free membership solution

greg334 · Nov 16, 2009

Darmstadter said:
It might not be the best comparison, but I'll do it anyway. It resembles terrorism. Everytime a terrorist group attacks, they draw attention to their cause. They get people to change their daily habits, come up with rules, policies, etc, etc. All the while, hiding in anonymity.

Actually this is the right comparison.

Darmstadter said:
Anything that is put into place can be worked around---these bums will always figure out a way to get in. Restrictions will not keep them out and only serve to discourage decent folks from participating. As several people mentioned---these bums want attention and want to throw a wrench in the works here. The more attention they get, the more they win.

Exactly, this is why this is a non-issue - trivial.

ShadowMaster · Nov 16, 2009

jaminjim said:
If there is a need to stop the problem that was experienced this weekend, the solution could be as simple as restricting posting privileges of new posters to only one forum until they reach a certain number of posts and time as a member, something along the line of fifty posts and one month as a member. Part of the requirements would be that they cannot defame /flame any member during that time.

What would that mean to someone like me that only posts occasionally?

That would not stop ppl that make random postings just to make their "50."

Doggie Daddy · Nov 16, 2009

OntarioVanMan said:
If you noticed the last flurry this weekend...

It escalated as the responses escalated like a real time shouting match....one just has to walk away and viola...it is over.

Ken I don't think it is that simple. Our banned "friend" has created several screen names that he has used to just settle into the community until he decides that they have enough posts to be largely ignored. And then he uses them to drop bombs on the forum.

Sirbill2you started out that way,and who could forget the infamous Leo Zaphag. (how he got away with that one for several days is beyond me).

It my opinion that when these aliases are discovered that they are exposed immediately. I have done it both ways,either exposing them on the forum or with pm's to Lawrence or Dreamer.

jaminjim · Nov 16, 2009

ShadowMaster said:
What would that mean to someone like me that only posts occasionally?

That would not stop ppl that make random postings just to make their "50."

Although my idea was already shot down, it would really have no adverse affects for the occasional poster other than taking longer to "qualify" to be a full member. People would still see your posts and be able to respond to them. Only difference would be that all new members would be in one forum and much easier to monitor the naughty.

LDB · Nov 16, 2009

That's not really a solution either. That forces the guy with few posts to put his post regarding the adjustable franistan for the modular widget in the "newest guys" forum instead of in the truck talk forum where it should be. Other than killing the SOBs, there doesn't seem to be a permanent solution. And no, I am not suggesting anyone do so nor will I be doing so.

OntarioVanMan · Nov 16, 2009

Leo wasn't the only Mod here over the weekend...why did the issue go on as long as it did?
Was someone scared to make the call and hit the delete button....and or at least move the offending post to the car wash for study.

Doggie Daddy · Nov 16, 2009

OntarioVanMan said:
Leo wasn't the only Mod here over the weekend...why did the issue go on as long as it did?
Was someone scared to make the call and hit the delete button....and or at least move the offending post to the car wash for study.

I agree,several of Joe's fellow mods dropped the ball on this one.

greg334 · Nov 16, 2009

LDB said:
Other than killing the SOBs, there doesn't seem to be a permanent solution.

You know Leo I am not here to make friends but to help others in this business with my experience. I feel that you and a few others are on your high horses telling the rest of us how to solve a problem that can't be solved and stirring up the emotions that don't need to be stirred. All these emotions and efforts to find solutions to non-problems takes away from helping people, and it leads to a site that discourages people to participate.

The comment of yours I quoted is a problem for me, because it shows a misplaced anger, something that I question the person's lack of knowing what they should be doing here in the first place. Having someone killed over a frickn' forum post? It is like I'm sitting at one of the soul food place in Detroit and a fight has broken out because one person dis'd another. If this was another forum that I had control of, this thread and any thread about this subject would have been deleted because it is propagating things that allow the trolls to win.

The subject and two of the three threads that followed all seems to illustrate the negatives of EO because of the division it has created, the unheeded emotion that was unleashed over a truly trivial thread. It shows that the troll, who ever he is, that there isn't much work in winning and for some of us who have been dealing with worst things are being ignored by saying let it go.

Leo I don't recall you getting your feathers ruffled when my wife's situation was dragged into a post that was said to hurt me or when I asked for someone to take care of an offensive post, the mods didn't do a thing - it is still there. Somethings that is a lot more personal than some post about someone getting arrested have been posted and some Mods are selective in how they handle things or who the person was talking about. Got to tell you I didn't feel some of the stuff was worth the effort because it would have triggered more of the same.

I feel Joe is a big boy, he is a good guy like most others here but he, like myself has created an on-line persona where our passions drive our posts and it opens us up for cr*p like this. I don't know what his take is on it, can't say at this moment I really care because you all seem to speak for him but I can say that these are issues that are too large for any one site to deal with without harming the site and that has been proven over and over and over again. The ideas floated all have been tried and unless Lawrence wants to take EO to a different level, I would venture to guess that things will remain the same but the Mods and members at large need to just continue to do the policing calmly.