not requiring site registration?
Is there a thread discussing that? If there is, delete this post. Otherwise...
I don't see any benefits to allowing guests to post. What's the logic? Are we worried about driving away people who don't feel like registering?
I don't see any benefits to allowing guests to post. What's the logic? Are we worried about driving away people who don't feel like registering?
Comments
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There are a lot of people who feel the same way, including some of the moderators.
I don't agree with the logic of this either as I think the guest posts are a lot more disruptive/negative/useless than any of the positive things that come from having them here.
But......it's not my board, so unless DH agrees.........well, it seems like the guest posting will continue to be allowed.
That said, I hope he's willing to hear more about the topic and our opinions. -
I'm just curious what the advantage is to allowing guest posting.
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I agree, totally and completely. Logging in as "guest" allows people to engage in behavior they probably wouldn't otherwise do if they had to take the time to register and log on. How often to "guests" contribute anything of worth vs. flaming? This is prob the only message board I've ever seen that doesn't require registration...
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I agree with everything that's been said. There is also nothing stopping a registered user to log out, act like a guest, and condone their own posts or condemn someone else's.
Altho there have been members on these boards who I may completely diagree with, the only folks who actually tick me off are those that won't register yet still have the ability to weigh in freely on any and all topics. I personally think that is unfair. -
Yeah, several of us mods (myself included) have long advocated for the end of guest posting. It's not allowed on the PH board because of some majorly assy guest spamming and trolling that was going on for a while there (the notorious "Anonymous Guest" you might see people mention from time to time), but it is still allowed on all others.
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apollonia666 wrote: Yeah, several of us mods (myself included) have long advocated for the end of guest posting.
who are the hold out mods?
show yourself! -
Boygabriel wrote: [quote=apollonia666]Yeah, several of us mods (myself included) have long advocated for the end of guest posting.
who are the hold out mods?
show yourself!
I think the mods are pretty unanimous in favoring this. However, dailyheights (the owner of this site) feels strongly about keeping the forum open to as many voices as possible. Many of the best threads feature guest posts playing a major role. I personally favored banning guest posting, but I've started to be convinced (despite more work for me on the spam deleting-front) that guest posting can be valuable. I now favor a more liberal "time out" policy for general ass-hattery for guests and registered users alike! :twisted: -
Carnivore wrote: I think the mods are pretty unanimous in favoring this. However, dailyheights (the owner of this site) feels strongly about keeping the forum open to as many voices as possible. ...
I agree with dailyheights.
I'm just posting my thoughts here because another thread on this subject in the Slope forum was locked down. Which, you know, we do all the time here, having just one thread for complaining about dog walkers, strollers, the Food Co-op and so forth. -
Im in favor of some type of registration because it just makes it easier to be able to PM people some info you just dont want to put out there. All this he say she say bulls... can be done through the PMs.
I happen to appreciate the locked topics that already have a thread started. Don't you find it easier to have one post for the subject? -
is there a middle ground, where people don't have to register but do choose a name other than "guest"?
sometimes all the "guest"s get confusing. -
i just wanna state my preference against guest postings
--and for having those who wish to post, register.
that is all....
move along now... nothing to see... -
sweet tea wrote: is there a middle ground, where people don't have to register but do choose a name other than "guest"?
guests can post with a name now, if they choose to
sometimes all the "guest"s get confusing.
fer instance, our longest running guest poster, KensingtonMomI'm just posting my thoughts here because another thread on this subject in the Slope forum was locked down.
work with me Linus -- your thoughts on board admin stuff will just get lost over there in Park Slope. That's why it's over here . . .
(sigh)
and Stace, thanks for understanding
the locked thread is here
I don't know how many people would actually turn away if registering were the norm -- like it is in PH. I hope it would keep people from posting as Guest when they wanted to be a jackass.
I've also noted that some regulars discount legit guest postings because of shilling or troll guests. But since guest posting is allowed, new people have no way of knowing they are about to get less love . . . -
pitu wrote: [quote=sweet tea]is there a middle ground, where people don't have to register but do choose a name other than "guest"?
guests can post with a name now, if they choose to
sometimes all the "guest"s get confusing.
fer instance, our longest running guest poster, KensingtonMom
sorry, i wasn't clear.
i know you CAN guest post with a name.
i was wondering if it was possible to REQUIRE or automatically CREATE a name without requiring registration in full. -
pitu wrote: I've also noted that some regulars discount legit guest postings because of shilling or troll guests. But since guest posting is allowed, new people have no way of knowing they are about to get less love . . .
Which is a good enough reason to encourage registration. But a reason to require it--for the anons' own good? Come on. Even if a guest is new to Brooklynian, chances are he or she is not new to the Internet. I think we can let people make their own educated judgment as to whether they want the added credibility--to the extent there is any--that comes from registering.
I keep thinking back to this summer when Brownstoner briefly required registration for comments. Yes, there were fewer trolls and obnoxious fights. But the comments mainly became dull, like-minded, bully-for-you back-patting sessions among longtime regulars. Brownstoner soon realized the move had sucked so much life out of the comments that he reversed the decision.
These forums are clique-y enough as it is--and this is not a particular problem of Brooklynian but endemic to boards--and requiring registration would just make it that much more so. -
linusvanpelt wrote: [quote=pitu]I've also noted that some regulars discount legit guest postings because of shilling or troll guests. But since guest posting is allowed, new people have no way of knowing they are about to get less love . . .
Which is a good enough reason to encourage registration. But a reason to require it--for the anons' own good? Come on.
what I mentioned above is my observation of a side effect of our guest policy, not my main reason for thinking registration is a good idea.
:roll:
I want registration for my own good -- for the sake of continuity, to cut out the swamp of trolly posts, and close the door for registered users to sign out and post as guest when they want to act badly. If a registered user wants to act badly anonymously, I'd rather he have to take the trouble to register a new name :twisted:
Remember the mods do quite a bit of clean up on the boards, so you're left with the better guest postings. From the mods vantage point, we can check the IP whether its a guest or a registered user.linusvanpelt wrote:
Brownstoner also had some tech problems attached to their registration -- I was not able to register in one or two screens and bailed. It seemed to favor a TypeKey identity . . .
I keep thinking back to this summer when Brownstoner briefly required registration for comments. Yes, there were fewer trolls and obnoxious fights. But the comments mainly became dull, like-minded, bully-for-you back-patting sessions among longtime regulars. Brownstoner soon realized the move had sucked so much life out of the comments that he reversed the decision.
These forums are clique-y enough as it is--and this is not a particular problem of Brooklynian but endemic to boards--and requiring registration would just make it that much more so.
On the other hand, we have our own Prospect Heights board as an example of Registration Only. Plenty of variety there. Registration is community building, imho.
I kind of wish we could allow guest posting for a limited number of posts, then require registration from there. But that's way too big of a pain to make happen... -
One more argument for registration: It gives the moderators and other users a way to contact you off-site. We sometimes have situations in which an unregistered user posts something that a moderator needs to discuss privately with that user, but there is no way to do so with unregistered users.
We just had an example of this very recently, when a mod had to delete an unregistered user's post because the poster had unknowingly posted something that might have gotten her into legal trouble. The moderator would have liked to convey the reason privately to the user so that the user would understand it was nothing personal and that the deletion was only meant to keep the user out of trouble, but of course the mod couldn't contact the user because the user's not registered.
We also often see unregistered users post classified ads and include their real contact info -- email addresses, phone numbers, etc. -- in the ads. It's NEVER a good idea to post that kind of stuff on any website, but of course there's no way for a mod to contact unregistered users to try to explain this to them. -
linusvanpelt wrote: I keep thinking back to this summer when Brownstoner briefly required registration for comments. Yes, there were fewer trolls and obnoxious fights. But the comments mainly became dull, like-minded, bully-for-you back-patting sessions among longtime regulars. Brownstoner soon realized the move had sucked so much life out of the comments that he reversed the decision.
I think the dynamics of posting comments on blogs vs posting on message boards is different though.
I'm on two other message boards and they don't seem to suffer from their reg requirement at all. I think it encourages people to think a little more about their posts, which in turn ups the quality of content on these boards.
I've seen more than one thread kind of die off when a guest poster came in, said something crazy, and no one felt like responding. but if it was a registered user, i could learn more about their 'online persona' and posting style and thus I'd be much more likely to respond & interact.
There's no doubt in my mind that crazy, off-topic and outright inaccurate posts become less frequent when people have to have an account. People end up taking a little more responsibility with their posting, which works towards the community's benefit.
ps. registration benefits way outweight the negatives, IMHO -
Boygabriel wrote:
How? Everything you said about this board applies to my experience of Brownstoner--coming to know a user's "persona," etc.
I think the dynamics of posting comments on blogs vs posting on message boards is different though. -
linusvanpelt wrote: [quote=Boygabriel]
How? Everything you said about this board applies to my experience of Brownstoner--coming to know a user's "persona," etc.
I think the dynamics of posting comments on blogs vs posting on message boards is different though.
I don't post on Brownstoner a whole lot so maybe that's different. But on some of the other blogs I post on (sports, politics), people tend make quicker, shorter posts. There's less of a conversational aspect and more so people speaking off the top of their head.
Maybe it's just my experience, but the level of discourse on this message board and my other two is more complex (ie better, IMO) than that on any blogs I'm on regularly. And I don't mean intellecutally, I just mean thoughtfully.
Most posts on here are not anonymous, so as I said, it seems to me the benefits of requiring reg outweigh any downsides. To be honest, I haven't seen any posts lately that were indispensable b/c of a guest participation. Meaning if these people couldn't be bothered to register, I don't think their absence would change a whole lot.
On the flip side, if some of the guests did register, I think they'd be encouraged to post more thoughtful things. I also think it would discourage troll posting and posting that's just meant to be confrontational. People abuse the nature of msg boards for their own entertainment, and I'd like to discourage that if possible.
People can build reps with their personas and number of posts. And since there's a lot of real world applications that come from these boards (meeting people, getting advice, buying & selling stuff), I think people should be encouraged to build a profile.
I sold my used Volvo to someone on these boards and I felt comfortable intiating the deal b/c she had been posting for so long and initially she was just giving me advice, I hadn't even made a post in the classifieds section yet. If 'anon' guest had offered advice and then offered to buy, I wouldn't have even bothered.
Another example is the current "should I sell my house" post in the CH/FG/BS board. "anon" guests are giving finincial and sales advice. I don't find that particuarly helpful. An anonymous post carries very little weight with me. But some of the other registered users have good reps to me. I know what some people on here have been through. I know some people have some authority when it comes to real estate. If they post, I'd pay attention. If 'anon' posts, I completely ignore it. Maybe it's just my snobbery, but still.
Look, Brooklynian is successful either way. And by no means is registration a guarantee of validity or decency.
But it helps more than it hurts. And that's all I'm arguing. -
I agree with linusvanpelt.
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dailyheights wrote: I agree with linusvanpelt.
so what's the difference for you between PH and PS/other boards?
and
are guests not allowed on Board Admin?
From the PS board...kensingtonmom wrote: Sorry to start another thread and make more work--I can't comment on the other board because, ahem, I am not registered. But you wanted to hear from guests so here is my guest comment on registering:
Totally agree about acountability but the problem is this board is mostly anonymous with handles and not names. So I don't see what the point of registering is (although it would help the moderators deal with spam and such so I can understand that since I moderate a board and that gets tedious).
Since I am opinionated (although I try to remain respectful and not name call), and my opinions are often against the grain) and since this board can get pretty heated, I just don't want to register so that anonymous people (i.e. using fake names) can PM me. I imagine the vitriol that is PM'd could be worse then what gets posted and I don't want it in my in-box. (Not different heated opinions but attacks on personality or whatever).
As much as the Park Slope Parents board is annoying, using a real name is real accountability and if you flame, people know who you are at the playground or where ever.
Just my unregistered guest opinion on why I don't register for this particular board. -
pitu wrote: From the PS board...
To (whom it may concern)
[quote=kensingtonmom]
Totally agree about acountability but the problem is this board is mostly anonymous with handles and not names. So I don't see what the point of registering is (although it would help the moderators deal with spam and such so I can understand that since I moderate a board and that gets tedious).
I gave a few good examples of how pseudo-accountability can really boost the good this website can do.
Mr. Admin- do you care to respond to any of the points I made? much appreciated, if you have the time. -
Well, for what it's worth, I've gotten very little vitriol via PM. And that was only from one person ever.
Anyway, it's a fairly moot point anyway -- we have registration on the PH board only. -
purely from a usability perspective, i find it frustrating that guest posting/log-in requirements aren't handled consistently across the different boards.
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ana.log wrote: purely from a usability perspective, i find it frustrating that guest posting/log-in requirements aren't handled consistently across the different boards.
why isn't guest-posting allowed in the PH forums?
good for the geese and all that yo :shock: -
quijibo wrote: [quote=ana.log]purely from a usability perspective, i find it frustrating that guest posting/log-in requirements aren't handled consistently across the different boards.
why isn't guest-posting allowed in the PH forums?
good for the geese and all that yo :shock:
Re-read above -- this has already been answered in this thread. Basically it was enacted on the PH board because of rampant abuse of that forum by anonymous guest posters (or at least one in particular). -
so let me get this traight. what you're saying is....
that if someone were really adamant about getting rid of guest postings
all they need to do is create a pseudo 'anonymous guest' alter ego
and annoy the living crap out of everyone?
is that what you're saying O:) :-' -
quijibo wrote: so let me get this traight. what you're saying is....
The infamous Anonymous Guest was ONLY posting anonymously. What you're proposing is sock puppetry, which might be more of a way for the user involved to get a timeout or get banned.
that if someone were really adamant about getting rid of guest postings
all they need to do is create a pseudo 'anonymous guest' alter ego
and annoy the living crap out of everyone?
is that what you're saying O:) :-'
If I remember right, AG's IP was blocked as well. -
apollonia666 wrote: What you're proposing is sock puppetry, which might be more of a way for the user involved to get a timeout or get banned.
i ain't proposing 'nutin
i'm just saying s'all ....O:) :-' -
quijibo wrote: [quote=apollonia666]What you're proposing is sock puppetry, which might be more of a way for the user involved to get a timeout or get banned.
i ain't proposing 'nutin
i'm just saying s'all ....O:) :-'
What you're speculating about, then.
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