New Forum
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david_payne
- Heavyweight
The future of Boxing-Central.com
Hi fellas,
One thing is certain, it will be a tragedy if Central folds having taken a year to build into such a popular and valued resource.
The problem is of course, how to maintain it - funding free - whilst keeping hold of the quality and ideals of the site at the outset, it needs to remain 'different' to other sites and use it's connection with boxrec, opinion articles to differentiate it from all the other me to sites out there.
However, show coverage needs to improve, which isn't easy.
I believe feature wise the site is strong, easy to navigate although some ambiguity exists in places, things like 'Top Stories' is a little iffy but I'm picking.
The style is first class.
But currency is the key - and with out one driving force - aka Graham - the site drifts from day to day without capturing the news as completely as other sites - if it doesn't do that it will fall behind.
Of course sites like SOut and Maxboxing are paying - which is the big difference, it makes Central more sustainable and viable but leaves t open to the other demands on contributors time - i.e.real life!
Currently, I think editor status has been offered to some who need more training or guidance to ensure the presentation of stories matches the levels consumers expect. Might sound abit harsh but if a story looks amatuerish the site will be treat accordingly.
It's important to try and drive news as well as wait for it - contact with promoters, fighters, sanctioning bodies etc can offer new stories other sites don't have.
I managed to do this by building a rapport with the EBU and by monitoring Australian and South African news - which is published before ours - to grab new Matlala or Mundine stories.
I think this relationship building is crucial for the site to evolve. How we do this with disparate resources is difficult to see.
I'd say at ts best BC is a very real challenger to sites like British Boxing, Boxingtalk (which is excellent) - Fight News as we know is very quck and easy and up to date - maxboxing is great at the opinion stuff which is what makes boxing tick but I find SO - abit laborious.
One thing is certain, it will be a tragedy if Central folds having taken a year to build into such a popular and valued resource.
The problem is of course, how to maintain it - funding free - whilst keeping hold of the quality and ideals of the site at the outset, it needs to remain 'different' to other sites and use it's connection with boxrec, opinion articles to differentiate it from all the other me to sites out there.
However, show coverage needs to improve, which isn't easy.
I believe feature wise the site is strong, easy to navigate although some ambiguity exists in places, things like 'Top Stories' is a little iffy but I'm picking.
The style is first class.
But currency is the key - and with out one driving force - aka Graham - the site drifts from day to day without capturing the news as completely as other sites - if it doesn't do that it will fall behind.
Of course sites like SOut and Maxboxing are paying - which is the big difference, it makes Central more sustainable and viable but leaves t open to the other demands on contributors time - i.e.real life!
Currently, I think editor status has been offered to some who need more training or guidance to ensure the presentation of stories matches the levels consumers expect. Might sound abit harsh but if a story looks amatuerish the site will be treat accordingly.
It's important to try and drive news as well as wait for it - contact with promoters, fighters, sanctioning bodies etc can offer new stories other sites don't have.
I managed to do this by building a rapport with the EBU and by monitoring Australian and South African news - which is published before ours - to grab new Matlala or Mundine stories.
I think this relationship building is crucial for the site to evolve. How we do this with disparate resources is difficult to see.
I'd say at ts best BC is a very real challenger to sites like British Boxing, Boxingtalk (which is excellent) - Fight News as we know is very quck and easy and up to date - maxboxing is great at the opinion stuff which is what makes boxing tick but I find SO - abit laborious.
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Jeffsboxing
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 330
- Joined: 03 Feb 2002, 20:00