What happened to Followthepuck.com?

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east hockey
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What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by east hockey » Sat Feb 09, 2019 6:03 pm

No updates to the website since 1/26 and no Twitter score updates since around the same date.

Lee
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kniven
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by kniven » Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:47 am

east hockey wrote:
Sat Feb 09, 2019 6:03 pm
No updates to the website since 1/26 and no Twitter score updates since around the same date.

Lee
It must have followed itself right out the door. I never really liked that website. Very inconsistent, and it seemed always behind. Plus, the dude was always panhandling for money.
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

TheHockeyDJ
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by TheHockeyDJ » Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:56 am

His twitter account was great for following scores. His logo and web site looked like something drawn with 1994 microsoft paintbrush. As for the money thing, he should have gone for advertisers after a website and logo facelift. You can’t just create something and then beg for money because you worked hard. Create value and money will come on it’s own. There wasn’t enough value because you can get the same thing in a much nicer website at mnhockeyhub.com. I’d recommend he watch Gary Vee on youtube for business advice, and get a logo and web site designer at fiverr.com.
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ryguyMN
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by ryguyMN » Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:13 am

It’s too bad. The FTP Twitter account was a great resource to find scores for lesser “advertised” games before MN Hockey Hub was updated.

As with life, other priorities get in the way and when you spend a lot of time on something you don’t get much return on, it’s difficult to justify the effort that goes into it.
Ryan
I like my games and takes juicy

karl(east)
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by karl(east) » Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:52 am

Doug had made occasional threats about quitting over the years, but always got pulled back from the brink, either because a couple donations came through or because there was enough of an outpouring of "no, don't go!" when he announced he might pull the plug.

Before the Hub came along, FTP was a remarkable resource, but in time most of the site's content became redundant. He did a good job of jumping on the Twitter game and staying on top of that night after night, and while much of that can be covered elsewhere, I was certainly missing it last night as I sat around waiting for an Eagan-Rosemount score to wrap up the rankings. If he really is hanging it up for good, it's a loss. I appreciated the amount of time he gave to all teams everywhere.

It seemed like he was also in an awkward in-between spot where his hockey stuff was a big enough hockey and time commitment, but never made the jump to being an actual business venture. Asking for donations, in addition to being annoying, is not a great business model, and while I believe he had some offers over the years to be absorbed by larger entities and work for them, it seemed like he was also fiercely loyal to his brand and what he'd built. I get that, but at the same time, I think people who spend a lot of time in the hockey world either accept the fact that they're basically volunteers and commit what they can and know how to put limits on themselves, or go all-in on a legitimate business model. Doug never did either.

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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by O-townClown » Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:58 am

I would have thought it was possible to monetize his immense Twitter presence. Follow the Puck (Boys) has 22,500 followers, an incredible number.
Be kind. Rewind.

ThatMNHockeyGuy62
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by ThatMNHockeyGuy62 » Sun Feb 10, 2019 12:42 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:58 am
I would have thought it was possible to monetize his immense Twitter presence. Follow the Puck (Boys) has 22,500 followers, an incredible number.
I think most of his following came in his first few years back when Twitter was huge amongst the high schoolers. Now it’s basically just for happy birthdays and college commitments with the kids. A lot of those 22,000 are probably in their early-mid 20s and now and care a lot less about high school hockey. Think Karl’s spot on... he should have used his resources and merged/worked with a bigger player in the game.

TheNightman
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by TheNightman » Sun Feb 10, 2019 12:53 pm

The twitter account was useful but the the site was stupid. Hub does a much better job in every aspect and doesn't beg for money.

ThatMNHockeyGuy62
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by ThatMNHockeyGuy62 » Sun Feb 10, 2019 1:15 pm

I will say, it would be nice if a place like the Hub allowed for sorting stats by position (F/D) and grade. FTP, when it was updated, was convenient for that part.

WestMetro
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by WestMetro » Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:06 pm

I’ve enjoyed site for many years , and he was way ahead of the times. Army of contacts is unmatched . Doug has been on my holiday card list with a donation, and has helped me out many times with research . Certainly hope everything is ok and hope FTP makes a comeback

MrBoDangles
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by MrBoDangles » Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:19 pm

Absolutely sucks not having his rapid fire game updates coming in on twitter... Back to waiting until morning for many scores.. 👎

Maybe folks can update the scores on here.. when able.

elliott70
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by elliott70 » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:08 pm

Are we sure he is finished?

east hockey
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by east hockey » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:14 pm

elliott70 wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:08 pm
Are we sure he is finished?
Given the lack of knowing what his situation is, no.

Lee
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WestMetro
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by WestMetro » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:32 pm

I’ve been in touch with Doug today , and most importantly there is no illness or accident involved .

Super busy at day job , so game nite twitter maintenance commitment is difficult

I’m Hoping he can find a way to balance things out with his time , and possible extra resources ,
and resume

As mentioned above, I have always made an annual financial commitment . If people use and enjoy the site, would encourage them to do likewise since his game night time commitments are largely on overtime for him. Everyone has to make their own decision of course

kniven
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by kniven » Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:45 pm

Sounds like he has a great day job!
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O-townClown
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by O-townClown » Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:57 pm

WestMetro wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 5:32 pm
As mentioned above, I have always made an annual financial commitment. If people use and enjoy the site, would encourage them to do likewise
Bravo, Westie. If he's the guy in South Dakota I gave a small donation years ago when he was getting going. I applaud you for being a regular.

I don't think his request for donations is uncalled for considering he has been very upfront that he's entered into this as a passion and requires a small return to keep going.
Be kind. Rewind.

WestMetro
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by WestMetro » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:40 pm

Well said OTC . Yes Doug is in Sioux Falls .

Good to see you last night . You always class up the rink with your sport coat . Congrats on getting the Bantam Trny broadcast job

Btw, are you accepting donations for your great new site WatchingPuck? How many lookers are you getting every week ?

OldGopherFan
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by OldGopherFan » Mon Feb 11, 2019 12:31 pm

Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed being able to get the Twitter scores and look at the website for the quick breakdown of the stats for each game. I know it is a lot of work so I will understand if it has become too much. Hopefully it is just a lull and everything will be back in time for the playoffs.

Stang5280
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by Stang5280 » Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:39 pm

There is another HS hockey website called Up North Hockey with a Twitter feed that aggregates score updates and other tweets from teams in a similar manner to FTP. I have no affiliation, but just wanted to share it as an alternative resource.

east hockey
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by east hockey » Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:13 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 3:39 pm
There is another HS hockey website called Up North Hockey with a Twitter feed that aggregates score updates and other tweets from teams in a similar manner to FTP. I have no affiliation, but just wanted to share it as an alternative resource.
What I'm in the process of doing on Twitter is following as many teams' feeds as possible. Between that and the Hub, I can get most of the scores, although sometimes it's not until the following morning. That's good enough for me; I remember a time back in the Varsity Online days when there were a few scores which were never found.

Lee
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O-townClown
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by O-townClown » Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:53 pm

WestMetro wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:40 pm
Well said OTC . Yes Doug is in Sioux Falls .

Good to see you last night . You always class up the rink with your sport coat . Congrats on getting the Bantam Trny broadcast job

Btw, are you accepting donations for your great new site WatchingPuck? How many lookers are you getting every week ?
Great seeing you as well.

WatchingPuck.com is 750-900 visits per week. My main goal when I started it was to provide a needed service since a lot of games are streamed but it isn't clear how to find them. I think I did that and the positive feedback indicates people agree.

Don't need any donations for this year - thanks if you were offering - but I do have to find some revenue to justify all the work if there's going to be a Year Two. I'd like to see it return.
Be kind. Rewind.

Orty
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by Orty » Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:54 am

The biggest benefit (IMO) of FTP is that you get in-game updates as they happen vs. the hub updating after the period or game ended. It's also a great way to promote your team, what they do on and off the ice. Teams Tweet at him and he fires them right out. My Twitter updates on game nights looks like the scroll line on ESPN with all the updates. Awesome!

MrBoDangles
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by MrBoDangles » Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:28 pm

Orty wrote:
Tue Feb 12, 2019 8:54 am
The biggest benefit (IMO) of FTP is that you get in-game updates as they happen vs. the hub updating after the period or game ended. It's also a great way to promote your team, what they do on and off the ice. Teams Tweet at him and he fires them right out. My Twitter updates on game nights looks like the scroll line on ESPN with all the updates. Awesome!
Agree! Not just team twitter accounts... but students and parents at the games sending him info..

ryguyMN
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by ryguyMN » Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:13 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:53 pm
WatchingPuck.com is 750-900 visits per week. My main goal when I started it was to provide a needed service since a lot of games are streamed but it isn't clear how to find them. I think I did that and the positive feedback indicates people agree.

Don't need any donations for this year - thanks if you were offering - but I do have to find some revenue to justify all the work if there's going to be a Year Two. I'd like to see it return.
Hopefully you can find a way to keep WP going. It's a great resource and online streaming is the future as it continues to grow each season with the number of games available.
Ryan
I like my games and takes juicy

ryguyMN
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Re: What happened to Followthepuck.com?

Post by ryguyMN » Tue Feb 12, 2019 5:25 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:57 pm

I don't think his request for donations is uncalled for considering he has been very upfront that he's entered into this as a passion and requires a small return to keep going.
Absolutely agree. FTP is basically providing a free service. It doesn't hurt if you find value to throw in a couple bucks to make it worthwhile to the provider as a show of support.

What gets me is the people that complain about a service they are not even paying for like they are entitled to it (could be due to a lack of updates, technical difficulties with game video/audio, etc.). Maybe it speaks for the direction of society, but that's whole different tangent.
Ryan
I like my games and takes juicy

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