The Bobcat Nation

Has anyone else been noticing the horrible lack of updates on the Bobcat homepage over the last couple of months? Do we not have anyone working on it over there? Seems to me that there is still a buttload of work that needs to be done, and that doesn't even include just putting out daily articles that chronicle Bobcat athletics teams.

I would like to start a similar thread to the Bobcat Gameday Experience thread about what we would like to see on the MSU Athletics homepage. We can let this run for a couple weeks, then I would be happy to compile a list of all the suggestions and send it off to MSU.

To start:

1.) Daily updates on our teams that are currently playing
2.) Bring back the "Student-of-the-Week" feature, instead of being lazy by only doing it monthly
3.) I would love a recruiting section where we could see profiles of athletes that have verballed to MSU, with pictures and streaming video, if available. If MSU isn't allowed to do this before signing day per NCAA rules (?), then it could definitely be done after LOI's are signed.
4.) I would still like to see a section with all of MSU's archived pictures
5.) A link for screen savers and wallpapers
6.) It would really be helpful if MSU put more effort into lauding its facilities. The page right now just makes them look pathetic. The football and basketball stadiums in particular need to have many different pictures, and need to include pictures of the locker rooms and training facilities. This could really help with recruiting.

That should get this started off...

I totally agree. The pages are not even worth looking at. Another thing that I would like to see up there are game stats. At least a few days after the game.

Couldn't agree more Bozone. I have almost stopped going to that site for information because it wouldn't surprise me if Joey Thomas is still on the active roster. I spend a significant amount of time on our opponents boards and most have the type of features you are talking about. Live stats during the game would be great (ala the griz board) especially when you consider our shakey internet feed of Kris' broadcasts.

With you all the way Bozone. Check out the football player bios. They started to update it last fall and did about the first 5 players alphabetically. The rest have 2003 info and the new players have no bios - name and hometown only. It's really weak. Keeping it updated is the main problem.

This coming from a scientific school with a computer science major.

Who do we need to get in touch with to get this moving and up to 2005 standards?

The web page was set up by an MSU ITC Web Services Group, which I believe is a campus based organization. Content to the page is added by the Sports Information Directors for both men's and women's, as well as their staffs. I

Suggestion 1: A big donation to the athletic dept. in order to hire someone to do all of these 'suggestions', because they have no staff to make this happen.

Suggestion 2: Alternatively, and preferably, some hungry graduate student in CS could do it in there spare time for credit.

Suggestion 3: kmax, rtb and/or BAC could do the updates in their spare time.

That is all.

Bleedinbluengold wrote:Suggestion 1: A big donation to the athletic dept. in order to hire someone to do all of these 'suggestions', because they have no staff to make this happen.

Suggestion 2: Alternatively, and preferably, some hungry graduate student in CS could do it in there spare time for credit.

Suggestion 3: kmax, rtb and/or BAC could do the updates in their spare time.

That is all.

We could revise #3 to substitute those who are making the suggestions for those currently listed. "Spare time" isn't a term this boy understands.

Bay Area Cat wrote:

Bleedinbluengold wrote:Suggestion 1: A big donation to the athletic dept. in order to hire someone to do all of these 'suggestions', because they have no staff to make this happen.

Suggestion 2: Alternatively, and preferably, some hungry graduate student in CS could do it in there spare time for credit.

Suggestion 3: kmax, rtb and/or BAC could do the updates in their spare time.

That is all.

We could revise #3 to substitute those who are making the suggestions for those currently listed. "Spare time" isn't a term this boy understands.

Hey hey hey, slow down. Like I have spare time, I've been living out of a suitcase and working for free for the last month and a half! Matter of fact, if I had any idea how to do that sort of thing, I wouldn't mind helping MSU out. But alas, this poor soul has exactly zero experience with web design...

C'mon people, let's hear some suggestions and maybe MSU will listen and figure out that there actually is an interest in these things!!!

I would be willing to help with updates if needed. Only problem is I am in Georgia, but if you need help let me know.

Good post Bozone,
Double edge swoard, MSU page out of date, forcing Cat fans to view bobcatnation. Still, sad to see the university looking bad on this one! Hard to imagine there is not a college student with web design looking for a platform to advertise their talent. Can't image if the plea was made that students would not jump on a chance to show thier stuff on the MSU official web page!

I'll bet no one at MSU has even thought about trying to find a student who is willing to do some work on this sort of thing. I'll bet you would find a few takers if MSU were to pay them seven bucks an hour for work study, and all they would have to do is put an advertisement in the Exponent. Anyways, just a thought.

Take it from me, as a recent CS major and still have several friends in the field, most of them view sports as the spawn of all evil. I remember being in there, and they asked me to come over Saturday night to have a LAN party, I said I was going to the basketball game, you wouldn't believe the crap that spewed from their mouths. Oh well, CS isn't the only field with web designers.

Yeah, but it only takes one. Not to mention, I would think that getting paid $7 an hour to do web design for work study beats flipping burgers.

I agree that the MSU Bobcats homepage needs to be spruced up somewhat. I visit a number of other homepages for volleyball mostly and they are quite impressive. Action shots, larger than thumbnail size are great. This would be nice for all sports.

BozoneCat wrote:I'll bet no one at MSU has even thought about trying to find a student who is willing to do some work on this sort of thing. I'll bet you would find a few takers if MSU were to pay them seven bucks an hour for work study, and all they would have to do is put an advertisement in the Exponent. Anyways, just a thought.

DAM, is that what they get now?

I wonder if someone were willing to do this for "expenses" as part of an in-kind trade agreement for, say, tix and other perks, if the Dept. would go for it.

BozoneCat wrote:

DAM, is that what they get now?

I wonder if someone were willing to do this for "expenses" as part of an in-kind trade agreement for, say, tix and other perks, if the Dept. would go for it.[/quote]

Wow,
Throw a bone like a season pass, or a press box, where do I sign up?

Bleedinbluengold wrote:

BozoneCat wrote:I'll bet no one at MSU has even thought about trying to find a student who is willing to do some work on this sort of thing. I'll bet you would find a few takers if MSU were to pay them seven bucks an hour for work study, and all they would have to do is put an advertisement in the Exponent. Anyways, just a thought.

DAM, is that what they get now?

I wonder if someone were willing to do this for "expenses" as part of an in-kind trade agreement for, say, tix and other perks, if the Dept. would go for it.

That is a great idea to pass along. Keep 'em coming, guys!