The ideal board.

[dohupa]

Originally Posted by DTravel

I did read your post Dohupa and I, respectfully, disagree. My experience with forums of the type you are suggesting is that those that start out that way go nowhere and those that convert to that format from an open one have within six to twelve months dwindled down to a handful of posters somewhat desperately posting anything they can lay their paws on (and resorting to some really blatant link stealing to do so).

You have every right to disagree - that was the whole point starting this thread to begin with.

Having said that, I do have experience with boards alike and you are wrong on that assessment that boards which sort of flush out unwanted members go nowhere. The best board I've found so far is neither VEF nor PSuzy, but a local board going strong since 2002. They started out with members registering freely only to see quite a few turning nasty during the RS cash out craze. So, they slowly got rid of the unwanted lot and soon enough changed from free registration to invitation only. Now 8 years later they only have 62,000 with a constant rate of new memberships.

I got such an invitation from a friend and the idea is that you know the one you're inviting in - so he/she can be trusted. I mean the model is different - they're not interested in traffic from Filesonic users , all they want for themselves is a hassle-free joint. I can assure you there's not a single rubbish post anywhere - you know why? Because all their members are top notch.

Again we may agree to disagree, but really that's what a healthy debate at the GD&N is for.

Originally Posted by aphex1973

As you can see, I haven't posted a lot. I post when I actually feel I have something to contribute or if I happen to have some images I haven't seen on here a hundred times already. I do, however, greatly appreciate the time and effort of others and therefore make a point of thanking those that post. Does this make me a lurker?

Thanks for the interesting thread dohupa!

You've posted some and you thank people. So, you're definitely not the type I have in mind. You/I/we all know the very ones I'm talking about...

[pharoahegypt]

Originally Posted by aphex1973

As you can see, I haven't posted a lot. I post when I actually feel I have something to contribute or if I happen to have some images I haven't seen on here a hundred times already. I do, however, greatly appreciate the time and effort of others and therefore make a point of thanking those that post. Does this make me a lurker? Should I be removed from this site?

i think the amount of 'thanks' you've gotten over your time here testifys to the fact that when u do post, u post something worthy of being here. i myself could be guilty of not posting for a week or so at a time; longer when the image posting system was changed last year; but i try not to post repeats or only bigger/better quality ones if i do, like yourself. i got fed up of having simple sarcastic or critical posts removed,; my user profile had many more 'posts removed to trash' than 'thanks' for so long, so im trying hard to stop doing them. lol. i do join in discussions, they can be very enlightening, and i post when i have something worthwhile... just like yourself.

'dohupa' makes a good point with regards to many users with no posts but lurking here for ages, a recent member like this caused so much fuss in a thread i frequent daily, that he soon got told to 'put up or shut up'. He argued but eventually relaised he wasnt getting anywhere, but closer to the proverbial door...lol.

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by dohupa

2 distinct schools of thought here - a business venture OR a devoved fanbase. What started out as places to share & collect and have fun, soon diverted to money making machines. Personally, I'd prefer being part of a community with 5000 where we sort of know most rather than a huge forum with 500,000 members where 99% leech and request all the time.

Good thread topic mate
On a personal level, I prefer a fanbased forum or board, fans tend too have more too offer, once it becomes business based and the is cash involved it could become a little less personal, as money tends to do.

Not quite sure about removing member who don't post after a time period, might be a bit harsh as some members may not have any content too post, possibly due too financial positions,
Sure I'd love too rid the members who may have a lot too post but don't contribute, that's just greed, but we can't know each members personal circumstances.

But what I'd love too happen is, once every new member has signed on, they cannot access the board until every rule has been read and submitted with the Yes/No box on the rule page itself, then they cannot plead they didn't know

Other than that, I like the style forum we currently have

BTW

Originally Posted by dohupa

Post a joke or a youtube Bruce Springsteen song or something - make yourself useful.

I like that

[keefriff]

Great thread topic!

It's hard to vote on this because I can see both sides of the issue. From my personal experience, it took me awhile to get the guts to post on the site for the first time. But that was because the level of sophistication and intelligent discourse on VEF can be kind of intimidating. That is a good thing in my book. I didn't have much to offer in terms of viewing material to post and to just jump on a thread and give your 2 cents can be a bit unnerving without feeling that you have contributed with something else. With that all being said, I tried to hit that Thanks button as much as I could as I lurked in the background. If you take the time, like mvsailj said, to read the rules and read some threads you get a feel for what is expected and allowed. So I think in a way some people need time to get comfortable with the forum and themselves in order to initially post. That may take a week, a month or two years.

I guess what we are really talking about here are the people who do nothing at all except leech and lurk. No posts, no thanks, nothing at all. That, to me, is ridiculous and maybe those type of members should have some sort of a time limit put upon them. People need to hit Thanks at the very least and maybe a warning would wake them up from their stupor. Not that you were advocating it dohupa, but forcing people to post.......yikes that could get very ugly.

For me, the level of moderation has never been an issue. I prefer civility and consciseness and that is what the mods try to enforce. It may get heavy handed in some people's opinions but I cringe when I think of the alternative. I am on some other more sports and music related forums and there will be pages of threads of two idiots having a cyber pissing contest over each other's football teams. . Thank the stars that crap doesn't happen on VEF. It can get surly at times here but imo is never allowed to escalate to the point where two morons are ranting at each other for page upon page.

Sorry this is running longer that I expected. I think that for any good poster there is pride taken in what you are doing. Whether it is in GD or wherever, you want it to be well received. So to me the more people who are available to view posts, the better. Today's non poster may laugh or get whatever from one of your posts and search out that girl, music, comedian, book or whatever. Tomorrow he may be posting what he found. The cycle continues.

[dohupa]

Originally Posted by keefriff

Great thread topic!

I guess what we are really talking about here are the people who do nothing at all except leech and lurk. No posts, no thanks, nothing at all. That, to me, is ridiculous and maybe those type of members should have some sort of a time limit put upon them. People need to hit Thanks at the very least and maybe a warning would wake them up from their stupor. Not that you were advocating it dohupa, but forcing people to post.......yikes that could get very ugly.

1. Thanks - always felt that this thread was missing from around here.

2. Not just leech - they also grab links and do remote uploading for financial gain. Quite a few make money basically off the rest naive posters that share for fun. 3 months would be the max in my joint - if you cannot open your mouth by then, then it's time to part our ways.

[pharoahegypt]

this really has turned into a great topic of conversation. its interesting to read everyone elses view on this subject as we all have our own little variations on what we dont and do like about them.

ive found this forum to be by far the best of the ones im a member of. both in content, and in useful information and tolerance to all our little indecrections.

the world of celeb and model image collecting can get very passionate at times... and its good to be able to have a rant, or deep discussion, without peeps taking it too personally... mostly..!! lol.

PhEg.

[Dumbassgo]

Very interesting

I haven't voted in the poll because I agree with both options and disagree with both options! I suppose I want the best of both worlds.

Speaking of my personal experience with 'net forums I think this one is definitely one of the best, and has the balance about right. I was a member here for quite a while before I posted anything, mainly because I was still active on Usenet and Yahoo! groups. When they began to die, I found myself spending more time here. Eventually I posted a few things that seemed to fill a gap.

I tend to post in fits and bursts. I'll post nothing for a while, then I'll be in the mood for a scanning session and post regularly for a few days. Usually I'm inspired by a request. I prefer to post things that I know will make at least one member happy. That's probably why I always check the model ID section first too.

I don't really download much TBH. I only collect softcore still images and there's maybe 20 threads that I'm subscribed to, and I've already got most of the images that appear in them. But it's always a massive thrill when you see a new picture of Kirsten Imrie or Stephanie Bews for example. That's the beauty of places like this, you just never know what's going to turn up.

I do like the suggestion about having to read the rules and actively tick boxes though. That's an excellent idea. It is annoying to think that some people won't spend 5 minutes reading a set of simple rules.

Enough of my inane rambling. Well done dohupa for starting such a decent thread.

Cheers,
Dumbassgo.

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by dohupa

2 distinct schools of thought here - a business venture OR a devoved fanbase. What started out as places to share & collect and have fun, soon diverted to money making machines. Personally, I'd prefer being part of a community with 5000 where we sort of know most rather than a huge forum with 500,000 members where 99% leech and request all the time.

I think I prefer the fanbase solution you suggest - it also has the advantage of being discreet.

Surely if a forum like this becomes too big and/or becomes a business venture then, apart from anything else, it will be exceedingly vulnerable to legal action by the copyright holders of the material posted -there will be no forum after that happens. We've gone from 40000 members to 220000 in the 3 years I've been on this forum and I fear we may be nearing "critical mass".

re the leechers and zero posters - After I saw this thread I did an experiment - I started a thread with some good quality and previously unseen pics of an early 80s girl . In 12 hours or so it's had 300+ visitors of whom 3 have pressed the "thanks" button. What is the point of a huge forum membership if most of them are ungrateful bastards?

[pharoahegypt]

Originally Posted by Dumbassgo

I don't really download much TBH. I only collect softcore still images and there's maybe 20 threads that I'm subscribed to, and I've already got most of the images that appear in them. But it's always a massive thrill when you see a new picture of Kirsten Imrie or Stephanie Bews for example. That's the beauty of places like this, you just never know what's going to turn up

Enough of my inane rambling. Well done dohupa for starting such a decent thread.

Cheers,
Dumbassgo.

I applaud most of what Dumbassgo says. having been collecting images for so long, not only is it becomming more a case that ive got most of what's being posted, in the bigger threads, i just have nothing to add that isnt already there....

But you cannot imagine my thrill a few weeks back when a full frontal image of Jayne Middlemiss appeared!!?? it was a date for my diary i can tell you. we also have this occur to a lesser extent for me, in the softcore models thread, where girls i remember from my youth suddenly appear with not only their boobies out, but often their bush too..!! wonderful!! especially when it comes from someone really unexpected. ( there was an unexpected, but very welcome, brilliant see thru knix shot of suzanne mizzi a while back...) )

So i also echo the praise to Dohupa in starting this thread once more.

[dohupa]

Originally Posted by fleetwood77

What is the point of a huge forum membership if most of them are ungrateful bastards?

Exactly. Check this out

http://vintage-erotica-forum.com/t10...andariato.html