Membership Policy

[Emp]

Maybe having those kind of "members" pay 20$ to "donate" to Sarku's Forumcost might be a solution?
If they don't have the need for commitment to this forum they should be shot....(oops...just kidding...my darker side took over...)...maybe some hard cash for the upkeep of the forum would do the trick.
I mean...asking for aproval...then someone has to keep an eye on all the new guys (and girls) to see if they contribute. But I find that a strange task since what is contributing in a good sense?

I personaly find it very lame just to post here to get to the postcount, download everything and then just plain take advantage of the people who do take the time to build stuff.
Another possible solution might be getting a private part of the forum up, just for people who contribute to the download section. Then you get someting for the time you spend making stuff. Those members then get acces to the files trough a link on that private forum and that "download" button (wich attrachs vultures, leaches and all other sorts of parasites) can just vanishe.

[Gothicincarnation]

(02-16-2011 09:25 AM)Emp Wrote:  Maybe having those kind of "members" pay 20$ to "donate" to Sarku's Forumcost might be a solution?
If they don't have the need for commitment to this forum they should be shot....(oops...just kidding...my darker side took over...)...maybe some hard cash for the upkeep of the forum would do the trick.

"Asking" for a 'donation' is one thing... "Asking" for a "Donation" to get "something" is a business and requires the paying of taxes, a license, and would infringe on the copyrights of FFP. It would be "Charging" our users and we just can't do that... Aside from the fact I doubt FFP would let us do it. Additionally, the items in the downloads section were intended to be shared freely amongst our users. Note the key word users... not members, not leaches, user. Those who USE our site for its intended purpose - to talk about the game. So we restrict the access to those who USE the site, only that and no further. Contribute to the conversations and talk about the game - the intended purpose of the site - get access. Simple.

(02-16-2011 09:25 AM)Emp Wrote:  I mean...asking for aproval...then someone has to keep an eye on all the new guys (and girls) to see if they contribute. But I find that a strange task since what is contributing in a good sense?

I have no issues spending a little time checking new users to see if they are contributing. Easier than you think and only take a few minutes really. It's no problem at all. And I have, I do, and will continue to do so... Even before I became a SuperMod.

What is contributing? That's simple too. Contributing: Posting something useful and intelligent that benefits a current conversation in any way more than a few times. Not a crap ton of practically useless one-liners, LOLs, I agree, etc... Answering a few questions (doesn't matter if you are right or wrong, but trying to answer a question in a way that makes sense and more than Yeah so-and-so is right...). As was said somewhere around here... You don't even NEED 11 posts anymore... heck just several decent posts that sound like you are really interested in talking and making friends and participating is enough.

(02-16-2011 09:25 AM)Emp Wrote:  I personaly find it very lame just to post here to get to the postcount, download everything and then just plain take advantage of the people who do take the time to build stuff.

It is lame... extremely so...

(02-16-2011 09:25 AM)Emp Wrote:  Another possible solution might be getting a private part of the forum up, just for people who contribute to the download section. Then you get someting for the time you spend making stuff. Those members then get acces to the files trough a link on that private forum and that "download" button (wich attrachs vultures, leaches and all other sorts of parasites) can just vanishe.

Then those folks who do not have the imagination, talent, or resources to make their own material would not have access to the downloads at all because they have not added to them. Add to the downloads and get access to the downloads, don't add and you can't have any? That's just wrong. I can make scenarios, and heroes, and cards... sure. I can MAKE them... But I am quickly discovering that I am not so great at WRITING them... so If I can't create something because I can't get something I am comfortable with sharing made, I can't get downloads? Rather elitist don't you think? Sorry Emp, bad idea there...

[ce.jryan]

As I mentioned before on the site, I have been a member for a while but not one that contributed to forums or one that downloaded anything. I just came for the images. However, the new requirements are a welcome change. While I may never download anything from the site, it has made me more intent on contributing. My forum posts may not be the best, but I can promise you they won't be any one liners! I think the new rules are just and fair.

[Sarku]

Thanks ce...

I have it so that if you donate you do become a supporting member. That gives you further access. It seems to be okay for now. As for another section... I dunno. What do you have in my Mr. Emp?

[Emp]

Sorry GI I have to disagree with the way you picture the last suggestion I made. For the record, the one with the seperate section.
I think ANYONE can come up with stuff.
An idea is sometimes enough.
One might have a simple idea for a scenario...or a hero, but lack the skills to make them in photoshop or whatever.
Or even lack the skills for putting up the rules for it (I'm one of those guys)
Or one can have the excellent artskills but lack the skill to come up with something that would make a Hero Character.

I for one helped out some guys here by guiding them on how to make the cards once the had the downloads. But I did not put up a scenario or whatever.
It's about helping and contributing...
I know for a fact that there are people here who know the rules by heart. The practicly breath them. Like Mqstout, he knows EVERYTHING so that is quite handy when you have questions.

That in my book is a contributing member, it has nothing to do with "elite" nor "skill".
It's working together --> artist --> writer --> visionary (hehehe big word) --> thinker ---> ...

Anyway...it was just an idea.
I for one don't have the time, nor patience to check on everybody
(doesn't that sound elitist too? I mean...you practicly decide who is good enough to get acces...right? )

@ Sarcu
I don't understand your last sentence dude.

[Gothicincarnation]

Ok... Here I go again... Trying to keep this less brash and authoritarian as my first response to this thread. (And I do apologize for being so brash with it, it wasn't becoming of a staff member. And no, no one said anything to me about it, I am saying it because I realized after re-reading it I came off far harsher than I intended. And I admit and apologize for my mistakes.) I am not going to reply directly to that. Instead I am going to try and re-state myself in a more dignified manor.

From what you said, and I quote: "just for people who contribute to the download section" Sounds like you upload something and you get to download you don't then you get nothing... Perhaps you miss communicated your idea, or perhaps I misinterpreted it, or perhaps both or neither. Either way, Saying you have to contribute specifically to the downloads is harsher than what we have now. And will likely scare off new people who don't think they have any ideas to contribute that would be useful.

Aside from that, you are right on one point. Anyone CAN have ideas for anything. Whether or not they are comfortable sharing them or not is purely and individuals mental state. People are all different. Some folks have low opinions of themselves or their works and as such may fear ridicule if their idea isn't good (In their eyes only perhaps. And even though WE know we won't do it and will kick the ass of anyone who does - THEY don't know that.), and therefore they won't share it. Just because they CAN does not mean they are comfortable doing it. And we should not force anyone into sharing, what boils down to artistic work, if they don't want to.

All we ask, is that you say something, join in and get to know us and let us know you a bit. And what we don't want it crap posts to make a post count and leaches taking everything we have without even giving so much as a decent hello back. I don't think that is too much to ask.

On second thought, there is one thing you said that I have to directly respond to. You said "I for one don't have the time, nor patience to check on everybody (doesn't that sound elitist too? I mean...you practicly decide who is good enough to get acces...right?)...

For 1 I don't decide much of anything, Sarku does. For another, I DO have the time to check on everyone, that would be part of my job as a Mod, and I have no problems doing so either. Additionally we don't decide "Who's good enough" we look to see what one has done and if it was contributory to the conversations. We do not go and say "Well he posts decent content but it hasn't really helped or improved anything so no access to downloads." That would be elitist. You make decent posts, you try to contribute and join the community not just the forum, then done deal you have downloads access. Regardless of how many posts you have, how long they are, or if you were right or wrong in what you said. We aren't judging if anyone is good enough or not... we are judging the attempt to contribute to the forum and join the group, regardless of success or failure on the part of the posters. That is protecting us from ungrateful leaches, protecting Sarku's cash flow for extra bandwidth, and protecting you (and the rest of our members) from spammers and post count raising crap posts. And that is most definitely NOT elitist. There are good folks and bad folks... no getting around that. We are protecting you and everyone else from the bad ones. We are not judging "Good Enough for Our Standards" we are judging decent people from those who would harm us (Or Sarku's bandwidth money, I own my own domain - I know how expensive it can be if you exceed your bandwidth allotment.), plain and simple. And sometimes that requires rules that not everyone will be happy with.

You can make some of the people happy most of the time, most of the people happy some of the time, but you can't make all of the people happy all of the time.

The stricter we make the rules the less new people we will get. But we have to make them strict enough to protect ourselves from those who would use and abuse the site.

[Emp]

...what can I say...to much text starts my head to wonder and slip away?
But I would be lying :p
Don't get your knickers in a twist (like the english say) about my comment of you being elitest or something...after all you called me an elitist for my explanation on how I see the download section "work". It was maybe said wrong but forgive me, my native language is not english but dutch. If I would have writen it in dutch it might not have had the chance to be misread or misinterpreted...but then again I guess you wouldn't have understood it.

Not realy sure what your point is with 'they can but they won't share'...ok, some people might have so issues or something...but look at it this way.
Maybe the oportunity of having some kind of "reward" (now don't take me to literally, you know I mean the downloads) will just be that little nudge they need to crawl out of that so called shell they are in?
I'm not much of a people person, some of you know that...but I help people when they ask me.
I don't realy care much for people and generaly don't give a crap about "doing the right thing" or "being aware of the feelings of others".

I see this board (and saw it from the very first month it got online) as a place to talk about LNEO (and that was the only thing back then)
The downloadsection was something that came here for fanart and stuff (correct me if I'm wrong here George)...but al of a sudden turned into something that people heard of where they could get neat free cool stuff.
In my opinion, not one of the official rulesheets should be posted there, sorry George...but I think that is wrong.
People who love the game, will buy those things.
I would hate it to see it go dead just because of piracy (happend to Eye Of Judgement and I'm still pissed of about it)

But...I ramble...to be completely honest...I don't realy care about the download section because I don't download stuff from it hehehe
...but I do feel strongly, in a very bad way, about people taking advantage of others...being it George's bandwith...or all the time the artists (writers, computer artists, illusionists, whatever) "invested" in their projects. That is just not right.
And please GI, do continue to invest your time in "screening" people. I hope in time we then get rid of al the vermin and maybe the world will turn into something a little more beautifull
Maybe...

[Sarku]

Well, the downloads section has grown quite a bit. It went from a couple of fonts and a template to what it is now. The rules for the game are available for download for free on ffg's site. If there's an issue, I'll take them down. No problem. I don't think I've posted anything wrong, but perhaps I'm wrong. I will not post the supplements themselves or the cards, though. Let me know what you have a problem with. I'll check them out to make sure. Anyhow, I think that's it for now... I'm happy with how things have been running lately...

[Gothicincarnation]

All I am going to say at this point is this. We are both rather strongly opinionated people emp. Also both rather stubborn as i can see. We also have some slight disagreement on this subject. Which, with the first two points in mind is going to quite likely lead to an argument. And I don't want that, and I'd rather guess neither do you. So let's drop it, at least for now.

Sarku is happy with things as they are. And he's in charge around here. You and I have both said our peace on the subject, as has Sarku. So let's leave it there, before this thread, goes down the wrong road.

[Emp]

Ah, I didn't know the sheets were on the FFP webpage. Then that is cool with me, no worries George
GI, don't worry about it. It's cool.