New look and feel are welcome. I didn't hear anything in the video about moderation, but that would be in line with everything else The Bee does (I hope you sense my disapproving tone). You can get rid of the spam other ways.

I just now got to see the video on thefresnan.com
and it seems that he only mentioned 'feel' and 'look'...and
that's only two of the five senses. --ok, 'taste' if you count
that thing he said about restaurants.
For all the passion displayed on this thread, it didn't really sound like it was going to be such a radical change around here---but, even if, it'll be
interesting to see how it turns out.
Best of luck to FresnoFamous. Hope it works out well for all.

I always think of the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin about
the press uniting a community.---whether it's CoinCollector Magazine or
ScubaDiverMonthly or whatever---it joines together people of some common interests or goals.

I think that quite often FresnoFamous has done that. I think that's important. Congrats and best wishes in the next turn of events.

I mean...
Basically, most folks know who I am, where I live, and how to reach me...
(That my writing style is sort of.... um, unique gives me away almost as soon as the first line is read.)

I've always sort of laughed at people who feel the need to maintain some sort of '...no, it's not me it's 'Aqua-Dog,' or something (sorry, I am not aware of any Aqua-Dogs on FF, if they are,,, no harm intended.)

But some people feel the need to maintain an alias and feel like they're more free by posting as some screen name, than if it was something easily traceable. Okay, fine then... nothing wrong with pretending I guess.

I agree that a moderator should weed out spam, and have always been uncomfortable with moderators who stray past that... (Josh has been excellent in that regard... one of many regards, actually.)

But, in truth?
This is the internet.
This is Fresno.
(have you ever read Rant and Rave on CL?)
There are some sick pups out there,
and, not that far back in the day, even I had serious threats and a stalker (the stalker was about two years ago now... strangely sorta miss them and wish them well, actually,(..they were both nice people, just sort of misguided...)

-so there is a real concern?, (in a way,) yeah.

But if folks want to come after you, they will.
So a person needs to consider what they say, and how much they put out there.

In this town (especially,)
There is a definite need for empowerment.
People need to feel free to talk about how they really feel.
(They just don't do it... it's really not encouraged that much, --even among the alt. circles of expression...
There is a LOT of being too concious of what others think, (vs.) what individuals have experinced, are going through, and know... (and I'm not just talking moving pipes here... I get a lot of folks who say to me
'...I want to say this but I just can't because of what folks will say.'

And to be honest with you?
So much of it is NOT that explosive, it's NOT damaging, and it really needs to be heard for what it is.

The truth has to be said.
By not saying the truth? You are saying a lie.
(Remember that.)

On the flip side...
There are often plenty of opinions, but very little knowledge.
(..sorry, but it's true.)

I think the only way for things to change and grow?
Speak up.
I mean, be prepared to have folks react to it, and try not to stay stuff that is stupid or damning... but speak up.

Then?
Listen to others, and learn how to dialogue with them on their points without taking them as some sort of challange and thing needed to be deactivated and neutralized.
There are folks who I have nothing to do with anymore, (nor will I,) basically due to the fact that they were more about reacting, commenting, and poo-pooing what I had to say, ---than really saying anything of their own, just fixating on mine. (And what I have to say is NOT all that bright, lemme tell ya.)

There's a lot of that around here too.
'...Oh, it's not THAT bad,' '...Oh, I'm sure it's that way EVERYWHERE...' and so and so is worse off than us...

Sorry, but that reduces a lot of good insight and genuine unique feelings to being nothing more than a puddle of lukewarm mush...
The truly bad is the truly bad, the wonderful is that, and calling or not calling things one way or the other (for the sake of 'not wanting to ruffle feathers,' one way or the other, just makes everybody distrustful of what folks are saying (vs: what they really mean,) and even makes a person wonder when the last time was that they were honest themselves...)

I think any perspective and any view should be voiced, and then dealt with on it's own terms... If it's damnable... okay, but go after the comment or the thing that is bad, --but not with the spirit of 'this person knows nothing, this person is not worth hearing,'
-problem with that is... (usually,) the people who are worth hearing wind up not saying anything (out of fear or tiredness of the struggle,) and the ones not worth listening to, wind up representing the rest...

this is what this place needs a change, the search on here sucks, and now I'm getting spam for crap in the inbox.

The benefit of a mod would be no more spam. Actually I'd like to see the option of posting as "Famous Guest" eliminated. I'll all for free speech and saying what you want, no matter how much I disagree with it, but I think only registered users should be allowed to post. I think the crap would be cut back if we knew who was posting what.

I only use the recent posts as well. It's just kind of easier.

I'm not sold on what kind of benefit the site would realize with a moderator, but let's see.

Diablo

i was talking to josh & mike (wiffle) @ the game, and mike was inquiring about the rumors and asked me if i'd heard them. i hadn't not really sure where i would have heard them, but whatever.

i hope the changes will be good, and that it will make the site a little easier to get around, a little more visually appealing. sometimes it feels like a jumbled mess to me. i know that for the longest time i only used the recent comments feature to navigate the site. now, i use the recent posts feature. so, much of the front page is lost to me.

i also hope that people will continue to contribute, and that people will contribute more original content. comments are good, but the site's user driven. there's something on your mind, say it. even if it isn't well received.

oh, and i hope there are more ads.

I see no light shed, only that 'there is going to be a total makeover...'

come to think of it...

I didn't hear much in the way of 'rumors,' either...

Then there's the very telling lines of:
'...people may freak out and hate it like I did, (not knowing where stuff is and such...' but they will learn to love it and take it into their hearts as I did...'

(It kind of makes me stand back and wonder...
-gee, were these changes 'foisted upon,' everybody in charge... was there weapons used aimed at sensitive body areas? (like, ummmmmm, skulls?)

I'm slightly leary when things are rolled out as being 'major changes,' but major changes that were 'timely,' -but nobody seems to say
'...We thought about this, we needed a revamp, we think it will be better, and we think folks are going to like it...' (With the 'we,' identified.)

Sorta like: nobody wants to step up and say 'we're doing this, we're taking responsibility for these things, blame us or not, but this is how it's going to go.'
(Maybe in case it tanks?)

I dunno... we'll have to go through all this passive aggressive behavior in some other session.
(It's amazing... 'corp.speak is corp.speak' even here in 'the 'no.'

Still: I do wish the folks behind the scenes at FF well.

There has been a profound slowing of late, and it's not had the fury of involvement and information 'must read' touchstone quality that it had in days past. (A lotta folks have moved on.)

F.F. has been good though, and I think it's served its purpose, it will be interesting to see whomever runs the thing can guide it into a new path, and if their insights can see past the immed. flavor-o-the week mindset, and really sculpt it into a website that is (more? still?) community interactive, --and really incorporate the further reaches of Fresno (as Fresno grows,)
-or maybe just simplify and stick to some sort of 'culture and arts,' nexus / area of Fresno... (dunno... I'd like to see it simplify for the right reasons and grow greater for the right reasons, -there's always fear that it will do both for the wrong, ya know?)

One thing that I strongly feel should not change?
As much as I dislike some of the trashing that goes on:
I strongly feel that (what moderating there is) should remain unbiased and open to genuine responses to the comments posted..
(IE: If stuff that is really vile, racist, derrogatory (etc.) is posted up?
After a while there be some sort of warnings, then doors shut.
(After all, why take away from Rant and Raves beauty and grandeur? It should be held, identified, cherished, and then put in a cloth sack with rocks and dropped over the side, so we can forever remember it in it's glory.)

Similar vein:
Folks still be allowed to express their views on whatever given topic is happening in life in Fresno
--and not feel like it all has to be 'just wunnerful,' or whatever the 'status quo' is
('rah-rah fresno or piss on something, somewhere, somebody else,')
--and if such neutralizing responses occur?
They be recognized as one of the true area qualities that reduces so many efforts and views to being as effective and welcome as a string-bean cassarole left on the porch for three days.

This site had a real gift.
It has a real opportunity.

It can be genuine feelings, convictions, opinions, experiences, and dialogue and growth (which can really cause great stuff to happen,) about all the things we care about,

-or it can degenerate into one poser trendster stance and advert after another...
-And if THAT happens, such things need to be exposed and dealt with (then brought back into the 'real.') by folks who give a rip, and want to see this area really grow and progress in itself (not just be endless
'rah-rah-fresno, we're so great!,
we're so drunk!, we've got such bad air!,
we're so great...ps: cops suck...
(we're so great and avante-garde lets go endlessly self-promote our hobbies now... weeee!')

(...I was like, totally shocked that NOBODY jumped down the Environmental agencies throats with the release that we're like.. what,
5th WORST air and pollution in the nation???
Who are THEY to say bad things about us???
(Besides, couldn't we test HIGHER???
-are we including Clovis?
---Clovis always tests better...
FIFTH??? tsk-tsk... we're slipping...
I PERSONALLY think it's all them homeless folks
(be they 'same-ol-same-ol homeless' folks or all them NEW ones loosing their jobs and houses puttering about with shopping trolley's looking for cans and bottles in the dumpsters... you wouldn't BELIEVE how much dust and exhaust they kick up...)

...I like how FF is still conversation about areas, events, life here,
--and that old timers (some quite new to the scene,) chip in,
-along with younger and newbies writing about it too...
THAT brings hope.

In truth?
Fresno Famous has been a key part of my (nearly) three years here in Fresno.
I've met good people here, and bad people.
All have been important, and all have been essential to my understanding of this place...

It changes, life changes,
life is good.

Thanks to the admins. who have done such great things so far, (again, thanks Jarah, Suzi, etc, where ever you are, for starting this.)
-and here's to those who are in charge of F.F. now, and hopes that it will not become S.N.L.

Maybe the new F.F. will finally be able to find out who's sending that 'private message,' that never seems to appear.

Regardless:
Josh, seriously, thanks for your hard work.

I guess a final thought would be:
Yeah, Jarah created this, and did so with the intent of giving it to the community.
This means that what happens to it, and what it becomes, no matter what it says differently, WILL reflect the community,
--as it's community driven and 'community contributed to.'
THAT means, that all one has to do,
to see who and what Fresno is?
(and what Fresno cares about?, --and where it's going?)
Is just sit, read and listen.

People can read Fresno Famous, MindHub, (etc.) say '...So THATs what Fresno is all about..!'
-and they'd be right.
(...stick that in yer pipe and smoke it.)

Whether this is the 'old Fresno Famous' or the new one,
One thing remains true:
Objects in the rearview are definitely there, definitely need to be acknowledged,
and are always closer than they appear.

respectfully

Eric Field

Please God let this place have moderators.