Well……wow. We sure have some discussion on the ‘ole “discussion board” today….don’t we?
Lots of opinions, thoughts, and good points.

One thing that the responses, and PMs I’ve received, point out very clearly is that everyone has a different opinion……and no matter how the board is…..someone is not going to like it.
It needs to be made very clear that everyone’s opinion is valid, wanted here on the board, and valued.
Even if someone says something you don’t like….they should be respected for actually taking the time and effort to post that opinion and take part in the board.
I’ve said since day one that I appreciate and encourage all board participation…..with the exception of those who wish to do nothing other than stir up shit and start trouble. But I, as the gatekeeper, do my best to walk the thin line between “free speech”….and speaking for purely negative reasons….so you don’t see 99% of that.

One thing that has been brought up in many responses is references to how things “used to be” or “were”. What this proves is that a board, like anything else, is fluid…..ever changing….adapting to the opinions and participation of its members. Some people embrace and desire change….some resist it strongly. Human nature. Bottom line, yet again, is no board will ever make every single member think it’s perfect. We just do the best we can and shoot for the best middle ground.

With that said…..it is time for some changes on the board. We’re going to approach this like we have other changes (like not allowing comments on theme day threads) and basically try it out and see how it works.
(this is the part where I invariably will piss people off. Not my intention….don’t take anything personally)

1.  The weekend theme days of shoes and sunny side up…..are done. We gave it a shot and, as I said in the beginning, we’d see how it goes. There’s not a lot of difference between a shoe day and a leg day…..and sunny side up only was understood and participated in by very few.
2.  Provider Fridays…..still going to happen. From now on…the same guys who shout-out (aka shill) for the same ladies every single week……are cut down to once a month. Provider Friday needs to go back to what it was intended to be. Read the post on Friday. Someone you’ve seen, someone you think is cool, etc. Blatant shilling for the same person is over.
3.  Muff Monday gets to take some time off for a while. (I can hear the mix of cheers and groans now….)
This is my only selfish act. I’ve seen enough gynecological photos to last me a lifetime. Ladies who wish to present themselves this way….are more than free to do so on their ads.
I prefer what we’ve started in Atlanta. Mobile Mondays. Only pics from digital phones or truly candid pics. Self portraits. It’s worked well there….and frankly is truly in the spirit of what a theme day should be.

I’ve heard and considered all thoughts about theme days. I will say, yet again, what I’ve said all along.
Theme days are free advertising that scoots around the 1 ad every 7 days rule. It is what it is…..so let’s call it that. The smart ladies….true business people…know, and take advantage of, this. They go through the “effort” of taking the occasional candid pics and keeping the content fresh. It’s FREE advertising. How many of us business owners wouldn’t like to have that?!?
If people don’t want to participate for their own reasons…that’s fine. As has been stated before….you can’t tell anyone how to run their own business.

If people don’t like theme days….they are more than welcome to simply not click on them.

If people complain about the lack of “discussion” on a discussion board….they are MORE than welcome to actually start a discussion topic.

It takes no effort to complain…….it takes effort to improve. Anyone who has posted….has shown a desire and effort for things to improve.
This is the kind of thing that is appreciated, and needed.

So let’s try to adapt to these minor changes for now….and continue to make this board what it has established itself to be. The BEST board on this site or any other.

Just sayin’
DD

Damn, maybe that would be a nice addition...LOL

DD, great suggestions for something new to try, but I'd like to ask about Provider Friday...if ladies are already getting a call out from the guys, is it necessary to also have a "theme day' as well?  That would seem to be a "double dip" in free advertising for certain ladies who get called out and post in a theme thread...they are usually put up really close together.

Just wanted to get clarification out there.

Cheers (that will happen in Vegas, lol)

You bring up a good point, and here's my thoughts on that.....

I think theme days are different than Provider Fridays.
P Fridays are when the guys.....the customers....get to point out someone they think is special. Either they have seen them...or want to...but they call out someone they feel has stood out.
Theme days are when a lady gets to advertise for herself. She promotes herself to the board.

If a lady gets "double dipped" (has a theme day pic and is mentioned by guys on PF) that would tell me that she's business smart (posting) and good at what she does (getting called out by her customers or potential customers). This, to me, would mean that she's got every aspect of her game fine tuned.....and is deserving of mention.
Just because she may be on the board twice in one day.....it's for distinctly different reasons.
Only my opinion.....feel free to discuss.

DD
(and yes...."cheers" will happen in Vegas....but only after we argue over who buys the first round (I'll win that one, so just let it go)).

And who says you or I should buy the first round?  I say we pass that honor to Soflaguy.  LOL

Great clarification on Fridays...the only reason I bring it up, and your reference to many of us saying "how it used to be" was when Sly started the Provider Friday thread, and the theme days came along there after, he said he preferred Fridays be reserved for the guys to call out the ladies....it was that simple, so thanks for taking the time to clarify it.

Cheers (On Soflaguy, LOL)

but I thought Sunny Side Up Sundays might eventually catch on and be pretty good.  My concern is that without it there isn't much at all on Sundays, so I guess I don't see how banning it adds to the board?  
It'll never be perfect and you do a pretty good job of moderating; I do approve of trynig to police the shills on Provider Friday.  
I guess my view is that the purpose of the board (to me) is to continually learn more about the participants and the hobby.  So to me more restrictions limit my access to new knowledge, so I am disinclined to favor them.  I would prefer letting the readers sort out the wheat from the chaff, as it were; if you don't like a theme don''t look at it, but don't decide that I shouldn't.
Just MHO.