Seems a lot of posters jumped ship from WSI way earlier than I did. I only did so after the 2014 season. Looking back I can't believe I stayed that long.

It started with a site called SoxNet (back in 2000 or 2001...definitely before 9/11 because I remember closing the forums on 9/11 and instead we had a link to the red cross). Originally forums were on various softwares and at one point the name Soxtalk didn't exist, rather, the place was SoxNet's forums.

 

SoxNet was a news site well before blogs every existed and than the forum was the interactive discussion / comment side. Mario Scalise was the original creator of SoxNet and I was the 2nd in command (with Murcie eventually becoming the 3rd in command) and dealt with more the marketing side and the forums. Initially forum leveraged software from another site (a formal rival & insiders set that went independent and we stayed with them as it provided us with infrastructure that we didn't have). However, there were server issues, etc., that we couldn't control so eventually we took things off from there and I purchased Soxtalk.com and created our own independent forum, etc.

 

SoxNet would eventually join the insiders for a period of time and than close due to various disagreements we had with them and at that point Soxtalk would remain (FutureSox had also been launched in this span). The initial Soxtalk was a small sub-set that grew from people who ventured here from web searches, official whitesox.com board, espn forums, and WSI. SoxnRoll was referenced, but that was a rogue radio network (RedPinStripes, CupKilla, and others) which had an affiliation with Soxtalk (independent but marketed within) and that also helped push more people to Soxtalk (from other platforms).

 

Two items that always differentiated Soxtalk was the fact that it was affiliated with unique content, whether it was SoxNet in the early years or FutureSox, and it also differed in the stance that I have a much different mentality when it comes to running forums than they do (and this is not me knocking WSI, this is just me stating I have a different vision then them). I would lie if I told people I didn't compete with and didn't have a desire to be bigger than WSI, because I did, and WSI laughed and scoffed at the notion (and while I can take some solace in where the forum stands today, I also refuse to rest on that notion).

 

I'll also caveat that as Soxtalk became what it was, it has been so long since I ever even concerned myself with WSI or any other Sox forum (because quite frankly, I don't care about anywhere else), but than other sites did occasionally try to spin-off from Soxtalk, whether it was southsiders.net (not sure what happened to it) or even southsidesox (where the Cheat was once a mod/admin here who eventually went on his own separate path building a fantastic blog that he eventually left for whatever reason).

 

I honestly don't know what it would take to grow this place or create something from start today (as there are so many various channels to do this and a lot more competition, I feel like when this place started, we were still pretty cutting edge and that helped). It always amazes me the staying power and I'm always proud of the type of community and open style that exists here (as well as the comrodory between members and overall loyalty). I could tell you all about plenty of members on here as others can and that says a lot. At the same time, we still have tons of new members who become consistent and great contributors and that is huge too (because you always need knew members to keep things fresh).

 

I also could tell you when I created this site, I would have never in my wildest dreams imagined it growing to the extent that it has. Whether it was threads getting featured in sports publications, receiving various sets of credentials, meeting great people, etc. I can remember how amazed I was when we got 100 visitors in a day and now I think of the fact that over the course of a month, we get over 15 million hits.

It started with a site called SoxNet (back in 2000 or 2001...definitely before 9/11 because I remember closing the forums on 9/11 and instead we had a link to the red cross). Originally forums were on various softwares and at one point the name Soxtalk didn't exist, rather, the place was SoxNet's forums.

 

SoxNet was a news site well before blogs every existed and than the forum was the interactive discussion / comment side. Mario Scalise was the original creator of SoxNet and I was the 2nd in command and dealt with more the marketing side and the forums. Initially forum leveraged software from another site (a formal rival & insiders set that went independent and we stayed with them as it provided us with infastructure that we didn't have). However, there were server issues, etc., that we couldn't control so eventually we took things off from there and I purchased Soxtalk.com and created our own independent forum, etc.

 

SoxNet would eventually join the insiders for a period of time and than close due to various disagreements we had with them and at that point Soxtalk would remain (FutureSox had also been launched in this span). The initial Soxtalk was a small sub-set that grew from people who ventured here from web searches, official whitesox.com board, espn forums, and WSI. SoxnRoll was referenced, but that was a rogue radio network (RedPinStripes, CupKilla, and others) which had an affiliation with Soxtalk (independent but marketed within) and that also helped push more people to Soxtalk (from other platforms).

 

One item that always differentiated Soxtalk was the fact that it was affiliated with unique content, whether it was SoxNet in the early years or FutureSox, and it also differed in the stance that I have a much different mentality when it comes to running forums than they do (and this is not me knocking WSI, this is just me stating I have a different vision then them). I would lie if I told people I didn't compete with and didn't have a desire to be bigger than WSI, because I did, and WSI laughed and scoffed at the notion (and while I can take some solace in where the forum stands today, I also refuse to rest on that notion).

 

I'll also caveat that as Soxtalk became what it was, it has been so long since I ever even concerned myself with WSI or any other Sox forum (because quite frankly, I don't care about anywhere else), but than other sites did ocassionally try to spin-off from Soxtalk, whether it was southsiders.net (not sure what happened to it) or even southsidesox (where the Cheat was once a mod/admin here who eventually went on his own seperate path building a fantastic blog that he eventually left for whatever reason).

 

I honestly don't know what it would take to grow this place or create something from start today (as there are so many various channels to do this and a lot more competition, I feel like when this place started, we were still pretty cutting edge and that helped). It always amazes me the staying power and I'm always proud of the type of community and open style that exists here (as well as the comrodory between members and overall loyalty). I could tell you all about plenty of members on here as others can and that says a lot. At the same time, we still have tons of new members who become consistent and great contributors and that is huge too (because you always need knew members to keep things fresh).

:notworthy

 

Indeed, that is the story I was interested in. I remember some of the name mentions (southsiders.net) from those earlier days.

It is amazing how so many new members keep showing up. Forums are getting somewhat outdated nowadays, but SoxTalk stays strong.

 

 

 

Can anyone help me remember the sox podcast around 2009-10-11 that was two younger dudes, lots of swearing, and in 2010 they had an excellent run of podcasts trying to end our losing start with different hexes? Obscure, and I don't know what else to search.

Can anyone help me remember the sox podcast around 2009-10-11 that was two younger dudes, lots of swearing, and in 2010 they had an excellent run of podcasts trying to end our losing start with different hexes? Obscure, and I don't know what else to search.

 

Sox N roll?

I guess that's it, but it didn't ring a bell.

I guess that's it, but it didn't ring a bell.

 

Sox n Roll might have been even further back then that actually. Like 2003 LOL

I wish I remembered. They did a once a week podcast and were genuinely hilarious. When we acquired Manny it was pretty must-listen.

Oh my God, the podcast was literally the best thing ever.

I'd blast them during a game and my family would be like WTF AWESOME.

 

I think it was Sox N Roll.

Can anyone help me remember the sox podcast around 2009-10-11 that was two younger dudes, lots of swearing, and in 2010 they had an excellent run of podcasts trying to end our losing start with different hexes? Obscure, and I don't know what else to search.

Only podcasts I know of were SoxnRoll, which your description fits the bill and than Soxtalk had a podcast with Mario & I and than there was a seperate podcast, with Mario & Shipps (not necessarily White Sox related but part of astupid radio).

I wish I remembered. They did a once a week podcast and were genuinely hilarious. When we acquired Manny it was pretty must-listen.

Only issue is SoxNRoll was not around the dates you mentioned. I want to say those were pre world series.

I basically became my grandparents forcing everyone to remember something that may or may not have happened.

Only issue is SoxNRoll was not around the dates you mentioned. I want to say those were pre world series.

 

Did you go to Iowa or do you just have an odd attraction to bad midwest sports teams?

 

I'll hang up and listen to your answer.

 

Also the drama that is Ncorg got me hooked her. I was off this site for a couple of months years back and then poof he was gone and never learned why.

 

 

 

Did you go to Iowa or do you just have an odd attraction to bad midwest sports teams?

 

I'll hang up and listen to your answer.

 

Also the drama that is Ncorg got me hooked her. I was off this site for a couple of months years back and then poof he was gone and never learned why.

Someone could probably post the story, I never really followed / knew much about ncgorl, other than he posted here plus whitesox.com and someone outed him for something or another (don't recall what as it was mainly whitesox.com drama). I reside in Sunny California so part of my starting of the whole thing was I took a webdesign class in highschool, liked the Sox, saw Mario post a message on some Sox site (WSI or White Sox.com) that he had started a website and sent an email asking if he could use help. From there, the rest is history.

 

My family is however from Iowa (Dad) and Illinois (Mom). No one in my family is a fan of Chicago sports teams but myself (you can thank WGN and probably the existence of Frank Thomas and as I'll proudly admit as a kid I liked both teams and it wasn't until the early 2000's where I stopped following the Cubs (and focused solely on Sox). Iowa fan though because my dad is (and almost all of my cousins went there). I went to Cal State Fullerton, home to one of the greatest baseball programs on the planet

 

Hopefully my kids will become fans (working on them) and who knows, one day there might be a 2nd generation of Chisoxfn's posting on here.

ncorgbl's fine, he's at his many vacation homes in hawaii, lappin it up.

The internet was a lot different back when this place started.

Also, I found the name. It was "Pale and Hosed Podcast"

Hopefully my kids will become fans (working on them) and who knows, one day there might be a 2nd generation of Chisoxfn's posting on here.

 

That would be really trippy. 0_0

i remember reading soxnet.net and was a member of WSI. This place is by far the best. Not only sox discussions, but other sports and pop culture.

I remember long ago there were softball games, one where i participated in, where we played WSI or something like that. That was fun.

i remember reading soxnet.net and was a member of WSI. This place is by far the best. Not only sox discussions, but other sports and pop culture.

I remember long ago there were softball games, one where i participated in, where we played WSI or something like that. That was fun.

 

That was a ton of fun. I would love to do that again, but hardly anyone showed up.

That was a ton of fun. I would love to do that again, but hardly anyone showed up.

No one wanted to go after they heard you were going to be there. BURN.

Edited February 13, 201610 yr by Rowand44

No one wanted to go after the heard you were going to be there. BURN.

 

Why you little...

I'd be down for some SoxTalk softball now that I live in Chicago (if its close by).

In all seriousness, we used to do gatherings about once a year. It kind of faded away because a lot of the board isn't from the area, and we weren't getting big turn outs.

 

If we picked a summer game in advance, who would be interested in doing some combination of tailgate or maybe softball game, or the like?

Yeah, It would be ideal to pick a summer chisox baseball game, perhaps a 7pm start. Get together around noon or so for a game and a monster tailgate session.

Just keep playing and eating until gametime .

 

I am down +1.