The Power of Message Boards

One of the great side-effects of the internet has been the widespread participation in not just blogging, but also message boards. When I first started playing on the �net back in the early 90s, I joined a few different cricket bulletin boards. These were mostly Australian orientated with few overseas members. Having discussions with like-minded Aussie cricket nuts was fantastic, but early in the new millennia I joined a new board that was truly eclectic in its membership.

This message board has been through a few different incarnations, however, most of the members have stayed together for nearly well over five years now. In its current home (http://cricketfansforum.net), we have representation from all the major nations, as well as lesser known cricketing countries such as Canada and even England. Our message board is moderated by the members themselves, with no external 'authority' arbitrarily determining appropriateness of content or discussion. Currently, we have an admin. team composed of members from Pakistan, England, India and Canada, which ensures that different values and beliefs are both heard and respected. The greatest value I gain from the message board is learning about other cultures, straight from the source. I wrote a piece earlier about cultural differences, and much of this was derived from what I have read, heard and debated with people from all round the world.

As noted by many people on the net, one of the most significant differences between a blog and a message board relates to who has control over the content. Blogs are driven an individual view or perspective, whereas the members ultimately have control over the direction of a message board. The humble message board is an incredibly powerful medium in gaining an understanding of the similarities and differences between various countries. It is through this process that we are able to learn why certain beliefs are held, and why some actions are considered more significant than intended. And through this, a better understanding of other countries is gained.

A blog is a wonderful forum to put forward ideas and thoughts. I have found that our message board is a great way to formulate the ideas and discuss them. If you haven�t joined a message board with a very diverse membership, I would encourage you to do so. It is a great experience to expand your horizons and knowledge of the world.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Player Profile - Colin Bland

Around many a bar or kitchen table cricket lovers debate who is the best batsman in the world, the greatest all-rounder, the top spinner and so on. Sometimes the discussions turn to fielding, and the name of Colin Bland is regularly brought up. Bland�s reputation as a cover fielder was such that he almost solely remembered in this capacity. The fact that his fielding remains the primary legacy of his test career is perhaps a shame, as Bland was also a very good batsman. Nonetheless, it does underline what a magnificent fielder he was, as a Test average of nearly 49.06 places him near the elite level for international batsmen. Christened Kenneth Colin Bland, but always called by his middle name, Colin was born on the 5th of April, 1938 in Bulawayo, Rhodesia. Now known as Zimbabwe, at that time of Colin�s birth Rhodesia was a region of Africa being composed of both modern day Zimbabwe (then known as Southern Rhodesia) and Zambia (then called Northern Rhodesia). Southern Rhodesia was a se...
Read more

The Myth of Sunil Gavaskar and the West Indies Quicks

Sunny Gavaskar is, without doubt, one of the greatest batsmen of all-time. Gavaskar is a true legend of the game. His technique was near faultless, and when combined with limitless patience, you had the mould for the perfect opening batsman. Gavaskar�s test career saw a total of 10122 runs at an average of 51.12, with an astounding 34 test centuries. Gavaskar retired from test cricket in 1987, and therefore his era would appear to almost completely coincide with the great Windies bowling lineups of the late 70s and 80s. In 27 tests against the West Indies, Gavaskar scored an almost unbelievable 2749 runs at an average of 65.45, with an astonishing 13 centuries. These statistics are often used by fans and supporters to underline his claims as the greatest opening batsman of all-time. However, one of the great myths that has grown up about Gavaskar is his amazing dominance of the otherwise unconquered West Indian four pronged pace battery that these statistics would suggest. If you break...
Read more