Hi! Hallo! Hola! Hej! Haloo! Shalom! Salaam! Ni Hao! Bonjour! Buon giorno! Nazdar! Zdravstvuite! Annyong ha shimnikka! Dobryy den'! Namaste! Merhaba! Kalimera! Etc.!
Welcome to In Lou We Trust, a blog about the New Jersey Devils! The focus of this site is to comment on today's news, talk about last night's game, analyze how the Devils are doing in season and in the offseason. Time from time I like to talk about league-wide issues. However, the main topic is New Jersey Devils hockey.
I want to thank you for checking out the site - be it for your first time or if you have been a long time reader since the Blogspot days. I would like to invite you to become a member of the blog. SBNation provides many features for those who sign up for this blog or the 200+ other sports blogs available on the network. All for the low cost of nothing. For those wondering why they should bother registering, let me break down the benefits for members:
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Comment on posts. You've read my many, many words on a topic, now offer your own thoughts! Perhaps you want to agree with me, disagree with me, point out something I got wrong, or just add an additional thought about something I said somewhere in the post. I tend to check comments frequently and respond to them. I always appreciate it when a conversation breaks out over a topic.
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Create a FanPost. A FanPost is basically where we give you most of the keys to the SBN Blogging Platform to let you come up with your own posts. Maybe you want to talk about something that hasn't been covered by me. Maybe you've seen a prospect play firsthand and want to give your own report. Maybe you've done some statistical analysis about something Devils-related. Maybe you just want to give your own opinion but with more effort than you would have in a comment. These are all valid reasons to make FanPosts.
If you'd like to get started on making FanPosts, other SBN blogs have come up with some pretty comprehensive guides on how to make one. Al at Bleed Cubbie Blue has the definitive definition between FanPosts and FanShots. Pension Plan Puppets explains how to tag posts so more people can find them - and how to share them through Twitter.
Some (very) good examples of FanPosts on ILWT include this one about long time Devils play by play announcer Doc Emrick by user R_Adragna; as well as this short draft preview by user thejerseydevil.
Basically, if you put a good amount of effort into it (and you will if you're making a FanPost), it provides some insight not seen on the front page, and you write it fairly well - people will comment on it, recommend it, and I can even put it on the front page - all under your name/handle! OK, it's not like you win a big pile of money for it, but it's a lot better than having it in the middle of a comment on page 2 buried between a bunch of meaningless noise.
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Create a FanShot. Maybe you don't want to write a full post on a subject; perhaps you just want to pass on an image, a video, a quote, or a link to something interesting. FanShots are set up specifically for this purpose. Basically if it's Devils-related or related to something posted recently, make a FanShot and like with posts and FanPosts, you can comment and recommend it as necessary. Again, it'll be under your name/handle and if it's interesting enough to warrant further attention - I can put it on the front page.
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See Comments Update as You Go! Too many comments flying fast? Started something, but got up and away for a little bit, and not sure what you missed? Don't worry! The SBN platform will note when new comments appear so you can read what's going on and taylor your comment accordingly! It's quite convenient.
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Recommend & Flag Posts Did you see a great comment, FanPost, or FanShot? Recommend it! Hit that little Rec button at the bottom of the post and it'll be Recommended. With another Recs, it'll be a Featured Post and will be, well, more prominently featured on the site. Did you see something inappropriate or just outright terrible - a comment, FanPost, or FanShot that broke the rules? Flag it! This way I can see it and deal with it accordingly.
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Be Able to Do All of the Above on Other SBN Blogs! Are you a fan other teams? Well, by registering a SBN account, you can sign up for all the other blogs on the network to do the same thing. SBN has all kinds of blogs for all the major sports teams, most major college sports, and other sports such as MMA, golfing, racing, cycling, and soccer among many others - and with more joining the network over time.
Does any of that sound good and appeal to you? Then what are you waiting for? Register an account with SBN and join In Lou We Trust today.
NOTE: Since the spring, I've added a day probationary wait for all new members. It's the main reason why the site isn't littered with spam comments or unhappy users who can't follow the rules and can't seemingly act civil as a result. I apologize for the inconvenience if you registered or joined ILWT and want to jump right in, but because of those measures, the wait will remain.
Rules Index
Yes, there are rules and guidelines for members of In Lou We Trust. The rules and guidelines have been up on the main page on the left sidebar for weeks now, but for the purpose of convenience, I've put in some direct links here: