Duel (1971) - The Hybrid Cut (Version 2) (Released) — Page 2

ElectricTriangle said:

I am fine with new members posting in my threads about links as they can’t yet send PMs. I can update my project posts to make that clear given the current rules.

Nice one, ElectricTriangle, 👍

And I understand limiting PMs for new members to stop spam, but short of something like an easy welcome thread to satisfy a post requirement that’s very clear, you’re just gonna get these posts. Making people wait 7 days to send PMs but letting their account reply to any public post means they are inevitable: I think you’re making work for yourselves.

IIRC, the measure was introduced not to only to combat the spam issue - but to also attempt address that a number of project creators and members have left the site in recent times because this place had become something of a ‘link request’ site… that the project threads themselves had little in the way of talk on the projects themselves, little in the way of 'thanks, feedback, reviews, or ideas and suggestions for future versions, or addressing technical issues and how to overcome them etc… and were filling up with endless and unnecessary ‘link request’ posts… something many members had become frustrated with.

Regarding Annoying “Can I get a link?” Posts & Jay’s posts here and here

ATTENTION NEW MEMBERS: “Link begging” posts will be deleted without notice - Announcements

There is ‘an easy welcome thread to satisfy a post requirement that’s very clear’ in the following…

❕ Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com | Introduce yourself in here | Useful info within ❕

Help | About | ‘How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com |

and ❕ I have found a Fan Edit / Preservation I am interested in - but I don’t know how to get / acquire / download it? ❕

as well as the same info provided in all 4 pinned ‘An Index Of Projects + ‘Info & Help Thread’’ of the 4 Fan Project sections.
 

^ …Yet some new members do not read them, some do not want to read them, some wilfully ignore them - because they are simply here for the ‘free stuff’, and some get frustrated and/or abusive when they learn they likely won’t be getting ‘their’ free stuff; a recent example here. That’s not including the number of previous unsolicited PMs sent by new members to the anyone they think will may be able to give them links - and then becoming abusive when told ‘no’ - or that they don’t have any links to to give - or that they ‘don’t want to read all that’ or be a member of the community here to get what they want…

No system is perfect - it has been an issue on here for a long time - and someone will always try and find a way through to get what they want without giving anything back - or even being civil or courteous. I guess we can only hope the new members who do want to patriciate in the community… will follow the rules and look how things work on here in the 7 days before they can create threads or send PMs.

And we can try to get back to ‘the spirit of old’ on here - where project threads are about the projects themselves - and not full of ‘link request’ posts.
 

That’s my rant over - apologies for the length mate - hopefully it explains the ongoing state of affairs a little bit. You’d likely be better off asking Jay or the mods on here for a more up-to-date situation and concise version. 👍
 

I think it’s the seven days without PM privileges that’s pushing folks to bump threads in the way you’re describing. It’s simply not practical to ask people to sign up and then wait a week to view anything from here. Obviously they haven’t closely read (or are ignoring) the rules, but we can’t comprehensively make everyone do, so and it’s clear enforcing them is just frustrating you all (and not limiting the spread of such posts and bumps to old threads, just tagging on a slap on the wrist right after). I can appreciate that you are at your limit with people who are nasty about it, but there’s always gonna be those on the internet and they are precisely the people who don’t think rules apply to them anyway.

A different approach may be needed: something that allows the PM privileges after some simple hoops. I’ve seen forums make you do three posts with an approval queue for those (this may be cumbersome). Similarly, maybe granting PM access to anyone who posts in the welcome thread about themselves. If any given editor is annoyed with new members asking for links via PM they can always ignore them (we don’t have blocks do we?), though I’ve always hated that sort of gatekeeping: those are the new people that might stay and generate the discussion we want: we all were once here for the “free stuff.” :​)