Restricted Forums

[RichardR]

Ted,

Following on from TonyRec's SP&L topic, how about the option of having some restricted forums. Access to these could be automatically earned after a certain period of membership, and could be revoked for bad behaviour.

I know that various discussions have been had before about paid membership etc., but this would seem to be a reasonable way to cut down on trolling for certain forums such as SP&L.

Just a thought.

Richard

[PetrolTed]

Interesting idea.

The trouble is that I really don't want to discourage new readers from making use of the forums and piling in with a genuine question. On the other there's too little to discourage idiots from jeopardising their 'membership' of the site.

Suggestions/ideas into the melting pot please

[Bodo]

I do also think it's an interesting idea.

But - what would be the scenario of a forum that only older members use?

It could become a [lentileater]two-class PHer society[/lentileater], because the hidden forums would be mentioned on the public ones, without all members able to use it.
If it would be read only, threads in the public forums would start about threads in the restricted one ...

[TJMurphy]

Off the top of my head ... and hits the floor with a wet slap ...
At least one other forum I subscribe to refuses to let people sign up with an e-mail address from the "free" websites such as Hotmail and Yahoo.
I guess the logic being that you don't hide behind one of these anonymous mail systems. How you decide what's anonymous and what isn't I've no idea, and whether it would really help I don't know either. But you asked for ideas - so that's mine!

And, I know I use a Hotmail account here but that is standard for me on virtually all websites. I'd be more than happy to switch over to my "real" e-mail address if it was made compulsory.

[DustyC]

Ted,
I think you could have trouble and cause a split with in PH if you go for the hidden forums method.
Is there that much trouble anyway?

In the marque threads it is mainly enthusiasts, no problems in those.
In General gassing there is the occasionally troll trying to sell something. We have generally all been here long enough to spot them a mile off and report them to you anyway so I dont think you have an issue.

And now I can smell dinner being cooked, chilli I think, my favorite. Im off!

[PetrolTed]

I agree in that I've always worked hard on not alienating new members. It would be nice not to have a means of dealing with trolls more effectively though.

[TJMurphy]

PetrolTed said:

I agree in that I've always worked hard on not alienating new members. It would be nice not to have a means of dealing with trolls more effectively though.

I hope that's just a typo

[RichardR]

Bodo said:

I do also think it's an interesting idea. But - what would be the scenario of a forum that only older members use? It could become a [lentileater]two-class PHer society[/lentileater], because the hidden forums would be mentioned on the public ones, without all members able to use it. If it would be read only, threads in the public forums would start about threads in the restricted one ...

I'm not claiming that this would be a flawless solution, but I do think that it would cut down on some of the abuse and might mean that we don't end up losing the valuable input of the BiBs who contribute.

I'm not suggesting that you'd have to be a long-standing member to gain access. Something like a month would be sufficient (with the forum being read-only and searchable up to that point), and this would probably be enough to discourage members from being ejected. If you combined that with Tony's idea of only allowing 'decent' email addresses (plus restricting membership to one login per email address) it would hopefully provide a bit more control without being too draconian or unwelcoming.

[DanL]

RE: using a 'proper' e-mail address - all well and good, but (when I signed up initally) I used a yahoo one. It's not until I'm sure that I'm not going to get floods of spam from a website that I give out my proper e-mail address, and I'm sure I wouldn't have bothered signing up to PH if I had to give one.

Obviously now I've got no problem using my proper address, but you don't get this confidence in whoever's running the site until you've been able to give it a trial run, as it were.

Don't know how many others here do/did the same, but it's pretty much standard practice for me...

Wish I could think of an alternative though!

Dan

[RichardR]

That would be fine. You could be a restricted member with read/write access to the main forums and read-only access to the restricted forums until such time as you supplied a 'non-free' email address and a suitable period of time had passed.

[PetrolTed]

To be honest we've not got a major trolling problem. It's more just some people (not necessarily brand spanking newbies) getting irate and pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable to the majority.

I've kicked a few people off the boards recently and they've either stayed away or rejoined and behaved themselves.

[RichardR]

Fair enough. No point introducing complications to address a problem that doesn't really exist.

[mel]

I've heard a rumour that we've all ready got a restricted forum, its just because its hidden we don't know about it


ps Flasher told me honest

[Alex]

I think it would be a TERRIBLE idea. There's nothing worse than a clique.

[iguana]

TJMurphy said:

At least one other forum I subscribe to refuses to let people sign up with an e-mail address from the "free" websites such as Hotmail and Yahoo. I'd be more than happy to switch over to my "real" e-mail address if it was made compulsory.

err serious question- so whats a proper e-mail account then if its not one through a free provider? I've been e-mailing for 10 or so years & never had any other type of account then a freebie ie Hotmail,Freeserve, Yahoo etc other than a work e-mail.

[condor]

As I understand a real e.mail addy....is the one given to you by your ISP....and usually has your real name in it. So you only give it out to business, friends and family - to cut down on spam.

Hotmail or other freebie e.mail account is to register on various sites that might be spam generators

[PetrolTed]

mel said:

I've heard a rumour that we've all ready got a restricted forum, its just because its hidden we don't know about it ps Flasher told me honest

The moderators have a forum. That was only set up to annoy Flasher. Nothing of any interest goes on there but the mere fact that it exists gives us all plenty of amusement at his expense

[flasher]

PetrolTed said:

mel said: I've heard a rumour that we've all ready got a restricted forum, its just because its hidden we don't know about it ps Flasher told me honest The moderators have a forum. That was only set up to annoy Flasher. Nothing of any interest goes on there but the mere fact that it exists gives us all plenty of amusement at his expense

Very funny Ted. I was told it was for the mods to practice being anal and superior before unleashing their control freakishness on us mere underlings....

Any more jibes in my direction and I will tell Mel how easy it is to post in the mods forum....

Onto the subject matter, I dont think we have a massive problem with trolls on here (discounting Mungo, obviously as he just looks like a troll!!) theres the occasional idiot and dreamer but most of the time it's fun and a welcome release from the day to day grind of work, for some it's an obsession (Mrs Fish) and for others it's become a dating agency (Mungo and Lois)

All in all it serves the needs of the masses well so I say leave it as it as....even the Porsche forum!!

[PetrolTed]

I need say no more

[Don]

PetrolTed said:

The moderators have a forum. That was only set up to annoy Flasher. Nothing of any interest goes on there but the mere fact that it exists gives us all plenty of amusement at his expense