The 20/20-isation of ICF

[Gambit]

When ICF began, it was like test cricket. As the best test cricketers values their performances in the test arena, people valued their statuses as posters on ICF. It was almost as if they cared how they came across to anyone reading their posts. They put a lot of thought into their posts and attacked others posters' posts with refreshing analysis. Yes, there were heated debates and fights but the posters concerned articulated their thoughts with a mixture of well reasoned points, facts and the odd invective. Every disagreement was fiercely contested, no quarter was given and match day or not, ICF was abuzz with coruscating threads.That was the average ICF 'Test Match' poster, one who valued his post, as Dravid would his wicket, and made certain that their post left an indelible impression on the reader, for a very long time to come. In two words - A Dhondy. Today, like world cricket, ICF has been 20/20-ised. Like a 20/20 cricket competition(e.g the IPL) is a haven for sloggers, ICF today is abuzz with one liner gurus whose vocabulary extends from LMAO/**** You to OMG/LOL. If someone starts a thread promoting discussion on topical cricketing issues or comparing legends, Mr.OneLiner might pop in the thread to post a smiley or LOL at someone's witty post or to post a rude smiley in response to a post they disagree with. The 20/20 poster simply doesn't do well reasoned debates or arguments just like an Afridi won't do a 'bat to save the test match' type situation. Just like in 20/20 it's so much simpler to bat 4 overs to get 30 runs compared to batting on a 5th day wicket, it's so much easier for the 20/20 poster to launch a one liner in response to a brilliant and insightful Test match poster's post. A mindless Afridi swing to a big Warne legbreak. Whooooooooooosh. That was air you connected. People will remember the legbreak but not the cowlash. It's almost as if the 20/20 posters are charged per word by their ISP. Like an Afridi slog, the 20/20 poster's post is at most times useless, redundant and forgettable. But it's not like there isn't potential. There always is. But the pity is that it's hidden deep under the LMAOs. I guess all it boils down to is whether you want to be remembered as a Test Cricket Legend or a 20/20 biffer. Make the effort. Become a Dhondy. Or not. Whatever.

[umpire]

who are best slogger than? I am just an umpire be it test or 20/20

[ludhianvi]

A matchoff of the Test team vs the t20 team here on ICf? What will be the team composition and your playin XI? I must confess that I am more of a t20 poster but hey who doesnt like the glam-sham of the t20? Music, cheerleaders, sixes and smileys? :tounge_smile: We are the one-liner ninjas or sloggers as you say it. Btw, the quick reply message box fools the t20 posters that they have written a lot but when it gets posted on the forum, it seems very little :haha: That's why it would help the t20 posters if the font is made bigger. He He I do like to hear the comments/insights of the Test cricketers as it seems they have some knowledge and experience that they share quite willingly here on ICF. I think I have written quite a lot here, but maybe its that 'message reply box tricking me again :winky: OMG, I dont know what I wrote !

[Dhondy]

I am flattered, enchanted, and deeply burdened by your brilliantly conceived but entirely undeserved parallels, Gambo. The analogy runs much deeper than Test cricket and 20-20. When we went to France recently, we had planned a brilliant gourmet meal near the Grand Arch in La Defense, our brave foray into French cuisine, our laudable attempt at making a budding gourmand out of junior Dhondy. What happened? The moment junior saw the golden M near the arch, he let out a howl of delight. The Dhondys looked far and wide for a French restaurant, but there were only smoke filled, English style bistros and Italian takeaways. Alas, in the end, the aspiring Francophiles succumbed to McDonalds....once again, with the mother in the family grabbing a pasta from the neighbouring Italian to cater to her vegetarianism. ICF is also like that. Much as you aspire for journalistic excellence, for poignant, reasoned debates, in the end, the one liners will always win out like convenience foods, like 20-20. It's just the age we live in, where brevity and consumerism trumps social conscience and the responsibility to contribute.

[Guest dada_rocks]

My 5th standard proverb lesson to the rescue: Brevity is the soul of wit..:haha: let me add another simley to rub it in further :-D

[Predator_05]

:hysterical::-D:haha::winky: LMAO **** you OMG LOL --- Just kidding. I completely agree with you.

[satishg]

an excellent post Gambo..there has been a deluge of "one-liner" posters in ICF of late and u have summed it up pretty well..reading and reacting to a old timers post in ICF evokes greater interest because one gets to know that there is substance involved in that post, there is thot involved as well as passion for the game..to be honest i belong to the neither category but then i wud love to post my thots and comments to a seasoned ICF test pro than "ill-start-a-senseless-thread" 20-20 ICFer :two_thumbs_up:

[Rajiv]

ahh..the art of combining two scenarios is this man's specialty. So what shortcutrs do we need to make this into a 10/10 from 20/20..sign language But I am sure, with the return of BB..we can practice the longer version soon

[Desi Cartman]

I sort of agree with the OP ... there are few things to keep in mind 1. Not everybody posses the art of writing (I dont) 2. Match threads are for fun , so u cant expect debates in those threads 3. Many people dont have time to write a long post and have the imagination or skills of gambo ! 4. In order to discuss there has to be a topic to discuss , what are we supposed to discuss when Team India is playing 100 ODis , 30 20-20s and just 5-7 test matches every year.. 5. And the most important one, the REAL posters who can debate , discuss , argue , tell stories are not around as much as other time pass guys are ! BTW simlies are fun ... and if someone replies with :dito: or :haha: you actually know that someone is reading ur post ..

[Guest dada_rocks]

Man I seriously am not missing those 15 pages expletive exchange over how tendulkar is worse than this or that tom dick hary.. yeah those threads used to go on and on and people used to resort it to graphic personal attack.... One liners will do just fine.. see for instance this OP can be summed in one sentence.. "Since IPL there has been a deluge of pretty brief one-liner posts ; sounds like 20-20isation of ICF." It delivers the message and retains the simile used..:winky: now let me run before gory detailers take me to the task..:afraid::afraid::afraid::afraid::afraid:

[amits]

how about odi posters??? who make 1 liners as well as get into long heated debates

[The Outsider]

A wonderfully well thought out analogy. My take is that like T20/test cricket things might come to a nice equilibrium if the powers that be safeguard test cricket while taking the positives from T20 or it could well lead to the death of test cricket as being done by BCCI if the people who are there to safeguard test matches shirk away from responsibilities.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[Desi Cartman]

Some good points there Desi .... but Gambo is not talking about discussions based on Test match cricket but lack of quality discussions that leave you satisfied be it about ODIs or TM's.

i know but since there r so many ODIs being played its difficult to analize and debate about

[Chandan]

Some good points there Desi .... but Gambo is not talking about discussions based on Test match cricket but lack of quality discussions that leave you satisfied be it about ODIs or TM's.

i know but since there r so many ODIs being played its difficult to analize and debate about

No it is not. There is no need to create thread for every "Dhoni had a haircut", "Yuvi changed his bat", "Malik need to be replaced" etc thread. All these topics can be dealt in 5-6 threads. And there are lot more topics in cricket to discuss if you just expand your view. There is so much of international cricket taking place or going to take place--we can discuss all about them. So many teams are going through transition and so many new players are coming up -we can discuss their potential. If you want we can have a variety of topics on cricket and current cricket. But hardly anyone seems interested here. It is as if the Indian cricket is the end of everything regarding cricket for most of the members. And if you narrow your view to only that, obviously you won't get anything to discuss. In fact you just can't extend your view from Asia cup to so many challenges coming up. So it ends there for you. If a match takes place, you have 4-5 topics to discuss. On non match days, it is next to nothing. Am I wrong?

[sandtest]

Waah Gambit saab...some excellent analogies and metaphors there. Chaayavad ke prabhaav se aap bhi acchutey nahin rahey. As a puritanic Test lover, your concern is valid and all TM proponents will happily share your agony. But, Junta janardan drives the pattern of discussion. There is a reason why our present generation is aptly called as DCH (Dil Chahata Hai) generation by some. It's a generation born after 1975, when India already got herself free from all the hassles of war, famine, hard struggle to gain good education, job etc. Present DCH generation gets everything they wish with minimum effort and they have "institutionalized" themselves to do the things with minimum effort. And this augurs perfectly well with one line, smiley laden posts. PS: There is a poster, Radhika, who has proved, if smileys used properly they are as good as a lengthy sentence. It's an art.

[theguyinallblue]

actually we should broden our vision..and should take interest in Other cricketing nations as well... a very good test series between Aus and WI ended..just recently...and we were having fun in Kitply cup.. obviously we would give preference to Indian cricket..but we should discuss other nations as well.. that Clash of Summer thread between SA and Eng.. could have been a good thread to discuss the prospective battle between the new strong attack of SA in English soil..and the resurgent attack of England ... we can do much better than this...its just that we need to transform our thoughts into words..

[Zap_Brannigan]

We should ban anyone who averages more than 10 posts per day on non-game days..... For their own sake.

[flamy]

bahahahahahahaha!!! PWNAGE :D

[Bumper]

Good thread, Gambit. Your analogy couldnt be more apt. Test cricketers on this board are so few, that you could count them with your fingers. However, as demonstrated by the IPL, T20 is what the masses enjoy the most. A thread showing Pietersen's butt, is likely to draw posters like honey attracting bees, here. But a well thought out writeup or a well conceived product idea (such as blogs, Toonz, audio episodes) will be greeted with glaring indifference. Unfortunately the majority looks for only masala. Anything else, hardly sells here. There are many people capable of writing more, but they dont. Either they are too lazy to go the extra mile to write up a good post, or they dont think its worthwhile spending that much time on MBs, writing up a post. Each poster on this board, can do better. They have to apply themselves a bit more. Ask themselves, what attracted them to this place, to start with & try to offer the same to others. Am not suggesting we should rid ourselves of all the masala. Its very much an essential ingredient. But at the end of the day, masala is just that -- a garnishing material, which by itself does not become a meal.