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New Membership approvals


Dean

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Hi Everyone i would love some suggestions from you all on how to best make decisions on allowing new members onto the forum?

1. the problem... there are a lot of new members trying to become members that list no other usernames for other forums and have usernames i dont know at all. there are also a lot of people trying to create multiple profiles already ?

2. the question. how do you guys think is the best way to make the process of membership better?

i was thinking along the lines of

... posting on this thread, user name selected and location of every application i receive ?

then i can let you the members vouch for / approve, decline each member on a case by case basis, based on whether or not any of you know them.

i understand there will be a % of absolutely new to the hobby members that no one knows and may loose a few of them initially.

but i just want while we are growing this forum initially before opening it up more that we keep the content great and keep the forum positive.

thoughts about this or how else we can better manage this???

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We could have a few people "cough cough ;)" that can help out with this sort of thing. Just being able to check new members and delete crap that they may post asap? I think the forum should take the risk in letting any members in.

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its not so much what they post up on the forum as this can be removed easy. it more the pm's and spamming members to go to other forums/running people down etc.

im also concerned about all our great threads and ideas being taken/ copied to build other peoples forums.

once we are settled and running smooth this wont matter but initially we need our forum to stay unique and better than any other :)

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How exactly are you checking them now? If they have a username somewhere else are you letting them in?

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Guest Benny

Let's be clear that we need to cultivate this into a great shrimp forum. I'd ask all members to assist SKF to see if new members are legit. Last thing we need are scammers, haters and trolls ;)

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Hmm, Turn off PM's for about 10 posts? Also maybe hide threads from members under 10 posts? Just show introduction and shrimp tank photo section?

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Let's be clear that we need to cultivate this into a great shrimp forum. I'd ask all members to assist SKF to see if new members are legit. Last thing we need are scammers' date=' haters and trolls ;)[/quote']

+1, Dont want Certain s loitering here.

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Turning off PM and posting on other regular threads could work. I'd let them view most of the free member sections though. Definitely no access to BSS for a period of time even if they've paid for 1-2 weeks?

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lets not make it about any 1 person please. this is about all new members.

@ heavyD, i currently check there other usernames to see if they are genuine and ask a few people about them. then i check if phone numbers are valid,

most honest genuine people dont have 10 profile names and by doing a quick search you can see just how legit most people are.

i am letting in most people but as i said there are A LOT of people trying to make multiple names already.

@ loach. i dont know if i can be so exact with setting for members to that extent, but good idea and ill see if it can be done.

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How are you confirming multiple names? IP address alone won't always be accurate as you may have mum, dad and little johnny all trying to sign up. They'll all have the same IP address being reported to the site.

You could make it a by invite only initially and then open it up. Alternatively, get them to list referrals if they have any and then:

  • No referrals = don't call us, we'll call you
  • 1 referral = some additional checking required
  • 2+ referrals = automatic acceptance

Multiple referrals cannot be from the same IP (Mum can't vouch for little Johnny :p)

And maybe sandpit them to a small area of the site. A photography forum I belong to have a 30/50 rule. You are restricted for 30 days and until you reach a minimum of 50 posts. If you don't meet those rules your account gets made inactive and later purged.

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Maybe you can add a nomination system initially. So if you know someone you can nominate them to join the forum. At least you may end up with a solid base, before opening the doors to anyone.

Edit: Nogi you got in before me :)

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now where thinking on the right track.

i like this idea of referral with site limits to what they can see/do/use.

keep them coming and im sure i can take a bit from all the ideas and make a

usable meathod :)

i dont really want to get to much into how the screening etc works at the back end but it is working well thus far.

i just want it to be easier and faster.

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i like the nominate/referral idea for first 5-6 months as the plan is to eventually open up the forum to the world.

only problem i can think of right now is if you nominate someone you would then need to know there chosen username and tell me so i can approve it?

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i like the nominate/referral idea for first 5-6 months as the plan is to eventually open up the forum to the world.

only problem i can think of right now is if you nominate someone you would then need to know there chosen username and tell me so i can approve it?

Maybe while they are on probation they have to use their real name? Not sure on the legalities of that though.

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Hi Dean, thanks for making this such a people/hobbyist forum, and seeking our thoughts and suggestions concerning this already great forum.

I'd presume most new members will know other hobbyist, and/or members already here, so perhaps a "vouching system from an existing member(s) will assist in the vetting ? i.e. do you know a member ? ... Just need it to be designed not to sound uppity... The's no doubt that they'll be many that are new to the hobby etc, and may not know anyone... Then some of the suggestions above may work .... (I.e. no pm till certain no of post etc...

Just my thoughts ....

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Perhaps, they sign up as normal, and mention the person who will nominate them. Then you just check via PM if it is legit.

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How about a green list of known usernames? Like Loach1, Loach2 etc :p I hope you know what i mean. People with these usernames get auto access? The rest go through the 'process'? I like the idea of the refferals too.

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How about a green list of known usernames? Like Loach1' date=' Loach2 etc :p I hope you know what i mean. People with these usernames get auto access? The rest go through the 'process'? I like the idea of the refferals too.[/quote']

That might be easily hacked ;)

+1 to nogi's ideas. By the way I think all member will need to monitor newbies just in case a bad seed slips thru, reporting them to admins or mods.

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Automated workflow.

1. Prospective member signs up and lists referral(s)

2. Automated approval requests sent to referrers and site admin

3. Upon approval, member placed in probationary status until a certain criteria is met (x posts AND y days being active)

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@ nogi. real names wont work unfortunately. as there is no legal way for me to verify them either.

@Bluebolts, thank you, and i want this forum to belong to us all. not me, not any one person. we all make the forum what it is and i am simply providing the opportunity

for every dedicated member to be responsible for its success or failing. there are a lot of forums around the world run by individuals and not the members :) i like to do things different.... i think the vouching/referral thing is a big part of the process that will work.

@ heavy. that could be a simpler way also,

@ loach, like spare said to easy to bypass. :)

@ sprae, i completly agree that its much easier if everyone helps by reporting the bad members etc.

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Sounds like its going to get harder to gain acces to this forum for the likes of me I've gotten back into the aquarium science only very recently after a 10 yaer break. I used to get on the forums back then but after such a long break you forget names and such. With this talk I'm surprised that I was given acces in the first place. Only thing saved me is I prolly use the same name for everything. Ppl that use diff names for diff forums I don't get that as you don't know who the new name is. There is some good ideas here but do we really need to hide the forums contents that badly? The only other forums I've seen where you need referrals is the ones where you can download illegal stuff, is that where we are headed? Yes membership needs to be regulated but that can be done on an ongoing basis by the members. Just my 2c

thanks

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Guest Benny
Yes membership needs to be regulated but that can be done on an ongoing basis by the members. Just my 2c

thanks

Fair points there Yowie. But reasons SKF are regulating memberships initially is the fact that other forums have had issues with certain unsavoury people which had threaten this relatively fledging hobby. I'm sure others can attest that SKF have been a haven for us shrimp keepers' date= without being treated like second class citizens or taken advantage by unscrupulous sellers.

For now I think new people to the hobby should be invited by existing SKF members. We're all on other forums as well.

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I unfortunately don't have time to read the thread, so this might have been mentioned.

How about new members can only see an introduction forum, where they MUST introduce themselves, so we can varify they're genuine. Once varyfied, they get access to other parts of the forum.

Bit what I'd really like to see are more forums hidden and only viewable/accessible to paid members, Classifieds for one, and this forums suggestions another...

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This has really all been said but my thoughts .....

It is a fine line between coming across as elitist and creating an environment where people feel happy and confident to share ideas, setups and stock ... this is what we are aiming for!

Yowie brings up some good points but I think that at this stage an invite or reference system seems the way to go .... wheather people need these references before being allowed in or if they can join with some limited access and then be vouched for by existing members ...... I think the actual mechanism needs to be decided by those who will actually do the screening / inviting!

Is there any reason why anyone need multiple accounts/Login ID's?????

Cheers

Greg

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