Am I doing something wrong?

autarkis33 · 01-14-2003, 06:56 PM

Just a question, I started my online league, put the site up, posted to the forum, but have gotten very little response.

How do most of you generate interest for you leagues? I thought I added enough little new things for a new experience (franchise players, 1 major league player per team, steroid testing) but so far I have gotten only 3 responses.

I only ask as I see that other leagues often fill as many as 10 or fifteen teams in as little as a day, while my league has been up for nearly 2 days, and I have had little interest. I also see that each thread has been viewed quite a number of times. (100+)

If I could do something to change that, please let me know.

<A HREF="bapl-ootp.tripod.com">Here</A> is the site. Please post on this thread with any changes you might suggest or problems that you notice.

Thanks in advance.

autarkis33 · 01-14-2003, 07:00 PM

Oops, the link is wrong. <A HREF="http://bapl-ootp.tripod.com">Here</A> is the site.

Wilt · 01-14-2003, 07:32 PM

Here are a couple of small things:
- The league is hosted on a Tripod site. People hate the numerous pop ups associated with Tripod sites.
- Misspellings like "Albequerque" can make people think the person running the league is either
a) young/immature
or
b) too lazy to look up city names.
Either of which is not a good thing for a Commissioner! I am not saying you are either, but someone may get that first impression.
- Lots of new leagues have started recently. Unless you already have a good reputation in the community, it may be harder to pull people your direction.

These are all small things and it may be unfair to judge your league based on any of them. However, I think you are looking for honesty and since you asked, those are my impressions of what others may think.

autarkis33 · 01-14-2003, 07:39 PM

Thanks for those recommendations. This mispelling was an accident, I should have proofread a little better, thanks for noticing.

I have just changed the ad types, to remove the pop-ups.

Wilt · 01-14-2003, 07:40 PM

I spent a little more time on your site and my first impression was "eh, it's OK" but upon further review you have a pretty good basis for a nice league! I hope more people give it a look and things work out. Just give it more time, would be my suggestion!

Killebrew · 01-14-2003, 07:59 PM

Many regulars here have their hands full with multiple leagues so sometimes timing is everything. Maybe there were 20 guys looking for a league last week (and they all found one) and this week there are only 3 guys. Give it some start up time (like a few weeks), and maybe consider a smaller league and/or starting a season with some AI controlled teams. AI controlled teams is a last resort but at least you can set a date and start at that time whether you have enough GM's or not.

I like the Winnipeg Bears logo, good luck with your league

.

Cuss16 · 01-15-2003, 03:24 AM

just because of the age some ppl would not join a league? I would like to sign up, what should i do?

ps. do we get to create our own logos?

autarkis33 · 01-15-2003, 03:35 AM

to sign up send me an e-mail : autarkis33@yahoo.com

MannyTrillo · 01-15-2003, 04:19 AM

What I have seen based on these forums is this:

1. Real players leagues never have any problems finding owners, but tend to be unstable and fold more often than other types of leagues.

2. Other kinds of leagues can fill up quickly if people know the commish as a GM in other on-line leagues, or if the commish has designed an incredible website that gets people intrigued.

I've looked at your site, and I think it looks pretty good. If you have some patience, people will join. The most important thing at this point is that you make the people who are interested see that you are a dedicated and enthusiastic commissioner whose league will be around for a long time. If you can accomplish this, then when you post about openings others will reply about what a great league it is, and this will generate a lot of interest- even if you have never simmed a single game.

Best of luck, and as Killebrew said a lot of this probably has to do with timing.

headtrauma · 01-15-2003, 10:18 AM

My guess is another problem is caused by where we are in OOTP4 'product life cycle.' Once OOTP5 is released in a couple of months, the traffic on these forums will increase, making your solicitations more effective.

I've noticed a decrease in activity here compared with March/April 2002.

Just a guess.

Cuss16 · 01-15-2003, 11:33 AM

does it have to be AIM? i noticed that you have a yahoo email address can't we just use MSN or yahoo?

autarkis33 · 01-15-2003, 07:10 PM

I use AIM because I found that most people do use it and its completely free. Its very easy to set and because most people already use it, there is little learning required.

The reason I would like everyone to use it, is that it will make drafts run far smoother. Because it will only be used for drafts, you won't have to sign on that often. I would like most people to be signed on most of the time, but not everyone is capable of that.

If you need help with AIM, send me an e-mail, and I can help you out.

JAttractive · 01-16-2003, 12:10 AM

The number of teams (too many in my opinion and will simply cause headaches trying to find enough owners) and using Tripod is what first turned me away and I never gave the league a chance. After reading through the rules though I see a bit of creativity there and have to admit I am starting to get intrigued...

holyroller · 01-16-2003, 12:20 AM

Definate aye on the league size. The league I run has only 16 teams and while we do have turnover, just like every league, we never have holes for long. It is much easier to find 16 dedicated owners than 30. Also, a smaller group breeds much more familiarity, which is a huge part of any succesful league. Interaction between owners, and between owners and the commish, is crucial.

autarkis33 · 01-16-2003, 12:59 PM

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I have found that with time the league is slowly going to fill, and I am seriously considering dropping the number of initial teams.

I hope that too many of you arent discouraged from possible membership because of tripod. If it was because of the popup ads, those have been removed. Is there something bad about using tripod that I am not aware of?

If the rules intrigue, bear in mind that these are just the initial rules and more interesting tidbits will likely be showing up in the future...

goroyals · 01-18-2003, 02:27 PM

I joined the league because it has what I think are some nice rules, and I was looking for a league that isn't overly complicated for a first timer but still has enough varience to spice things up. While the pop-ups are a tad annoying I don't think you should skip what could turn out to be a good league because of that.

autarkis33 · 01-18-2003, 10:36 PM

Is everyone still getting popups? I turned those off and when I view the site, I don't get any.

Cuss16 · 01-19-2003, 12:07 AM

Do we send the logos over to you, autarkis33? and do we get to name our team?

autarkis33 · 01-19-2003, 03:24 AM

Yeah, just send me the logo in an e-mail. And you can name your team anything you want (as long as its not offensive, ie no New York F*****s). And the market name does not have to be the team name, so it could be a region or state (ie New England Pats, Arizona DB's)

BaseballFan · 01-19-2003, 09:05 AM

Hey, I'm in your league, but I have no idea whatsoever on how to create logo's... Could I just pick one from another team in any of the major sports franchises, and make it my own??

01-14-2003, 06:56 PM	#1
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Am I doing something wrong? Just a question, I started my online league, put the site up, posted to the forum, but have gotten very little response. How do most of you generate interest for you leagues? I thought I added enough little new things for a new experience (franchise players, 1 major league player per team, steroid testing) but so far I have gotten only 3 responses. I only ask as I see that other leagues often fill as many as 10 or fifteen teams in as little as a day, while my league has been up for nearly 2 days, and I have had little interest. I also see that each thread has been viewed quite a number of times. (100+) If I could do something to change that, please let me know. <A HREF="bapl-ootp.tripod.com">Here</A> is the site. Please post on this thread with any changes you might suggest or problems that you notice. Thanks in advance. __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-14-2003, 07:00 PM	#2
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Oops, the link is wrong. <A HREF="http://bapl-ootp.tripod.com">Here</A> is the site. __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-14-2003, 07:32 PM	#3
Wilt Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: in the paint Posts: 179	Here are a couple of small things: - The league is hosted on a Tripod site. People hate the numerous pop ups associated with Tripod sites. - Misspellings like "Albequerque" can make people think the person running the league is either a) young/immature or b) too lazy to look up city names. Either of which is not a good thing for a Commissioner! I am not saying you are either, but someone may get that first impression. - Lots of new leagues have started recently. Unless you already have a good reputation in the community, it may be harder to pull people your direction. These are all small things and it may be unfair to judge your league based on any of them. However, I think you are looking for honesty and since you asked, those are my impressions of what others may think. __________________ Blank until I can find my tripping penguin again!

01-14-2003, 07:39 PM	#4
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Thanks for those recommendations. This mispelling was an accident, I should have proofread a little better, thanks for noticing. I have just changed the ad types, to remove the pop-ups. __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-14-2003, 07:40 PM	#5
Wilt Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: in the paint Posts: 179	I spent a little more time on your site and my first impression was "eh, it's OK" but upon further review you have a pretty good basis for a nice league! I hope more people give it a look and things work out. Just give it more time, would be my suggestion! __________________ Blank until I can find my tripping penguin again!

01-14-2003, 07:59 PM	#6
Killebrew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,326	Many regulars here have their hands full with multiple leagues so sometimes timing is everything. Maybe there were 20 guys looking for a league last week (and they all found one) and this week there are only 3 guys. Give it some start up time (like a few weeks), and maybe consider a smaller league and/or starting a season with some AI controlled teams. AI controlled teams is a last resort but at least you can set a date and start at that time whether you have enough GM's or not. I like the Winnipeg Bears logo, good luck with your league.

01-15-2003, 03:24 AM	#7
Cuss16 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: BC, CANADA Posts: 2,994	just because of the age some ppl would not join a league? I would like to sign up, what should i do? ps. do we get to create our own logos? __________________ Last edited by Cuss16; 01-15-2003 at 03:31 AM.

01-15-2003, 03:35 AM	#8
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	to sign up send me an e-mail : autarkis33@yahoo.com __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-15-2003, 04:19 AM	#9
MannyTrillo All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 664	What I have seen based on these forums is this: 1. Real players leagues never have any problems finding owners, but tend to be unstable and fold more often than other types of leagues. 2. Other kinds of leagues can fill up quickly if people know the commish as a GM in other on-line leagues, or if the commish has designed an incredible website that gets people intrigued. I've looked at your site, and I think it looks pretty good. If you have some patience, people will join. The most important thing at this point is that you make the people who are interested see that you are a dedicated and enthusiastic commissioner whose league will be around for a long time. If you can accomplish this, then when you post about openings others will reply about what a great league it is, and this will generate a lot of interest- even if you have never simmed a single game. Best of luck, and as Killebrew said a lot of this probably has to do with timing. __________________ Poster emeritus "Not butchery, dining!!" obt sk cmh ct President, A-1 Aces OT Posting Club Click here to join

01-15-2003, 10:18 AM	#10
headtrauma Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 114	My guess is another problem is caused by where we are in OOTP4 'product life cycle.' Once OOTP5 is released in a couple of months, the traffic on these forums will increase, making your solicitations more effective. I've noticed a decrease in activity here compared with March/April 2002. Just a guess.

01-15-2003, 11:33 AM	#11
Cuss16 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: BC, CANADA Posts: 2,994	does it have to be AIM? i noticed that you have a yahoo email address can't we just use MSN or yahoo? __________________

01-15-2003, 07:10 PM	#12
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	I use AIM because I found that most people do use it and its completely free. Its very easy to set and because most people already use it, there is little learning required. The reason I would like everyone to use it, is that it will make drafts run far smoother. Because it will only be used for drafts, you won't have to sign on that often. I would like most people to be signed on most of the time, but not everyone is capable of that. If you need help with AIM, send me an e-mail, and I can help you out. __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-16-2003, 12:10 AM	#13
JAttractive All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 1,135	The number of teams (too many in my opinion and will simply cause headaches trying to find enough owners) and using Tripod is what first turned me away and I never gave the league a chance. After reading through the rules though I see a bit of creativity there and have to admit I am starting to get intrigued...

01-16-2003, 12:20 AM	#14
holyroller Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: OTBL Forums Posts: 3,532	Definate aye on the league size. The league I run has only 16 teams and while we do have turnover, just like every league, we never have holes for long. It is much easier to find 16 dedicated owners than 30. Also, a smaller group breeds much more familiarity, which is a huge part of any succesful league. Interaction between owners, and between owners and the commish, is crucial. __________________ Back to work, but not drawing a paycheck. TonyJ et. al.'s alias “I confused it with the chicken’s neck,” Mocanu, who was admitted to the emergency hospital in Galati, was quoted as saying. “I cut it ... and the dog rushed and ate it.”

01-16-2003, 12:59 PM	#15
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I have found that with time the league is slowly going to fill, and I am seriously considering dropping the number of initial teams. I hope that too many of you arent discouraged from possible membership because of tripod. If it was because of the popup ads, those have been removed. Is there something bad about using tripod that I am not aware of? If the rules intrigue, bear in mind that these are just the initial rules and more interesting tidbits will likely be showing up in the future... __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-18-2003, 02:27 PM	#16
goroyals All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 930	I joined the league because it has what I think are some nice rules, and I was looking for a league that isn't overly complicated for a first timer but still has enough varience to spice things up. While the pop-ups are a tad annoying I don't think you should skip what could turn out to be a good league because of that.

01-18-2003, 10:36 PM	#17
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Is everyone still getting popups? I turned those off and when I view the site, I don't get any. __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-19-2003, 12:07 AM	#18
Cuss16 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: BC, CANADA Posts: 2,994	Do we send the logos over to you, autarkis33? and do we get to name our team? __________________

01-19-2003, 03:24 AM	#19
autarkis33 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 247	Yeah, just send me the logo in an e-mail. And you can name your team anything you want (as long as its not offensive, ie no New York F*****s). And the market name does not have to be the team name, so it could be a region or state (ie New England Pats, Arizona DB's) __________________ "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell" Commissioner of the <A HREF="http://www.bpla-ootp.com">BPLA</A> GM of the Iowa Crop Circles in <A HREF="http://www.dpbl.net/potd">POTD</A> Manager of the Lennongrad Coleopteras in <A HREF="http://beta.simleagues.com">Beta Baseball</A> Only HOF Leftfielder in LBL - 2nd career AVG, 3B's and SB's - 3rd in Hits and HR's

01-19-2003, 09:05 AM	#20
BaseballFan Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 53	Hey, I'm in your league, but I have no idea whatsoever on how to create logo's... Could I just pick one from another team in any of the major sports franchises, and make it my own??