No question about that one. Just vetting people up front is a big deal, as with this crowd, there's not so much need for moderation, which I'm
very gratified by.
I think what we'll do is set up the ranking system this software has, but try and change the criteria as it's set to rank by "most posts"
(meaning certain troublemakers might get high rank -- opposite of what would be wanted). The idea would be to force newbs onto the
"auto delete after some time of no activity" forums here -- and if we decide we like them -- up-rank them and let them post all over.
Only a couple are set up to auto empty so far, (water cooler for example) but I'm finding the quality good enough to make most of the threads "sticky" so they hang around.
I'm sure that will change over time.
I'm on a bit of a learning curve on this, so please be patient with me. The only moderator settings I've got so far are far too godlike even for me, just too much power
altogether -- I can put words in people's mouths, edit their posts, change who posted what, and all kinds of things a responsible guy would never even think
of doing- especially including me. I think my plan was going to be establish this core group, then hand out forums for guys to moderate that fall in their main interest -- for example,
who would do machining best? Jerry, obviously (if I can get him to take the job at some point). And so on. Though my preference would be that we back-channel discuss any big
troubles and have a consensus before we would drop the hammer on anybody.
I have created a moderator entity called "moderator nuke" that is otherwise anonymous in anticipation of this - no one need know who it really was so they don't know
who to get mad at if they get "nuked". This entity just hasn't been needed so far, but the avatar is pretty cool (or scary). Maybe I'll be that guy for a minute
on some thread just to announce itself and say -- if you see this guy -- you'd better start behaving? It just hasn't come up yet -- everyone is doing really well.
I'm afraid that the harsh crap I put up to discourage junk postings is making some of the members who have only lurked so far afraid to post -- you can go too
far the other way.
FWIW, Paul (the perfessor) has been lurking here, we're talking, and he's pretty impressed with how we are doing, so he says. He is really liking the "high bar to entry"
I've started out with -- but don't actually plan to continue with forever, we want new blood of course. Right now, the main problem is getting some of the lurk-only members
to get going, as many of them are really heavy hitters that most of y'all haven't met yet -- and it's going to be nice when we get them to begin here.
I am really trying for us to "write the book" a little more before we let in a flood of beginners. Paul's forum handles them pretty well, almost to the point of ruining it,
so for now, I'm sending them there, first.
For example, between us I think we've got vacuum almost totally handled, just a few details (need a thread on flange types and a why for each) needed and it's done as the "FAQ"
part of things. Then it can go to more "I'm having this weird problem, anybody have a clue?" with the good stuff sticky at the top to send the beginners to.
Really, right now the main problem is -- I'm working so fast (trying to get the last three years of my work up here etc) that I'm way too often "last post" on everything the way
this board reports that -- I don't want this to be so much me, me, me (I don't like opera much), but recognize that I type very fast, I care about making this great, and it's just
going to be that way for a little bit longer. This is "early times". Much easier to build the foundation before the house is on top of it.
In fact, in some cases right now I'm avoiding posting so it's not so much all me -- I can prep offline then blow them up here, that's what I've been up to.
I liked your pun....so I left it top post so others would notice it, for example
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.