PDGA Website

[Matt B.]

Welcome to this forum Steve, and thanks for joining the discussion. I think it's taking a while for everyone in the disc golf universe to understand that it really DOES seem like we finally have someone at PDGA.com who is diligently working to solve the problem and is openly communicating about it. As you know, you inherited a huge mess that festered for years and that heritage is going to be with you for some time. Many if not most PDGA discussion forum users gave up reading that forum because of the website problems, so they haven't seen you communicating regularly on the topic.

Please continue your good work and know that people do appreciate it. And please check in here once in a while and keep answering questions. If you wanted to (you might not want to) you could start a "Ask PDGA Technology Director Steve Ganz" thread, and then set up notifications for that thread so that you could know when someone is asking PDGA website or tech questions.

Thanks for what you do!

[Lund]

Originally Posted by steveganz

We had everything fixed just in time for the long weekend. I hope everything worked well for you. Let me know if you had any problems during the tournament.

Steve-
The website performed perfectly during our event this past weekend. Uploading scores took but a minute each time, including once from the course using a portable wifi hotspot device that utilized a cell phone signal.

Thanks for the improvements, your feedback and communication here, and for absorbing the criticism along the way.
-Eric Lund

[steveganz]

Thanks for the support, guys. The PDGA Discussion Board in it's current state will likely go away once we are able to provide better ways to communicate on the new platform.

I'm subscribed to this thread and would be happy to field any questions you might have right here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the BSF!

[essjay]

Steve, do you think the technical issues could have resulted in some loss of data? I'm just wondering because I was looking up some statistics and noticed that there was missing information.

[steveganz]

No data was lost but please email me at sganz@pdga.com with details so I can investigate.

[Scott]

Pretty sure I was a 1000 rated player before the crash.

Seriously - thanks to Steve for taking on a thankless job.

[mowens404]

Has anybody noticed how smoothly and quick the website has been recently, even during worlds!?! good work guys.

[steveganz]

Originally Posted by mowens404

Has anybody noticed how smoothly and quick the website has been recently, even during worlds!?! good work guys.

Thanks! We're seeing record breaking traffic too. Upwards of 80% more than the last combined Worlds.

[Jeff Hemmerling]

Originally Posted by mowens404

Has anybody noticed how smoothly and quick the website has been recently, even during worlds!?! good work guys.

YES, YES, YES!!
It has been great during worlds. Also loving the live update to keep track of the lead cards. Thanks Steve Ganz!

[NWDiscer]

steve if you can please next take care of the glitchy dgptv coverage, so i have a reason to maybe give them my money next year.

i followed the twitter feeds today and on my end it seems to update almost as fast as the live dgptv feed from kc earlier this year.

[Wes Hansen]

Steve,
Perhaps you could tell us something of the mindset by the PDGA to TRY to make us pay to view Worlds. I can't for the life of me figure how anyone thought this was a good idea, particularly after the poor web service we have all been receiving until recently. Was this a PDGA production? Seems the production and PDGA have a lot in common....
Next year I'll trade - the PDGA can keep the marginal magazine and let me see the one event of the year I'd like to.
After 10+ years as a member I'm beginning to wonder if the BSF is the ONLY reason to join each year. It is the only one I could come up with.
Sure, charge non-members to see Worlds, but PDGA membership should have SOME worthwhile benefit for ALL members.
I'm more confused then ever about what the PDGA is TRULY doing for its membership.

(Annoyed, but happy to listen to reason.)

[ski2man]

Originally Posted by Wes Hansen

Steve,
Perhaps you could tell us something of the mindset by the PDGA to TRY to make us pay to view Worlds. I can't for the life of me figure how anyone thought this was a good idea, particularly after the poor web service we have all been receiving until recently. Was this a PDGA production? Seems the production and PDGA have a lot in common....
Next year I'll trade - the PDGA can keep the marginal magazine and let me see the one event of the year I'd like to.
After 10+ years as a member I'm beginning to wonder if the BSF is the ONLY reason to join each year. It is the only one I could come up with.
Sure, charge non-members to see Worlds, but PDGA membership should have SOME worthwhile benefit for ALL members.
I'm more confused then ever about what the PDGA is TRULY doing for its membership.

(Annoyed, but happy to listen to reason.)

I have the same thought...often about my own membership in my association. There seems to be no benefits except it provides money for the courses (as far as the local organizations) but that hardly seems enough when plenty of people play without paying. I feel like a sucker at time with both my group and the PDGA. I echo your concern.

[Scott]

This is really not that hard to figure out. DGP tried the business model of giving away the product and asking for donations. That model didn't work. They had two choices: Stop broadcasting, or charge a fee.

Is $8 really that big of a deal? Where else are you going to see live disc golf coverage?

[Wes Hansen]

A response from someone that works for the PDGA is what I was hoping for.


Who is DGP? (Meaning the people paid behind the company.)
Why do they look like the face of the PDGA? Who are they working for? DGP or the PDGA?
By paying $8 am I paying PDGA staff to do a second job when I've already paid my PDGA dues so a select few folks can be at events? There's a bit of crossover I'm unclear about.
So it's not just $8, it feels like $58.
As I said, I'm a 10+ yr supporter of the PDGA... but I'm beginning to wonder who is benefiting from the monies sent to the PDGA and DGP. Is it the local PDGA member or a select few folks.

It really isn't that hard to figure out.

Also, TV was free for over 50 years. Commercials paid for production and airing. That business model worked well.

[runnaman]

The only problem with commercials paying for broadcasts is you have to have the audience to attract advertisers. The only businesses disc golf can attract right now are disc golf companies, and they don't have that much money for advertising.

So maybe in the future, once the audience for live disc golf broadcast, it can attract bigger advertisers and be supported solely by commercials.

I will also say that I have no problem paying the $8 to watch the coverage all week. Sure there have been technical difficulties, but they are broadcasting live from withing a forest, so it's to be expected. It's a huge step from 4 years ago and in the next four years, who knows, maybe it will be commercial driven, but I think supporting discgolfplanet now will result in free broadcasts sooner.

[Jason Philips]

I think Steve is the wrong person to ask about general PDGA information and this is probably not the best thread to ask these questions.


In regards to the $8 to watch the Disc Golf Planet show, I think it is shite. I paid for a membership viewing it as startup fees. Then I made an assumption (I know about assumptions) that the website would do like most broadcasters do and solicit advertising to pay the cost of the broadcast. Further the quality of the broadcast is severly lacking. I think for what they are doing and how they are doing it, they are doing the best they can. If you want to charge me beyond my annual membership and give me the same quality of coverage you always have why should I pay for a PPV event no matter how much.

Not everyone is content just to see disc golf live. Some people believe in value of what they get and are not seeing the value in the additional cost. There are sheep and there are those that ask questions, I like to ask questions and so do others here.

[Simmeltron]

Originally Posted by Wes Hansen

Steve,
Perhaps you could tell us something of the mindset by the PDGA to TRY to make us pay to view Worlds. I can't for the life of me figure how anyone thought this was a good idea, particularly after the poor web service we have all been receiving until recently. Was this a PDGA production? Seems the production and PDGA have a lot in common....
Next year I'll trade - the PDGA can keep the marginal magazine and let me see the one event of the year I'd like to.
After 10+ years as a member I'm beginning to wonder if the BSF is the ONLY reason to join each year. It is the only one I could come up with.
Sure, charge non-members to see Worlds, but PDGA membership should have SOME worthwhile benefit for ALL members.
I'm more confused then ever about what the PDGA is TRULY doing for its membership.

(Annoyed, but happy to listen to reason.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure that the PDGA and DGP.TV are completely separate entities. The PDGA is a founding sponsor of DGP but that is it. It is NOT Steve's job at all to improve their broadcast quality.

I do agree that the video quality could have been better but come on people, this is groundbreaking stuff, we had a LIVE broadcast of the World Championships for a week straight! Do you think THIS can be done for free?. To expect these people to sustain all of their costs, let alone pay their staff, on a $25 lifetime membership is ridiculous. I am sure as the sport continues to grow, and more money is pumped into revenue from advertising, things will continue to improve. The TV advertising model as somebody else pointed out just doesn't work until you have hundreds of thousands of people tuning in. Until then, the bills have to be paid some how. Unfortunately, $8, which is hardly anything to some, is apparently more to others. Let's think about it... Drink ONE less 6-pack/bottle of wine/pint of Jack this week. Oh wow, I'm rich!!!

In the meantime I think we should all be happy with the blessings that technology has brought us. Sure it is not 1080p HiDef *YET*, but I still got to watch the best disc golf on the planet played LIVE from across the country. And for that, I salute you guys.

[Matt B.]

Originally Posted by ski2man

I have the same thought...often about my own membership in my association. There seems to be no benefits except it provides money for the courses (as far as the local organizations) but that hardly seems enough when plenty of people play without paying. I feel like a sucker at time with both my group and the PDGA. I echo your concern.

NO benefit to being a member of your local club because "plenty of people play without paying"?

Friend, I don't know what club you feel suckered by, but paying $10 a year or whatever your club fee is, is well worth it to be not counted among the people who don't do sh*t except complain and take from your local scene.

There are people doing stuff to promote disc golf, events, and course development, and then there's everybody else running their mouths complaining. Paying a club membership fee is the bare minimum you can do to not just be a nother sh*t talking taker in the disc golf community.

[steveganz]

Originally Posted by Simmeltron

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure that the PDGA and DGP.TV are completely separate entities.

You are correct, sir.

Originally Posted by Simmeltron

It is NOT Steve's job at all to improve their broadcast quality.

I would if I could!

[maynard]

You know its easy to be critical of anything that someone else is doing. The extra $7.95 was well worth it for me to support DGPTV and to be a part of this ground breaking exposure for our great sport. These productions cost a lot of money and I got to watch a lot of great golf. I have no complaints, I got my moneys worth. Cheap entertaiment if you ask me...