Why is the womens page never updated?

[gojackets]

Does USCHO have no one working on the womens page, or whats the deal. The page hasn't been updated since monday when the polls were posted. The "This week in..."articles are never posted until after the following weekends games are over, They haven't even put anything about the Iya scandal at UMD.

Why is it so bad?

[Crimson Hockey Fan]

Thanks for saying something - I've been feeling the same way all season, but wasn't comfortable saying anything. Even though the women's page wasn't updated as often as the men last season, it was way better than this season.

Very disappointing. If it wasn't for the forum, I wouldn't be bothering with USCHO this year.

[David De Remer]

So while we're talking about polls, and that discussion ties to the Championship, has anyone else noticed the fact that the dates are totally wrong on the USCHO D-I Women's Championship page? :eek:

It really threw me off, because once again I didn't verify the dates with another source. I took the dates (listed as March 16 & 18) as gospel, and put off plans to go to a business conference in Texas. When I found out that the dates on the USCHO page were wrong, I booked my trip to the conference, but it cost $100 more for just the conference registration (plus who knows how much more on the flight) because I waited. :mad:

I've already used the "Contact Us" option to chew out a couple of folks at USCHO. We'll see if they get it fixed and how quickly.

Not until you mentioned it. I wasn't even aware such a page existed. I see that we now seem to have lost the player of the week award, just like we earlier lost the question of the "week". At this point, I'm happy if USCHO gives us the PWR, and I'm not going to expect anything else. Because if they come out with something like an "All USCHO Team" at the end of the season, you have to wonder how much thought has gone into it, given the level of involvement or lack thereof displayed during the season.

Sent our webmaster a headsup since I'm actually not sure how to edit that particular page. Re: what's going on with the main page in general, not really sure and I can't blame people for being frustrated with it. Dan and Derek are definitely putting in the work for their weekly columns though so make sure to keep checking those out. Side note: I'm just more detached from NCAA hockey this year and while I'm enjoying helping to support the CWHL/WWHL and am looking forward to going to China in April, it ticks me off every time I see a post about some problem with B2's coverage (and there are way too many). One, I don't think anyone should ever charge people to watch a sport like women's hockey online and two, if there is a fee, the viewer should expect to receive better coverage without any glitches. We had our share of problems figuring out the video side of things last year (and our job was much harder since the rink changes every game) but no one ever lost any money because of it and we provided the audio-only backup so as not to leave people hanging. A school like Wisconsin on the other hand, I tip my hat for offering the multi-camera scoreboard feed free of charge every game. All right, enough venting, back to my real job, which has become an absolute debacle as anyone in the investment world can attest to these days...

There is a new editor in place now but he's still ramping up on things. I was too busy with work to do the usual skeleton update this week (just did a late one now) and next week I have to go back to doing what I'm supposed to do for this site so I won't be doing much page upkeep. Someone did pick POTW, but I'm not involved with that process.

As far as I know, the women's hockey portion of USCHO does not have a full-time editor right now. If we are seeing less of what we've had in the past -- links to stories, polls, awards, recaps -- that is probably the biggest reason why.

Adding related posts from other threads.

[gojackets]

Derek why don't you just post your article on here :) i really want to see what you had to say about the Stevens point/superior series. (and how wrong you were the week before) haha jk

[David De Remer]

Does USCHO have no one working on the womens page, or whats the deal. The page hasn't been updated since monday when the polls were posted. The "This week in..."articles are never posted until after the following weekends games are over, They haven't even put anything about the Iya scandal at UMD.

Why is it so bad?

Thanks for saying something - I've been feeling the same way all season, but wasn't comfortable saying anything. Even though the women's page wasn't updated as often as the men last season, it was way better than this season.

Very disappointing. If it wasn't for the forum, I wouldn't be bothering with USCHO this year.

Well, I was an unpaid correspondent for USCHO from 2001-2004 and the editor of the women's page from 2004-2007, but I am no longer willing to fill those roles. The job of women's editor was posted back in September, and it was filled. If people feel the quality has since declined, that is regrettable. If anyone knows someone willing to compete for the women's editor position for the offered salary, which is barely large enough to be subject to IRS self-employment tax, then I'm sure USCHO HR would be happy to know.

There does seem to be a disconnect from reality with those who think the USCHO men's section is a proper basis of comparison for the quality of the women's section. The men's section has a much larger market. It faces competition for that market from sites like INCH and CollegeHockeyNews and CSTV, among others. Not only is there a larger market of men's hockey, but perhaps more importantly, there is a larger market of people willing to supply low-paid/unpaid labor to cover it.

For women's hockey, USCHO still provides a national poll, the pairwise rankings, the fan forum, and two weekly columns by paid writers, occasional poll questions, and the Game of the Week broadcasts from Brian. Aside from the RinkRat CSTV blog, and coverage from local/student newspapers, there is not much else in the way of media for women's college hockey.

So I am somewhat puzzled by a comment like "If it wasn't for the forum, I wouldn't be bothering with USCHO this year." There still isn't anywhere else that provides as much information about women's hockey, and what is still provided does not materialize out of thin air. Further more, I feel the forum is THE essential part of USCHO's women's hockey's services. Some posters here think that because they produce the content on this message board, that USCHO deserves zero credit for providing it. While it's true that the forum could not exist without the users, the USCHO forum is the beacon that draws the users together and aggregates the user content at a national level. USCHO still provides effort to maintain the board, the servers, the bandwidth, etc. So yes, I echo the spirit of ARM's previous comment in that people should be grateful for what they have.

[Derek Dunning]

Derek why don't you just post your article on here :) i really want to see what you had to say about the Stevens point/superior series. (and how wrong you were the week before) haha jk

I led off the article with it.

[gojackets]

I led off the article with it.

Now if i could only read it!

[ARM]

There does seem to be a disconnect from reality with those who think the USCHO men's section is a proper basis of comparison for the quality of the women's section.I think that you are partially to blame, or more accurately credit, for that perception. I don't compare the USCHO women's front page to the men's front page, where I rarely visit. I compare it to the women's front page of 2 or 3 years ago, when between your efforts and what Brian was doing with GotW, USCHO's women's hockey coverage was valuable in its own right.

Yes, USCHO still offers something better than nothing. But it once had more, and much of that has atrophied. Arena reports, bracketology, POTW -- all either gone or sporadic enough in nature that their value as a news source has declined. Game of the week is less focused on college hockey, and while that is in no way Brian's fault, it lessens the USCHO women's college hockey product.

Where I'd have liked to see USCHO do more is attempt some creativity in replacing you. If no one person was willing to do everything that you did, perhaps the various functions could have been divided somehow. But USCHO never asked beyond hiring a women's editor to edit a story a week and do some basic updating of the front page. The box can be checked saying the site has been updated, but nobody can make the case that the women's page is the news source for women's hockey like it once was.

I think we all owe you and Brian a big "thanks" for everything that you've done and contributed over the years. Instead we've probably been more likely to grumble about an All-USCHO selection or omission, or only contact Brian when we were having problems receiving his broadcast. If your work is to have long term impact, then IMO USCHO needs to at least coordinate a volunteer effort to add some meat to the women's front page.

[gojackets]

If anyone knows someone willing to compete for the women's editor position for the offered salary, which is barely large enough to be subject to IRS self-employment tax, then I'm sure USCHO HR would be happy to know.


if i knew more about designing webpages and stuff i'd do it

[Brian Schulz]

if i knew more about designing webpages and stuff i'd do it

You wouldn't need much background. The pages/boxes have templates already built so editing content is mostly copying and pasting the formats, then just changing the text. I think pretty much everyone that has worked on this site is self-taught.

I tend to agree more with the masses on this one. It has been a smoke-and-mirrors effort from the beginning and without Dave to carry the franchise, the real colors showed. Based on seeing how things were handled this season, my own situation included, everything probably needs a full inspection in the offseason.

First suggestion: you can start sending ideas/proposals through me (uschobroadcast@yahoo.com) instead of the USCHO "Contact Us" links. I won't promise anything this season but if we can build a mini-roster of volunteers with a good regional distribution across DI and DIII and with some content ideas in tow, we might be able to present an overhaul that USCHO brass will be happy to greenlight for next year.

[Brian Schulz]

Related topic: USCHO is not the only women's hockey outlet suffering this year. Some of the better things that the sport had going for it elsewhere are either in the process of being downsized or in danger of being eliminated.

[gojackets]

I led off the article with it.

Nice article....not to nitpick but if the west gets 3 teams in it will be the 2nd time...not the first.

[CrazyDave]

Once again, Dan Hickling's This Week in D-I Women's Hockey article, dated February 14, didn't get posted until the following Monday (2/18). Nor did Derek's D-III article, also dated 2/14. :rolleyes:

Derek -- why even post predictions when they're not going to be linked up on the women's home page until after the games occur? :confused:

[Crimson Hockey Fan]

Related topic: USCHO is not the only women's hockey outlet suffering this year. Some of the better things that the sport had going for it elsewhere are either in the process of being downsized or in danger of being eliminated.

Brian, can you expand on this? this is quite an alarming statement! :(

[binnyrus]

Despite the downfalls of the Women's page if you do bother to go to "this week in D-1" by Hickling (2-14-8) definitely watch the video of the goal scored by the UND player. Really incredible!!!!

[Brian Schulz]

CBS just rebranded CSTV and fired over 40 staff members in the process, including college hockey Rink Rat and GOTW contributor, Elliot Olshansky. The restructuring is definitely not done. CSTV's demise as a true outlet for niche sports was likely inevitable from the moment CBS acquired the network.

Re: this year's women's Frozen Four, my understanding is CSTV will be there but coverage may be...reduced somewhat. Awaiting definitive word and obviously trying to help out but even I'm up against budget a bit given how much it will cost me to go to China for 2 weeks in April.

In the category of "already done," fans may have noted that the inception of the Big Ten Network precluded any Minnesota women's hockey games from being televised this year.

[videohockey]

CBS just rebranded CSTV and fired over 40 staff members in the process, including college hockey Rink Rat and GOTW contributor, Elliot Olshansky. The restructuring is definitely not done. CSTV's demise as a true outlet for niche sports was likely inevitable from the moment CBS acquired the network.

Re: this year's women's Frozen Four, my understanding is CSTV will be there but coverage may be...reduced somewhat. Awaiting definitive word and obviously trying to help out but even I'm up against budget a bit given how much it will cost me to go to China for 2 weeks in April.

In the category of "already done," fans may have noted that the inception of the Big Ten Network precluded any Minnesota women's hockey games from being televised this year.

It appears CSTV will only cover the championship game.

[WHKY blogger]

It appears CSTV will only cover the championship game.

You mean The CBS College Sports Network ;)

Apparently it costs too much to broadcast the semi final games......

As for "The Rink Rat" I for one am glad to see him go away.
(you don't want to get me started on that)


Read This for more info (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6531665.html)

[videohockey]

You mean The CBS College Sports Network ;)

Apparently it costs too much to broadcast the semi final games......

As for "The Rink Rat" I for one am glad to see him go away.
(you don't want to get me started on that)

http://sportsline.com/cbssports/story/10636901

CSTV seemed to be doing better on their own until "Big Brother" CBS said stepped in and said "Welcome aboard! You're on your own!" Now they have absorbed them. That's 6 days of work I'm out this spring. Looks like I'll have to work more baseball! Ugh!!!

[WHKY blogger]

In the category of "already done," fans may have noted that the inception of the Big Ten Network precluded any Minnesota women's hockey games from being televised this year.

Schultz

Wisconsin had 4 games broadcast on TV this season, none on BTN.

As long as they are not being shown live and losing them viewers (ie:Money) the BTN doesn't seem to give a rip.