Let me start by saying that this is a great site. I run a website or two myself and I know the commitment and work that goes in to doing this - especially when it's not your regular job. So please don't let any of what I hope is constructive criticism, undermine that. I admire what you are doing here Jason.
My main point is that I don't really know what this site is. It appears to me that it is neither
1) the official elgin city website
nor
2) an unofficial and fully independent fansite
I think there's a demand for both and I think this site is great as I say but I think it is straddling both of the above. I may well be wrong but I suspect that the site is run in consultation with the club which is great as it allows a certain amount of information to flow through that might be difficult to obtain otherwise. The club also gets a benefit as they know that nothing too controversial will be published here (other than on the m/board) However, for that sort of service, they should be paying for a proper official site and improving that flow of information in both directions. They are being cheap and lazy if the relationship I imagine above is correct.
Whilst this site is linked to the club it cannot publish independent, critical editorial that represents the fans views - something that I think would be very attractive ? I know that's available to an extent on the MB, but I like the idea of a site that welcomes contributions (critical or not) and published them on the main site. Regular columns from fans. Articles could question the management of the team and the club.
I just think it would be interesting to have a site that doesn't need to be nice to the club - not to say it shouldn't be - just that it doesn't have to be. But then maybe this site doesn't need to be - I don't know.
Again, I stress that this is not a criticism of the quality of this site. I cannot emphasise that enough!
My main point is that I don't really know what this site is. It appears to me that it is neither
1) the official elgin city website
nor
2) an unofficial and fully independent fansite
I think there's a demand for both and I think this site is great as I say but I think it is straddling both of the above. I may well be wrong but I suspect that the site is run in consultation with the club which is great as it allows a certain amount of information to flow through that might be difficult to obtain otherwise. The club also gets a benefit as they know that nothing too controversial will be published here (other than on the m/board) However, for that sort of service, they should be paying for a proper official site and improving that flow of information in both directions. They are being cheap and lazy if the relationship I imagine above is correct.
Whilst this site is linked to the club it cannot publish independent, critical editorial that represents the fans views - something that I think would be very attractive ? I know that's available to an extent on the MB, but I like the idea of a site that welcomes contributions (critical or not) and published them on the main site. Regular columns from fans. Articles could question the management of the team and the club.
I just think it would be interesting to have a site that doesn't need to be nice to the club - not to say it shouldn't be - just that it doesn't have to be. But then maybe this site doesn't need to be - I don't know.
Again, I stress that this is not a criticism of the quality of this site. I cannot emphasise that enough!
