Author Topic: Opening a section of the forum to Guests  (Read 14303 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« on: April 10, 2009, 09:58:06 AM »
Should we open the forum to the public, or should we keep the forum exclusive?

Ive debated this question with some members over the time weve had this forum, but due to the problems in monitoring postings, I prefer to keep it exclusive.

Ive created this new board to allow all our members to share items with our Guests (visitors who happen to surf in on the forum)
This new board has Priviliges set to allow Guests to read the postings.

To add new postings, a Guest has to register, and one of our moderators have to approve the registration. The new member gets an email inviting them to login.
Note that other boards are restricted so that only registered (and approved) members can read and post messages.

How do our members feel about this new Open to the Public board? Please add your comments.

Offline roiphil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 989
  • I did the 10,000 forum posting
    • Limerick Xmas Tree Centre
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2009, 10:28:25 AM »
I have no objections to guests, viewing posts, but even if they register which will allow them to add to posts , start a new topic etc, in a part of the forum you will still get the check me out here  ;) postings unless some one is able to regulate keep an eye on the forum most of the day, or make current full members moderators of public sections and they then keep an eye on that that section and if any of these postings do happen they can remove and ban that person from the forum

As for approving people that should be down to global moderaters forum owners, and then if you decide to make current full members moderators of a public section of the forum that person can remove any unsuitable postings from that section and ban that member etc

Take it from personal experience these things do happen, i was a member of a yahoo poultry group but i got fed up with the come and see me here etc postings

just my thoughts
Phil
« Last Edit: April 10, 2009, 10:35:35 AM by roiphil »

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2009, 10:34:21 AM »
Those security issues and registration approvals have been taken care of, Phil.

Offline roiphil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 989
  • I did the 10,000 forum posting
    • Limerick Xmas Tree Centre
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2009, 10:38:15 AM »
Those security issues and registration approvals have been taken care of, Phil.

you answered as i was editing, all sorted then, i have no objections

Offline Palustris

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1846
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2009, 01:00:45 PM »
It is not unusual for Forums to allow Guests a limited use of a site. Most of the gardening ones I visit allow none registered visitors to read postings, but not to participate. Two sites have areas restricted to members only and one has an area restricted to long term members only. Not a problem to me, we do not seem to post anything which ought not to be read by the general public!

NightHawk

  • Guest
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2009, 02:07:41 PM »
I tend to agree with George regarding keeping the Forum exclusive, for the reasons he has stated.

Over the many years on the Internet, Kathy and I have had our fair share of various Forums (mainly through our graphics work), and in many cases it has been a nightmare for the owners to control when anyone can participate.  With the best will in the world you will ultimately get the 'idiots', who have nothing to do with the Forum's primary aim and abuse the privileged access.

However, if there's a majority concensus of opinion to open a section of the Forum to the public, then I would say take 'baby steps' to begin with.
See how it goes initially, see if it works, and if problems occur which get out of control then we close the board.

Ultimately though, George has the final say and we must respect his wishes either way.

Laurie.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2009, 02:40:46 PM by Kathy & Laurie »

Offline Eric Hardy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1313
  • Anthea & Eric, The Chilterns, Buckinghamshire UK
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2009, 02:57:21 PM »
If I may put in my tuppenceworth, I think it is mainly up to the moderators as to whether they can cope. I was a moderator of a photographic group which was wound up because we all progressed onto other things. I got very tired of dealing with the "Check me out here  ;)" posts that Phil mentions. One particular type kept joining the forum under different guises just to post these. I kept banning him (almost certainly a him) and he would rejoin under a different name. It just got rather boring.

Eric H

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2009, 03:40:21 PM »
The Guests wont be able to post until they are registered Eric. This new section is for us to share what we post there publicly (in that section only).
Laurie and I well recall the trouble we had with such "off topic" postings before security was tightened!

Offline Eric Hardy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1313
  • Anthea & Eric, The Chilterns, Buckinghamshire UK
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2009, 04:27:54 PM »
That is probably different to my old forum where you could just join then post. I found myself delating posts and banning members with monotonous regularity. Unfortunately the "owner" of the site vanished without trace and the other moderator and I could not change the rules. From what you say the "guest" would have to be approved first

Eric H.

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2009, 07:15:10 PM »
That is correct, Eric.
Theres quite a number of rules/options available to the moderators (Laurie, Andre and me) and the forum software itself is constantly improving.



Offline roiphil

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 989
  • I did the 10,000 forum posting
    • Limerick Xmas Tree Centre
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2009, 07:50:20 PM »
may i suggest that you try it for a month or two and see how it goes, if you find yourself inundated with see me here postings after users have been approved, (because you dont know what a person is going to post until they have privelidges to post) then you know that a public section will not work as it will create more work and time for moderaters

edit at the bottom of forum main page i always see x amount of guests anyway, so people are looking and they may have interesting topics to discuss

Just a thought anyhow
Phil
« Last Edit: April 10, 2009, 07:59:55 PM by roiphil »

Offline 3fren

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 95
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2009, 02:10:07 PM »
I think opening up the forum is not a bad idea.

Only likemind people who are interested in Plants Kingdom
will come a visiting. And if you are a  nature lover, the heart is kinder, agree ?   :)


Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2009, 03:50:45 PM »
Hi Jessie
Lovely to hear from you again!
I'm planning to open the forum to the public in a week or so. This is certainly the place for Plant Lovers and Nature lovers.
The regulars on this forum most certainly belong to that heart is kinder group.
Once again, your translation from Chinese is beauty in itself, Jessie.
How did your travels go recently?

Offline 3fren

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 95
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2009, 03:07:58 PM »
Just got back from South Australia,  -  Adelaide Hills.

The Aussies are all for bio-dynamic farmings - all organic.  The fruits, the vegies, the beef, the
yogarts are the best I have tasted - not a drop of chemical.

The farmers are mostly very well educated, coming from Germany, UK, and other parts of Europe,
also 3rd generation Australian.

It is a Bio-dynamic conference, my husband is very keen, I am just for the knowledge.
Trying to write something about the trip and will post on the forum.

The most hilarious was two BIG girls fly in by themselves.  One was very overweight and
the pilot has to put additional weight on her side.  The pilot owns 100 acres of land
for cow pastures.

We city bumpkins - I was poked by a stinging nettle - not knowing what it is , wow..was
sensitive for 12 hours.  .. Cheers :-)  I wote too much, the screen keeps jumping.

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #14 on: July 04, 2009, 08:53:50 AM »
Yes, an encounter with the stinging nettle is a memorable incident, thats for sure. Most of us country dwellers have that experience very early in life  ;D and learn immediately to avoid them.
In the old days, we looked for a large leaf of Docken:
http://www.news4.ie/june2004/frame3/nettle.htm
Quoting from that document:
Quote
As children, we used to use a dock leave to remove the sting. While rubbing the stung area we used to repeat: ?Docken, docken in and out, Take the sting of the nettle out.?
I remember that rythme very well!

RE:
Quote
bio-dynamic farmings
That sounds like a futuristic and very healthy approach to farming, Jessie.
I wonder if it is being tried in other countries? (UK, US etc)

Offline 3fren

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 95
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2009, 01:40:14 PM »
Bio dynamics is basically back to basic.  No chemicals used.

The farmers collect the cow dungs in summer,  stuff into horns, buried in the earth,
take out in Spring, stir in water and spray on the ground.

Another fertilizer is "worm juice" compost.  Another is spray  with crystal dust.
They also used stinging nettles, yarrow, carmomilles and stuff into Stag bladders.

They do it by the seasons and calculations of the stars and energy forces.. hmmm sounds
very primitive?  of course there is a calender to follow.   It has gain popularity in Europe, USA, and big in Aussie farms.  Organic farming 
just mean natural, BD - can class as primitive.   In certain part of Ireland, the ancient monks built
a tower of basalt to attract cosmo energy  into the ground to assist the roots of their vegetation.
I will have  to check out the name of the place for you.  It will be interesting is you can check out.

We are not farmers, but Chinese has a calender that states all these timing.  Whether moving house, shifting of the master bed,
renovation, marriage especially, when to sow seeds, etc. we will check this Almanac
The Muslim also such a calender and so are the Hindus.  I was in Riydha, Saudi Arabia
last year and was asking how do they synchronize their prayers - they pray five times a day..on the road, on the public areas
wherever..I was curious and one shop assistant showed me their calender - very complicated but all in Arabic.. remembered
I was dressed in their black robe - the ahbaya.. :

Offline 3fren

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 95
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2009, 02:00:42 PM »
Thanks George,

I thought there was poison in the Nettle ! It's such a fantastic life saving weed !

What is a docken? do you have a picture ?  I like your nursary rhyme. 

Offline whis4ey

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 151
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2009, 09:30:41 PM »
Was a member of a maple forum once
Suddenly began to get pornographic postings that were not deleted immediately
They took over
Forum defunct :(

Online ideasguy

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6313
  • Just me
    • Ideas for Gardens
Re: Opening a section of the forum to Guests
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2009, 10:38:06 PM »
We plan to open so visitors can read the topics.
However, only registered members (users of my software) will be allowed to post on this forum, Billy.