Test for Forum Posting *Rejected*

[Jota]

Imagine, if you will, that new Conquer Club players are not permitted to post to the forum by default. Either the "New Topic" and "Quote" buttons do not appear, or else they just lead to generic and uninformative error messages. In order to get permission to post, a user must first pass a very simple test. Perhaps the test might consist of following a particular link and entering the appropriate code word. Then the user could post freely, the same as now.

Each forum has a sticky post at the top of it explaining this procedure. These posts give the link and the code word and clearly explain how to use them. The URL and the code word are not obvious to guess, and the only place they appear on the site is in those posts.

Consequently, the only people who are able to post to the forums are those who have actually bothered to read the sticky posts at the top of the thread list.

[Twill]

Sadly many tricks like that have been tried, tested and failed.

there is only one certainty in the world of online fora and that is the determined existance of the proverbial n00b who refuses to read any stickies, use the search function or skim past the first page for the answer to their question.

if we used a sticky as you suggest, the only thing people would actually do is skim through for the link to the "activation" page.

One of the projects I have had on the back burner for a while and which will be taken back up in septemberish time is an AI forum moderator which will force users to "have a conversation" with an artificial human before they can activate their account...this conversation I hope will act in the way your link would act but in a more interactive and forceful-yet-not kind of way.

If you can fix the "n00b bug" you will make millions selling the idea to every forum mod and community management company the world over

Twill

[Shaman]

Just link this in a sticky at the top of all forums.



http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php

[AK_iceman]

That is hilarious!! It reminds me of the training video they watched in the movie "Dodgeball"

[Twill]

I always did love that one...but billy-wanna-bes still post in the steam forum

[reverend_kyle]

it'd save time in the suggestions forum

[rathersane]

Rejected? *hmmmmmph*

I'd have been willing to jump through the suggested hoops to join


BUT... Even after that, n00bs are bound to f*ck up in one way or another. Watch me closely.