Have you considered adding a "private room" that cannot be accessed by anyone unless they have 1000 posts or more. LOL It would allow me to ask some serious questions and would weed out the lookie loos who register and make one or two posts and then leave. I know it'll never happen. Just thinking out loud.
That would tend to discriminate against those newbies who are actually serious about making Senior Member and Grand Patoobah status real fast by making 10.00 posts per day.
Yes that's true; it would cause people to make fewer quality posts for the sake of making more inane posts simply so they can get over 1000 posts. But... just think of the quality posts that would be in the restricted forum!!!! LOL
In all seriousness, I have a question that I wanted to ask, but I will not post it in an open forum because there are too many prying eyes. A room with restricted access for those with over 1000 posts would eliminate a lot of prying eyes. Since we do not have a restricted forum, I will not ask the question.
You might look at the types of questions various Senior Members tend to answer and PM whichever of them would most likely know. If you wanted to know why Theo the Educated Derelict makes so many inane posts, I think that one's already been answered quite publicly.
The other way to do it is to have a forum by invitation only. A certain few are automatically in, and the rest must seek admission/sponsorship from those already within. Three disadvantages though. 1. Those known to be members of this "secret club" would be flooded with requests for admission. 2. Rumours of what goes on inside this secret forum would be rife, especially on other forums... 3. I wouldn't be in it (Although some may consider that an advantage).
Me Again- How would a restricted forum benefit the users of this board? As someone who reads this site daily (well, as often as possible in my current locale), I feel having a portion of this board limited to certain users would prevent the free flow of knowledge, which I felt this site promoted. I have been a reader of this board since 2001, but I didn't register until 2005 because I don't consider myself enough of an expert to post opinions on most subjects. I attempt to limit my posts to subjects on which I am familiar or I feel my input could be beneficial to others. In doing so, you seem to imply that I am not deserving of all of the knowledge on the board, strictly based on my number of posts, not the content of those posts. Reading this board has... 1) Encouraged me to start college at 34 years old, 2) explained CLEPs in a way that makes sense and led me to take several of them while going to school, 3) introduced me to the distance education programs of LSU, allowing me to take correspondence courses while deployed, and 4) provided me the knowledge I need to explain distance education to the Marines that work for me and given me the confidence that I have the resources available to answer their questions. Given all these benefits I’ve gained from this board, why does my limited number of posts mean I don't need this knowledge? Why does someone else’s 1000 posts, many of which may be inane and pointless, allow them access to this higher level of knowledge? I enjoy being a spectator here on the board and find the educated opinions of many members here to be educational, intellectually stimulating, and sometimes pretty darn funny. For the sake of myself and (I think) many others, I ask that this board remain as is. Respectfully, Ryan IV
Well, I'm going to have to get on a roll here and get my numbers up I hate being a newbie *stomp* I hate that you don't feel comfortable posting your question for all to see -- cause I read just about everything here and like I said, I've been lapping it up. I hate to miss a learning op! BUT the fact is on a public forum -- well anyone might be reading. I am cautious in my posting -- mainly because I've used my real name on several forums and didn't want just any old thing to come back and haunt me -- hence the mcdirector here. BUT here -- you are just me again -- I don't have a clue who you are and I don't have the wherewithall to figure it out either (and I'm on a couple of forums with you ) I do hope you get answers to your question.
Hmmm, Since I don't know ANYONE here who is truly RA only it would have no membership! It is amazing the untrue things that get said by the "Jamesville Gang" and other degree mill promoters.
Those granted access to the restricted forum would be considered tenured. It'll never fly, but it would have advantages. It would be a nightmare for the administrator trying to give access to select members and handling a flood of continious inquiries on how to gain membership in the restricted club. LOL - Maybe we're on to something?
If it has to do with distance learning, it can be asked in open forum. If it has nothing to do with distance learning and/or if it can't be asked openly, it probably doesn't belong in this forum.
I guess we'll never know, will we? Without a restricted forum, the question will never be asked. However, it has already been discussed via private PMs.
Ohgod... I sure hope you don't mean that. I mean, it just makes our detractors believe that this place is "RA or no way," and that's just not true. Oh... I see that I should have just kept reading. Dave, you beat me to it by saying basically the same thing... only better, actually. Why don't you try it over on the Theology Review forums and see how well it works. And, by the way, mcdirector, in part because of those forums, me again isn't as anonymous as maybe you think. So his desire to maintain some privacy is to some degree understandable. That said, me again, I agree with mcdirector... ...and I'm uncomfortable with the apparent glee you're exhibiting over taking it private and effectively circumventing the entire point of a forum such as this one... and such as your own, as well. Just how successful would Theology Review be if everyone only used it to pose the questions, but took all the answers by PM. Your elitism is disquieting.
Maybe you've never called for a restricted-access forum before. Do it more often, and it may become a familiar thing.
maybe I should do some digging and see what I've missed Actually, I admit that it my lack of curiousity about other posters -- until something starts to look hinky anyway -- that keeps me from knowing all there is to be known about some others. I tend to take things at face value. I also realize that even though on this particular forum I haven't used my real name (as I have on others), I have given enough info that someone might be able to figure me out (if they were curious or if I sounded hinky). I understand the hesitancy of me again -- but I still wish he'd posted. For me it's lost learning. -- That and knowing I'm not part of the club *stomp again* (that last part was a joke.)
