, most of the threads got about 2000 hits, and that was after being up for two or three weeks. People hit on that last thread because it was like watching a car wreck.

And now I’m reading on this thread that we have too much information. Is that really a problem? I ask that in all sincerity.

If so, then bringing back the Think Tank would only compound the problem.

(Still, to me, complaining about too much info is like going into a restaurant and complaining that there’s too much food on the plate, or complaining that your life is too enjoyable. You get the idea.)

[/quote]

Does an encyclopaedia have too much information? If you’re trying to read it front to back, and understand every concept, yes. Does that mean Britannica should leave out some of its least popular information? No, it would be a disservice to its readership/customers and it would change the value of the product.

Quite often I use T-nation as a resource of training information, rather than reading it as if it were some bodybuilding magazine, updated semi-daily. The other day a friend of mine asked for help improving his vertical leap. In the back of my head, I remember a few relevant articles that I never read on the site. I hit the search link, and now a few year-old articles have their first hit from me. Had you said, “This is a bodybuilding site, nobody cares about athletic performance, let’s take all that information away to save server space.” This poor kid would have to live with a 21" vertical the rest of his life.

That’s a dumb example, but I think you get my point. T-Nation is an intelligent resource, not a gossip column, focused only on the “juicy fights”.

Unless server space is a huge issue, or the contributors don’t have time, I want to be buried in information.

Maybe the Think Tank dialogs could be a once a month thing, with topics that are a little more eye-catching. I personally think that the reason for low hits is the same reason I always miss the T-Jack application period: little hype and long periods of inactivity.

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:

And now I’m reading on this thread that we have too much information. Is that really a problem? I ask that in all sincerity.

If so, then bringing back the Think Tank would only compound the problem.

(Still, to me, complaining about too much info is like going into a restaurant and complaining that there’s too much food on the plate, or complaining that your life is too enjoyable. You get the idea.)

[/quote]

Which thread are you reading. The complaint isn’t about too much information. The complaint is that the front page is too busy and monopolized by ads and products.

[quote]Aaron Howard wrote:
Atomic Dog wrote:

And now I’m reading on this thread that we have too much information. Is that really a problem? I ask that in all sincerity.

If so, then bringing back the Think Tank would only compound the problem.

(Still, to me, complaining about too much info is like going into a restaurant and complaining that there’s too much food on the plate, or complaining that your life is too enjoyable. You get the idea.)

Which thread are you reading. The complaint isn’t about too much information. The complaint is that the front page is too busy and monopolized by ads and products.[/quote]

Those ads and products are what keeps this site alive. In the old days, when you had to click to get to the store, we ended up getting scores of emails every day asking, “Do you guys sell any products?” or “Can you guys recommend some products?”

In other words, they didn’t even know we sold stuff. As a result, Tim had to spend most of his time cutting deals with distributors so that we could finance the site.

Now, we put the products on the front page. People buy them. As a result, we were able to cut out distributors and middle men and slash the prices.

Tell me, do you really, really have a problem with that? Because if you do, stay out of sales. It’ll save you from being fired when you tell your boss to move all the products you sell to the back of the store where customers won’t see them.

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:

Those ads and products are what keeps this site alive. In the old days, when you had to click to get to the store, we ended up getting scores of emails every day asking, “Do you guys sell any products?” or “Can you guys recommend some products?”

In other words, they didn’t even know we sold stuff. As a result, Tim had to spend most of his time cutting deals with distributors so that we could finance the site.

Now, we put the products on the front page. People buy them. As a result, we were able to cut out distributors and middle men and slash the prices.
[/quote]

Nah, I agree that the products need to remain prominent. I think the larger point, however, of the front page being very busy, might have some validity. Personally, it doesn’t bother me either way, because by now I know exactly where to look to get to stuff. But I do think that you’re misinterpreting the gist of the posts on this thread. I doubt anyone wants less information, and if they do, screw 'em.

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:
Those ads and products are what keeps this site alive. In the old days, when you had to click to get to the store, we ended up getting scores of emails every day asking, “Do you guys sell any products?” or “Can you guys recommend some products?”
[/quote]

TC,

Good point about having the products on the main page. It’s an obvious reason I somehow missed when I posted before. (Ah, perspective)

Do I think there’s too much information on the site? No.

I had suggested nixing the “Important Announcement” button on the left and making the image link for Shugart’s weblog and the T-Gallery bigger. I think the “Announcement” button is redundant since it usually relates to a new/re-released supplement - which is also obvious by the new graphic ads on the left as well announced at the top of the “Special Reports” forum.

I’m not criticizing Biotest advertising, I’m saying there’s no use for that button - since to me - I already know there’s something new by the ads I see on the site. So why not drop that link and use the space to make Shugart’s weblog and the T-Gallery stand out more? That’s what I’m trying to say.

[quote]Atomic Dog wrote:
Aaron Howard wrote:
Atomic Dog wrote:

And now I’m reading on this thread that we have too much information. Is that really a problem? I ask that in all sincerity.

If so, then bringing back the Think Tank would only compound the problem.

(Still, to me, complaining about too much info is like going into a restaurant and complaining that there’s too much food on the plate, or complaining that your life is too enjoyable. You get the idea.)

Which thread are you reading. The complaint isn’t about too much information. The complaint is that the front page is too busy and monopolized by ads and products.

Those ads and products are what keeps this site alive. In the old days, when you had to click to get to the store, we ended up getting scores of emails every day asking, “Do you guys sell any products?” or “Can you guys recommend some products?”

In other words, they didn’t even know we sold stuff. As a result, Tim had to spend most of his time cutting deals with distributors so that we could finance the site.

Now, we put the products on the front page. People buy them. As a result, we were able to cut out distributors and middle men and slash the prices.

Tell me, do you really, really have a problem with that? Because if you do, stay out of sales. It’ll save you from being fired when you tell your boss to move all the products you sell to the back of the store where customers won’t see them.
[/quote]

this is exactly what i’m talking about.

Read this and then check your guts.

Dangerously Hardcore!

The Testosterone mission statement
by Tim Patterson

Welcome to Testosterone, the website that almost charged the world’s highest subscriber fee! Huh? Why is a website, particularly one that focuses on muscle building and physique enhancement in general, bragging about almost becoming the most expensive site in the world? No, we haven’t fried our brains out by reading too many Joe Weider editorials (actually, we’re in withdrawal from not getting enough real training information).

Truth be told, this site is absolutely free. Let me explain:

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Well, a lot of people weren’t really happy with Muscle Media’s new direction (and neither were some of the world’s most highly regarded “physique theorists” who want to come on board with Testosterone ? you’ll freak when you hear some of the people poised to join us in the near future, as soon as their contracts with other companies run out!). We’ve got a feeling that all those ex-Muscle Media readers are out there looking for a new source of cutting-edge information on how to build muscle ? fast!

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? Have fun doing it.

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Anyhow, here’s what you’ll be able to get on this website every single day for free with absolutely no strings attached.

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You’ll also have access to a feature called “Gang of Five.” Our panel of experts ? some you’ll recognize, some you won’t ? will answer questions about physique-enhancing drugs, supplements, training, and nutrition. This feature will be entirely uncensored and will, no doubt, at times offend a lot of people. Oh, well. We’ll feature new questions and new answers monthly.

You’ll get a variety of uncensored, informative articles and editorials, and you can bet that they won’t be the same-old, run-of-the-mill type of editorials or features you see printed in the current batch of newsstand mags. Frankly, if we’re not causing someone’s anus to pucker, provoking them to throw furniture around and utter strange babblings about our ancestry, we’re not doing a good job.

And, yes, we’ll sell our own Biotest line of unconditionally guaranteed supplements, including Tribex-500?, the only supplement in the world to contain FGP? (7-isopropoxyisoflavone), the long sought-after European estrogen-inhibitor; and Power Drive?, the product that can increase your strength dramatically within 30 minutes, in addition to improving your concentration and energy by leaps and bounds.

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Okay, that’s all stuff you can access for free. We’ll also provide other great services and information resources for a reasonable fee.

For instance, how would you like to have Charles Poliquin design a program for you, personally, and how would you like to have him update it every month? (Charles normally charges over $2000 a day to train people, and you know something? He’s always booked solid.) You can do that right through the Internet, on the Testosterone website.

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Executive Editor

Well boondock holiday, what strings have been pulled on you?
Is anyone demanding that you purchase X amount of product or you will not be able to benefit from the site?
Have you recieved a bill for having read or downloaded this material?
It would be strange if you have,because I use this site frequently and have never been asked for a dime.

Pulling the mission statement was a downright shitty and ingratefull move.
Fortunately you shot yourself in the foot with it,but a shitty move none the less.
I was taught not to bite the hand that feeds.