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Post by privateatty on Aug 8, 2016 11:34:56 GMT -5
The recent post by funkyodar relating to Union membership in the Thread of 1-4 year ALJ hiring got me thinking--that is the sentiment I have regarding lurkers. Just requiring registration to post is not enough.
No one should have the advantage of this Board unless they are a Member. Otherwise, you're just getting a free ride off of all our labors. What say you, Pixie?
The paranoid can seek a doctor and report how registering was helpful in their recovery.
This latest dustup regarding the Thread of which I speak has heightened the need for everyone to see the forest they live in.
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Post by gary on Aug 8, 2016 11:47:41 GMT -5
Only board members can:
1. Post any messages;
2. Vote in polls;
3. See polls;
4. See posts in poll threads.
That's enough exclusivity as far as I'm concerned.
Letting non-members read the general board posts lets them see whether or not they want to join. I think that's a very useful form of advertising for new members, and that it would in the long run harm the Board to close it down.
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Post by bayou on Aug 8, 2016 11:49:26 GMT -5
What is the difference between a lurker that doesn't sign up and a lurker that signs up to view the board but doesn't participate? I see little difference. Perhaps requiring them to sign up would make them more inclined to participate but I doubt it.
Plus, I expect that Pixie and ALJD get some type of revenue from ads based on traffic level. For all the yeoman work put in running this board, may as well leave it open to keep traffic level at its highest and maximize rewards for them.
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Post by bayou on Aug 8, 2016 11:51:05 GMT -5
Only board members can: 1. Post any messages; 2. Vote in polls; 3. See polls; 4. See posts in poll threads. That's enough exclusivity as far as I'm concerned. Letting non-members read the general board posts lets them see whether or not they want to join. I think that's a very useful form of advertising for new members, and that it would in the long run harm the Board to close it down. Points well made. The reason I signed up was because I was reading the board and had a question. I had to sign up to ask it, so yes the advertising aspect worked for me.
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Post by aljudgmental on Aug 8, 2016 11:54:32 GMT -5
I say, create a poll. Then, all those lurkers will have to join to vote. Gotcha! See what I did there?
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Post by Pixie on Aug 8, 2016 12:48:45 GMT -5
What is the difference between a lurker that doesn't sign up and a lurker that signs up to view the board but doesn't participate? I see little difference. Perhaps requiring them to sign up would make them more inclined to participate but I doubt it. Plus, I expect that Pixie and ALJD get some type of revenue from ads based on traffic level. For all the yeoman work put in running this board, may as well leave it open to keep traffic level at its highest and maximize rewards for them. Yeah, right! I will give you all of my share for the next couple of years. Pixie
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Post by lawbird on Aug 8, 2016 14:15:14 GMT -5
In fact, we should double your commission. You are worth it.
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Post by SaveMeASeat on Aug 8, 2016 15:12:31 GMT -5
How do we judge whether someone participates sufficiently to avoid the dreaded lurker label? Do we go by number of posts, quality of posts or some other measure? Personally, I don't post frequently, I "like" a fair number of comments, but I check in daily because I enjoy the conversations on all threads even if not directly applicable to me. This community is interesting, have or are going through shared similar experiences, provide support, commiseration and respectfully disagree when they must (if not, we'll all feel the Pixie).
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Post by Pixie on Aug 8, 2016 16:08:10 GMT -5
In fact, we should double your commission. You are worth it. That would be nice, but 1/2 of nothing is still nothing! Pixie
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Post by anotherfed on Aug 8, 2016 16:26:00 GMT -5
One can lurk as a member. I don't think privateatty is saying that you cannot reap the benefits of this Board if you don't contribute by posting. But he is saying that membership should be required for viewing as well as posting.
But I'm a little confused; doesn't registering make you a member?
And Pixie and @aljd, I don't want to get into a bidding war, but you all are worth 5 times your current commission! 6 times, even!
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Post by nestle on Aug 8, 2016 16:39:00 GMT -5
I'm a member, but I mostly "lurk" because honestly I don't have any questions or nuggets of wisdom to contribute at the moment. I figure if you are straight-up lurking an ALJ board ... hey, there's worse activities in which one might engage online.
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Post by Gaidin on Aug 8, 2016 16:54:08 GMT -5
I never would have joined if I hadn't been able to read the posts to see if it was helpful. I lurked for a while before joining. I just don't see the comparison.
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Post by Pixie on Aug 8, 2016 18:00:14 GMT -5
One can lurk as a member. I don't think privateatty is saying that you cannot reap the benefits of this Board if you don't contribute by posting. But he is saying that membership should be required for viewing as well as posting.
But I'm a little confused; doesn't registering make you a member?
And Pixie and @aljd, I don't want to get into a bidding war, but you all are worth 5 times your current commission! 6 times, even! That's great AF. In a PM I have given you my address, please send all checks there. They will be appreciated. Send me the ones for aljd as well. Pixie
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Post by gary on Aug 8, 2016 19:11:55 GMT -5
I fully support AF paying Pixie and ALJD.
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Post by pumpkin on Aug 8, 2016 19:22:41 GMT -5
That's great AF. In a PM I have given you my address, please send all checks there. They will be appreciated. Send me the ones for aljd as well. Pixie Check? I was certain you were being remunerated in Bitcoin. I share the same sentiments about lurkers who contribute nothing but receive the benefits of the information shared on the boards. But it's the way of the world in public forums, no? Pixie and ALJD have their hands full moderating as it is...I would be loathe to suggest that the captains of our ship take on any additional responsibilities.
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Post by lawbird on Aug 8, 2016 19:23:39 GMT -5
In fact, we should double your commission. You are worth it. That would be nice, but 1/2 of nothing is still nothing! Pixie Precisely. Btw, I became a lawyer instead of a doctor because I'm no good at math.
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Post by sweetnlow on Aug 8, 2016 19:55:48 GMT -5
I have been a lurker on this board since 2010. I just joined recently. Frankly, I have nothing useful generally to add. Furthermore, with such great gatekeepers for the posts, how can newbies post much?
Everything has been discussed in 2013 threads that we constantly admonish posters for not searching. Now, you want to make this club private and kick out those that haven't or can't say much? I think that would kill this board.
I've been with the agency over 20 years and if those are the new rules I can guarantee you I wouldn't share any Intel I received for the benefit of the masses because I wouldn't make it out of the lurker club. But hey, maybe you'll find me worthy after all and let me stay. Or maybe not. I was always the last to be picked for kickball teams.
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Post by Pixie on Aug 8, 2016 20:17:44 GMT -5
I have been a lurker on this board since 2010. I just joined recently. Frankly, I have nothing useful generally to add. Furthermore, with such great gatekeepers for the posts, how can newbies post much? Everything has been discussed in 2013 threads that we constantly admonish posters for not searching. Now, you want to make this club private and kick out those that haven't or can't say much? I think that would kill this board. I've been with the agency over 20 years and if those are the new rules I can guarantee you I wouldn't share any Intel I received for the benefit of the masses because I wouldn't make it out of the lurker club. But hey, maybe you'll find me worthy after all and let me stay. Or maybe not. I was always the last to be picked for kickball teams. It's OK sweetnlow, we don't play kickball here, so you are welcome at any time. Plus, I am not a gatekeeper for the posts. The posts are made and then we react. I can tell you that I delete less than .01% of all the posts. So, what you post usually stays that way, although often with an acerbic comment to bring the newbies up to speed for the benefit of all. The Class of 2016 has mostly figured it out; however, there was a new thread started this morning about Appeals that was an obvious candidate for the thread that Can't Be Mentioned. I moved all posts to the unmentionable thread. And no, J. pumpkin, don't start in on it. I am not at dinner. Pixie
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Post by monopoly on Aug 8, 2016 20:26:58 GMT -5
There are also those of us who are more of a "lurker" than an active posting member because we strive to maintain our anonymity. Anonymity is part of what makes this place great. When people get brave enough to contribute, then they can become members. I have zero problem with that.
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Post by ALJD on Aug 8, 2016 20:33:53 GMT -5
This same proposal came up several years ago and we had a full thread devoted to its Pros and Cons. Ultimately we decided to leave this forum open for public viewing for the following reasons:
1. Recruiting - new members are probably loathe to join blind. By giving them a chance to view the forum first, it gives them the information needed to decide whether they want to actively participate.
2. Self-Selection in participation - by allowing lurkers to just lurk, this saves me and Pixie a lot of needless work in registering members who then just go back to lurking.
3. Awareness - a closed board gives people a false sense of security and they are more likely to post information that shouldn't be disclosed. (Yes, TPTB, I know you guys are watching!) By keeping this section visible for public viewing, it reminds members not to post information that can't be shared with the public.
4. Convenience - more than one member mentioned they do browse the forum from their offices and would prefer not to login to view from their office computer.
In light of these above reasons, we ultimately decided to keep things the way it is now. Based on the inputs on this thread so far, I believe the reasons above are still valid and we should continue to leave this forum open for viewing.
ALJD
P.S. It's actually quite amusing to see this issue showing up again. Talk about things going in circles...
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