[DosFreak]

How about a forum that X+ years and X+ amount of posts are required to enter? Just a little something for those of us who have been around pretty much from the beginning, would have a little bit more intelligent discussion and quicker/more informative responses to "techie" questions.

I propose 1 year and 500+ posts? Mabye 250 posts?

Reason why so many posts is presumably that you had provided a certain amount of "help" on the site.

Also possibily make it viewable to those who do not fit the requirement but make it unable for them to logon

[Elliot Walls]

As much as I think it sounds like a good idea, I believe it would just end up promoting some young forum go-ers to spam the boards just to get high post counts.

[felix]

Rather than that, how about deleting all user accounts thus:

repeat until EOF
read user
if user.dateCreated < 01/07/2001 and if user.postCount = 0 then
delete user
forum.userCount = forum.userCount - 1
end if
next user
Frown at significantly lower member count.

Ok this logic is really bad. Lucky I only write VB, SQL and Access databases in my job.

[DosFreak]

That's what the 1yr and post count requirement is for. They'd have to wait a year just to spam the forum.

Also allowing the forum to be viewed would allow ANYONE to view the forum. Just that those that do not fit the requirements would be unable to post. This way they would still get the info.

[clutch]

Quote:

As much as I think it sounds like a good idea, I believe it would just end up promoting some young forum go-ers to spam the boards just to get high post counts.

DF, what I think he means is that people would spam the *main* board in order to get the posts needed to get into the upper level board. And honestly, I can see that happening.

[DosFreak]

SPAM the board for a year just to get into a measly little forum? I've never seen that before....

[clutch]

So the idea is that someone can only get in if they meet the combination of tenure and post count? Where have you seen this method used before at? How well does it work to boost the quality of posts? Would it bring DeadCats back?

[DosFreak]

lol! Dangit, it's lightin' outside and I gotta go pack for my flight. Gonna post later guys.

[Uykucu]

I think it is a good idea. it will clear the clutter when we need help, (I humbly consider myself one to meet the criteria, dunno about you guys).

Other than that i don't see much point

[felix]

I think it could possibly kill the other forum topics.
If we always discuss issues in the "Red Shag-Pile Walls Room" then others would feel isolated and may feel reluctant to post questions.

Spamming is not a problem as posts/members can be deleted or have their post count reset.

NTC has a good reputation as an egalitarian forum where all intelligent questions will be answered with expertise and few "me too" posts. Let us not sully the reputation of this board by making people feel unwelcome.

That's my $2.20 (inc GST), $2 (ex GST)

[Brian Frank]

Look, I have the highest post count on this board, but that's because I had something to reply to or something otherwise worthwhile (generally). It blows my mind to see people with 10,000 or most posts in under a year. Then again, the other sites tend to be a little more loose (see [H]ard|Forums or Tweak Town's board), where people tend to participate in more off topic stuff than actual hardware---not that it doesn't happen here ever.
I agree with Felix, as this site has an excellent reputation. Very few sites are as nice as this one. We don't see many spammers or trolls, and we don't have a large amount of buttheads that creep in either. This is a very professional board, which I can say of very few forums I participate in. Several good sites have gotten some more internet riff raff, and that's hurt them a bit, but not this one. NTC has stood up to the few rough spots it's had, and is still a well maintained forum. I haven't seen a list of sticky's and announcements on how to act in the forum since I joined at the beginning of 2001, and the way things have been, I don't expect that to change anytime soon.

[felix]

To continue on Mr Frank's point, I believe that this board has remained as professional in attitude as it is because most of the people who frequent it have a job to do or classes to go to.

There seem to be very few (save DosFreak;)) who sit on the board all day and reply to everything with inane comments attempting to start (f)lame wars. Hell, sometime APK's post are so full of info that I only read the first third of them. Perhaps he is "trying to take over the world" with information overload.

In the words of Ali G - big ups yoself and maximum respek NTCompatible for keepin' it real....aieee.

[Palos]

Brian Frank is THE oberspammer

[Cynan]

Social status and class structures are one of things thats wrong with this world.

Yeah you might not want some guy who cleans streets all day sitting next to you in a bar whilst your having your drink, but hes just as human as you are and you don't have the right to keep him out.

This whole forum is the members forum, and its open to all and should always remain so.

What if someone just joined who had valid input into a 'members only' thread? All the 'members' would miss out from their own arrogance.

Hmm.. I'm hungry.. I might get back to this later.