Censoring the Forum Has Been Accomplished!

[wonka]

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

Or calm down...take a nap...go outside...etc, etc

[CineMasterpieces]

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!

I agree with Rich and Rumble. Forcing one to register/log in just so they can read the forum is just stupid. This hobby is small and this just helps make it smaller. Dumb decision potokar.

[CSM]

Funny how it's mainly the Dealers/Sellers who are complaining. Obviously would rather have their multitude of Auction/Sale posts continue to show for the masses and not just the registered (who obviously already know about the sales regardless)...

I am also not understanding the equation of "Having to Register" = "Not free"??

[boxofficebrian]

I can see both points to this:
As someone who is a 'casual' collector, I thought to myself "Hmmm... it would be neat to add a movie poster to my home theater." I had NO IDEA where to begin or how to do it...

Google brought me here (amongst other similiar sites...) I was able to puruse these boards and gather enough information to purchase a poster...

There are more folks in this boat, than the 20-30 non- dealer members that actively participate and collect- and I mean, hard core collect film posters.

The casual person that wants to pick up a few film posters are going to benefit a dealer and hell, some of them may just be swayed to enter into the hobby and start collecting and participating here (like myself.)

If the bulk of the threads here had been locked when I initially found this site, I would have moved along...cause these wouldn't have been the droids I was looking for.

[CineMasterpieces]

"If the bulk of the threads here had been locked when I initially found this site, I would have moved along."

exactly.

Many people do not like to register. For anything. Period.

[CSM]

Well everyone who is upset can go to MPF and paint pretty landscapes of the tumbleweeds

[110x75]

Well, I for once, disagree with my good friend Chris. 

Having to register in order to access to content annoys the crap out of me, even if it is free, fast or whatever. Yeah, I'm that lazy 
If you want to have an opinion and post in a forum, then do register.

I did lurk for quite some time in the 2 forums I later registered and participated in. NS4 first and APF later. If they had hide their content, I would probably not be participating in them today, and all of you would have lost a lot of awesomeness

[Tob]

I think a potential problem is that registering is perhaps not as straightforward as with other sites (having to manually email Holiday). It's not rocket science, but I wonder how many have tried to register, clicked the link and seen the "registration is currently disabled message" and moved on somewhere else.

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?

Yep, definitely agree with that.

[CSM]

Well, I for once, disagree with my good friend Chris. 

Blasphemous!

[110x75]

I'm not. I agree with the Cinemasterjesus... 

[CSM]

I'm not. I agree with the Cinemasterjesus... 

You must have something on consignment or you're just looking to spend 5 times the normal cost

[skyjackers]

You must have something on consignment or you're just looking to spend 5 times the normal cost

I didn't realise there was a sale on. 

[110x75]

You must have something on consignment or you're just looking to spend 5 times the normal cost

Oh, I wish... 

[rumble]

I think a potential problem is that registering is perhaps not as straightforward as with other sites (having to manually email Holiday).

Is that how it works now? Wow, no wonder there's not much fresh blood! Having to register to a locked forum by sending an email is about as offputting as it gets.

[paul waines]

I didn't realise there was a sale on. 

 

[CSM]

I didn't realise there was a sale on. 

 

[erik1925]

All this negative commentary because something is being tried for a period of time? Its been in place for about 4 days only.

Plus, many boards in the Movie Poster and Common Poster Subjects areas are open to all, as are the Dealer and For Sale/Want boards.

And it seems some here choose not to read and comprehend, when I stressed in a post last night that this was something to try, a trial... nothing more.

And why suddenly are some forgetting the complaining that was done about because they could see everything, including auctions, want lists and the like. Short term memory helps with the latest thread here, for some, it seems. I also seem to recall reading the terms "moochers" and "freeloaders" when others referred to Guests lurking here on the board.

Since there had been previous critical commentary and threads about Guests and what they can see, this temporary change was to try and make some of those members feels better about the forum and its availability, overall.

Trying some simple changes is not worth getting agitated over.

Ideas come and go, or are tried, and implemented and sometimes, later, discarded.

It will all work out here. 

[jedgerley]

[Bruce]

Funny how it's mainly the Dealers/Sellers who are complaining. Obviously would rather have their multitude of Auction/Sale posts continue to show for the masses and not just the registered (who obviously already know about the sales regardless)...

I am also not understanding the equation of "Having to Register" = "Not free"??

Not only did I not complain, but I suggested closing the dealer threads to end the endless quarreling. Better yet, why not charge for dealer posts? I bet that would greatly lessen the number of them, and it would buy some diapers for Thierry, and something that Holiday needs!

[erik1925]

Is that how it works now? Wow, no wonder there's not much fresh blood! Having to register to a locked forum by sending an email is about as offputting as it gets.

And as far as new faces around here and this method of membership that H put in place (other options are being looked at), here is the number of new "fresh blood donors" that have joined in 2014, so far:

Feb: 32 new members
March: 18 new
April: 11 new
May: 4 new
June (as of 6/13): 7 new

72 new faces (and counting)!

 

[skyjackers]

and it would buy some diapers for Thierry

I didn't realise Thierry was incontinent 

[paul waines]

I didn't realise Thierry was incontinent 

 

Let me know if your in concert up north, I'm buying a ticket.. Best two posts for quite some time..

[paul waines]

And as far as new faces around here and this method of membership that H put in place (other options are being looked at), here is the number of new "fresh blood donors" that have joined in 2014, so far:

Feb: 32 new members
March: 18 new
April: 11 new
May: 4 new
June (as of 6/13): 7 new

72 new faces (and counting)!

 

Crikey, who are they all, and where.. 

[Harry Caul]

While I respect that the owners are doing some market testing, I am in favor of restoring full access to non-members.  As I tried to articulate in my post about the mid-auction thread, we were only talking about a *very* narrow area of discussion there.  And I was never in favor of censoring the thread -- I just wanted some sort of acknowledgement and explanation of the differing view points, perhaps pinned to the first page as one potential solution.  Ultimately I was fine with the thread remaining open as long as people were respectful of the impact their posts might have on other peoples pocket books.  I was (and still am) only in favor of locking it as a last resort.  

However, IMO what is being tested now has nothing to do with that discussion or poll.  If there was a poll asking if we should lock 30% of the forum (the part which has most of the popular threads) to non-members, not even letting them see which areas were missing -- I would vote "Hell No".  I do think it would be a major turn off to new members, I know it would be for me.  Maybe I'm projecting my own opinion, but I would think the poll would result in a decisive "no".  

I know Rich is trying to conflate the issues here so he can try to take the moral high ground on all "censorship" discussions, but they are totally different.  If anyone is keeping track of the different issues, my votes are:

1. Mid-auction thread -- Knowing there is a 50/50 split in opinions I'm also fine keeping it as-is, but I would prefer that an explanation be added to the first post.
2. 30% of forum locked to non-members -- Maybe an interesting experiment, but a bad idea in the long run IMO.  

[Mirosae]

Well, I for once, disagree with my good friend Chris. 

Having to register in order to access to content annoys the crap out of me, even if it is free, fast or whatever. Yeah, I'm that lazy 
If you want to have an opinion and post in a forum, then do register.

I did lurk for quite some time in the 2 forums I later registered and participated in. NS4 first and APF later. If they had hide their content, I would probably not be participating in them today, and all of you would have lost a lot of awesomeness

Ohhhh...

I agree