The purpose of this post is to inform new users of the Atlant Reef Club forums about the club's posting requirements before certain actions can be performed. Its purpose is not to debate these rules; rather to facilitate a better understanding of what is required and why the Board of Directors chose to institute these policies.
The requirements:
Users are required to have a post cound of 3 or more before sending or receiving Private Messages (PMs).
Users are required to have a post count of 10 or more before posting a response in a thread in the classified section.
Users are required to have a post count of 30 or more before starting a thread in the classified section.
OK... but, why?
The forums have had problems with a couple of things in the past. The first is spam. We have had "posts" pitching everything from Viagra to pornography to free iPads.
The second is people signing up for the club's forum for the sole purpose of selling their items, turning the classifieds into a "Craigslist" of sorts. There is already a Craigslist for that; the club's forum is a place for our members and users to share information about the hobby. The classifieds are provided for members and users to buy equipment, or sell their own personal equipment that is no longer needed.
Sellers who sign up, sell, and leave are not contributing to the ARC community, and typically don't read the rules (therefore taking up a lot of Moderators' time).
The Board of Directors wishes for any reef hobbyist to join us here and be a part of the sharing of knowledge that most people find invaluable.
If a user should choose to join the ARC as a member (meaning a paid member), in addition to the other benefits such as sponsor discounts, raffles and social functions, these restrictions will not be in place. Since nobody is going to pay to become a member to place an ad, members have no post count restrictions. Members may also have an avatar by their screen name and a signature line that appears in their posts.
What is "post padding"?
This is a term used for the actions of new users who post meaningless posts in order to raise their post count quickly. It is a way to attempt to circumvent the rules. Posts such as "nice tank", "great job!" or "looks good" are examples. Moderators have to use their judgement as to what is post padding and what isn't. If a Moderator decides that post padding is taking place, the post(s) will be deleted, which will reduce that user's post count, and could result in suspension of the user's account and posting priveledges if it continues.
Also, please note that most any way to "get around" the requirements are against the rules. For example, it is not allowed to sell something in the ARC classifieds for another person who does not have the requirements to sell it themselves.
Why isn't my post count going up?
Some forums (such as The Lounge) do not add to your statistics when you post in them. I will edit this post to include a list of the forums which don't add to your post count within the next couple of days, as soon as the Administrator gives me an accurate list of them.
Also, if you've had posts deleted (due to padding, duplicate threads et cetera) your post count will revert to what it was prior to the post in question.
We (the Support Staff as well as the Board of Directors) want new users to feel welcome. We would love to know about you, your experience in the hobby, and your tank (or plans for a tank). Please feel free to post about any of this, introduce yourself to the club and then take advantage of what we have to offer!
Thank you,
ARC Staff
The requirements:
Users are required to have a post cound of 3 or more before sending or receiving Private Messages (PMs).
Users are required to have a post count of 10 or more before posting a response in a thread in the classified section.
Users are required to have a post count of 30 or more before starting a thread in the classified section.
OK... but, why?
The forums have had problems with a couple of things in the past. The first is spam. We have had "posts" pitching everything from Viagra to pornography to free iPads.
The second is people signing up for the club's forum for the sole purpose of selling their items, turning the classifieds into a "Craigslist" of sorts. There is already a Craigslist for that; the club's forum is a place for our members and users to share information about the hobby. The classifieds are provided for members and users to buy equipment, or sell their own personal equipment that is no longer needed.
Sellers who sign up, sell, and leave are not contributing to the ARC community, and typically don't read the rules (therefore taking up a lot of Moderators' time).
The Board of Directors wishes for any reef hobbyist to join us here and be a part of the sharing of knowledge that most people find invaluable.
If a user should choose to join the ARC as a member (meaning a paid member), in addition to the other benefits such as sponsor discounts, raffles and social functions, these restrictions will not be in place. Since nobody is going to pay to become a member to place an ad, members have no post count restrictions. Members may also have an avatar by their screen name and a signature line that appears in their posts.
What is "post padding"?
This is a term used for the actions of new users who post meaningless posts in order to raise their post count quickly. It is a way to attempt to circumvent the rules. Posts such as "nice tank", "great job!" or "looks good" are examples. Moderators have to use their judgement as to what is post padding and what isn't. If a Moderator decides that post padding is taking place, the post(s) will be deleted, which will reduce that user's post count, and could result in suspension of the user's account and posting priveledges if it continues.
Also, please note that most any way to "get around" the requirements are against the rules. For example, it is not allowed to sell something in the ARC classifieds for another person who does not have the requirements to sell it themselves.
Why isn't my post count going up?
Some forums (such as The Lounge) do not add to your statistics when you post in them. I will edit this post to include a list of the forums which don't add to your post count within the next couple of days, as soon as the Administrator gives me an accurate list of them.
Also, if you've had posts deleted (due to padding, duplicate threads et cetera) your post count will revert to what it was prior to the post in question.
We (the Support Staff as well as the Board of Directors) want new users to feel welcome. We would love to know about you, your experience in the hobby, and your tank (or plans for a tank). Please feel free to post about any of this, introduce yourself to the club and then take advantage of what we have to offer!
Thank you,
ARC Staff
