A couple of notes on Rafters

ellowelzees

All-Conference
Apr 11, 2024
430
1,238
76
Many on here probably won't utilize them, but there are Discord and Reddit forums to discuss UK basketball. Forums like this are a dying breed, whether paid or free.
Our subreddit is shamefully inactive compared to so many other SEC schools. The Tennessee one has over 3 times r/wildcats. I highly encourage everyone to try it.
 

RobEStacy

Senior
May 21, 2007
828
750
93
It cost on3 pennies to keep two boards.. It's just a few lines of code... Two boards has no more traffic than a giant one. This is just part of a plan to slowly move to all paid site. If they can have one free board, you can have 2. And if you want to use the moderator excuse, again. It's the same... If traffic stays same, then you have the same amount of Post to look through. It's just in one folder now instead of two... There is zero way to look at this other than pushing for all paid content.
 

mdluk1

All-Conference
Oct 28, 2007
673
3,500
93
My guess is within a year this will be behind a pay wall. ON3 isn't going to keep this board around for historical purposes, they will only let it around for potential future customers. If that's strategy doesn't work, they will try and squeeze the last bit by making this board premium as well.
Well, if they think I’m gonna pay for their bs rumors, they are mistaken.
 

BBlueD

All-Conference
Apr 12, 2023
412
2,874
92
There is no political thread, paywall or not. It’s against on3 policies to allow politics

Except the Clemson, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Marshall, Miami, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas AM, Texas, Tulsa, UCF, or West Virginia boards.

Except those boards, on3 doesn't allow politics.


60% of the time it works every time.




Who would have thought u of l keeps their football board longer than UK?
 

MattJones

Founder
Jun 30, 2011
945
11,041
93
I don't expect a response because I know it's over your pay grade... Just postulating and venting frustration. Is it that the economics now require the addition of more paid options or that On3 sees this as any other "underperforming" asset at a company and wish to cut it off? If the funds to maintain the board are there from even meager ad revenue, there has got to be some way to keep the boards as they were for the sake of the fans.

I know we're just numbers on a spreadsheet, but as I said in my post that (understandably) got deleted, we've got to save some things for the good of having them around. There's intrinsic value to having a board with the classic internet camaraderie and quips and jabs. Hell, I bought a paid subscription when Pope first got hired because I loved my experience on the Lair and Rafters so much that I just had to let go of that $10 a month. I only unsubbed because of the merger and refused to renew my membership because of the uncertainty of the new system. As of now, given the On3 quality, I feel like my hesitation was justified.


As long as we think on the margin, we can bolster those poor shareholders. Society's gone so far to hell that the average Joe can barely afford a game ticket. In a world of crunched numbers and consumptive value, it'd be nice to maintain some marginally viable assets for the folks who like hanging around. Just a bit.

Again, not a shot at you. I know this is above your head. I'm sure you share some similar sentiments. It just sucks. Plain and simple, it sucks, and we'll all get to watch as the public boards die a slow death after the initial wave of departees.
I agree that it sucks. But as someone who operated a free site, kept it free and had to make payroll and pay for costs, if the economics were then what they are now for advertising rates, it would have been hard to justify doing it

so while I enjoyed that era, I also understand why it doesn’t make economic sense now
 

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
6,621
12,783
113
Our subreddit is shamefully inactive compared to so many other SEC schools. The Tennessee one has over 3 times r/wildcats. I highly encourage everyone to try it.
I saw one the other day but didn't look into it, that's a shame. Discord might be it. The Trilly discord is pretty good as well, although that is a paid one.
 

MattJones

Founder
Jun 30, 2011
945
11,041
93
Except the Clemson, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Marshall, Miami, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas AM, Texas, Tulsa, UCF, or West Virginia boards.

Except those boards, on3 doesn't allow politics.


60% of the time it works every time.




Who would have thought u of l keeps their football board longer than UK?
All of those boards are finishing contracts that when they end, will almost certainly see those boards go away. The Cats Illustrated one just ended earlier
 
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Jn12

All-American
Nov 30, 2024
4,769
7,663
113
Except the Clemson, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Marshall, Miami, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas AM, Texas, Tulsa, UCF, or West Virginia boards.

Except those boards, on3 doesn't allow politics.


60% of the time it works every time.




Who would have thought u of l keeps their football board longer than UK?

Did you click through every other school’s board to see who does and who doesn’t have a political thread lmao
 

Smeegs

Senior
Nov 19, 2025
212
560
93
Is wildcat
I understand it’s not what everyone loves but it is their policy

free websites. The problem is that the ad rate businesses pay for free websites is about 1.5 times less than in was 6-7 years ago. And for message boards it’s about 3-4 times less. The economics of it now require the addition of paid options. It’s the world we live in. Advertisers simply don’t pay for traffic as they used to. They pay for video, social media and large brands….in that world free message boards aren’t really economically as viable as they once were

It cost on3 pennies to keep two boards.. It's just a few lines of code... Two boards has no more traffic than a giant one. This is just part of a plan to slowly move to all paid site. If they can have one free board, you can have 2. And if you want to use the moderator excuse, again. It's the same... If traffic stays same, then you have the same amount of Post to look through. It's just in one folder now instead of two... There is zero way to look at this other than pushing for all paid content.
This. I think they’re basically trying to sabotage this board. Combine everything and make it such a miserably chaotic disorganized mess that we’ll feel like we have no choice but to switch to their pay boards.

That way they can still claim that they provided a free option …while actually scheming to drive people away from it.
 

Anon477434

Freshman
Jan 3, 2026
148
90
28
They have a strict policy of no general discussion boards. On the board that had a general discussion board for its entire time on the On3 network.

The cult doesn’t even ask questions on obvious lies, just blindly accept it as fact… every single time. Again, critical thinking is dead.
 

katwest

Heisman
Feb 16, 2003
39,444
13,088
113
I’ve been here over twenty years and as long as it’s free, I’ll stay. If and when it goes to a pay site, that will be it for me anyway. I’m getting too old to care, I’ll always be a fan and have enjoyed reading and hearing other posters takes on topics and going back and forth with other members in a constructive way. In the meantime Go Big Blue!
 

UKfan2151

All-American
Oct 1, 2003
14,365
9,241
113
Is wildcat



This. I think they’re basically trying to sabotage this board. Combine everything and make it such a miserably chaotic disorganized mess that we’ll feel like we have no choice but to switch to their pay boards.

That way they can still claim that they provided a free option …while actually scheming to drive people away from it.
And their plan will fail miserably. The best UK sports forum on the web has been destroyed by greedy people trying to make a buck off your fandom.
 

Cats4321

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2025
352
1,025
93
I've used various formats for online discussions. Reddit, discord and others. In my opinion, these old school message boards are still BY FAR the best for meaningful discussion. It's honestly not even close. Not sure why they have been dying in the last 10 years. I guess people just use social media so much, they just automatically assume the popular apps are the best.
 

DraftCat

Heisman
Nov 5, 2011
12,741
13,726
113
I've used various formats for online discussions. Reddit, discord and others. In my opinion, these old school message boards are still BY FAR the best for meaningful discussion. It's honestly not even close. Not sure why they have been dying in the last 10 years. I guess people just use social media so much, they just automatically assume the popular apps are the best.

I'd wager that most people on this board use a laptop or desk computer to post. All the kids use their phones and forums have always been clunky on that device.

Forums are also considered too slow and there are much faster chat avenues like discord and reddit
 

Cats4321

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2025
352
1,025
93
I'd wager that most people on this board use a laptop or desk computer to post. All the kids use their phones and forums have always been clunky on that device.

Forums are also considered too slow and there are much faster chat avenues like discord and reddit
I used Discord a lot several years ago. It wasn't bad, but it just felt like if you looked away for 5 minutes then you were lost in the conversations. Maybe the format is different now.. I should probably check it out again.

Just think forums allow for more in depth discussion. Maybe I'm just old school in this regard.
 

Seth_C

All-American
Mar 12, 2017
4,077
7,279
96
I don't expect a response because I know it's over your pay grade... Just postulating and venting frustration. Is it that the economics now require the addition of more paid options or that On3 sees this as any other "underperforming" asset at a company and wish to cut it off? If the funds to maintain the board are there from even meager ad revenue, there has got to be some way to keep the boards as they were for the sake of the fans.

I know we're just numbers on a spreadsheet, but as I said in my post that (understandably) got deleted, we've got to save some things for the good of having them around. There's intrinsic value to having a board with the classic internet camaraderie and quips and jabs. Hell, I bought a paid subscription when Pope first got hired because I loved my experience on the Lair and Rafters so much that I just had to let go of that $10 a month. I only unsubbed because of the merger and refused to renew my membership because of the uncertainty of the new system. As of now, given the On3 quality, I feel like my hesitation was justified.


As long as we think on the margin, we can bolster those poor shareholders. Society's gone so far to hell that the average Joe can barely afford a game ticket. In a world of crunched numbers and consumptive value, it'd be nice to maintain some marginally viable assets for the folks who like hanging around. Just a bit.

Again, not a shot at you. I know this is above your head. I'm sure you share some similar sentiments. It just sucks. Plain and simple, it sucks, and we'll all get to watch as the public boards die a slow death after the initial wave of departees.
It’s a pity that something that was run for free for two decades, and clearly not at a loss, is being destroyed because something that could exist and run itself for years without any net loss simply cannot exist because it won’t provide enough profit.

Then just let it the **** go. Seriously. Let it go. Give it away. Allow someone else to not profit enough from it. It’s gross. Better to give it away than kill it.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
48,842
67,712
113
That’s where I am now and have been since the first switch back in the summer. This I think is my last day over here. Hope everyone joins us over there.
Yeah, I posted there for a while, then I spent some time on a national board (still do), but this place gets the most action. Always something… .interesting going on here.
 
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DraftCat

Heisman
Nov 5, 2011
12,741
13,726
113
I used Discord a lot several years ago. It wasn't bad, but it just felt like if you looked away for 5 minutes then you were lost in the conversations. Maybe the format is different now.. I should probably check it out again.

Just think forums allow for more in depth discussion. Maybe I'm just old school in this regard.
We do have a forum setup on the discord that allows more in depth conversations.. but the chat is definitely the most used.

Join up and check it out. We've had 40 members join in the last couple hours.
 
Oct 23, 2025
39
55
18
On3 is the absolute worst. Basically every major site that has moved to On3 has suffered from it. They are constantly running deals on subscriptions because they are desperate for subscribers. The fact their top basketball insiders are Jamie Shaw (who struggled running a South Carolina board) and Joe Tipton (a guy with no basketball knowledge who just made recruiting edits) is just sad. Remember when we had experts like Dave Telep or Evan Daniels covering national recruiting? Somehow I don't see the San Antonio Spurs hiring any of the On3 guys like they did with Telep.