Welcome To Defending Big D - A Dallas Stars Fan Community

Every season, about this time, I like to take a moment and welcome all of the new readers and community members we've gained over the past year. Since launching Defending Big D in January of 2009, we've grown into the biggest Dallas Stars community on the web and DBD has become a well respected force in the online sports realm. We're proud of the progress we've made as a team of writers, but we're also extremely proud of the community that has been built here.

When I launched Defending Big D nearly three years ago, I did so with the dream that this site would become a thriving community of Dallas Stars fans, a community in which fans could interact in a knowledgeable and friendly environment. I also sought to provide our readers with a fresh, comprehensive and entertaining view on the Stars and I like to think we've accomplished that feat while at the same time working to improve our product every day.

This past summer we held a comprehensive survey of our readers for feedback on the product we are providing and we were overwhelmed with the support and suggestions handed to us. We've taken all of that into account and we believe the plan we have in place for this season will rival any hockey coverage you can find on the web.

Before this season starts, I want to go over a few things about Defending Big D and how we can best take advantage of the incredible platform we have. I also want to reiterate a number of site rules that are in place and will be enforced as we head into this next year.

After the jump, information on this site and the community guidelines, as well as our plans for the year ahead.

But first, if you're an old-timer or a brand new reader, chime in the comments below. Let us know where you hail from and how you became a Dallas Stars fan. If you've been lurking, feel free to take a moment to become a member and let us know you're here.

Our plans for this season:

Along with our continued coverage of the Dallas Stars and everyday analysis of the team, here is what we have planned:

• Weekly updates on the Texas Stars, Allen Americans & Texas Tornado
• Weekly updates on the top prospects in the Dallas Stars system.
• Monthly prospect rankings
• Special guests throughout the season on Stargazing: A Big D Puckcast
• More player and prospect interviews
• Continuing statistical analysis of the Stars & the NHL
• The Scoring Chance Project
• Continued coverage of hockey around North Texas

For those that are new to our site here, I'd also like to point out a couple of things.

Commenting:

Never hesitate to comment on a thread or story. This isn't about commenting on the story itself, it's about engaging in conversation and debate with fellow Stars fans. SB Nation has the most advanced commenting technology in sports websites, we'd be amiss not to take advantage.

One note: Profanity or personal attacks will not be tolerated, at any level.

FanPosts & FanShots:

Also, FanPosts and FanShots are your way of sharing your thoughts on the team. If you have something to say or breaking news happens, we won't hesitate to promote it to the main page. In fact, our very own Brad Gardner got my attention by writing a number of great FanPosts two years ago and Josh Lile was brought on board because of his tremendous FanPost entries as well.

I do want to point out something very important about FanPosts: I've noticed that as our community has grown, our readers are using FanPosts more and more. This is exactly what we want, as it's a way for the readers to contribute as well. However, we must be careful not to abuse the FanPost feature for something that really should be a FanShot.

Keep in mind that if your post contains only one point or idea that is not developed, expanded on, or supported with arguments or data, it is really not a FanPost -- it is a comment that should be posted in an existing thread, or posted as a FanShot. For more information on how to construct your posts, please see this post containing some suggestions and ideas on FanPosts and FanShots.

Follow these rules for FanPosts:

Make It Substantial.
Make It Relevant.
Make It Timely.
Make It Coherent.

Remember, if you're posting two sentences and a link, then your "FanPost" is doing nothing but pushing down other submissions off the page.

Community Guidelines:

At DBD, I believe strongly in free speech and in having a diversity of people participating, and sharing ideas that are relevant to the community. As a DBD member you are, in general, free to express your opinion without fear of retribution.

The diversity of personalities, beliefs, and styles is exactly what will make DBD the strong and vibrant community that I want it to become. As proprietor of this site, I want to keep DBD free and open to everyone. However, I will remind you of what you all agree to when you first sign up for the site:

When posting at this blog, please follow this one simple rule: Before hitting "post" to post your remarks, ask yourself: "Would I be embarrassed to say this in front of strangers who were physically present in the room with me and could respond to my face?" If the answer is "yes," then don't post. DBD encourages and welcomes all opinions, no matter how strong; however, personal attacks, vulgarity, and other uncivilized forms of expression are not welcome.

Under normal circumstances I will not delete posts, and will not "censor" in any way, shape or form unless it is a blatant violation of these guidelines. However, in such cases, I reserve the right to delete posts without notice.

I encourage open debate about hockey, or any other topic, but I want to try and refrain from the attacks that are prevalent in so many other communities on the web. We are a welcoming and open bunch.

Streaming Links:

This is something I'll address in a separate post, but we can no longer allow links to be posted to online streams of the Dallas Stars games. While we have yet to be contacted, other SB Nation sites have been contacted by the Department of Justice. Because our site is 'allowing' these links to be posted, we can be held liable.

Moderators:

We have two moderators in place for this season. If one of our rules are broken, especially in game threads, don't be surprised to see your comment deleted. If the problem persists, you will be formally warned. I know that in the heat of a game we can lose our cool sometimes, but DBD is a place where parents let their kids read about the team they love and we want to keep it that way.

This was a major focus of the feedback from the survey and it's something we want to make sure we follow. If you find something was deleted in error or you feel you were treated unfairly by the moderators, please contact me and we can work it out. The moderators do not have absolute authority; they are only in place to assist us.

Social Media:

If you didn't know, Defending Big D is also on Facebook. Very soon we are going to start having weekly features on our Facebook page, so be sure to "Like" us if you haven't already. It's also a great way to keep up with all over the content we post throughout the day.

Helpful links:

Defending Big D User Guide
Defending Big D Community Guidelines
FanPosts and FanShots: How-To & Posting Tips
Notes on Commenting
Guide to Facebook integration with SB Nation

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