 February 05, 2010, 05:46:30 AM | #0 |
The Headliner
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OUTSTANDING
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In three weeks, PWH is going offline to make way for the next evolution of sports entertainment forums: NXT.
Not really, I just had to get that ECW reference out of the way early. Although, as timing would have it, the proposal in this thread is not so different.
It seems to me that these forums have lost their direction and sense of identity. When we became Pro Wrestling Headlines in August 2005, the aim was to go mainstream on the back of an active main site with its own newsboard, and inbound traffic driven by Neil's reporting around the web (and the advertising opportunities such networking would create). However, understandably, that vision has fallen far beyond the wayside due to Neil's increasing work and university commitments. As a result we're left pretending we're something we're not. The PWH brand is cold, generic, sterile. It's hard for people to feel loyal and passionate towards three letters that, in our current state, mean nothing.
This board began as WrestleXpress in 2003. WX represented the shared values of wrestling posters who challenged established forum protocol, brought a knife to a gunfight and stood their ground, together. WX was a small pack of underdogs fighting for a place in a then-crowded genre, unequipped to compete with newsboard forums but embracing each minor advantage earned by tooth and nail.
Most of those posters are no longer here or likely to return, but that fighting spirit can. If we stop pretending to be something we're not, if we acknowledge that Pro Wrestling Headlines is not who we are or who we truly want to be, then we can return to the roots that made these forums a unique entity, and one that its members could proudly call their own. We have been static, stationary, for far too long in this rigid shell - I say it's time we thawed the engines, relit our fires and put WrestleXpress back on track.
In proposing a rebranding, let me be clear: I am talking about the future, not the past. Progress, not nostalgia. This week's retro skin for our 7th anniversary is a trip down memory lane for some, but what I'm putting on the table is a new WX with all the grit and determination of the old. I believe that sometimes you have to step back to move forward, and that reclaiming WX will open up new doors and concepts, some of which I'll hold close to my chest for now but what I ask is this: What do we have to lose? If we rename from Pro Wrestling Headlines to WX, with a new design and a new focus, are there any drawbacks that a reinvigorated direction and sense of identity can't overcome?
This is not a done deal, it relies on your feedback and support. If you don't want to change, we won't. But with the near-stagnant condition these forums are in and have been for so long, something's got to give and I strongly believe this is the turning point we need. If you're with me, say so. If you're not, state why. Is it all aboard, or do these wheels keep turning on the spot?
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« Last Edit: March 08, 2010, 12:21:36 PM by The Headliner »
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| February 05, 2010, 01:03:12 PM | #3 |
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RagingCalm
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I'm left asking the question, what specifically are we trying to achieve? Is there a website that PWH is trying to rival?
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"Picture a weasel -- and most of us can do that, for we have met that little demon of destruction, that small atom of insensate courage, that symbol of slaughter, sleeplessness, and tireless, incredible activity -- picture that scrap of demoniac fury, multiply that mite some fifty times, and you have the likeness of a Wolverine." Ernest Thompson Seton, 1909
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| February 05, 2010, 01:30:52 PM | #4 |
TheGopher
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...king of all things...
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I'd assume the main goal would be to increase traffic, RC. There's not really one particular site we're trying to rival, just looking for ways to add to our own success. The name change is really a much smaller, but necessary part of the plan, in my honest opinion.
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*I am currently in the middle of an identity crises. Please stand by*  |
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| February 06, 2010, 02:46:53 AM | #5 |
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| February 06, 2010, 02:54:09 PM | #6 |
Hazzy
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Be Jealous
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WrestleXpress, you could make it so the idea is you only need to come to this forum to get all things wrestling - as in, news and discussion. Highlight how its convenient and easy to use, everything should be clear and simple.
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 [15:12:47] Gerrvaise says:
i used to strip action men and play with them in the bath |
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| February 06, 2010, 08:56:50 PM | #7 |
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Reservoir Dog
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WrestleXpress, you could make it so the idea is you only need to come to this forum to get all things wrestling - as in, news and discussion. Highlight how its convenient and easy to use, everything should be clear and simple.
 That sounds like a GREAT idea!!! |
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| February 07, 2010, 03:14:50 PM | #10 |
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Reservoir Dog
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Thats the only kind I do.  I should kick your ass. |
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| February 08, 2010, 11:43:52 AM | #11 |
Ethan
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Overly Irritated
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Do whatever needs to be done.
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 I'm not crazy because I take the right pills. |
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| February 21, 2010, 09:55:11 AM | #12 |
The Headliner
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I know it looks like everything's gone quiet on the matter, but thanks to everyone's feedback, this is definitely going ahead. A lot of work is being done to prepare the site for the transition, and the new features that will either be a part of the relaunch, or will come at a later stage. I am really excited about the way it's coming together, and I hope everyone will enjoy the benefits soon. I can't put a date on when the switch will take place, but it will be some time between now and WrestleMania. Buckle up, Teddy...
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| February 21, 2010, 10:28:46 AM | #13 |
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Illusion
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THE ROAD TO WRESTLEXPRESS STARTS HERE!!!
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