VIP Forum?

[Dave Blake]

According to Jay "The Beta Test is Over!" It seams a waste to just remove the hidden forum what do you guys say about making it in to a VIP forum? What would be the criteria for getting in?

 

[palandri]

That's a great idea!

Criteria???? Not Sure. Maybe:

Minimum 500 post

Recommended by Moderators

Change their title from member to VIP Member.

 

[Dave Blake]

Yes VIP title for sure and a custom color.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Interesting idea, I like it but the problem with this is creating classes within the forums and then advertising them. If people can see "VIP Member" and know they're missing something they may be less likely to post if they feel like they're not being selected and don't understand why

 

[palandri]

Interesting idea, I like it but the problem with this is creating classes within the forums and then advertising them. If people can see "VIP Member" and know they're missing something they may be less likely to post if they feel like they're not being selected and don't understand why

Not if there are guidelines up, such as, minimum number of post, beta tester, recommendation of the staff, only 6 VIP members added per year..etc...It will give people something to work towards...or just label them beta testers and leave the private forum for open discussion.

We could also make a MMA forum where only you and Winterfang can post. We could then charge an admission fee to watch. :lol:

 

[Jay Bennett]

We could also make a MMA forum where only you and Winterfang can post. We could then charge an admission fee to watch. :lol:

don't tempt me...

I'm still unsure in honesty, I can just see people questioning why the mods are recommending some and not others. We could trial it but we might need to check with the wider mobile nations group to get an idea on how this would be received?

 

[palandri]

....I'm still unsure in honesty, I can just see people questioning why the mods are recommending some and not others. We could trial it but we might need to check with the wider mobile nations group to get an idea on how this would be received?

I am sure dave will follow whatever protocol he needs to follow, i.e., dave contacts dan, then dan contacts mobile nation, or however it works.

Certainly mods recommending one and and not another is subjective, but almost everything in life is subjective. Why did he/she get hired or promoted over me. C'est la vie.

Another thought, I know these forums come with software to add a paid membership. Maybe that is something that Mobile Nations will want to try in one forum and see how it works. Like a $20 yearly membership. Those people will be the VIP members and Mobile Nations will put a little more money in their pocket. Just a thought.

 

[Dave Blake]

Here is the deal I am on a island here I can't even get guys to return emails anymore. I would love some input from others I just don't get any. I have made the call on my own for this forum for the last 4 years so if this is the way I decide to go I will. This hidden area is public domain to all the members of the SPE team I welcome all input. As always!

I invited Jay to this story because he seams to think of the things my tunnel vision prevents me from seeing. I thank him for that. He brings up a good point I didn't think of. I certainly don't want to alienate anyone or make anyone feel inferior. Maybe we take this another direction. What I really want is to promote those that deserve it. This WILL NOT be an appointment type deal not by mods, me or anyone else. What it will be is a reword for those that spend time helping in the forum. If I chose to do this it will be based on 2 things first post count 1000 post minimum. Next to help prevent people from spamming the forum to get their count up you will also need a minimum amount of Thanks/Likes to make the cut. This will be set up to add the person automatically no prejudice will be allowed. I can easily set up the post count but the Thanks/Like I need to do some research for that one.

I think VIP is the wrong name for this forum. The name needs to be something that lets people know that this person trying to help in the forum is a respected member of the forum who has helped many and this persons opinion is valued. I am thinking Ambassador if thats too black tie then maybe greeter or adviser.

Thoughts?

 

[palandri]

Take a look over here at Wireless Advisors. They have Junior, Bronze, Silver, Gold members: I sure it's based on post count:

What's Killing my Battery??; MOTOROLA "I have had the ..."

 

[Dave Blake]

Thats more of a ratings system but yeah thats the idea only when you hit the top you are added to the hidden Ambassadors forum. To make everyone feel more comfortable with the idea. Android central has something like this but people are promoted to support each device and are encouraged to write tutorials for that device. That model doesn't work here our devices usage and software doesn't differer enough from one device to another. So we have to come up with something different something unique to our forum the supports our members.

 

[palandri]

What variables other than post count do you have or want to work with, to keep subjectivity out of it?

 

[Dave Blake]

I need to research what is available to me give me a couple of days. Next week is going to be real busy so I will probably hold off on making any changes till we get past the WP8 launch. Lets keep the discussion going you guys are bringing up some great points.

 

[scottcraft]

As long as y'all know with post count and thanks/likes being the only criteria for this posters such as Winterfang will be able to get in. A lot of forums I'm on members that pay a yearly fee get access to private forums. I don't know if you want to go that way or not, but I think we need to avoid the appearance of playing favorites.

 

[Dave Blake]

We will decide on a requirement and everyone who fits that will be in. That means members like Winterfang will make the cut. As much as I hate to admit it he has made some positive contributions to this site. Even his negativity is a positive it gets people to post in the forum sometimes people react badly to him but they are posting. Bottom line we decide on a cut line everyone over the line gets in.

We will announce the new forum and the cut line so we wont have control over who gets in. Lets keep in mind we are not making a private playground for us and friends we are trying to reword those who contribute.

In the private forum I want us discussing work that needs to be done in the forum. I will use this hidden area to get volunteers to do simple tasks like write tutorials and make sticky posts like the ones Se1fcr3ation wrote.

These are people who want to be here and want to help lets try to use that energy to help grow the forum. As with every facet of forum life there will be negative people to deal with, we will need to moderate this just as any other forum.

 

[Duvi]

Great idea, but won't work. VIP members will then start posting in the VIP section and would decrease activity in the non-VIP sections.

Also, when this happens, you'll pretty much only see posts from non-VIP members who probably will be "WP8 sucks" and "Nokia is finished" threads.

 

[Dave Blake]

Actually that could be a win-win we get Winterfang and 1jaxstate1 to post less in the main forum. At the same time we get people like lak611 and Figure 8 Dash to write tutorials. We are averaging about 150 members on line all the time now I expect that to grow to double that by the end of the year. We are going to need help with all the new traffic.

I see this as a perfect way to add controlled content to the forum. I can write up some guidelines on how FAQ threads and such need to be written then encourage members from the ambassadors group to do the work. I can even have a hidden sub forum where these ambassadors can write up their posts edit refine them then one of us can move the thread to the correct forum when it is ready.

As I am writing this I am changing my mined on who will be allowed in. I am thinking this needs to be only appointed people with the sensibility's to be a good ambassador to the forum. That is what I want to do. You guys make the recommendations and I will add the person and give them tasks to get done. If the members isn't interested in being an ambassador then they don't have to be. That way we can control who is representing the site.

See this is why we have these conversations so I can change my mind.

 

[scottcraft]

If these ambassadors are going to be appointed will they have something by their username to indicate their status? If so will that cause trouble among the troops?

 

[Dave Blake]

They will have the Ambassador user title that I will create and a different color name. As they are appointed members like the Mod staff it doesn't matter if others get upset or don't like who or how we chose for the group. If someone wants to be an ambassador they will have to catch the attention of the Mod team by making positive contributions to the forum.

I like this idea much better than an open to anyone VIP forum.

 

[Duvi]

So what will this VIP section be for exactly?

 

[Jay Bennett]

I definitely prefer the ambassador title Dave, if nothing else the title suggests they have positively contributed and are valued members of the team, without the branding of "very important" and the negative connotations that brings to normal people.