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No Graded handicaps anymore they are Premier Handicaps.
The more I know the less I understand.
It’s a bit like giving birth
(not that I have had the pleasure) when something unexpected pops out.“I would like to give a toast to my beautiful wife… and after a difficult birth please raise your glass again to our new addition – Billy.”
“Where is Billy ?”
“We keep him outside.”
The latest article is “The top 5 race tracks to visit this Jumps Season”.
Under the entry for Ascot it includes “continuing to cater for Queen Elizabeth II”. Did it miss the news last year?
And Kempton plays host to the Welsh National, apparently.
The home page never disappoints….
“There is no shortage of hurdles, steeplechases or bumps” – birthday bumps, perhaps?
“continuing to cater for Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British Royal Family” – the ones that are still alive, presumably.
“with its long sweeping turns” – we are talking about Ascot, right? It’s, err, triangular.
“The King George VI Chase is the premier event but in December there is also the Welsh National to look forward to.” Which is at a different track. In a different country – Wales, amazingly enough.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"To be fair – these articles are probably aimed at those newer to the game than we are.
Believe I am right in saying most are not specifically written with TRF in mind either.What about offering to write an article for the home page CAS / Ian / anyone?
Of course, I could write one about percentages, the table of odds and chances and what is true value – if you really insisted.
…Or maybe that wouldn’t go down that well either. LOL
Value Is Everything“What about offering to write an article for the home page CAS / Ian / anyone?”
Nice idea, GT, but, for my part, there are a few minor issues….
1. The owner of TRF clearly doesn’t like me.
2. Tbh I wouldn’t be his biggest fan either.
3. I don’t do voluntary work.
4. And I don’t work cheap.
But it might be nice for some younger TRF members, some of who might possibly be aspiring racing journalists, to have that platform to show what they can do.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Does it matter if you are not liked by the owner or that you don’t particularly like him, Chezza?
If you like and have enjoyed TRF so much over many years FREE OF CHARGE – then just do it for TRF.
Having criticised the home pages and being an ex-racing journalist yourself…
You’re surely in the ideal position to write a fitting article for the home pages.
Value Is EverythingYes tbh.
I’d be more inclined to do something for someone I felt showed me courtesy and respect than for someone I felt didn’t.
Yes, I do very much like TRF and have done so for many years, but that doesn’t make me feel obligated to offer my services, and certainly not free of charge (I’ve never done that for anyone and never would), regardless of this platform being free.
I criticise a lot of things in the world, but that doesn’t obligate me to offer alternatives either.
I agree I’m in an ideal position to write not one, but any number of ongoing topical articles for the home page.
One problem, though.
I don’t want to.
And that means I won’t do.
It’s not about money either, I could be offered four figures per item and I still wouldn’t do it – it’s on a point of general principle.
But to repeat my previous point, there are many younger forumites who might be aspiring writers.
If link-infested articles to bring in advertising revenue isn’t the sole MO for the home page, maybe they should be given an open invitation to contribute.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I think we all understand the articles on the home page keep the forum free. As pointed out earlier on this thread, they are probably not written by a human being.
Pointing out mistakes is just a bit of fun, prompted by the infamous article a year or two ago which informed us the St Leger was run at Ascot and Thistlecrack was placed in the Arc.
There are purportedly 53,000+ members of this forum; therefore, the relatively miniscule number of those who actually contribute posts have more than earnt their right to membership “FREE OF CHARGE”: a very large silent majority are being entertained by a very small talkative minority
So, no one should feel they ought to contribute to the dreadful HOME page; a page which demeans the owners of TRF and would sully the standing of any active member unwise enough to associate themselves with it
Not for the first time – nor for the last, I’ll warrant – Drone completely and utterly nails it with an economy and precision of expression I could only ever dream of.
Now THAT’S good writing.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“a page which demeans the owners of TRF and would sully the standing of any active member unwise enough to associate themselves with it”.
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…So nothing gets any better.
Just thought someone with journalistic experience (or indeed someone with a way with words such as yourself Drone) might want to be associated with making an awful home page a whole lot better. But if nobody wants to then fair enough.
.Value Is EverythingGinger, I think your desire to improve the homepage is laudable, and I get where you are coming from. I’m a bit dubious about there being many volunteers who have the necessary combination of time and inclination to improve things though!
I have mocked the homepage articles a number of times. That said, where I believe that they are produced by AI, they are in many respects very impressive. What is frustrating is that, where they are perhaps three quarters of the way to being good introductory articles, there seems to have been no human editing to remove errors and make them sound more natural.
It would be interesting to know how much traffic the homepage receives compared to the rest of the site. I doubt the admins are overjoyed about the quality of the articles either, but understand why they need to be there, and time constraints presumably mean that they largely have to be tolerated in their current state.
Fortunately the forum itself seems to be in a good place at the moment with lots of interesting contributors. Hopefully anyone who has sought out the forum will at least have a look at some posts before making their mind up about it.
People who tend rural land sometimes have more time to reflect on things. The highlands and no better place to think but also a remote Scottish croft which can be ideal for drumming up the unusual.
England- B is the most common initial letter (11%). Wales – J is the most frequent (11%) – and noticeably higher in rural Wales. Scotland – the initial letter M accounts for 21% of the surnames (and within the crofting counties, the proportion rises to almost 40%.
Sorry Wales !
Wouldn’t exactly say I have a “desire to improve the home page”, Marlingford. Up to seeing this thread think I have only ever seen two articles on the home page. Just thought some of those that criticise could make the home page better if they so choose. But it’s not to be.
Value Is Everything
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