next »

[Mark]

Mark, if your going to be meeting Andy you'll need someone along to take notes, I'll volunteer,   and I'm sure we can find some others that will be more than willing to help you'll need a photographer, someone to carry your bag, someone to wipe your brow, in fact why don't we all go?  This makes much sense to me.

Meeting Andy? Hah, I wish, it's most likely a web design team. I don't know much just yet, it was a 3minute conversation, I'll tell you more when they contact me again.

[Mark]

Yep great idea, we'll organise the bus  Who actually rang you Mark and how did they get your number :?  

I can't remember how she introduced herself, as soon as she mentioned the words "Andy Murray" I was in shock a little. She probably got my mobile number from doing a 'whois' on this domain, you are all capable of seeing my mobile number right now but please, no prank calls

I must admit though, I am a little dissapointed that this website woudn't be made the official website but then again I am not suprised and neither sure if it would be a positive thing. I'm hoping this website will turn into something like http://vamosrafael.com - anyone know if that is the official Nadal website?

[top_spin]

I must admit though, I am a little dissapointed that this website woudn't be made the official website but then again I am not suprised and neither sure if it would be a positive thing. I'm hoping this website will turn into something like http://vamosrafael.com - anyone know if that is the official Nadal website?

well.. we've been having some "problems" with vamosrafael.com...
i'll explain....
We (as in VR.com) used to be RafaelNadal.com, which was a tiny site... then Susan, the Site Admin decided to completly change the website.. (she's nothing to do with Nadal's managment...) and she made vamosrafael.com. This was formed about 2 or so years ago. During the past 4 or 5 months Rafael's management have been meeting up with Susan, to try and settle whether vamosrafael.com could actually be turned into the official site. (i don't know all the details since im not involved in the financial running)...
After about 3 months of talk ...Rafael's managment announced that a new Nadal site was being made. This will be made for the start of 2006, which means that vamosrafael.com will no longer be the main web site.. so "we're" on our own from now on.. (just to clarify vr.com is not the official site.. but no official site exists at the moment)
shame really, there was hope that vr.com would be the official home... but i really do hope this is different for murraysworld.com! what a shame it would be if Andy's managment decide to make a different site!
Good Luck with the talks Mark! From what i've heard from the Site Admin at VR these talks aren't the easiest thing!
Thanks for all your work!  

[deedee]

Congratulations!!!
You did a wonderful job on Murraysworld, I hope there will be an official site!!!
I think a Q&A section would be great!!!    
A big Hurray for Mark! [/size]

[top_spin]

Thanks Julia, very insightful as I'm very new to this sort of thing but I will be taking advice from certain people.

This does bring up the question whether making this the official site would actually be a positive move. I would assume significant degree of ownership would have to be taken away and I would not like that at all. But anyway, it looks like from my initial communication, that won't be considered anyway.

Regarding VR.com, I really don't see how the official website, when launched, can be taken seriously now with such a huge community at vr.com - they can't complete with traffic like that.

I think one of the main things official sites achieve is that the management can control each bit of news.. i suppose people "trust" all the information on the official website, since the management deals with the press, rather than a website that is just made for the fans (which was the goal of VR.com in the first place.) And when it's official the player himself would actually get more involved with fan letters, competitions, reviews. for example on Roger Federer's official site, Roger writes a letter to all the fans on the site about twice a year.. which can't be achieved on a fan site.

And, i think if this was made into the official site, there would have to unfortunatly be ownership changes (i personally have absolutely no idea about legal right etc) but the management would actually have to asign jobs for people to moderate, upload, graphic designers rather than delegation from the Admin. Im just thinking that if this website was to become official, the amount of registerd users would shoot up... and i don't know whether the management would be in charge of the contoling rather than you looking after everything.   ..which would truley, from experience would be impossible.

Mark, totally agree with you regarding VR.com. The only possibility is that the official site don't have a forum.. which would in any case be unbelievable because at this rate Rafa may become number one.. how can the best player in the world not have a forum on his official site?!
...unless Andy gets there first!    

All i know is this is all a load of hard work, which is most definitly worth while, but when it comes to the managment there's no point giving away the ownership to them. I think in the long run it's better to be a fan site with another official site, rather than giving up a website to them, and just being an ordinary moderator or photo manager.    

[top_spin]

Yeah I agree with everything you say there. When the official site does launch, if it contains a forum, that would be annoying as I'm assuming most people would flock there and leave here. I wonder if the official site would have everything except a message board and if that were to be the case I'd feel a lot better. It is a weird thing, feeling competitive about another website when it is all for the same cause but that is how I naturally feel.

Well, the only problem with a "non-official" forum would be that the management would have no control over it, they would have to get in contact with the Admin (which isn't that hard.. but general agreements would be made) ...and logically, in the long run i suppose they would like everything under their control, because if there are any "blips" in the forum between users or any stupid rumours the whole deal would probably end... and that's devestating for the Admin, and inificient for the mangement.
But, definitly if there will be a new site with a different forum... murrayworld-lution on the way!!  
Of course you're going to feel a bit competitive, just don't show it to them! And if we are all good boys and girls - im sure there will be no problem in using this froum as it is

[Mark]

OK thanks for that!