(maybe this post won't even get published, I am wondering..)
One thing I would like the reader to keep in mind when reading this: I would like to say that I am honestly not trying to be a spammer or a troll and that I honestly came to this forum in a good faith and that I am not trying to pi** somebody off. I would like the reader to really open his/her eyes and understand my perspective (especially if it's somebody I already discussed this topic with).
So... at first for a couple of weeks I was just a passive consumer of this forum, I was not even registered. One day I wanted to write a private message to somebody on the forum, so I registered. After the registration, I found out that newcomers cannot write PMs via the Unable to send Private Message thread. I understood that it serves as some kind of protection from spammers. I also thought that it's totally fair to contribute and give something back if I want to use the forum fully.
According to the thread mentioned, some years ago it was enough to write 5 posts to unlock all the forums features. But the conditions changed. When I and another user were asking what should we do to become an approved member, these were the answers from the moderators:
1. the secret formula is primarily driven by a combination of post count and reaction score which "unlocks" this feature
2. Just start being active on FreeOnes Forum, get across the 10- and the 25-messages line, and I ampretty sure your problem is gone, and I am pretty interested in what you have to share. Best thing is, It's the weekend, you can just go ahead and do it right now
3. More [posts/reaction score needed]. Keep posting.
OK, so I need posts and reaction score. So I started posting, contributing, giving back. I am over 50 posts by now (significantly above the 10-/25- line / the weekend thing), vast majority of them helping somebody on the forum with their requests and providing them with valuable replies and always treating everybody here with nothing but respect. I am still not able to use the forum fully. And now I even managed to make an admin annoyed, details in this thread. Maybe he was trying to make the right point, but he was communicating it in the way: "Admin: I say something, User: I show that the arguments you're using are not true, Admin: I will repeat exactly the same what I said and you already reacted to, I will just use more bold and exclamation marks and I'll be rude".
So that's where I got. I was only following the advices I received and making here a lot of valuable posts and I am in a situation where I don't know if another 1000 posts will be enough and now I am frankly even being treated with no respect from somebody in a position of strength / from an admin of the forum. (And now I am probably on some blacklist doomed forever...)
I will probably get reactions like "what a long, bull**it post", "stop ******", "stop annoying" etc. But this post is not about me. When newcomers come here, their accounts are limited - they cannot write DMs, they're posts have to wait for an approval, they cannot use a post signature, I don't know what else is locked for these guys. And I wouldn't dispute that it makes sense to have the account limited at first as a protection from spammers. But shouldn't there be a balance between how much protection the forum uses and what a pain in the ass these protections are for the newcomers? Because now it really is a big pain in the ass even for somebody who came here with only good intentions.
So the question is: Has the forum become too hostile to new members?
(cc @Steve-FreeOnes , @The Identifier - I am tagging you just so that you don't get the impression that I am talking behind somebody's back, you don't have to react here if this is of no interest for you)
One thing I would like the reader to keep in mind when reading this: I would like to say that I am honestly not trying to be a spammer or a troll and that I honestly came to this forum in a good faith and that I am not trying to pi** somebody off. I would like the reader to really open his/her eyes and understand my perspective (especially if it's somebody I already discussed this topic with).
So... at first for a couple of weeks I was just a passive consumer of this forum, I was not even registered. One day I wanted to write a private message to somebody on the forum, so I registered. After the registration, I found out that newcomers cannot write PMs via the Unable to send Private Message thread. I understood that it serves as some kind of protection from spammers. I also thought that it's totally fair to contribute and give something back if I want to use the forum fully.
According to the thread mentioned, some years ago it was enough to write 5 posts to unlock all the forums features. But the conditions changed. When I and another user were asking what should we do to become an approved member, these were the answers from the moderators:
1. the secret formula is primarily driven by a combination of post count and reaction score which "unlocks" this feature
2. Just start being active on FreeOnes Forum, get across the 10- and the 25-messages line, and I ampretty sure your problem is gone, and I am pretty interested in what you have to share. Best thing is, It's the weekend, you can just go ahead and do it right now
3. More [posts/reaction score needed]. Keep posting.
OK, so I need posts and reaction score. So I started posting, contributing, giving back. I am over 50 posts by now (significantly above the 10-/25- line / the weekend thing), vast majority of them helping somebody on the forum with their requests and providing them with valuable replies and always treating everybody here with nothing but respect. I am still not able to use the forum fully. And now I even managed to make an admin annoyed, details in this thread. Maybe he was trying to make the right point, but he was communicating it in the way: "Admin: I say something, User: I show that the arguments you're using are not true, Admin: I will repeat exactly the same what I said and you already reacted to, I will just use more bold and exclamation marks and I'll be rude".
So that's where I got. I was only following the advices I received and making here a lot of valuable posts and I am in a situation where I don't know if another 1000 posts will be enough and now I am frankly even being treated with no respect from somebody in a position of strength / from an admin of the forum. (And now I am probably on some blacklist doomed forever...
)I will probably get reactions like "what a long, bull**it post", "stop ******", "stop annoying" etc. But this post is not about me. When newcomers come here, their accounts are limited - they cannot write DMs, they're posts have to wait for an approval, they cannot use a post signature, I don't know what else is locked for these guys. And I wouldn't dispute that it makes sense to have the account limited at first as a protection from spammers. But shouldn't there be a balance between how much protection the forum uses and what a pain in the ass these protections are for the newcomers? Because now it really is a big pain in the ass even for somebody who came here with only good intentions.
So the question is: Has the forum become too hostile to new members?
(cc @Steve-FreeOnes , @The Identifier - I am tagging you just so that you don't get the impression that I am talking behind somebody's back, you don't have to react here if this is of no interest for you)
