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Mame Devs Part of BYOAC?

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SavannahLion:

--- Quote from: MYX on March 28, 2007, 08:11:14 am ---You know, there is a rules of the forum sticky. I think it should be a mandatory read before their membership is accepted.

--- End quote ---

Like EULA's, very very few people read them. Forcing someone to read a FAQ before membership acceptance will weed out a lot of chaf, but it's going to prevent a lot of potentially good members from ever joining. A good example are forums that are so restrictive that they don't even allow non-members to read posts. When I encounter forums like that, I go elsewhere for what I want. Sure, membership on those forums may be free. But if all I want is to do a search on the forums for information, why restrict it to only members. And yes, I've joined a few just to see the information and it's usually a waste of time for the registration.


--- Quote ---Perhaps a have read and understand the rules of this site. (things like demanding answers on their first post without first searching).
It might be mentioned that newbs not address a MAMEDev until they have some sort of understanding as to what their intentions are with the project. We do get nailed as a whole because a newb starts shooting off about THEIR needs even though it goes totally against the MAME goals.

--- End quote ---

That's like McDonalds preventing me from eating at Taco Bell. You can recommend that new members not contact MAMEDevs, but you can't outright prevent someone from doing so.

Rather than restricting the actions of people up front, try gentle moderating instead. Add a new category (I'll call it Recycle Bin) that isn't viewable by non-members. In the RB, any member can view and freely post just like any other category. If a member acts up, gets out of control, has a persistent tendency not to use the Search feature or generally just annoys other members, then their account can be restricted so the only place they can post is in the RB. Those restricted members can still interact with other members only in the context of RB. For the other members, they can choose to read and interact within RB with the restricted members. If the members show improvement, they can be "released" and be free to post in other categories.

It works pretty well since it A) it doesn't make the automatic assumption that you're going to be a ---fudgesicle--- up, members have to show they can't follow rules. B) it still allows restricted members who shouldn't be banned, but can't interact well with others, a place to ask questions and hopefully recieve answers. And C) it's a much gentler way of enforcing rules rather than making assumptions about a person.

Just a suggestion. :)

DrewKaree:

--- Quote from: SavannahLion on March 28, 2007, 12:15:56 pm ---
A good example are forums that are so restrictive that they don't even allow non-members to read posts. When I encounter forums like that, I go elsewhere for what I want.


--- End quote ---

What you're missing is that a forum ISN'T like a EULA, it's a place many choose to gather and share information at.  It's not a STATIC piece of information (which is what a EULA) is.  A FAQ is simply a small PART of a forum - a list of frequently asked questions - that for the most part, remains static, with very little input or change, unlike the rest of the forum.

What you're also missing is the fact that the setup you describe is done for a reason, and your acknowledgment of what you choose to do simply verifies that the method works - they want people who will at least take the token step of registering.  I'm a member of 2 forums that do just that, neither of which are very useful if you're NOT a member.  The value they offer after registering is beyond anything I can imagine, and the combination of the two has saved me countless hours of frustration and wasted time.  The things they offer also simply do not exist elsewhere for the same price to me (free), nor are questions or problems answered and resolved as quickly.

The point is that you find value in certain things, yet haven't figured out that your values are not everyone else's, and that the chosen method by a few sites keeps out people who don't share the same values as those members.  You view it as a loss, they see it as a win. 

Perspective is all about how you look at something

SavannahLion:
From the way you write it's like you're not actually reading my posts in their entirety. I never stated a FAQ is like a EULA. I'm saying that, like EULA's, few people read FAQs, especially noobs. If you want to force anybody to read anything, make them read the, "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way," document.

As for forum membership, I've been a member of countless forums, BBBs, newsgroups, whatever. My passkey has over 100 viable entries across a variety of sites for a variety of subjects, some of which I pay for membership. So don't try to write me off as someone who doesn't know their ---Cleveland steamer---.

Here is my point. Most information is available in some form or another across the net. Forums serve one role in collecting this information into one location. By an extension of that role, they assist in compiling difficult to find information. There have been countless times I've searched for answers and the only information I've found was in a forum, BBB or even a newsgroup. Most of the time, I bookmark the site and if I find enough answers as time progresses, I usually register. In some instances, I'll even *GASP* pay a bit of money for that registration.

But when a forum is closed to non-member views, what does that accomplish? If I register, there's no guarantee that the forum will have the information I want. I can ask my question, but to ask it properly, you need to lurk or else it just defeated the silly registration scheme. Yes, I recognize that some forums are closed for a good reason, I'm a member of some of those very same forums. But those forums have very specific membership requirements and they offer very specific information.

From what I've read in your writing, unless there are very specific requirements (NDA, proprietary, personal info, etc) about the forum in question, it's nothing that can't be accomplished by an open-to-view/register-to-post system. Even a partial open-to-view forum harnesses more than a completely closed one, I run one of those too.

I don't want to come off as an ---uvula---, but I'd appreciate it if you read my posts in their entire context. I try to read yours in their entire context, but I'm secure enough to admit I miss the point on ocassion.  ;D

CheffoJeffo:
SL -- who said that we should restrict viewing the forums ?

Boz:

--- Quote from: DrewKaree on March 28, 2007, 02:50:13 am ---
--- Quote from: TheBoz on March 28, 2007, 12:44:03 am ---
BTW, who's Saint?  ;D


--- End quote ---

I heard his real name is Dennis Dowling :dunno


--- End quote ---

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH... Can I never escape this nightmare?   ;)

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