Given the state of text battles, I feel it's best to share my method for modding success
 

Sharp’s time-tested and proven guide to modding a successful text league 2k19

Step one: Try to find a better hobby


If you’re reading this, there’s no chance of you ever being a productive member of society, but maybe consider occupying your time with literally anything else? Cooking? Gardening? Get physically active?

No?

Step two: Try Cooking

It’s fun, creative, and while you spend a little more on groceries you save by skipping restaurants for an occasional night out. It’s also way healthier for you to have control of the amounts of oil, salt, etc, that goes into your food. Plus, if you meal prep enough, you won’t have time for text modding.

Step three: Give up enough to become a cold, emotionless robot

So, you really can’t find a better hobby. Get ready for some shit, unless you’re like me and had been done with this step for years. Can’t lose your cool when you’re supposed to be the foundation of a league.

You will take criticism. Know when to ignore, when to respond, and how to respond.

Step four: Know your Clientele, and treat them like Autistic Children

This is not a joke. I have taught at two elementary schools with a high population of kids on the spectrum and I have run all of my leagues the same way I teach their classes.

-Reliable, predictable schedules for battles/mags
-Predictable content for mags with a different twist every week (reviews, top punches, interview, power ranks, predictions)
-Not rewarding problem behaviors, but letting them ‘get it out’
-Focusing on positive reinforcement/recognition without pandering or overdoing
-Don’t overstimulate: an overflow of text related things will cause them to shut down

(note: this step is often misread as ‘act like autistic children’. Common mistake for battlers).

Step five: High School Macroeconomics

If you’re not familiar with the concepts, google ‘supply and demand’ and ‘opportunity cost’. Keep your battles in short supply (6-8 week league at most with little to no dovetailing of leagues). 1 cypher and 1 roast MAX for each 4 weeks.

Step six: Don’t do video mags

They’re almost always the sign of a league dying because they're often a signal of a mod who isn't putting effort in. Compare some of AOWL's best mags, just visually, to the average battle video mag and you see a palpable difference.

Most of the people reading your mags are reading to see what you say about them. No one is that interested in the average breakdown, but when you make the whole mag a video, they can't skip over the parts they don't care about.

Can videos work? Absolutely, as a color piece. Make it separate of the meat of your mags or don't make it at all.

Step seven: Try not to think about what you could’ve done with that time

Yes, you basically picked up an extra shift of work per week to do this. Yes, you could’ve done literally anything else (really consider learning to cook guys), but let’s not kid ourselves, if you’ve read this much, you were probably going to spend that time doing something less productive.


Follow these steps and you too can have the kind of success that only 50 people in the world will ever be able to understand, and half will think you're a faggot

Good luck.

Rot in shit

As i ironic as it would have been to not respond to this, I cannot let that happen. This was excellent. Such command of tone and insight into the level of masochism needed to thrive in the position. We do or deserve you.

Sharp is texts David Foster Wallace

Current state is due to voters

I gave same formula mags and battles each week and Inno followed suit for the week I left but no one votes. Only doing play offs out of respect for those that bothered to vote but at this rate it will be a no go, Wednesday an still tied champ match at 2-2

I nominate sharp for high priest of the dark mag.

I believe the lack of interest and consistency in voting was a big part of the downfall of my league as well

Please stop with the 2-2 shit tho, c'mon now Flow

It's just dead....text is a thing of the past...we all enjoyed it as teens and some into thier 20's but that shits over.....

I think ur forgetting this rap battle thing is a community that brought us altogether. So essentially ur saying this site shouldn’t exist in 2019.

But you’ll watch grown men play with balls
But you’ll spend hours on end scrolling memes
But you’ll spend hours with ur family

C how silly all that sounds!?

Did you just compare text to spending time with your family ?

What, u don’t spit ur text battles to ya moms and pops? Sheesh y’all lame if u ain’t rapping ur shit in full enthusiasm at your family cat.

this was pretty funny but you strike me as the cold emotionless robot type so something tells me this was someone therapeutic for you as well

I'm gonna take this as a compliment and try not to add it to the 'subtle sadness' thing earlier

My opinion, take or leave: 1-2 Suffered from the inconsistent modding (all due respect to Inno, but even superficially being different is different, and your mags were different) and didn't bounce back due to overstimulation - between the LR and NBL popping up, we as a whole just got sick of text again

Supply and demand. Should have been nc 1-2 and LLL on RB

Not really. I told you in the cypher and said here, this is kind of an extension of my work persona/responsibility. I like my job and do feel like I'm doing some good as a teacher/mod, so that's my 'therapy'

Why am I not in the netcees Hall of Fame for my legendary run through the nbl?

You look like you get copious amounts of pussy but probably penis if you preferred. Tell me I'm lying.

as a wise man once said: i like to have sex with women. also i don't have any gay tendencies that i know of.....yet

also @Sharp you definitely seem to be cut out for the mod work here so well done

That may be the most insulting thing you've ever said to me

this is lacking tho

there needs to be some type of advice towards boosting the mental stability and durability of the mod

an I have been saying this for literally years but you need a real team of mods to work together.......... you always have one guy who is the true work horse and others that pitch in extremely minimal efforts and pretend they are assisting then when the workhorse dies the league goes with them

you have to make it fun and interesting for the participants also..... anytime text is getting discussed in the disc forum you can bet it is thriving in the league or tournament

people need to grow up and care less also. I mean this in the sense that highly regarded writers will sooner no show than crap out a keystyle in worries of not living up to expectations

i am a victim of step 7 tho..... i will never mod anything on this site again....modding for these people is the equivalent of offering finny career advice

I remember when the rbl use to have 80 or 90 textcees in the league at once...

What do the thinking heads contribute the dying art of texting raps to?

Agreed with that bags... Never did a league/tourney alone if it could be helped for a reason. Also, mod accountability (considering we're back onto blaming the voters)

But also, this was a work poop post so I wasn't trying to fail step 7 more

Ghost1 hit the nail on the head.