Topic: Guests can post. It's crazy, I know.

[EvB]

From a regular user's (AKA, not a mod's or admin's) standpoint...I think the trolling and confrontational factors facing the board because of this new system are pretty healthy. People don't troll inactive forums. I'd take it as a compliment.

You may have a point.  I don't know how active sites that do allow guest posts deal - other than to track and allow or ban by IP -- and THAT is a lot of work.  I know I'm not up for it- MV is still catching up - Phan is a swamped as I am and Ma has other projects going as well.

Oh well . . . Too bad our first "guest" (who actually started his bad behavior as a member) didn't have better manners.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

Well the other high-to-moderately active forums I frequent that allow guest posters are always pretty good. Around 50% are relevant posters who eventually become members, then 50% are trolls or otherwise lulzworthy posters who disappear in a few days. 

What I'm saying is, as long as they aren't spamming or directly and deliberately breaking forum rules, I don't see a reason to ban anyone immediately on the basis of them making an ass of themselves or deliberately insulting one of us. Hell, I'd like to see us feeling some possible hate from this new system. I've always said, notoriety is a good a fame as any. 

[Spikegirl]

I hear what you're saying, PK, but the guy WAS spamming. He was off to a bad start with his first post, told MV to go fuck himself when MV politely called the poster on his shit and got himself banned. Then, that night, he came back and re-posted his first post on here with a lot of racist and abusive things to say. He was race baiting and adding nothing to the forum dialogue. He did this 8 times. At this point, he was just posting to piss off MV and the rest of us. It's a shame that he ruined it for the other guests who read here and may want to post without joining.

One also has to remember that this is MV's house and we are his guests on this forum. As much as I shoot my eastern liberal (haha) mouth off, I know when to STFU. This guy did not.

[MV]

One also has to remember that this is MV's house and we are his guests on this forum.

it might be my site, but without people participating, it's not worth having.

[Spikegirl]

it might be my site, but without people participating, it's not worth having.

Thank you, and thank you for providing the site in the first place, but I would no sooner show my ass here and be disrespectful to you than I would if I were an actual guest at your home.   

[Pirate King Atomsk]

I hear what you're saying, PK, but the guy WAS spamming. He was off to a bad start with his first post, told MV to go fuck himself when MV politely called the poster on his shit and got himself banned. Then, that night, he came back and re-posted his first post on here with a lot of racist and abusive things to say. He was race baiting and adding nothing to the forum dialogue. He did this 8 times. At this point, he was just posting to piss off MV and the rest of us. It's a shame that he ruined it for the other guests who read here and may want to post without joining.

One also has to remember that this is MV's house and we are his guests on this forum. As much as I shoot my eastern liberal (haha) mouth off, I know when to STFU. This guy did not.

Granted, I see your point. I didn't know he/she was doing all that. Although the "Boss Nigger" reference was just a silly Western-style blaxploitation film. I didn't really see any problem there.

it might be my site, but without people participating, it's not worth having.

Indeed. Like a bar with no drunks or a Senate floor with no assholes.

[Frys Girl]

Pirate, the problem with that post was that he tied it to Obama's blackness and his forthcoming presidency. That's outrageous. Even if you don't agree with how offensive and stupid that is, he showed his true colors by posting interracial pornos directed at me. Whatever, most of his ilk probably think I'm a arab too like that woman at the rally in Penn. They just don't know so I wonder how he even made that differentiation.

[Spikegirl]

Granted, I see your point. I didn't know he/she was doing all that. Although the "Boss Nigger" reference was just a silly Western-style blaxploitation film. I didn't really see any problem there.

You missed quite a show last night! Better than anything on t.v. In my opinion, it was not the film cover that was the problem, it was his use of it to either race bait in general, or to try to make some statement about Obama's skin color. Either way, it was offensive, at least to me, but I am only one person. However, if the forum owner and or a mod deleted that post, that would have been a hint for him to tone it down or post about something different.

[EvB]

Granted, I see your point. I didn't know he/she was doing all that. Although the "Boss Nigger" reference was just a silly Western-style blaxploitation film. I didn't really see any problem there.

Right - and I didn't know about that.  What I DO know is that a grownup explains themselves when misunderstood.  And - s/he was NOT banned for that - but for becoming abusive after being told, rather nicely I thought (AND with an apology)  that the poster cold be problematic.

Indeed. Like a bar with no drunks or a Senate floor with no assholes.

AbsoFRICKENlootly!

[Spikegirl]

Pirate, the problem with that post was that he tied it to Obama's blackness and his forthcoming presidency. That's outrageous. Even if you don't agree with how offensive and stupid that is, he showed his true colors by posting interracial pornos directed at me. Whatever, most of his ilk probably think I'm a arab too like that woman at the rally in Penn. They just don't know so I wonder how he even made that differentiation.

Was it aimed at you? I thought he was calling us all cunts and telling us all to suck cock because we were "N" word lovers. I say screw him, whomever he meant the post for. It was out of line. He seems to have come here with an agenda, anyway, not to post anything about George. He probably trolls all kinds of sites and does the same thing.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

Whatever, most of his ilk probably think I'm a arab too like that woman at the rally in Penn. They just don't know so I wonder how he even made that differentiation.

Well you said you were from Iran multiple times before, right? I mean, he/she could have just read those posts.

You missed quite a show last night! Better than anything on t.v. In my opinion, it was not the film cover that was the problem, it was his use of it to either race bait in general, or to try to make some statement about Obama's skin color. Either way, it was offensive, at least to me, but I am only one person. However, if the forum owner and or a mod deleted that post, that would have been a hint for him to tone it down or post about something different.

Ah it's been a busy weekend. Guess I should have checked in more often. Heh. Either way, from what I can tell - you guys obviously saw more than I did so I'll have to take your word for it since it's edited or deleted now.

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

She's Persian, not Arab.

[Pirate King Atomsk]

A Persian?! *gasp!*



Lol..sorry..had to.

[PhantasticSanShiSan]

A Persian?! *gasp!*



Lol..sorry..had to.

[Frys Girl]

OMG that movie was ridiculous. I wasn't offended at all BTW. I hated that Iranians were up in arms over it. Whatev. Tonight we dine in hell.

[Frys Girl]

Was it aimed at you? I thought he was calling us all cunts and telling us all to suck cock because we were "N" word lovers. I say screw him, whomever he meant the post for. It was out of line. He seems to have come here with an agenda, anyway, not to post anything about George. He probably trolls all kinds of sites and does the same thing.

Oh my god. I obviously missed a ton of other shit! Ok. Thank god I didn't make my screen name Persian_babie 69 or something. God knows what he would have posted then.

[Frys Girl]

Well you said you were from Iran multiple times before, right? I mean, he/she could have just read those posts.

I don't think that dude knew that I am Iranian. I think he was hear long enough to find those posts. I dunno. But either way, my point is that some people think Kenya is an arab country. Also, they think that Iranians and Arabs are all Arabs. We're not. We don't speak the same language and we have a lot of land disputes.

[MV]

...you guys obviously saw more than I did so I'll have to take your word for it since it's edited or deleted now.

here is the topic he started, minus the poster he kept repeatedly putting up:
http://coastgab.com/index.php/topic,753.0.html

[Marc Knight]

after some thinking, i've have decided to allow guests to post messages on this site.  there are safeguards in place to prevent access by spam bots, thus saving our mods a headache:

1)  guests must enter verification image letters when posting.
2)  they must answer a simple math problem.
3)  they can not view your profile information.
4)  guests can ONLY reply to messages.  they can't even modify their own posts or delete them.
4)  they can't create new topics.
5)  just like members, their IP addresses are logged and they can be banned.

why the change?  there are several reasons.

first off, this is not the NSA.  it's GNS.  haha, there is a difference between the two.  i don't consider a membership on this site to be something of significance.  a membership doesn't shield the site from anything negative like spam or inappropriate posts.  on the contrary, a spammer would be well served to sign up for an account FOR THE PURPOSE OF spamming since they're going to have access to more features like the private messaging system or the ability to start topics.

additionally, i think the most important thing in terms of message board growth isn't the total number of accounts.  it's the total number of posts.  the fact is that there are a lot of people out there who see this site on a daily basis but they don't post because they prefer not to engage in the "hassle" of registering.  it's a trend in community sites to allow guests to interact.  a great example is the ability of users at godlikeproductions to post as "anonymous coward."  it seems to work out just fine for them, and they have an increased post count because of their decision to allow guest posts.

finally, i think that the content of guest messages might generate interesting discussions among members because guests are more likely to say things a member might hold back.

please don't feel like this decision renders user accounts obsolete, because it doesn't.  guests are EXTREMELY limited in the number of site features they're able to access.  for example, they can't send private messages, post attachments, or vote in polls.  that's just the beginning of what they're not allowed to do.

i'm curious as to what all of you think about this.

cheers.

Is this still the case? (guess not, just logged out to check)  Also, has poll creation been disabled?

[MV]

no, guests can no longer post.  it required too much moderation.

polls still work.  it's just that you can only create one in your own topic.