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Building A Better 'Bot'
Posted by: Daye-Derrick on July 27th, 2009
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.
As Jazzbots heads into its third season the mission remains the same: serve the Jazz fan. We’ve learned the best way to do that is to listen carefully and never stop evolving. With that I’m reaching out to you for suggestions on how we can make Jazzbots better. We’re open to and encourage all feedback. What would you like to see here besides better looking bloggers? Social Networking Ideas, Design Suggestions, Topic Suggestions let us know. Who from management, coaching staff and the players would you like to hear from?
Simple ideas (like the first Jazzbot concept above) lead to bigger and better ideas. Thanks in advance for yours.
Derrick
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Here is an idea, MAKE the players and coaches read some of our post on here. It just might motivate them.
I’d like to hear from Deron Williams daily please.
Have us comment on News surrounding the jazz, including rumors, trades, signings, and free agents, that we could sign or not, or offer a contract. (We may already do that, but I’ve seen other sites where someones post an article that has either happened or is a rumor, not just someone’s thoughts, and then fans commenting on that post, that has already happened or is a rumor) I don’t like the idea of letting coaches and GM see what we think, because some of our thoughts are good on paper but may end up being bad in long run. Besides i trust KOC to make the right moves. He has done so several times in the past. (drafting D-will, Millsap, and Brewer. Koufus, Luring Okur, and Booze to sign with us, trading Giricek for Korver, signing Price, and now trying to trade Booze) I’m glad he has not traded him for Haslem, that would be a horrible trade. I trust him to make the right moves, and fans should influence his decisions. If they do then we should get paid, just like he is. Imagine that jazz fans being paid, to advise the GM. Not a good idea, just too much power for the fans. Power corrupts.
Ditto Mal. That’d be incredible.
Better looking bloggers Derrick? Are you calling me ugly?
@Ciadap – Posts here are getting plenty of ‘face time’ throughout the organization.
@Mal & Betty – We’ve been looking into that and the possibility comes compliments of Twitter. Unlike Shaq who tweets daily, Deron rarely tweets. CJ leads the team in tweets. With more activity from the players we would display their tweets in real-time here on Jazzbots. I’m hoping he wants to tweet more and other players will want to as well.
@dwilljazz8 – Good idea. Right now it’s happening organically. That is, someone will link to another source in their post or their comment. Maybe we can aggregate all Jazz news to display here on Jazzbots. We tried that with a desktop widget in year one and the trouble we were having was either the news feeds were not purely Jazz related (like Jazzbots) or they were not updated regularly, featuring old news for weeks at a time. Maybe things have gotten better now. Once again, good idea.
@Chris – No, as a matter of fact it’s been said you’re the ‘Kyle Korver’ of Jazzbots.
Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming.
Derrick
@Mal & Betty- Agreed. Deron is the person I want to hear from most.
@Chris- What Derrick didn’t tell you is that it was ME that said that lol. Okay, not so much but I did say your posts rock so props for that.
@Derrick- My idea would be to somehow (don’t ask me how) integrate articles that appear about the Jazz from NBA.com, ESPN.com, and others. It might infringe on copyright laws and what not so I don’t know if its possible but I often post links in my comments that offer other perspectives on subjects we’ve been discussing. I think it would be cool if we had a way to select our favorite bloggers and people who post so that, when they comment or post a new blog, we get an email alerting us to it. I, personally, really like all the bloggers so I read them all but I would like to see it for the comments because I really enjoy reading comments from certain people and would hate to miss them. Again, don’t know how feasible that is but hey couldn’t hurt to ask. Oh and a color and emoticons bar might just spice it up a little bit.
A Jazz player blog post maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks
A few suggestions:
“Where are they now?” Reports on ex-Jazz players, those still playing for other teams as well as retired.
“Road Warriors.” Jazz fans who live in places other than SLC (as I do). Our perspectives on the team, particularly when the Jazz play in our city, plus the opinions of sports journalists from our city on the Jazz.
“My fave play” During the season, nominate a play in the game that meant the most to you. It needn’t be the most spectacular (TV covers that well already), but maybe it’s the most telling. A turning point, a really strong effort play (or lack of effort), an example of team play, or a play that sums up a particular player.
@Boondock – More good ideas, thanks. Ideally, we’d love to feature content here from other sports writers. As you suggested that’s tough to get. Mainly because those sites want the traffic their writers generate. I have a personal policy of asking anyway. Because if you don’t ask – the answer is always no. Let me see if others can participate. Your second idea could be implemented with an ability to subscribe to individual blogger feeds as well as the main Jazzbots feed. This would allow you to select specific bloggers to hear from. As far as the comments – we have to think about that a little more. You can follow comments on specific blogs now (see check box below) but not specific commenters. Interesting. Emoticons – also interesting. Jazz emoticons would take the idea further. Thanks.
@Canadajazz – Thanks! More good thinking to import. Your first idea is alive on the Jazz main site though it would be well received here too. We certainly touch on history here with James Seaman and JR’s retro flashbacks. On the list. Also Road Warriors and My Fave Play are superb.
@Bob – yes posts from players are great additions. Remember Morris Almond’s posts? He gave great insight on how it was to be an NBA rookie. I’m hoping our players can contribute more and am doing all I can to encourage that. Keep those ideas coming.
Derrick
These are great ideas for sure.
Especially in a forum like this, I love the idea of getting access to players or people around the team that don’t ordinarily get coverage in the papers. Someone like Miles would be awesome, and I’d certainly read that a great deal. I also really like the idea of getting access to some of the people behind the scenes. Trainers, front office people, people from the dance/stunt team, even the crew that wipe the sweat off the floor during games. There are a lot of stories out there about the Jazz from voices that hardly ever get heard. I think a site like this could do a lot with that.
Also, I think a weekly (or every two weeks or whatever) view at what’s happening with teams in the Northwest division would be cool. It’s been a really active off-season for the Nuggets, Wolves, Blazers, there’s even some buzz right now about Durant and the Thunder.
Thanks all!
I like the new ideas everyone is putting up. I really like the idea of hearing from a player every so often but I doubt there will be many who feel as comfortable about it as Almond did. I worry a little about putting any extra pressure on them and deadlines when they need to think basketball but they do have wives who know pretty much what they think. Maybe something from them?? If it isn’t too much of a privacy invasion, I always wonder about the size of the players families, children, siblings, and any unusual type things. The players may not want to make those things known and I would maybe understand that but they have to remember that certain things come with the territory.
In terms of “Where Are They Now”, I was thinking of a fan-based version.
In other words, someone could request “What ever happened to Gordan Giracek?” And hopefully, another fan would supply the information – along with a comment or two, if desired.
The main Ideas I would suggest:
1- better looking bloggers (well this isnt a dating service) maybe instead – we already have the dancer diaries, but perhaps if one or alternating dancers and players could comment once in a while. Everyone doesnt have to be that involved (though dancers and players would be nice) but perhaps they can rotate on a week basis just writing a little something. We are Jazz fans, would be nice to know that our “fan club” is getting their attention even if not their ardent reading. (Maybe a jazz bot could peek in and talk to someone for a few and write it for them.)
2- We see a few videos and stories but perhaps when the NBA writers or others write a story about a jazz player or part of the team or fans we can have a section here to read something like “Jazz in the eyes of the NBA” or something like that. David Aldredge wrote a piece about boozer trading that i found on NBA.com but not here. we want to be an information hub right? I know as a fan, it seems the jazz are talked about the least second only to the clippers in sports news. I would like to know, or have a link, when they do say things.
3- Features combining the tv and blog. For example last season they did this thing on the players and their “first car”. Would be nice to see that here knowing that the reports we get on tv or radio wont be missed because I am at work, I could link or read it here. (Or I could find out about current cars seeing as how they have a favorite car care place) or how their charities are doing etc.
4- standard updating list of stats (again a small window) but when i watch games from home I go “Oh we are 8th in defense just in our conference? eww.” or “wow Millsap has how many double – doubles in a row? maybe I should keep track too” things that may be on nba.com but we should know and sometimes dont always have hours to look up. The tv has off the wall stats that we either have to fish of the radio site or nba.com, maybe just toss those when you summarize a few games in an article here. Things again we might not pick up in one day.
(would talk forever but I will stop there for now
)
I was thinking about it today and I like to have my laptop on while I watch games and check stats because I play fantasy basketball. It might be cool to have a live game chat window. People can sign in as there alias while watching the game and criticize, praise, or what not with other jazz fans during the game.
You would have to have a moderator on hand for them but a chat would be great. We tried quite a few times to submit questions to tv etc and after battling how for a while they never went answered. :-p
@canadajazz, I’m glad to see I’m not the only one losing sleep at night wondering where in the world dear Gordon Giricek is.
@TameKate I’ve got several ideas for people to interview this season, if you click on my picture in featured bloggers you can find my past blogs/ interviews with Jazz trainer Gary Briggs, Jazz Dancer Crystal, Her Coach and Hopeful Dancers, Jazz Front Office Cool Gal Blogger Hanna “The General Lee,” oh and an obscure little known player called Kyle Korver. Seriously, I love the opportunity to interview, but people are very busy–players are generally off limits too. I got lucky with Kyle…yes I know how that sounds, I’m leaving it up here anyway.
@annie I should get your email address. Lots to tell you about both ronnies and a few others. I meant that it would be nice to say “jazzbot fans feel that blah blah, any advise or comments for them” and have things like that posted. Or copied in text from what we see on tv. It would make us feel more connected as a media group. I do have a lot of catching up to do. twitter, blogs and such are still rather new to me. :-p
Oh to be lucky with Korver.
@TameKate- I have no problems with a moderator. Mostly, I just want to put WOHOOO a lot after Brewer dunks and write UGH when the other team keeps hitting three pointers because our defensive scheme still thinks its a “unlikely shot.”
@Mal and Canadajazz- Me….I lose sleep over Adam Keefe. Seriously, whatever happened to THAT guy.
To Mal and Boondock Saint,
This is working already! Comments, favorites stated and non-favorites scorned (I detect a sarcastic tone from Mal?).
By the way, it’s not that I’m a Giricek fan. He’s just an example of someone to wonder about in a pure trivia sense. In fact, the best trade in recent times involved dumping Mr. G for Kyle Korver, who seemed to inject immediate energy and cohesiveness into the Jazz a couple of seasons back.
Boondock thanks for the compliment but there is no way that tiny little picture can do this face justice!! Haha. J/P.
I mean I’m not bad but Korveresque? Let me just say this, and I do so with an unblemished record of staunch heterosexuality but … that man is beautiful. I really don’t know that I can hang in the looks department. Now my three point stroke, that’s another question. We have to go back to my high school days for that one however. Haheh.
@canadajazz. It’s all fun and games
. I hope you are the jesting kind. But in all seriousness, I did know the girl that Gordon Giricek was dating when he left Utah. Well I knew of her. She is beautiful which really stunned me. Anyway, I actually know her because i know her brother and sister. So get this, when the dynamite trade went down, this girlfriend and her whole family couldn’t even talk about the Jazz. They hated the organization for it. We had to stop bringing up basketball around them. It was too funny. I’m still laughing about it. Anyway, if I catch up with this brother and sister ever, I’ll make sure to get an update of the infamous gg and will post it in a jiffy.