@ Vignesh : :) anytime!

@ Nidhi: :) I have run a social networking community as a moderator for a while so I guess the playing conditions remain more or less similar here too. Moreover, I think there can be an easier way to fulfill Holmes' request. The players might not be writing specifically to the site, however, if u get some of them to agree and then link their tweets to the site, then the fans can read them and be happy. What do u think on this?

THis is absolutely true!!!! i am really ahppy to c that we r all jelling very well as one FAMILY!!! there must not be any differences between us or bad thoughts!!! WIZARD prince thanks fr this amazing post!!

Whoa WizardPrince, you really do understand how to this site works!! @Holmes, well there's a BIG CHANGE (hehe) coming on the site next month. I've asked the peeps designing the change to try to split 50%on cricket and 50% on fan club etc.

Re: players on site.... no can do buddy. Some are on Twitter.... but I don't think they have the time to be online... we've started by getting them involved at fan contests and during live chats during matches... let's see what more we can convince them to do :P I'll ask Robbie at FFC3 auditions if I get the chance mmkay?

@niddhi- thats sounds better! Ya, i wont be overnight, i m not expecting immediate change. but just wished to know if steps wil b taken n m glad to get a positive response :) ....1 thing not answerd yet. Counld the RCB team respond regularly here? i dont see y they cant spare some min. That would realy get the fans excited!

@ Nidhi, It is true that cricket does get eclipsed, especially in the wake of something huge like FFC. However, as u just said, contests are a medium to attract fans and to publicize the site as a happening place. They also serve as a motivation and are good to keep the site lively. After the CLT20 gets done with, there will be some months of inaction for RCB and that's where cricket and cricket related contests are likely to take center stage.

Thanks for replying :)

Dear Rakesh,

I strongly believe that the forum should be much more active and there should be more in terms of discussions etc. I guess, it is something that can develop only with the fan participation.

Dear Holmes,

Nidhi has given an answer to you so I need not say anything in the matter. As I had said earlier, once you put a comment in response to my blog, it will be noticed by the site management.

Sherlock Nidhi is keeping an eye on all that happens here :)

@HOLMES yes, we've heard lots of criticism about how cricket is being drowned once you we start throwing in contests... contests were a great way to bring people to the site and get them to know this Fan Club even existed... but now that we're huge, maybe it IS time to get back to the cricket and push the fan activities to their own corner of the site. will this change be made overnight? no, 'course not. we've way too much lined up until CLT20. will it change after CLT20? Yeah, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't.

Yeah I do agree for certain extent that cricket is lacking here.. But most of them just read the things they want and move on without commenting.Even that is possible.. And its really great if the forum here turns into a FORUM like cricinfo, DIGIT, CHIP and other tech forums. In those forums, Even your small query will have n number of responses.

ya wizard. I m not expecting cricket all throught the year. But atleast from some weeks b4 the event n during the event. I expected similar quality of responses as on cricinfo for a site having close to a lakh fans! but fans not much caring for cricket n also not knowledgeble is sadly true. I m thrilled reading cricinfo as it has real cricket lovers as well as very knowledgable followers who give interesting coments. the enthusiasm for cricket is so evident. Nothing wrong about what the site is doing about competitions. But y should someone like me be eager to share any cricket here n waste time when there r just 10 odd who mayb interested. Y should people like Mr. Raghunath take pains to make such a beatiful blog when just even comentors barley make up 10 odd coments. When businesses honchos like Vijay n Sid mallya can have time 2 responds to tweets, whats so busy schedule for cricketers? y not make arrangments for team members to be regularly have interaction, atleast during the event n sometime b4 it begins? its not that i m complaining as i am disinterested in CCF3 n contests hence considering the entire site boring. but the cricketing part is poor. It is not out of sight as u said. but its too less n majority people dont seem to bother. I have put up this issues on discussion forum n also remember writing once in a admin’s blog about lack of fan-team interaction. It had no effect. thats y make it come in ur notice because u seem lot more active n well known on the site n may be heard :)

@ Holmes: You write really long comments bro :)
I am thankful to you for acknowledging my presence here, however, stay assured that every opinion that you express in these comments is read by the site manangement. I will, however, express my view on these topics raised by you.

1. The site becoming a social networking place:- A majority of the fans here are not very knowledgeable about the game. They are here because all they care about is the contests and RCB. This is a fact. As u said, the players play roughly around twenty games a year and that means a minimum 345 days of no RCB action. Social networking is a good tool to keep the fan club buzzing and frankly, if u read the blogs and discussions, cricket is never really out of sight on this site. Therefore, I see no harm in that.

2. Fan Player Interactions :- Maybe once in a blue moon, but, I don't see this happening at all. Ideally, I would love to, but, I know it is not possible. The players for RCB for only 20 odd days and spend another couple of months in activities related to the team. They are professionals hired to perform for the team and frankly I don't think they will be keen to devote any extra time to these activities. Ditto for Ray Jennings. Deepika and Katrina are ambassadors and they are the people hired to do the interactions and the cheering.

I am not entirely ruling out fan-player bonding because that would be my dream too, just like any other fan, but, it is very difficult I guess.

Comm managers can say better and I am sure they will read these comments.

Satwik,

I am always what I am :). Its just that I am not loyal to RCB, according to some so called loyalists :P

Dear Rakesh,

Yes it should. A healthy discussion among group members is always fine.

Dear Natasha,

As I said in the post above, nothing is more important than all of us sticking together and making this fan club a better place. It is your job and my passion. True that I have difference of opinion about the judgment with you, but, that will never change me.

My support for RCB and to you guys will always be there. :)

Dear Sachin,

Yes, loyalty is unchangeable. If somebody thinks that my loyalty to RCB must be just because of a particular contest, then it is that person's own loyalty which is not genuine.

For me, it is a simple thing. I am a writer and I shall continue to do what I am best at.

@wizard- good post. U seem 1 of the best know n popular faces on the site so would like to put a view to u n if u like it, have it sugestd to the administration. The basic reason y fans joined this site is not to win contests, but because they love cricket. yes, contests, games n opportunities to travel r great attrractions n fun for the people but i believe the main essense of this club, cricket, is now being replaced with of entertainment on the site. I dont say change that, but i would also like steps taken to see fans connect to the players. Its just fan-fan interaction n not at all team-fan interaction. the site is turning into a social site with people comming together but cricket is getting forgotten or reduced. If 3 players will be taken to travel with the team, i would also like 3 of the team players to be writing posts n activily following its comments. Something similar to how celebrities act on twitter. I dont agree with the excuse of team being busy. Cant anyone from the team spare even 15 min to reply some good issues if not all?why cant this be arranged? I find pathetic seeing dipika, katrina etc on chats insted for RCB players. Its for them, that many have joined the site. I get a sense the administrators r more njoyng making the site popular in terms of entertainment while neglecting how fans can njoy the cricketing part on the site. Jennings surely dont seem to read the response on his blog. He just writes once in many weeks during IPL. There are very intelligent points n discussions made on site but whats the use when it hardly feels a cricketing idea is comning in the notice. Y isnt this aspect being improved n only contests? Y arent the assurance such as dravid, kp will ans 10 questions put by fans realy happening? Y arent more such steps on team interaction happening then just contests? I would like to see more balance between the 2. It mayb bcoz rcb plays cricket just 20 odd matches in the year so bringing some fun for the fans. totally fine. but i somehow now feel its damn boring to write about cricket n team rcb as just there r just 10 odd people interested n neither the team cares of taking a look at the ideas put or interact with the fan nor the admin really interested to see the ideas reach the team while there r too many efforts takn for meet ups, games, contests etc…Not saying thats not right. but the main desire of joining the site is not getting well fullfiled. Hopining to see more of team n fan bonding along with many fans interested to discusses cricket n team rcb

hats-off to ur spirit & willingness to keep trying

now that is what we call spirit :-)
Well written sir je!!!

All these GOOD and BAD discussion between fans leads to a stronger community. :)