Censoring the Forum Has Been Accomplished!

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I haven't logged out so I haven't seen what has happened to the forum, but a long time customer of mine just left my office after visiting while he is in town for a few days and he told me that because he isn't a registered member that apparently he can't see very much of the forum now

all I can say is, to those who wish to withhold the free sharing of information with other have accomplished their interests and the free flow of information to other like-minded people has been net-neutralized

You know, I for one am all for the free flow of information
It's called "sharing"

I think that those who wish to cry about the 243 guests vs 22 members reading posts need to look at things from the other side: why would more than 10 times as many guests as opposed to  registered members prefer to only read the articles here, rather than join in and get involved?

here's another question, how would you folks like it if the IMDB shut down 99% of the information that was available to you unless you were registered?
or what if Photobucket galleries were only visible to those of you who are logged in (if you have a membership)?

Ithink that the majority of any of you are not members on those sites, but wish to use the full facilities archived.

food for thought, if you're hungry

[CSM]

Registering doesn't cost anything aside from a few clicks and 5 seconds to think of a username.

How is it an issue to make information available to members only?  If you want the info just sign up.  You don't even need to participate and can continue leeching if you so desire.

I can't bid on Movieposterbid.com unless I am registered

[CSM]

Also...are the "For Sale" posts still visible to non-members?  If not, is that really the issue here?

[Zorba]

Also...are the "For Sale" posts still visible to non-members?  If not, is that really the issue here?

Please stop feeding the trolls.

[Harry Caul]

Before you overreact Rich, did you check with the forum owners or mods to make sure the settings were correct?  I thought we were discussing whether or not to kill the mid-auction thread or possibly lock it to non-members.  However, it looks like whole sections are now inaccessible (not even visible) to non-members anymore including almost every sub-section in "Common Poster Subjects" and "Movie Posters".  Oddly, all the sub-sections elsewhere are still visible, including in "Lobby Cards", which is why I'm thinking this could be a mistake...

[MoviePosterBid.com]

some areas are available to , others are locked off.
I can't say which because I haven't checked myself

personally, I think information should be shared freely when it is posted here.
I never asked for anything when I posted information, I don't think it should be restricted to others

forums are for an open sharing of information
clubs are private

and Chris, your comparison isn't equal . you have to register to bid on MoviePosterBid.com because there is money involved. How would you like bidding on any site and your competitors are all "guest"?

[kovacs01]

some areas are available to , others are locked off.
I can't say which because I haven't checked myself

personally, I think information should be shared freely when it is posted here.
I never asked for anything when I posted information, I don't think it should be restricted to others

forums are for an open sharing of information
clubs are private

and Chris, your comparison isn't equal . you have to register to bid on MoviePosterBid.com because there is money involved. How would you like bidding on any site and your competitors are all "guest"?

It isn't valid?  I think that is the reason it is locked is because it has cost people money in the past.  So how exactly is money not involved?  Bidding as "guest", you mean like ebay?  Yet we all still use it.  How is bidding as "guest" any different than any other site where people hide behind usernames and are anonymous.  There are plenty of sites involving money that do not require registration.  It is very common nowadays.

Do not misunderstand me.  I am against having any boards locked (threads maybe), and thought it was unlocked a long time ago.  But, your arguments suck, and I am an imdb member.

[erik1925]

There has been no censoring to APF. 70% or more of the entire board is still open to all. But certain areas, have been closed off from global view. When one considers the contributions that all members, past and present, have made here, the research, giving thought and analysis to poster sales, trends, restoration, articles written about posters artists, hobby history, poster finds (the threads go on and on)..... it adds up to a lot of information,  not found anywhere else on the interwebs.

Why should all of this be available for just anyone who cant take the 3 min to register here for free? As another example, I have often looked at those online and the numbers of guests who are literally printing out various threads is pretty staggering. As well, there was discussion about how guests could easily gather or take info, not only from the mid auction thread, but from possible wish lists that members post to the board now and then. So there was a money element to it, as well.

And many sites require a free membership in order to access all the features or info available to members. This is nothing new. MPB, HA, emovie and even certain forums have the same requirement or lock downs in place.

In addition, it was primarily done (as an experiment) to see if it might encourage new people that are currently coming here as Guests, to join, want to participate, and infuse new blood, thoughts and material into the forum. And, of course, APF, in total, is then available to them, as well.

I would think that any client of any of the dealers or auction houses would be registered on those sites. As such, they would be able to access any and all material that might be advertised here, for sale or up for auction. In addition, any upcoming auction advertising seen here is also on each of the home sites.

The bottom line is... this change wasnt done to make Guests feel less welcome, but to encourage those to become a part of a movie poster forum that has much to offer, both from its members as well as the material, information, insight, research and imagery they have provided over these last 4.5 years.

And nothing is etched in stone (well, at least not everything). Things can always be reverted back to how they were, prior.

*In checking the technical side of the SMF layout here, individual threads cannot be locked unfortunately. Otherwise that would have been done. Only the larger boards can be.*

[Harry Caul]

The bottom line is... this change wasnt done to make Guests feel less welcome, but to encourage those to become a part of a movie poster forum that has much to offer, both from its members as well as the material, information, insight, research and imagery they have provided over these last 4.5 years.

If that is the case, you should probably make all areas visible to guests, but just write (registered members only) next to them.  Otherwise, how will they know what they are missing out on?

Also, you say that 70% of the board is still open... is that number of threads or number of posts?  I ask as the "General" section is gone under "Movie Posters" and as we all know, that is where the majority of the action happens around here. 

[erik1925]

If that is the case, you should probably make all areas visible to guests, but just write (registered members only) next to them.  Otherwise, how will they know what they are missing out on?

Also, you say that 70% of the board is still open... is that number of threads or number of posts?  I ask as the "General" section is gone under "Movie Posters" and as we all know, that is where the majority of the action happens around here. 

That's the tech issue with SMF here... the boards, when locked from guests view, are hidden completely, so either they are 100% visible (open) or closed (hidden). Writing "registered members only" would make no difference, because those boards with that added text next to the board name would also be hidden from view, if locked. And if the boards are open and available, how would those words (registered members only) keep a guest from going onto those boards anyhow, if they wanted to try?

I wish there was a way to lock individual threads. That would make it much easier to fine tune.

And I was referring to the % of the entire board being available to all, not individual posts or threads. Yes, the Movie Poster General Board and its threads is where a great deal happens here. Same goes with the Common Poster Subjects area. Those 2 contain the bulk of the movie poster material, data, research and info, i was referring to above.

Like I said... this was put in place to see what happens, membership-wise. That's all, at this point. Consider it a trial run, to see if it makes any difference or not (in addition to the idea that "membership does have its privileges," as there has been some slight discussion about that aspect, too, especially more recently).

 

[kovacs01]

I wish there was a way to lock individual threads. That would make it much easier to fine tune.

But there is a way to make a members only board and move threads that rate locking into it which would prevent indiscriminate locking of entire boards over a couple of threads.......

[kovacs01]

Why should all of this be available for just anyone who cant take the 3 min to register here for free? As another example, I have often looked at those online and the numbers of guests who are literally printing out various threads is pretty staggering.

This one is my all time favorite guest action as listed in the "who's online" section:

Guest   12:40:22 AM   Nothing, or nothing you can see...


Maybe (likely), whatever they are doing is nothing I want to see.

[erik1925]

But there is a way to make a members only board and move threads that rate locking into it which would prevent indiscriminate locking of entire boards over a couple of threads.......

Schan.. that's an idea.. There could be a core, Members Only Board. 

Then it would just have to be decided which lock rated threads from the various other boards would be moved and pulled together into that new Board.

This one is my all time favorite guest action as listed in the "who's online" section:

Guest   12:40:22 AM   Nothing, or nothing you can see...

Maybe (likely), whatever they are doing is nothing I want to see.

And i agree... i mean... what are they doing on the board that would cause that pop up in the first place... a little weird 'n creepy, if u think about it.

[archie leach]

Schan.. that's an idea.. There could be a core, Members Only Board. 

Then it would just have to be decided which lock rated threads from the various other boards would be moved and pulled together into that new Board.

There can be only one name for this board - "Super Fantastically Fabulous Stuff that You Will Absolutely Want to Register to See!!!"

[erik1925]

There can be only one name for this board - "Super Fantastically Fabulous Stuff that You Will Absolutely Want to Register to See!!!"

I think that has a good ring to it.... but is it descriptive enough?  

[kovacs01]

supercalifragilisticexpialamembersonlybitch

[MoviePosterBid.com]

It isn't valid?  I think that is the reason it is locked is because it has cost people money in the past.  So how exactly is money not involved?  Bidding as "guest", you mean like ebay?  Yet we all still use it.  How is bidding as "guest" any different than any other site where people hide behind usernames and are anonymous.  There are plenty of sites involving money that do not require registration.  It is very common nowadays.

Do not misunderstand me.  I am against having any boards locked (threads maybe), and thought it was unlocked a long time ago.  But, your arguments suck, and I am an imdb member.

not valid?? I don't see anywhere that I said that, though I did say "Chris, your comparison isn't equal" which has an entirely different meaning, so it looks to me the only thing that sucks here, is your reading comprehension.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

Jeff, I understand how you feel about people casually coming by to glean information, wantlist and other info, but the other side of the coin is that whomever has posted to the board has essentially "donated" their output to the forum. For my part, I do expect anything in return. I gave what I gave freely. At the same time, I don't feel there should be a locked door preventing people from reading it.

I've said it before, one of the best boards is the CGC boards (I'm talking about the board, not always the idiots who may populate the board)
http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php

you do not need any type of membership to read anything there. It is 100% open to all and that's how it should be, because the board is supposed to serve the community, not the few. Oh and by the way, they have 10s of thousands of members and millions of posts

if people want the community to grow, you work as a community. If you just want to have a circle jerk with your buddies, then just close off sign-ups completely
and the comment "I think that is the reason it is locked is because it has cost people money in the past" is a hollow argument. No empirical evidence has been posted that shows a specific causal connection to any bid on ebay - nor could any one here show such a connection unless (for instance) Mark were to say "oh yeah.. I had no idea that ET design was coming up for sale until someone posted it on APF. Nope. Had no idea. I didn't even know 56 people had it in their watchlist. Thierry undoubtedly would have won it for $565 if it wasn't for Mel posting it, giving me the head's up so I could head over there & beat T's $2450 bid.. That's right.. APF rulez"

not that I'm saying it couldn't happen, but more than likely such fear is reactionary behavior based on emotional want.

I think the vast majority of registered members here who whine about people using APF as freeloaders (if a lurker can be likened to a freeloader) are just as likely to use free service, without membership when possible, with membership when necessary, websites and forums that provide them with free information and without restriction as anyone else and the call for censoring any type of post on this forum, or restricting what information can be seen, is no less equal to any other type of censorship that the vast majority of people here would complain about if they perceived such censorship was limiting their own activity

[kovacs01]

not valid?? I don't see anywhere that I said that, though I did say "Chris, your comparison isn't equal" which has an entirely different meaning, so it looks to me the only thing that sucks here, is your reading comprehension.

I apologize.  You said it is not equal, and then offered a reason for that statement that was not valid.

[Bruce]

One thing I am not clear about. Do the Dealer's Forum and For Sale threads NOT show to anyone except for registered users?

And would this forum suffer in any way if those two threads were simply eliminated? Other than the dealers themselves, would anyone mind? Or as an alternate, why not restrict each dealer to a single thread, rather than endless new ones?

It sure might end a lot of the endless quarreling, and it seems that all the registered users are well aware of the auctions that occur on a regular basis.

[rumble]

Wow. So you have to register to read the forum now, all to "protect" the few people who believe they can make a score by keeping eBay auctions secret? This is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard. Way to go to keep the community welcoming and open, guys!

[Simes]

Ebay has umpteen million users.

EMP has 10's of 000's of users.

APF has 200 readers and 20 people posting - just how big a world do we really think we live in chaps?  (Chaps, in the unisex sense of the word...)

China closes borders and look what Google thinks of them.  It goes against the internet grain to lock stuff down.

[Bruce]

[rumble]

History repeats itself. So, uh, didn't somebody start another forum recently? Time to move on, I guess...

[Mirosae]

That's a thought. ..