I am leaving for a long trip in four days, and upon my return will be trying to finish my dissertation proposal while preparing to apply to medical school.
I was planning to continue The C Score anyway, and have a number of posts prepared for while I am gone, but I’ve been really disappointed in the way things have been going recently. I have worked extremely hard to provide timely coverage and accurate information, and I haven’t gotten the sense that people feel it is particularly useful. As a former journalist, I’ve been trying to myself to a high standard on this blog and to include analysis in most posts. I’ve tried to cite my sources and attribute things as much as possible, and to make sure I have my facts right. I just haven’t gotten the sense that the gymnastics Internet community necessarily values this particularly highly. (To be clear, what I’ve just said is not a comment on any other blogger. I’m just saying that I think that the type of news, or gossip, gymnastics fans are looking for may be more suited to message boards than blogs.) Which is fine, but is not the business I am in.
Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this blog and I really loved the comments I got from readers. I had a great time.
As you likely all know, Triple Full has the best news coverage of non-American gymnastics. Coach Rick is by far the best aggregator. There are other blogs (see the sidebar), but few are updated regularly. Other sources of news are the forums, including WWGym.
I’m going to at least take a bit of a break. Back on January 16th. See you all around.
52 responses so far ↓
Daniel // December 22, 2008 at 1:46 am |
I like your blog, but I don’t use to comment
My favorites are the romanian girls, Elsa Garcia (i’m from mexico), and the some american.
rickmccharles // December 22, 2008 at 1:56 am |
Hey, have a terrific holiday. And a good trip.
I’ve really been enjoying your blog.
Looking forward to your “comeback”.
TCOisbanned? // December 22, 2008 at 2:10 am |
I thought you did a stunning job. And actually think that the “recent blogs” (couch, thec, triplefull, double salto) were all adding a lot of content.
I do think it’s true that the gym community can be kinda lame about interaction and stuff. And blogging in general is something that you have to question if it’s worth it.
That said, I really DID recognize your quality without your explaining it.
Mihaela // December 22, 2008 at 2:13 am |
Have a great holiday and a productive post-holiday, but do come back afterward. I greatly value your reports and analyses. You’re a great journalist to have for a rival.
TCOisbanned? // December 22, 2008 at 2:17 am |
I wouldn’t mind if you joined forces with triple full actually. Would be more convenient to go to one site. And you may also get a little more critical mass and interaction. Only down side is that I think I’m banned in comments there and/or they have an awkward method of commenting.
Katrina // December 22, 2008 at 2:17 am |
Please don’t close permanently! I adore your blog! You’re blog is one of the best in explaining things!
Mihaela // December 22, 2008 at 2:37 am |
TCO, we would LOVE Jess to join forces with us. We’ve been thinking ourselves it would make for an awesome combination. For the last few weeks, The C Score and Triple Full have kind of been rivals, each trying to outscoop each other (or so it seemed to us, anyway). It would be fantastic (and save us all a lot of time) if we were on the same team. Let us know if you’re interested, Jess. We’d love to have you on the team if you ever feel inclined to return to blogging but don’t want to spend too much time doing it.
Also, you’re by no means banned from commenting on Triple Full, TCO. We haven’t banned anyone yet. We’ve merely given 2 posters a kind warning to keep things nice. If you were one of those posters, then you know we don’t really like rude comments. But keep things insightful and your comments are as welcome as anyone else’s. Honestly.
EM // December 22, 2008 at 2:42 am |
Well nuts, I just started reading this blog! It’s very well done and informative, and I’m excited for your return. Good luck!
Rach // December 22, 2008 at 2:48 am |
I check your blog at least once a day and really do value your professional look at the sport. Hope to have you back when things calm down a bit. Good luck with Med School : ). What will I do without my C-Score fix?
Ohno // December 22, 2008 at 4:38 am |
loved this blog. i check it really often. i think if you get a sitemeter you will be a lot more motivated, coz i think there are people like me out there coming here frequently but too shy to leave any comment….
Matt // December 22, 2008 at 8:06 am |
have fun on your vacation!
i’m sorry you feel that why about this blog, since i personally LOVE it. but you gotta do what you gotta do…
MS // December 22, 2008 at 8:55 am |
I read your blog every week!
I guess now that there are not “major” competitions going on, there are not major things to converse/post comments about.
Good luck with med school, but please consider keeping up with gymnastics blogging!
XMaestro // December 22, 2008 at 10:06 am |
What can I say that hasn’t been said already? Your blog puts most others to shame. I check it everyday and appreciate your insightful commentary. Anyone can post a few pics and vids, but you actually made me think (which I like). Good luck, and I hope this isn’t the end…
thecscore // December 22, 2008 at 1:16 pm |
Hi guys. Thanks for the nice words. Will take it all under consideration. Happy holidays! See you soon!
I think I’ll be back. But will be in Europe/North Africa until then!
Laurie Gallus // December 22, 2008 at 3:29 pm |
Hi Jess,
Have a safe, wonderful trip! Your blog is so professional. I’m glad you got in contact with me and I enjoyed the interview you had with me. You have a lot to offer and I sincerely hope you decide to continue your blog out of your love for gymnastics. I wish you the BEST in medical school and your future! Dream Big, Work Hard, Believe in Yourself, Go For It and all things are possible!
Best regards,
Laurie Gallus
Quentin // December 22, 2008 at 3:56 pm |
I hope you come back after your back feeling energized. Your blog is the first one I check daily for gymnastics information and I would miss it if it went away.
thecscore // December 22, 2008 at 4:04 pm |
It would be hard to blog from e.g. Morocco anyway, and my tripmate was all upset that I might drag us away from tourism etc. to blog! Which I understand. So it’s a good time for a break. But I do love blogging (and gymnastics obviously), so I’ll probably come back ready for more. Happy holidays! Thanks again for the kind words. (Also, Triple Full, love you guys, will be in touch.)
ry // December 22, 2008 at 4:24 pm |
love your blog, and I most definitely appreciate the whole credibility thing (since when did that become secondary?!). good luck in school.
Ianthe // December 22, 2008 at 6:03 pm |
Hi! I’m a devoted reader (I don’t use an RSS feed, so I check this site nearly everyday), but a first-time commentator. I guess that’s what happens when you announce that you’re taking a break- all your readers come out of the woodwork! Anyway, your blog is definitely appreciated, whether or not if the number of comments reflects that. However, it sometimes seems to me that ‘The C Score’ is lost in the gym multimedia that are the forums and the plethora of blogs. I know that you only post news with credible sources on your blogs, but it sometimes seems to me (in my humble opinion!) that the newsworthy posts are redundant and recycled. I get the feeling that a lot of gymnastics blog readers also frequent the forums where credible news are often preceded by speculation (which are more-than-often correct, due to all the “insider knowledge”.) The gymnastics sites I visit provide me with a unique view on the sport: forums for their intimate behind-the-scenes knowledge of the gym community, Triple Full for international news that I can rarely access due to language barriers, etc. In my opinion, it seems that ‘The C Score’ is a conglomerate of these things, but it doesn’t yet have a singular feature that distinguishes itself from the other blogs out there. I’ve seen flashes of brilliance, though! For example, your “Up and Coming Juniors” series was brilliant. It was such a unique feature, and I loved it. I’ve always seen lists of promising juniors on forums, but I’ve never read an in-depth analysis explaining why until here. Maybe if you did more editorial, analytic pieces like these, you might get more of a ‘fan base’ (I use that term very loosely, maybe ‘reader base’ ? )… Anyway, I hope that you don’t get offended by what I wrote. I only hoped to encourage you because I regularly read and enjoy your updates, and you seemed so despondent by the lack of a response. I’ll definitely keep following your blog- keep up the good (and regularly updated, accurate) work! Good luck applying to med. school. (I also hope to become a M.D. one day!)
mrsolis // December 22, 2008 at 8:12 pm |
I read your blog very often but I don’t use to comment. So, maybe even if you don’t feel feedback, people would be there in silence waiting for your posts and analysis. Love to follow your blog and have a nice holidays!
thecscore // December 22, 2008 at 8:22 pm |
Hi Lanthe, I actually agree with you. I’ve been thinking of veering back toward more analysis and commentary rather than news. (I think whether people find the news helpful depends on whether they read the forums too.)
By the way, I do know how many readers I get because WordPress has a counter. It wasn’t the level of readership (or lack of comments) that was the problem. Part of it was that I felt like I was doing too much coverage, and not enough analysis. So switching back to more commentary stuff would probably solve both of our problems!
I’ll try to think of how best to revamp TCS while I’m on break. Hopefully I’ll come back with a clearer point of view!
Thanks again.
davegymnastics // December 22, 2008 at 8:25 pm |
I just started following the blog but I felt it was great. Gymnastics needs all the coverage it can get in all its forms. And yes the internet community is tough because it’s a smaller fanbase, but the internet needs more gymnastics not less. I think you’re doing a great job! Glad to hear you’re working on a comeback!
TCOisbanned? // December 22, 2008 at 8:32 pm |
But the forums are secretive and ban people. You can’t even passively read after you’re banned (except IG). So we need a tro…news outlet
MessageBoards=Blah // December 22, 2008 at 10:11 pm |
There isn’t a single message board out there that allows free speech., WWgym and IG being the worst. Even GGMB isn’t as bad as them. You know what you get at GGMB. It isn’t phony about what it is. You either agree with Abomb or eventually he bans you. IG and http://www.gym act like free speech matters but it doesn’t.
IG Message Board- There is a gang there of a few members and of you do not agree with them eventually you get banned. The mods (all 3 of them) instigate trouble, call you trolls or names and then when you finally fight back they ban you. Gym momma is the worst. The girl that runs her own site isn’t any better. They allow Kitty and Mandusky and LysenkoFan to call you names and never even warn them.
http://WWW.Gymn.com is even worse then IG. they started that board because Abomb wanted to be a dictator and then they ban people that point out they are doing the exact same thing. Free Speech is not allowed anywhere.
The c-note your blog is one of the best. Please stay. I gave up using message boards a long time ago and your blog is one of the few places that allaws free speech. Stay
MessageBoards=Blah // December 22, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
Can you change the http://www.gymn.com to http://www.wwgym.com Thanks.
Ono No Komachi // December 23, 2008 at 1:39 am |
C Score, I’m really bummed you are closing your blog. I really enjoyed it, and you did a great job.
Good luck with applying to medical school.
And by the way…
The concept of “Free Speech” has nothing to do with message boards whatsoever, and the moderators of message boards are under no obligation to treat members equally.
The right to Free Speech guaranteed by the U.S. constitution applies only to not private actions such as those taken by message boards.
TCO, you can always start your own message board or blog. You know a lot about MAG, and there aren’t a lot of sites devoted to that, so go for it.
JustFoundYou // December 23, 2008 at 3:12 am |
Just found this blog and found it very useful. Please stay!!!
TCOisbanned? // December 23, 2008 at 10:50 am |
WWGym is a great site and my banning was deserved. I just wish they would allow reading without being a member.
I really don’t have enough time/interest to do a blog or forum myself. My interests are more diverse than just gym…and I enjoy the tro…interaction as much/more than the content.
I still think TheC should merge with triple full.
Gymmie // December 26, 2008 at 2:05 am |
Hi Everyone!
I hope that your hiatus is well enjoyed! I really like reading this blog a lot! I hope that I can post this here… I just started a gymnastics blog and would love for people to come check it out and leave comments or suggestions for me. The URL is
http://gymizlife.blogspot.com/ (Called We Love Gymnastics!)
Thanks so much and can’t wait to see the revival of The C Score!
Amy // December 26, 2008 at 5:27 pm |
I love your blog, and I dearly hope you have enough time to continue it! Good luck with your ventures in the future
bored // December 28, 2008 at 8:49 pm |
I don’t agree that http://www.wwgym.com is good. It is hypocritical. I stopped posting there because of it. They banned a few people I know for NO reason. Just for speaking up. The place is worse then GGMB
TCOisbanned? // January 2, 2009 at 5:44 pm |
It’s the best gym forum. and better than any blog.
Daryl // January 4, 2009 at 10:38 pm |
I love this blog! And dont stop permantly. Id never would have been able to keep up with it like you have.
Rach // January 5, 2009 at 12:51 am |
Come back soon : )
sally // January 6, 2009 at 2:26 pm |
I’m sad! I just found your blog and I’m completely fascinated by it. I hope to see you return.
TCOisbanned? // January 6, 2009 at 8:48 pm |
See…WWGymers! I am better than you, you scum. C-score, I lubz you.
Fan // January 7, 2009 at 10:40 pm |
This blog is better then any forum. that other board sucks
CJ // January 8, 2009 at 11:39 pm |
Please do come back soon! I’ve only just discovered your blog, but I for one appreciate the sense that I’m reading facts rather than gossip or opinion — and I never would have found the WCF coverage without your links!
Sasha // January 9, 2009 at 10:11 pm |
I check this blog often but barely comment. Mostly because the news stuff is a little beyond my current knowledge of gymnastics, so most comments would amount to “interesting … thanks for posting”. Doesn’t seem worth it most of the time. Hope to see you back soon, you are doing a good job here.
doublelayout // January 18, 2009 at 10:01 am |
I prefer TAAF to avoid useless discussions and drama.
marie // January 22, 2009 at 6:03 pm |
PLEASE COME BACK!!
Your blog is awesome
TCOisbanned? // January 22, 2009 at 9:15 pm |
Please be the NA correspondant for TF. If not, start a forum please.
fd fe // January 23, 2009 at 3:21 pm |
come back!!!!
TCOisbanned? // January 23, 2009 at 8:08 pm |
We could start a pro Shawn, anti Nastia forum.
You tube: OftUaQ1k-Es
TCO // January 25, 2009 at 9:49 am |
Jess, here’s an idea. Why not fracture Triple Full and steal some of them to work here? They have recently had some internal issues…and there are 2 who pull the weight more than the others. Break it apart and take the good ones. You are good too, so will be a combo of good ones. Make sure that whichever girls posts all the sexy Lilipod nad Corina pictures is included in the group. I think that said pictures draw male readers.
FreeSpeechForAll // January 26, 2009 at 12:17 am |
We don’t need a pro shawn anti nastia blog. We just need Nastia fans to get glasses and see just how over scored she is.
Nastia fans are fanatical insane lunatics . Shawn fans have not been nearly that insane
apolytongp // February 1, 2009 at 12:09 pm |
Jess: blogging is a lot of work. And the articles you did were a lot of work. I could understand you feeling it was not worth it, based on low response. Some thoughts:
1. People value quality content in terms of new info and such. You had plenty of that. But they also value interaction. So embrace that. For instance add a forum. Or at least add the tracker on the side for most recent posts.
2. The articles were too long. I think this is one reason why your revelations got more play at other blogs than at your own. The answers then are simple. Have a good “lede” paragraph or 2 and then continue stories below the fold. Also, try breaking up the stories more.
3. The layout while “ok” could still use some changes to make it better. Larger typeface. More prominent comment location. Different background (I like WordPress’s engine, but blogspot tends to have more pleasing backgrounds).
4. Background essays will not get as much play as interviews with girls we already know or coverage of controversies. Its natural. I mean “juniors of France”: ho hum. At least link to some youtube videos. Or better yet, just realize that kind of compendium has no sizzle to entice discussion. I mean at least have a hook like which country has best juniors or the like (although covering juniors just seems like minutia). And if you want to drive traffic, Nastia bashing does the trick well. Trust me, babe.
5. Writing while very strong in intelligent construction, could use just a bit more sizzle and a bit less elaborateness.
6. Consider joining forces with some other person/people? A forum?
7. That’s all I can think of on the cuff…but in general, some thought about what drives interaction, what audience likes would help you to get reaction that makes the work, worthwhile.
apolytongp // February 1, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
When did you start moderating? I hate moderation.
thecscore // February 1, 2009 at 3:33 pm |
Hi apolytongp. Thanks for the comments. You’re right; I tend to write longer posts that are not big on the wow factor. It’s a reflection of my personal taste: I want info beyond the obvious. That’s why I bother watching dozens of videos of juniors, for instance.
As far as wanting to change these things, I could certainly see myself writing shorter things. Some of them are just my style, however. As you might imagine, while I clearly have a few beefs with Liukin’s form, I’m not interested in getting into that debate in the way it plays out on other blogs and in forums.
Right now my main concern is not content so much as time. I’m writing my dissertation, preparing for the MCAT, and teaching three classes. That’s a much better predictor of whether I blog than is how many comments I get!
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I think you’re spot on. I’ll probably change a few things if I come back.
Oh, as for the moderation, that’s the default setting on wordpress. I never changed it. I’m pretty sure that once you post one comment it automatically approves them from that point on …
apolytongp // February 3, 2009 at 7:01 pm |
Hmm…
How good of an MCAT score do you need? I’m pretty good at standardized tests. I could take it for you. Except for the lying unethical part.
sickofit // February 4, 2009 at 6:01 pm |
The c score is the best blog out there. If people don’t like the way it is run LEAVE. No one forced you to come here.
I am sick of Nastia fans ruining blogs because their fans can’t respect other peoples opinion.
BitterXGGMBer // July 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm |
Re: GGMB. It’s known by many that the moderator (Abomb) and several of the admins on GGMB have serious drug problems. Meth, coke, you name it. It makes Abomb behave in an extremely irrational and immature manner. He bans people because they aren’t attracted to him, or they disagree with him, or heaven forbid, you like a gymnast he hates or hates a gymnast he likes. He’s alienated many, many people on that site. It’s totally his right, I guess, but he’s batshit crazy, seriously. I think Abomb’s abuse of crack has made him rather paranoid, and friends in the Fruit Loop say that he neglects his hygiene and has gout.
There is something seriously wrong with him.