'Almost got my 10 posts! ^_^'

[Fa'atau82]

We have a great community here and communities should be strong with hard working and honest people in them to make them work. As soon as you dilute that, you have problems.. as we are getting.

Here are my suggestions..

Quick summary.

- 3-4 senior user group moderators (elected from a senior group and to cater for non-english speakers)
- 'Showcase' forum for non-invitees or potential invitees.
- 3-4 Junior user group moderators for showcase forum to scout new members into main group.
- Newbie Tuesday (when new main group members are proposed/accepted)
- Downloads are only available to members who are invited/currently in the main group.

So here is how it works..

1. CREATION OF SHOWCASE FORUM
The showcase forum is for new members of TRF who wish to go onto the modding community to download our stuff. They must prove they are existing and useful modders and access to downloads comes only from being invited by a junior user group moderator and submitted to the senior user group moderators for a ruling on the invitation. No special criteria is needed to join Showcase, although you could impose the 10 post rule for extra filtering to make sure.

2. NEWBIE TUESDAY
Any current member of the user group (mod section) can put forward a recommendation of a 'new' poster from the showcase forum who they think is worthy to join and make a quality contribution in the user group.

This happens every tuesday if there is any to nominate. Let's say for an example it is 'Kabezon'. He is quite new, has a lot of talent and wants to join the user group.

3. MEMBERSHIP SUBMISSION TO SENIOR USER GROUP MODERATORS
He posts his work in the showcase regularly and has been scouted by a junior user group moderator (and/or user group member) that he should be a member of the user group as he is clearly giving a good contribution and would be a good addition.

The proposal is then put forward to the senior user group moderators to decide on next Newbie Tuesday. The senior user group moderators will decide on whether they are invited or not in whatever time they need to do so.

4. NEW MEMBER INVITED INTO USER GROUP
Kabezon is invited officially and now has access to downloads and joins the main group community. He is then able to submit his own recommendations for new members in the same way.

Just note it is important with this plan that we have moderators who can speak languages other than english to a conversational level. I know a few modders who don't know english 100% and struggle badly to get themselves across.

 

[jonathanumpherville]

The only problem I see with the 100 posts per download is, well take a lad like me. I am not a gamer but lets say I decided to get into it and wanted to use the downloads, I would say that I am not a spammer and am not here just for the downloads. I don't post a whole lot but I would say that I contribute to the forum. Such a setup may discriminate against someone like me even though I'm not a spammer.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

This is true, hence me asking for as many ideas as possible but I have a good idea of what I'll be doing with it.

 

[melon]

I'm liking the "acceptance" idea where members need to be accepted by a mod when the 10 post threshold is made or something similar.

Whilst we may still get spam, we'll be able to get to the spammers and act accordingly before they get their hands on the download.

 

[Caledfwlch]

I'm liking your avatar. Making me hungry

 

[melon]

I'm liking your avatar. Making me hungry [/b]

Enjoy, my child.

 

[sambãd5]

i like the idea of staggered downloads. every time you go up a ball or whatever, grassroots ---> colts etc you get another group of downloads. be it 1 to start off with, 2 the next up untill your 3rd ball or level and then unlimited.

however, i have had problems trying to download things, and been given the run around and to be honest - it just turns me off the whole thing. and no, i dont care enough about the topic to really contribute. i would just download it elsewhere. what i would recomend is just having a email sent out, like a newsletter to members under 50 posts who download stuff. just a reminder or something.

so when you press download it comes up with a screen where you type in your email (or just use your profile email) and every week, fourtnight been sent a email to them saying what there is to offer at trf.

but yeah, giving people the run around makes spam, and turns people off the website completely.

 

[Ruff]

Ah this clears things up...

Wish I'd seen this thread before mildy spamming to attempt to get 10 posts. I didn't realise there was so much interest in the Rugby 08 forum. I honestly wanted to get to that forum as quick as possible and didn't think about the hundreds of lurkers messing it up for everyone.

I was well confused that the forum was locked until 10 posts were made and coulnd't understand why... Now I know. Apologies to to all for attempting to get in quick. I wasn't thinking :-

" Need new stuff for Rugby08 - google rugby08 mods - Ahh therugbyforum.com - YOU CANNOT ACCESS THIS FORUM UNTIL YOU HAVE MADE 10 POSTS - Umm make 10 posts moderately quick just agreeing with everyone for time being - FIVE - SIX - Nearly there... - Ah **** I been banned! "

Anyways I sent a quick PM to teh mite and hope things can be sorted. Also I'm not able to post in the Introduction thread so here is me...

Rod from Wales, 33 yrs old and supports Cardiff and Wales, favourite position doggystyle. I like many sports but Rugby being the best. I once found the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. Summer is definitely my favourite day of the year and Winters just seem to knock up a shy batch of sheep up the Beacons these days (well I say shy but a better word may be..."faster" or even "evasive"). If you ain't wasted on the weekend then yer weekend is wasted...

Take it easy

Rod

 

[gjohn85]

How about restricting downloads until a period of time rather than a post count?

Give members a month to keep active on the board, then allow them to download from the forum. As it stands people can easily post 10 times in 2 mins, get their downloads then bugger off.

By giving them a time period, I think we will stand a better chance of members not spamming & will encourage them to stay on the forum after they downloaded what they came on here for.

Perhaps we could allow members access the EA sports section, just not the downloads.

 

[Ruff]

It seems like many people are interested in the EA RUGBY 08 section of your forum and after seeing many posts from your legit, active members complaining of the 10 post spam it's an obvious concern.

But I think you guys shot yourself in the foot.

Whenever I try and Google EA RUGBY 08 mods, YOU are one of the main sources with recommendations from VARIOUS posts on numerous different sites.

So, CLEARLY, you have the interest factor.

Then upon clicking on link and trying to access Rugy08 forums, you're greeted with YOU MUST HAVE 10 POSTS TO VIEW THIS SECTION (Shoot, shoot, shoot and shoot once again, aim for that foot- SPAM us right up!).

You're asking for SPAM.

Simply allow moderator approved MEMBERS ONLY section without the google/yahoo robot spider searcher for the words of EA RUGBY - That way you only have the people interested in rugby and want to post threads of how good Shane Wiliams is and have the bonus of being one of the few that own Rugby 08 on the PC.

Some people ALLOWED on that thread may actually prove to be a valued member in EA Rugby, without having to make a 10 post spam in the General Rugby area.

I play Sim City and Call of Duty - although I'm not a politician or military orientated - But I dont have to make silly ontopic (probably spammy) posts, just to see the VIRTUAL GAME topics I wish to play.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Blame people who don't give us the credit. This forum costs me and getofmeland money out of our own pockets, and the vast majority of this comes from the EA Rugby 08 section. If people can't be bothered to at least try the forum instead of downloading it, claiming as their own (and it DOES happen) and never visiting here again until they need another PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRECIOUS download, whilst spending my money in the process, then I can't be bothered making it easy for people to access the forum.

The ten post rule has landed me some whoppers, but it has landed me some good posters too. That's what I want. Some great contributors. This is, afterall, a RUGBY forum, about RUGBY. People who want the downloads seem to forget this.

The rule is about to change anyway - access to the download section is going to be restricted to useful members. I have had the interest factor for years. I will continue to have it - TRF is one of the best place for mods for Rugby games on the web. I also get exclusive access to play games before they are released and have written many reviews.

Contributing a bit of time and effort to something I work so hard to bring to people and crediting the hard work of the modders, who spend hours and hours and hours on their programs without getting so much as a thank you, is nothing.

 

[Prestwick]

I'm sorry Roddy but I have to agree with St Helens here.

The majority of members here do complain that the ten post rule has brought more spam, but they are equally scathing of the vast majority of people who come here, sign up, download the EA Rugby patches and then run off.

Thats a fact, the people who come here for the downloads are here just for that. The downloads. Nothing else. The owners of this forum provide these downloads for free and all they ask for in return is that you stay and add to the banter and debate about Rugby.

No, I don't think we've shot ourselves in the foot here at all, because the interest is in the DOWNLOAD and not the forum. Thus, we have a responsibility to make sure that those forum members who have taken the time, care and effort to make these EA Rugby mods (for free) are not taken advantage of.

At the end of the day, we're not asking for spam. All we are asking for are people who like rugby to come along and check out the forum and contribute. Simple really.

 

[Sir Speedy]

The rule is about to change anyway - access to the download section is going to be restricted to useful members. [/b]

Excellent. When are the updates going to take place? I saw earlier that the forums were down, but they were back up half an hour later. Have you decided on a time for the closure of the forums (for the weekend) or are you going to be closing it, re-opening it, closing again etc?

 

[getofmeland]

The closure earlier was just a test of the temp page... they will be closing when I get up tomorrow morning

 

[Sir Speedy]

The closure earlier was just a test of the temp page... they will be closing when I get up tomorrow morning
[/b]

Make sure you sleep late.

 

[sambãd5]

would it be an idea to sub-lease it out then? if it does bring in so many posters, most of which, clearly, we dont want, then we could sell it to another site, and advertise the **** out of it, so if they do want to contribute to a rugby forum, they know where to come.

i know the response to this will be "no, its our mod, and they have to come here to do it" or "its not ours to sell" or "that will make less good members come here aswell" but something simply worth a mention.


i think roddy is onto something though. clearly hes not on the winning side of this argument, but as i said before, and he did, we play other games, such as simcity, and im not going to spend anytime on a simcity website talking about designs of buildings etc, or cod talking about stats, war etc. were lucky to have a rather mature board when it comes to members, (in comparison) and i would hate for it to become something of its former self because of getting people to post crap.

there must be someway of letting people have it, and say "we have more to offer than a mod" because no matter what you do, i highly doubt alot of people post download will stay.

 

[Callum]

how many post do I need to download a file? cause its not letting me

 

[candybum]

poor guy...

 

[Haysie]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Callum @ Sep 20 2008, 09:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

how many post do I need to download a file? cause its not letting me[/b]

A lot of the downloads aren't back up yet mate, due to the hours of work that the staff are putting in to make this place better for all of us.