100 post rule and newbie-spam

eg: http://www.repgeek.com/search.php?searchid=587186

This is the result I keep seeing from what is almost certainly the 100-post sales thread rule.

Perhaps time to rethink the system?

Suggestions:

* drop minimum posts threshold, add probation period. eg 50 posts and member for 3 months required to post sales thread
* drop minimum posts entirely, non-VIPs must spend 'geekbux' to start a sales thread early. Encourage and reward participation. Don't participate, no-one gives bux!
* combination of the two. If VIP, can post. If > 3 month member, can post. Otherwise must earn geekbux.

Keep in mind that this achieves:

* less fly-by-night sales scams
* reducing spam / improving overall post quality by valuing MEANINGFUL participation over post count
* further benefit/value to encourage VIP members (instead of offering indirect value comparison of $15 to 100 posts)

Thoughts?

I would take it one step further by making non VP's pay a membership fee of say $20 after being a member of RG for 6 months if they don't upgrade to VIP.

I suggest non VIP members have to pay a $5 to $10 listing fee when they sell a watch, watch parts, and other items on RG,

I would also ban newbies for posting contents of PM's they post in a thread which they send to members when they do not like the response they get for the PM they sent to the RG member. This would send a message to the newbies who post spam and improve the overall quality of post threads.

You could always offer a voluntary ID confirmation between yourself and the site owners and mods. Wouldn't be demanded but I know for the newer folks id feel more comfortable dealing with ID confirmed 100 posts vs 100 posts and dont have a clue who you are. Then again Im open with who I am I dont have a zillion different accounts hell I post pictures of myself from time to time and have made awesome friendships on here . But I also catch and release like a mofo so Im sure id be a candidate for such a ID confirmation LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TatsNGuns

You could always offer a voluntary ID confirmation between yourself and the site owners and mods. Wouldn't be demanded but I know for the newer folks id feel more comfortable dealing with ID confirmed 100 posts vs 100 posts and dont have a clue who you are. Then again Im open with who I am I dont have a zillion different accounts hell I post pictures of myself from time to time and have made awesome friendships on here . But I also catch and release like a mofo so Im sure id be a candidate for such a ID confirmation LOL

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Sounds good as long you don't propose to ban VIP's like me who are not tech savy on how to add an avatar to their profile.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daytonadragon

I would take it one step further by making non VP's pay a membership fee of say $20 after being a member of RG for 6 months if they don't upgrade to VIP.

I suggest non VIP members have to pay a $5 to $10 listing fee when they sell a watch, watch parts, and other items on RG.

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I strongly disagree with that. The VIP thing as I understand it is a donation to keep the site running, not a 'price of admission'. There's plenty of long-term non-VIP members here who'd be shut out by such a policy. Coming from the angle that the VIP donation is about keeping the site alive, it doesn't make sense to enact a policy where the VIP status is the thing that shoots it in the guts and leaves it to bleed out.

As for non-VIP sales made to pay per thread, it also punishes VIPs by having less on offer in the market.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TatsNGuns

You could always offer a voluntary ID confirmation between yourself and the site owners and mods. Wouldn't be demanded but I know for the newer folks id feel more comfortable dealing with ID confirmed 100 posts vs 100 posts and dont have a clue who you are. Then again Im open with who I am I dont have a zillion different accounts hell I post pictures of myself from time to time and have made awesome friendships on here . But I also catch and release like a mofo so Im sure id be a candidate for such a ID confirmation LOL

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We could do what Paneristi does which is when you post a message your IP address is tagged to the post.

Further on that... it is frequently stated that this is a hobby and the forum should not be turned into a business as such. Aside from being bad for the scene/community, it would also attract an unhealthy amount of interest in shutting down the site and prosecuting the admins / site owner(s) for profiting from counterfeiting.

we could request blood offerings ?

i say u have to be a member since 2007 to post a for sale thread, roflmao

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rbj69

i say u have to be a member since 2007 to post a for sale thread, roflmao

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Or be a friend of rbj69 and TatsNGuns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daytonadragon

Or be a friend of rbj69 and TatsNGuns.

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lol that was funny ,, hahaha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rbj69

i say u have to be a member since 2007 to post a for sale thread, roflmao

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Agreed. Or better yet, anyone not a member since at least August 2007 can't post at all.
Genius :D

Oh ****... hold on...

lol ok u got me , hahaha

We will keep in mind some of your suggestions.
Most of them unfortunately are herd to implement from a software point of view and hard to monitor from a human stand point.
In theory everything is easy,in practice....
For the time being, we encourage you to report all people that are breaking the 100 posts rule,by clicking on the report button or contacting directly me or my staff.
Thank you.
Thread closed.

+1

And notice to all:

No postwhoring to get to a 100
If we catch you doing so you will get a vacation AND your postcount reset. Do it again and you'll get a permanent ban
Post meaningfull posts or become VIP if you want to sell something!