I think that admission to the forum should require a valid email and perhaps also a basic quiz/test of some sort that can sort a person interested in firearms from someone just trying to use the site for other purposes. 

  I also think that folks need to exhibit some history of use and participation before being allowed to sell stuff on the site.  It'd be interesting to see how many have joined and ONLY participated as sellers.

QuestionableMaynard8130 wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 8:15am:


I personally do not participate on boards that exhibit some kind of paranoia to people trying to join and participate.  If someone that has no knowledge of single shots but is interested wants to come here and participate, we could probably gain as a whole organization from that rather than sending them away because they can't pass the quiz or give the secrete handshake.   

I've bought some really neat stuff from sellers that inherited something in classic single shot, did a search on the internet, and found the exact place they needed to go to sell it (ASSRA Board).  Of course after they sold it, they didn't come back and participate, they had no interest in participating, just selling out.  I similarly bought several items from an older gentleman that had terminal lung cancer and joined here only to get his stuff to single shot users and make it easier on his family after he was gone.  He never participated other than to sell.

I see no useful purpose to limiting sellers to active participants.   

I have a good friend that reads here regularly.  He has never posted, and doesn't intend to.  I have also been told by two major single shot gunsmiths that they read here regularly, but have made a vow to never post.  It's too easy for someone to ruin their reputation by getting into a dispute on the internet.

I think the board works fairly well as it is, thanks for Josh and Jim for running it so well, and for doing a minor clean up that needed done.

dave

Dave, I respect your opinion and I agree to a fair degree.
   I mostly get bugged by the "commercial" dealers and traders who use us for free advertising for their more commercial operations.   
A couple non-firearms sites that I participate in have policies that restrict new users from using the buy/sell forum for a period of time until they have established themselves as part of the community.  However if they wish an exemption they can apply to the moderators ho are quite reasonable.  It is used for exactly the type of situations you describe, and rather successfully.
  I agree that there are lots of folk who are serious students of the single shot who prefer to "listen and learn" rather than share in the discourse; and that we should not discourage them.

But the question remains,  what can we do to to support the site and discourage those who abuse it?    

No spam so far. I have no problem with letting new people sell stuff here but as usual, let the buyer beware. I am comfortable buying from the regulars here. Will do my own background on new sellers. 
Having a valid email is a requirement for pretty much any place on the internet.

I use Yabb for my own web site forum. Registration can be set up that requires the 'applicant' to provide an email address. This is validated by auto send of an email from the forum software that requires a reply. If there is no response within a specified time period the application is deleted. 

Once validated I still have to authorise the account. When registering the applicant is asked why they want to join. I get lots of comments like "cuz I like this site", "just to get to know one person closer"; it's generally pretty easy to spot the spammers.

Drawback is the registration appears laborious to the applicant, especially if sat there with a burning question. It also takes work for the administrator: keeping forums spam free is a never ending task and largely thankless. I'm an infrequent poster here but don't recall seeing spam postings so your admin appears to be doing a good job to me.

David

I hate to see anyone leave. Especially due to someone not being a gentleman when they asked a legitimate question concerning their single shot rifle. I do hope that nobody gets run off by rudeness, or for lack of posting!
I don't agree to a minimum post count before someone can sell. All it accomplishes on forums that have the rule is the new member runs around posting little snippets on various threads until he gets his count up. The end result is a bunch of wasted space, and they post their for sale ad anyway.

Green_Frog wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 6:35pm:


Hello Froggie,

I hadn't a clue someone was taking my name in vain. What a bloody cheek some people have. I wonder if it was because I was the previous member who brought this subject up? I'm just one of several over the years apparently.

Harry