It was an unforgettable feeling when I realized The Key Play came to life, but the specifics of its genesis remain a blur to me. I don't remember where I was, what I was doing, even what day it was, but it was well after the site went "online" in March of 2010. I've written before that I originally envisioned this place as an online sports bar. Your local. The place you'd regularly hang out at, sit next to someone new, have an insightful conversation, share a laugh, and not have the urge to punch them in the face because they're an asshole. A community for Hokies built on a high-level of discourse, inside jokes, in-depth analysis, memes and a common background we all hold dear.
At some point after a slow buildup of momentum, The Key Play hit a critical mass. It went from 0 to 1 in the blink of an eye. New threads were popping up in the forums over the course of the day, and every time I refreshed the page there'd be tens, hundreds of new comments populating them. It happened so quickly that Google didn't believe it, the AdSense robots flagged my account for invalid activity. The algorithms thought I was paying for traffic to flood the site and click ads because the ramp up in activity was so sudden. It took me over a year to successfully dispute and win the claim (which apparently rarely happens), but over the same time Google withheld all the relevant ad revenue. (This was an early lesson for why to never build a business on an advertising model.)
It's challenging to build an online community because about 99% of online users only lurk. Many big tech companies have tried and failed to create social networks. (Does anyone remember Google+?) So it was very much a "holy shit", I did the thing, moment for me when I realized TKP was standing on its own. My baby was walking, and it was the infancy of a special online community. Fast forward years later, it was an extremely tough decision to put the community behind the paywall. As I said at the time, it's not what I wanted to do, but with a business hat on I felt it was the right call, even though it might have dire consequences for the thing I set out to initially build.
Contrary to some of the takes at the time, that choice didn't kill the site. Instead, it helped offset a revenue dip and weather years of bad football and fan disinterest. But it's still not what I originally wanted the site to be, and that's why I am reversing course. The positive vibes around the program are reminiscent of the Tyrod Taylor era, and I want to make the community more accessible for those who don't have $84 in their budget to enjoy the ride of the James Franklin era together. While it's still crucial for my business to grow The Key Players Club, and I hope/want/need more people to join it, my bet is that will happen as a function of fan re-engagement of a football program seemingly back on track.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Comments
Joe, I think I speak for all of us that I hope the best for you and for TKP. Whatever direction you choose, you've been successful in creating the greatest Virginia Tech sports community, and I'll stick around for as long as TKP exists.
Does this mean that non-members can post again or can they only lurk? I've actually enjoyed only having members post, but I was against closing off the entire comments section behind a paywall when it happened.
I have too and also thought the same when Joe turned off public comments. I hope the Franklin era will bring back the joyous shitposting from TKPs early days.
Like has been said in other threads, I'm all in on Joe. You have the data so what every you think is best, I'm here for.
It would be nice to get some of the commenters back, I hope they understand and come back.
Dork Magic and Pussy Touchdowns for everybody!
I appreciate you making some changes and updates. Probably a way to straddle the line to encourage membership and also let some of the outside in so they ante up. Some open forums, some restricted, or whatever, but I hope that we can bring back the larger community again because this place is one of the few that I've opened my wallet for and it's been one of the better spots to talk about the Hokies
Joe, you'll probably have to send a mass email out to all those accounts to let them know they can read and post once again.
Got the email this afternoon and am finally back
By chance I caught the email in my junk folder.
Cool! I always love the free/open model because it brings in a lot of different perspectives, opinions, etc, but obviously recognize that business is tough. Looking forward to TKP3.0
This is fantastic news. I think the biggest challenge in cutting the community down so far is that it has felt to me like every thread devolved into some form of the same handful of members having offshoots of the same conversation
Edit: and i am so looking forward to seeing some commenters of old trickle back in and around
OH BABY HE'S BACK SWEET HALLELUJAHS RISING
He said "Beer"!
I'm excited for the new translate AI function of comments into our favorite current and former posters (DC etc.) /s
Joe! We love this place and appreciate your commitment and work. We aim to help you continue. Smart move leaning into the future with VT Football's future. Let's! Go! Hokies!!
I liked the idea of allowing non-TKPC members to post, but a limited amount. Unlimited posting with TKPC membership. I think not being able to respond to everything will push some folks over the edge to join.
Ohhhhh does this open up the possibility of more plaid posts?
donate 10k perma-plaid
I thought I flipped all the right switches yesterday, but apparently not. I believe it's good to go now.
found Joe's burner account
1. I love the profile pic for the test account
2. It has 20 unaccounted for turkey legs. I'm starting to wonder if turkey legs are just another worthless fiat currency...
I added those in so I could test voting.
Joe are there ads on the non-TKPC accounts still? Hopefully extra traffic drives engagement and some ad revenue
Yes, but ads make very little money.
Money for ants???
Hearing toe pics is a good side hustle...
Don't make Joe regret his decision.
I didn't realize Joe was that much of a Simpsons fan. That's a fairly deep joke, albeit in a great episode during the peak years. I remember the first time I showed that episode to my daughter and the elation I had in anticipation of how hard she would laugh.
I grew up on the good seasons of the Simpsons.
Some of us began by identifying with Bart, shifted to identifying with Homer and more and more see the truth of Abe Simpson
I never picked up on the Abe as a crossdresser gag until I was much older watching in sequential order.
I can confidently say that it has happened to me.
I was NEVER with it, and it all still scares me.
Excellent, it's good to be back.
Thanks, Joe. I for one am glad to have access again. I still can't afford TKPC as I became disabled a few years ago (my initial reason for opting out) and am on a fixed income. I will enjoy the site as I am able to though. Go Hokies! Beat UVa!
Welp......so ends my rapid ascent up the turkey leg leader board while it was restricted to TKPC only. /s
Turkey Leg party in the TKPC board soon? ha
I'm surprised that after over 2 calendar years away (almost 3 full football seasons), I'm sitting at #32 on the turkey leg board.
Welcome back
Cool to see an opportunity for the community to come back.
I've stepped away to cut back on some of my internet addictions and spend more time with the kids. I'll be back someday.
But in the meantime, hi everyone!
Good to see you again friend!
In all seriousness, welcome back in advance to all the FAM that are back now that the front door is open again. I, for one, have missed many of you.
And it's just in time for the TKP glouriousness that is beating loluva!
And just like that, the gates were opened and the TKP Hokies came flooding back...
Current state of TKP. Welcome back extended FAM!
I initially didn't re-up TKPC because my membership started around the holidays, and I needed that money one year for Christmas. Then, the falloff happened. I just wasn't as invested in Tech football (and to an extent basketball). I kept watch from afar, sickened that we had become a laughing stock.
But with the hiring of James Franklin, there's energy and hope again.
Thank you Joe for opening things back up at the start of this hopefully fun ride!! I'll be rejoining TKPC after the holidays for sure!!
Smells the same. Glad to be back. Go Hokies.
Are you saying TKP key plays the same?
I can't read that right for some reason haha. But I added the key beside my name after over 11 years here.
Damn over 14 years. 2011 is when I found this slice of Hokie heaven.
A win tonight would be great for program momentum and TKP momentum.
Still alive and kicking, hope y'all are well
C'mon Coach James Franklin, get us back to a winning tradition 🦃🇺🇸🏈
Good to see you back!
Welcome back lurkers!
If you have the means, get fully dipped. I can attest after lurking for years, it is the best return on investment I have had since "Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company".
Excited to be back! Could anyone point me to the guide for page navigation? I swear there were some quick-keys for navigating between comments, but I'm not finding it.
It should be N/Shift+N or M/Shift+M for new comments or your own comments respectively. I think that functionality may have been limited to the key players club though.
Ok, gotcha. Didn't realize it could have been segmented that way, thought it was just part of the backend. I just remembered reading through a page at one point that had a list of keyboard shortcuts.
Just confirming that the quick nav shortcuts were paywalled. User experience in TKPC is quite nice with the lack of ads as well
After a couple years I have rejoined The Key Play. I am excited for the future
Welcome back. Way to commit on signing day
Franklin is recruiting people for every position. LB, QB, WR, message board...
Who are we recruiting?
turns out Dave IS here, man
I respect his decision.
Well it's certainly been a minute but the love for this team and my fellow Hokies never dies! These next few years are going to be memorable, glad to see the familiar names coming along for the ride. Appreciate all you do Joe!
Welcome back fam
Welcome back
Boys it feels like I've been wandering the desert of comment sections on YouTube and (cue blood curdling scream 😱) the free boards on TSL. Honestly for me it was the Vandy game in Nashville that just broke me. I felt something snap inside of me and I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't invest emotionally or financially in something that gave me nothing in return but heartache and disappointment. I remember feeling bad sending Joe the email that I wasn't gonna renew my subscription because I've been around TKP since the days of LT3 bulldozing fools all over Worsham Field but that subscription was collateral damage. I remember even my wife looking concerned and asking if I was okay when I told her I wasn't on TKP anymore lol.
Either way, thank you Joe for letting us back in, and yes, I'll get fully dipped when I get back home from the road.
Go Hokies. Fuck UVA. Dork Magic forever.