Suggestion : New "Secret" Members Forum

[Guybrush]

This is something I managed to create on my own forum which I would also like to see on MB. It is basically a forum with restricted access. To get access to it, you would need a certain post count, for example 100. Without a high enough post count, you would simply not see the forum. It's posts and threads would not show up on the "new posts" feed or any other forum feed. It would basically be invisible until you reach that post count.


Reasoning

Why would we want such a forum?

It may be desirable to share personal information (ex. real name, occupation, pictures of you and your girlfriend) with the MB community. But currently, by doing so, you are also doing it with the rest of the world on a forum that has a relatively high google rating. That means it's generally speaking relatively easy for people to find the stuff you share through searches.

I see threads like members birthdays, members pics, the musicbanter cafè, recreational drug use (a thread which have made a few members ask to have their post history deleted) and so on and they would fit nicely in such a "secret" members forum, away from the prying eyes we never meant to share this stuff with anyways.


So .. whatcha think?

[s_k]

Disagree. I do see the point, but it creates a distance for new members.
There's certain members that are brilliant from their first posting and immediately fit in on a personal level. I think they wouldn't be able to be as great if all the personal stuff was kept away from them.

And this is a google-friendly forum. I don't think the admins would want to hide stuff from the outside world. My own forum is only readable when you subscribe. Google can't find a thing

[Burning Down]

I think it's a good idea. Another forum I post on has one and we use it for discussion of personal issues, like you suggested here. I think the minimum amount of posts for that one is 200, but you still have to ask a global moderator to add you. Then of course, it's up to the moderator to determine if you should be a part of it. We rarely turn anyone down though. Another thing we have is a senior member's section, where 4,000 posts or moderator status is the minimum requirement. We gossip about all the newbs in that one LOL!

[s_k]

This is easily overdone.
I hope everyone thinks this through very well.

[Howard the Duck]

nah I'd rather have a "secret society" forum

like a mafia or something - let's say if djchameleon has an enemy that fled here, I'd arrange for that person to be offed

[Dirty]

I'd be cool with it and I like the idea. I'd make the restrictions really high though. Like at least 1,000 posts. I feel like if you are willing to share personal information with somebody they need to be longtime members who obviously don't have bad intentions.

I mean, I pretty much lay everything out on the line here already. I've dropped links to my mixtape, posted quite a few youtube videos, etc. I'm not really worried about anyone finding my internet username. The people who would find it already know I used to be a pothead, make rap music, and am disgusted by hairy women. So maybe I wouldn't really see much use for it but I know Tore you've said before about being a more private person so I think members along your line of thinking would really utilize it.

[s_k]

It depends on what you hide from the new members.
If you hide everything that's fun & personal...
Well I myself wouldn't have stayed here in that case

[Howard the Duck]

i dunno

i don see how anything I've posted could be disadvantageous to me, unless for identity theft or that my bosses are reading MB

[Paedantic Basterd]

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion. I don't see it differing much at all from the Lounge, and users should really be wise enough to use their own discretion when it comes to matters of responsibility. It's not up to the site to keep their privacy in their posts.

[Guybrush]

I am a more private person and it's also something I think moderators in particular should consider. To show that it may be a valid concern, I will post a recent example from MB which illustrates yet another reason to those already mentioned why it may be a good idea .. And since I'll mention some names, I hope those mentioned will forgive me!

Boo Boo was banned from here and his tempban was turned into a permban by Jans. Tumor posted a private chat between her and Boo where Boo mentioned (jokingly) that he would like to put a picture of Jans' wife on stormfront's pages as revenge for the permban he recieved. I don't believe Boo would, but because Janz's picture was in a publicly accessible forum, he easily could have. Had the picture been posted in a secret forum, Boo wouldn't be able to get that information without help from someone with access.

Because moderators discipline users and may ban several during a regular day, I figure they are the ones most likely to have personal information or pictures used against them. Put blunt, the internet is full of resourceful *******s and having a secret forum would help protect against those (mentally add this to the reasons mentioned in my first post)

edit :

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

I'm not sure I agree with the suggestion. I don't see it differing much at all from the Lounge, and users should really be wise enough to use their own discretion when it comes to matters of responsibility. It's not up to the site to keep their privacy in their posts.

I think you may view this from the wrong angle .. The goal is not for MB to take responsibility for anyone's sensitive information, but to provide an environment where people (like me) can feel more comfortable with sharing personal information. I believe sharing such information is something that can strengthen the community feel of the site and hence would be a good thing.