No More Enhanced UFRs

For the past season and a third, I have been updating a web app that provides enhanced viewing of MGoBlog's Upon Further Review (UFR) reports. I have decided that the time has come to bring the updates to a close.

Last Friday's announcement post was downvoted by Thorin (of MGoVideo fame), who also followed up with a snarky comment. Thorin is the one MGoUser I would least want to piss off, since the app's linked video feature is entirely dependent on content from MGoVideo. He probably did me a favor by forcing me to re-evaluate why I am continuing to work on this when it has become a burden that takes precious time away from more pressing priorities.

I must also admit that I have been foolish in wasting even more time recently on further development of the app. My original grand vision for the project was to build not just a viewer, but a powerful UFR creator/editor. I added many of those editing features and was intending to test them during the bye week by sponsoring a community-generated UFR of the 2012 Sugar Bowl game. That exercise is now rendered pointless.

Ultimately, the true stake through the heart is the thorny issue regarding copyright ownership of the video clips. This issue threatens to pull the rug out from under the content at a moment's notice and I realized early on that it would prevent the project from ever evolving into any form of viable long-term offering. It has also prevented the owner of the blog that inspired the project from supporting or even publicly acknowledging the existence of the viewer. So I think it is time to wrap things up and say thanks to those who have voiced support in the past and I apologize to anyone who was hoping to use the viewer for future games. I will leave the website up indefinitely, but will not be updating content for future games.