Painful---Here comes the feedback...

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kjduke
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by kjduke » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:21 am

Originally posted by Rob B:
I drafted last night in the one that did not go so good.

I agree with the very eloquent Mark Moyer and Todd Ullman and Wayne and a few others so I won't repeat any of that plus my comments from the other day with suggestions about the Queue.

I was expecting to be wowed and feel let down by what we are being asked to use. It looks like it was rushed into service with the most basic of attributes. How much more basic is a grid and knowing to show both the "Draft Summary" and "Player Search" at the same time?

I think the software can get the job done this next month without any bells and whistles but I hope to see some drastic changes next year.

I hope that the commissioner end is slicker than this aspect. The worst part for me Rob, is that virtually every problem that most of us had with the layout - obvious stuff - are things than KOQ, RT and I laid out to the fanball tech guys in Vegas last March. The fact that 6 months went by and NONE of these obvious shortfalls which almost everyone complained about were addressed ... well, I pretty much take it as a big F.U. from fanball.

I'm gonna stop posting on this now, I think everyone gets my point.

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RedRyder
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by RedRyder » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:22 am

What happened in the GAMERS league last night was UNACCEPTABLE. Frankly, I'm embarrassed.

Several comments were made that this was good practice for the Bare Knuckles Challenge a competitor is putting on, where you use no cheatsheets, don't write down your team, etc. It sure was! I gave up trying to track my team and cross off names on my cheatsheets during Round 1. I am very meticulous about tracking the draft and players chosen whether it is online or live. I haven't had the experience before where I've had to bail ship on both (especially by Round 1).

My eyes are still tired this morning and my blood is still boiling.

What would have been nice to wake up to was an e-mail from NFFC/Fanball apologizing for the experience we all had. And asking us for ways to improve the draft room and offer us compensation.

We were willing to be your testers last week, but were told you folks wanted to get it right and give us a good experience. That did not happen and in the end, I feel like we all paid $125 to be your testers (and that offer was only good for last week!!!!).

Also, I was kinda shocked when I asked Geoff in the chat room if he was getting all our complaints down and relaying them to Greg. He said to that Greg said to post them on the MBs...well, this is what you get.

And I tend to agree with Popcorn Maker, that some folks may not be speaking up. I know of at least one person who told me yesterday they were asked not to be critical of the NFFC, no wonder I don't see him post so much. Not that it matters, I mean, look at KJ Duke, he's frustrated that his suggestions time and time again have fallen on deaf ears. Although I doubt they have fallen on deaf ears, I'm pretty sure they been heard. So, what's the problem. Time management in the IT department? Something else?

I'm sure there are transcripts of the chat room, I hope someone at NFFC/Fanball is reading them. You have folks saying they won't play in your online contests based on this draft room. I'm one of them, I threw $125 away last night, that does not sit well with me. Old School posted he didn't get the player he wanted 5 or 6 times last night, I'm betting he's thinking he threw $125 away too.

It's so frustrating, because I like Greg, TK, Geoff and Ryan. And I have loved the NFFC over the years. Greg and Ryan, I committed big bucks, the majority of my fantasy football budget to you folks in March (at the NFBC). Even after the growing pains of the back end over at the NFBC, I remained committed. And I still have to wait 40-55 seconds for the free agents to load (compare that to Sportsline, where I wait 3-5 seconds), but I've kept my mouth shut (until now).

I keep going back to the NFBC and last week here when your customers offered to be BETA testers. Why in the world would you not do this? All of this could have been avoided.
@RedRyder

BillyWaz
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by BillyWaz » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:24 am

Based on the draftpractice.com (which is supposed to be very similar) if they get rid of that stupid add for Fanball online games and put the draft summary there...that would be a HUGE improvement, IMO.

Toggling back and forth between player rankings and the draft summary is ridiculous, all because an ad "has to" be there!

Judging by Greg's post it wasn't his or I'm assuming Tom's idea to have that ad there.....but hey.....when your Ryan Houston and your ego is as big as the moon, you do it your way even if the people who are smarter and KNOW what they are doing want to do it another way. :rolleyes: :mad:

HEY RYAN....
LET GREG, TOM, GEOFF STEIN ETC. DO WHAT THEY ARE GOOD AT. THAT IS WHY YOU HIRED THEM, AND THEY KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE MORE THAN YOU!!!!

Greg Ambrosius
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by Greg Ambrosius » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:29 am

I'll do better than apologize on the boards Jules. I'll call you now to discuss. And if anyone else from that league wants to discuss any of this with me, I'll call them too and discuss what we're doing now on the site.

There are two easy changes we can make with the real estate on the page. We've discussed that now and will make adjustments ASAP. Our next live drafts are Sunday and we hope to have this done before then and a much better experience for all drafters.
Founder, National Fantasy Football Championship & National Fantasy Baseball Championship
Twitter: @GregAmbrosius

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Tom Kessenich
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by Tom Kessenich » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:31 am

Originally posted by RedRyder:
I know of at least one person who told me yesterday they were asked not to be critical of the NFFC Jules, this is not correct. For the record, I contacted Glenn Schroter to ask him to post some thoughts if he believed there were positive thoughts to be posted because I believed the conversation had steered away from being positive in terms of helping us to better the site and had become a forum to lash out at us and Fanball. I made it quite clear to Glenn that I did not want him to post anything he did not believe. As an influential member of our event, I believed that if Glenn had positive things to say those thoughts would be heard. If he didn't (and by all accounts he's unhappy as you are) then that's the way it goes.

But AT NO TIME was Glenn asked to post anything about the draft site that he did not believe. or was he asked not to be critical. I NEVER said that and no one should believe or infer that was the case. And obviously, no one in the $125 league had any idea I even talked to Glenn so the idea that they would somehow be reluctant to issue negative commentary is once again insulting to them.

I thought I would clear the air on that to avoid any further confusion. Take me to task for talking to Glenn if you will.

[ August 05, 2010, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Tom Kessenich ]
Tom Kessenich
Manager of High Stakes Fantasy Games, SportsHub Technologies
Twitter - @TomKessenich

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kjduke
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Painful---Here comes the feedback...

Post by kjduke » Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:36 am

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:
I'll do better than apologize on the boards Jules. I'll call you now to discuss. And if anyone else from that league wants to discuss any of this with me, I'll call them too and discuss what we're doing now on the site.

There are two easy changes we can make with the real estate on the page. We've discussed that now and will make adjustments ASAP. Our next live drafts are Sunday and we hope to have this done before then and a much better experience for all drafters. Greg, call me late this afternoon and explain to me why Ryan asked your tech guys to sit down and talk to me and others about how to improve the draft room, and then took none of our suggestions.

Also, explain why we waited an extra 2 weeks for this product so that is was fully-tested with the kinks worked out, and then it turned out to be a beta 1.01 product.

Also, why we couldn't beta test this beforehand as we wanted, such that we could avoid the fiasco that took place.

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