Secret experiments forum?

[McDuff]

Can you not put a 'sticky' on the New Developments so it always stays at the top

[Tony]

Can you not put a 'sticky' on the New Developments so it always stays at the top

Good idea. Doesn't change the Recent Posts but in the board itself it would keep those kinds of threads in the limelight.

[nathanrobo]

Was a consensus ever reached on this?  Just an idea, but I my view is that the whole new ideas / experiments could be private and on an invitation basis, is an open view to letting people who are interested into the inner circle.

Anyone who behaves in a way not conducive to what we're trying to achieve could be ejected from the private group only. 

Newbies who show a bit of promise could quickly be invited this way without the arbitrary 50 posts.

[Tony]

I think that the general feeling was that openness and all inclusion was the best policy.  Fostering a community open to whacky ideas is what we're about in the first place really.

[Julian]

Would a compromise be to have a board on the same basis as the oil collecting board, visible only if signed in?

One or two ideas border on dangerous, ie the metacid idea at which I had a bash, so from that point of view restricting viewing may be prudent.

[Head Womble]

Would a compromise be to have a board on the same basis as the oil collecting board, visible only if signed in?

One or two ideas border on dangerous, ie the metacid idea at which I had a bash, so from that point of view restricting viewing may be prudent.

Sounds like a good idea.

[knighty]

I'm on another forum where I was automatically added to a members only area when I hit 500 posts

had no idea it existed for weeks because there's not many posts in it...

but it's quit handy...

when someone new joins and causes problems, or there's some other disagreement on the forum, there's somewhere for the more established members to post and discus it, without offending anyone

it doesn't sound like much, but it makes a big difference when someone can post in there something like "what's XXXXX doing saying that" etc...

it gives the other members there a chance to talk about it and reply with things like; English isn't his first language, don't worry, he's a mate of mine, he's alright, just a bit abrupt  etc. etc.
(or something like, that guys is just a prat, don't waste your time)

but it also gives you a chance to tell the other established members (your mates) that they're in the wrong, without offending them by posting it in public / infront of the guy he's arguing with

it's just like a big mods only area, but halfway between mods and users

it also lets the mods post the kind of thing it wouldn't be professional to post in public... so if someone's not happy about something posted on the forum, they can post about it in there, and the mods can post letting them know what's happening, but in a more relaxed way like "yeah he's a prat, I'll keep an eye on him" which keeps everyone else happy too

:-)

[nigelb]

Was a consensus ever reached on this?  Just an idea, but I my view is that the whole new ideas / experiments could be private and on an invitation basis, is an open view to letting people who are interested into the inner circle.

Anyone who behaves in a way not conducive to what we're trying to achieve could be ejected from the private group only. 

Newbies who show a bit of promise could quickly be invited this way without the arbitrary 50 posts.

I hope that no one in admin is taking these comments seriously. Nathan, mate....such bad ideas! Comments and ideology like this is likely to turn people away from the forum, not attract them to it.

Nige

[Rotary-Motion]

my view is keep it all open as it is, and thats why forums have admins they discuss members behavior if there is a problem they can talk via pm or in serious cases block useage of the site...

[Tony]

My feeling on the subject is that if such a thing existed, it would be primarily to prevent google indexing it and keep it away from the gaze of casual observers - only because there may be discussion of unrefined new process attempts that would be dangerous for an inexperienced to try until a safe process is established.

I think a per-person invite only type arrangement could potentially lead to resentment from members not in the group, and definitely if it was used to discuss other members behind their back, as it were.

Julian, you seem to have changed your opinion since earlier in this thread, I thought you were steadfastly against such a thing!

[Julian]

Don't think so. I'm anti a board limited by invented criteria, but a members only board doesn't really preclude anyone (wasn't that the point I made? Can't remember)

It just means that someone has to be serious enough about bio to register and hopefully make a contribution.

[knighty]

I think a per-person invite only type arrangement could potentially lead to resentment from members not in the group, and definitely if it was used to discuss other members behind their back, as it were

the idea is, no-one knows about it until they're in (invited/hit the post count/whatever)


I'd think it was a stupid idea too, if I wasn't on another forum which has one, which works so well

[Head Womble]

Don't think so. I'm anti a board limited by invented criteria, but a members only board doesn't really preclude anyone (wasn't that the point I made? Can't remember)

It just means that someone has to be serious enough about bio to register and hopefully make a contribution.

What's going on, I thought it was the other forum that want contributions.

[high compression ii]

To make 'secret sections' to a Forum where a min post-count is needed to access....

No--IMHO, Not a good idea.

The Forum in question would then become 'elitist' and resentment from non included members would lead to a stagnation and eventual destruction of that forum.

Not only that, As most of you know--I'm no 'newcomer' to fuel production, but with only a handful of posts--I would be excluded on the post-count rules.--Not that I would personally care about that. Ive currently enough to worry about with VOD!

From what Ive seen--New ideas are generally Good.

Where it all falls down, is where a less experienced person tries to adapt that new idea into their current process--While failing to understand What they are doing fully, and failing to post accurately What they have done when it all goes tits up.
The resultant arguements on the open forum can cause--and have done--severe resentment by some more 'senior members'

[Tony]

Don't think so. I'm anti a board limited by invented criteria, but a members only board doesn't really preclude anyone (wasn't that the point I made? Can't remember)

It just means that someone has to be serious enough about bio to register and hopefully make a contribution.

What's going on, I thought it was the other forum that want contributions.

Contribute as in 'provide information' rather than the remuneration type!