"For Sale" Forum available for new members

[goamules]

I pretty much agree with the current policy. I'm thankful for the rules and the atmosphere here, that help us avoid:

The one-time solve my problem member - I moderate another photography forum (Collodion.com) and it has become a quick problem-solving forum for newbies. They come in, ask very basic questions (usually posting a scan of a highly messed up plate with "HELP! what's wrong?") then leave never to be seen again.

The equipment hunter - Same forum as above, they post a WTB for a camera or lens, then disappear forever. Or they appear only to sell stuff. There are few discussions, DIY posts, or even work examples anymore. 7 years ago it was different. I think that's what Rick and the others want to avoid in this forum.

The "stock report" - Other hobby forums I frequent are also much different. One is pretty much a "stock report" site, where every post is "what's this worth?" and "today's score!" and "Did I get a good price?" These sites are all about the money and speculating on what they collect. These are ostensibly forums about tools, and how to use them, like ours. But everyone is just concerned with buying items that seem to be going up in price. 8 years ago it was different.

Our forum is informational, supportive, and diverse. I like that. Shoppers come and go. I don't really care that it's "hard" for someone new to pop in, scoop up some good deals to resell, then leave.

[djdister]

I think the 30 day waiting period makes sense for all kinds of reasons, as our learned Moderators have pointed out. It is a prudent protective measure to put the brakes on Day 1/0 Posts scammers causing havoc in the "For Sale" forum. Even with the 30 day wait, every now and then I run across some new member posting external links to non-LF items and I immediately flag it for the Moderators attention.

If a new member really wants to go out and buy some LF gear upon first joining the forum, there are plenty of other places they can go to, so the 30 day delay does not adversely affect them at all, and yet it serves to protect the integrity and trust level of forum members who do choose to conduct personal exchanges of LF gear.

[Sal Santamaura]

OK, this is the Feedback category. Here's my feedback.

Take Rick's post #39. Slightly edit it to make it more generic, i.e. remove references to the specifics of this thread. Then place it such that anyone trying to post in the Feedback forum must read it before starting a new thread. I mean really read it, perhaps by setting a timer that prevents moving on to the next step unless there's been enough dwell time on the "Rick-O-Gram."

Then close this thread.

[goamules]

I could build some Web-Based Training for this content, with a test you have to pass!

[djdister]

I could build some Web-Based Training for this content, with a test you have to pass!

Combine that with positive user identification and you'd have a winner...

[BrianShaw]

OK, this is the Feedback category. Here's my feedback.

Take Rick's post #39. Slightly edit it to make it more generic, i.e. remove references to the specifics of this thread. Then place it such that anyone trying to post in the Feedback forum must read it before starting a new thread. I mean really read it, perhaps by setting a timer that prevents moving on to the next step unless there's been enough dwell time on the "Rick-O-Gram."

Then close this thread.

Wise words of wisdom! (But I did like Ralph's wisdom too... and he writes with fewer words, which is good.)

[StoneNYC]

I pretty much agree with the current policy. I'm thankful for the rules and the atmosphere here, that help us avoid:

The one-time solve my problem member - I moderate another photography forum (Collodion.com) and it has become a quick problem-solving forum for newbies. They come in, ask very basic questions (usually posting a scan of a highly messed up plate with "HELP! what's wrong?") then leave never to be seen again.

The equipment hunter - Same forum as above, they post a WTB for a camera or lens, then disappear forever. Or they appear only to sell stuff. There are few discussions, DIY posts, or even work examples anymore. 7 years ago it was different. I think that's what Rick and the others want to avoid in this forum.

The "stock report" - Other hobby forums I frequent are also much different. One is pretty much a "stock report" site, where every post is "what's this worth?" and "today's score!" and "Did I get a good price?" These sites are all about the money and speculating on what they collect. These are ostensibly forums about tools, and how to use them, like ours. But everyone is just concerned with buying items that seem to be going up in price. 8 years ago it was different.

Our forum is informational, supportive, and diverse. I like that. Shoppers come and go. I don't really care that it's "hard" for someone new to pop in, scoop up some good deals to resell, then leave.

It would help (me) and possibly others if you got the old and new collodion forums merged or give Tapatalk app access to the old forum, I've posted on the collodion site (new forum) but takes months sometimes for someone to reply, I generally do not have computer address so using my phone is the only way I access forums and primarily use tapatalk.

That's the only comment I have, I can see how other newer members might stay longer if the two sites weren't so different. It took 2 months just for someone to tell me that the "old forum" even existed.

I know this is OT but the answer has already been given for the OP's question so I figure it's ok to go a little OT since it pertains to this poster

[StoneNYC]

I could build some Web-Based Training for this content, with a test you have to pass!

A forum I recently joined required you to do some basic math to join (square root of 41) and (68 squared) etc.

That's a good way to weed out spam bots and such

[BrianShaw]

... and you successfully joined?

[Tin Can]

Don't change a thing.