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[Bandit127]

I fully support j1mbob's post regarding postjacking at newbies expense,
[edit]

If everyone considered a newbie welcomed at 15 posts (ie 1 page) think the issue would be solved.

[/edit]


This appears in about 2/3rds of a member's latest 25 posts, all to the newbie's section.

Hi there and welcome to OOF

This is copy and paste postjacking and j1mbob's solution is a good one.
I would imagine that putting a 'shelf life' of a day or so on replies to a newbie thread would be more difficult, but it would get the same kind of result.

[TheBoy]

Yes, its very obvious people cut and paste. Somebody a few months ago cut and pasted the same typo  

Such spamming the whole section in a way ruins it, as it becomes a bit faceless, and not so friendly.

But seeing as we can't even get the people to check the date of the first rather post, what chance do we stand  

[Entwood]

I know it would be extra work .. but is it possible to lock specific pages from a thread ?? if so, locking all but the current and last page would cut the problem rapidly ...  

[JonArgraig]

As a recovering post whore...

You block one thing, they will whore else where...


(I'm been very well behaved on this site )

[Bandit127]

Perhaps then, we should just rely on our instincts when it comes to postjackers. And treat their posts with the contempt they deserve.

[stuart30]

Perhaps then, we should just rely on our instincts when it comes to postjackers. And treat their posts with the contempt they deserve.

It seems for a lighthearted forum things are getting a bit heavy....

[hotel21]

Perhaps then, we should just rely on our instincts when it comes to postjackers. And treat their posts with the contempt they deserve.

It seems for a lighthearted forum things are getting a bit heavy....

Not yet, but its headed in that direction by some.....    

[dbug]

I fully support j1mbob's post regarding postjacking at newbies expense,
[edit]

If everyone considered a newbie welcomed at 15 posts (ie 1 page) think the issue would be solved.

[/edit]


This appears in about 2/3rds of a member's latest 25 posts, all to the newbie's section.

Hi there and welcome to OOF

This is copy and paste postjacking and j1mbob's solution is a good one.
I would imagine that putting a 'shelf life' of a day or so on replies to a newbie thread would be more difficult, but it would get the same kind of result.

That instance of"copy & pasting" looks rather like mine.  Suggest you recheck my last 25 posts as they do in fact change.  Currently i have so greeted 4 newbies in the last 25 posts - this is not 2/3rds.  I also note that quite a few members greet newbies in this way - its far easier to cut and paste than type.  Also note that most people tend to greet newbies on a batch basis - so guess you can quote a high proportion of "newbie posts" at a particular moment in time for any member, including admins.

OOf is there for all members to post or not to post as they wish, within the forum guidelines.  I see many posts that i think are a waste of space and are there just to increase a members post count, but i dont whinge about them - each to their own.  I could consider your post such an instance!  

Remember that OOF is there for the benefit of all its members and if some people wish to welcome newbies then ok - if others wish to post jokes - then ok - or tell their life stories - then again ok.

I do however agree with Jimb0b that a newbie should only need welcoming as a newbie (not as a junior member!!) and that a sensible time limit should be applied, if practical.
 

[edit]Having had a nose thro the newbies section - at least i only put one post per newbie - some members have posted more than once for the same newbie!!![/edit]

[Bandit127]

Dbug. My comment was not about you, it was about someone else.

TB has expressed exasperation recently at people who welcome "new" members when the original "Hi, I'm new" post is old. This bumps the out of date thread to the top of the list. Other people then assume it is new and post yet more "Welcome to OOF" messages without checking, welcoming people that were newbies months ago. This destroys the integrity of the Newbies section.

Mine was with post jackers who simply "farm" a post count by copying and pasting a set response to every newbie thread they can, without giving a t0ss for anyone but themselves.

Check your PMs to see if TB has pulled you up. Hopefully not.

In the meantime, the rules for welcoming new members are in the Forum Guidelines post at the top of every section.

It doesn't need to be said, but I will say it anyway. The quality of this forum - and the community spirit in it - is a direct result of the good job the moderators do.

That we have the forum at all is down to TB, slaving over hot servers and providing it for us.  

[Debs.]

I`m surprised at the vitriol and derision this issue seems to disproportionally raise within certain members; Jaime has mentioned this in reminder posts and has made perfectly acceptable personal message contact with people (like I) whom without any 'intent or agenda' get it wrong.
Please don`t forget that "people are human and make mistakes"......No need for a forum lynch-mob to be assembled: surely?

[feeutfo]

now then, this is getting a bit ott if you ask me. The section IS being used to count jack no doubt, i am as guilty as anyone.  But newbies ARE being welcomed. Apart from the fact they are going to have trouble finding their post by the time we have all finished with them as TB says, i dont see a problem.

 EXCEPT, when they ask something, rather than just say hello. Like the guy who said hes picking up his new car, what are the common problems with it ? He has 15 replys of hello and welcome! And i would have copied and pasted similar no doubt. The only people to advise where The Boy, Holy Count, and Banjax who obviously took the time to actually read the post. All the other very prominent members never bothered, and i would have been one of them if it where not for this debate.
You could argue he should have posted in general help,as forum guidelines?

When i joined this forum, i did not feel  'qualified' to welcome newbies, as i was fairly new myself. But i kept an eye on the section, and noticed other newbies posting and other senior members copy and pasting, i just copied them. No excuse, yeah i know, but, and here is my point at last, This whole forum seems to run by the example set by others, and a bloody good example it is to. To that end, i think actually treating the newbies post with the same attention as we do all other posts in other sections would set the example, and pulling one or 2 up for it within the post would probably help. Simple as that.
Cheers, Chris.

[feeutfo]

 

I`m surprised at the vitriol and derision this issue seems to disproportionally raise within certain members; Jaime has mentioned this in reminder posts and has made perfectly acceptable personal message contact with people (like I) whom without any 'intent or agenda' get it wrong.
Please don`t forget that "people are human and make mistakes"......No need for a forum lynch-mob to be assembled: surely?

Quite agree Debs. No need to line people up against the wall. Well save the vx dealers for that. ; D;

[TheBoy]

now then, this is getting a bit ott if you ask me. The section IS being used to count jack no doubt, i am as guilty as anyone.  But newbies ARE being welcomed. Apart from the fact they are going to have trouble finding their post by the time we have all finished with them as TB says, i dont see a problem.

 EXCEPT, when they ask something, rather than just say hello. Like the guy who said hes picking up his new car, what are the common problems with it ? He has 15 replys of hello and welcome! And i would have copied and pasted similar no doubt. The only people to advise where The Boy, Holy Count, and Banjax who obviously took the time to actually read the post. All the other very prominent members never bothered, and i would have been one of them if it where not for this debate.
You could argue he should have posted in general help,as forum guidelines?

When i joined this forum, i did not feel  'qualified' to welcome newbies, as i was fairly new myself. But i kept an eye on the section, and noticed other newbies posting and other senior members copy and pasting, i just copied them. No excuse, yeah i know, but, and here is my point at last, This whole forum seems to run by the example set by others, and a bloody good example it is to. To that end, i think actually treating the newbies post with the same attention as we do all other posts in other sections would set the example, and pulling one or 2 up for it within the post would probably help. Simple as that.
Cheers, Chris.

We have, from the outside world, an image problem  

Many potential OOFers see us as a closed group. Cliquey is the word I hear a lot.

Now, consider the situation where somebody does a bulk reply to loads of threads. This will push some unread threads down to 2/3/4 page (depending on how often you visit section), and I know most people only really go on the first page.

So some poor newbie signs up, despite reservations about us being a closed group, and only gets 1 or 2 welcomes, because his post has dropped off the first page.  (S)he probably will think initial fears about us being unapproachable were right.

That is my biggest gripe, and the reason I have been banging on about this almost daily for the last couple of weeks.  We want all members to want to be made to feel welcome, and that means getting their fair share of welcomes, and perhaps a bit more than a canned reply, or at least some variation on the replies.

The other issue which we've had in the past is people bulk welcoming, even on more than one occasion when the thread was that old, the member had long since sold car and left.


The Admins, particularly me, must learn something from this - we left this area almost as a free for all for a few months over the summer, and we're now feeling the pain.  We believe in only very light moderation on OOF, but are having to do a clampdown to bring that section back on track.

[Entwood]

Chris, whilst I agree with the sentiments you express, there is little point in 47 folks giving the same list of common faults, or everyone pointing the guy to General Chat... once, the relevant info has been posted, the rest of us only need to welcome the guy in the manner TB suggests.

The Admins here do a sterling job, for little reward, for which I thank them wholeheartedly. I'm sure if they see a "postjacking" (?) problem they will deal with it in their own inimitable fashion..   ... the rest of us just need to obey the rules ....... sort of ..  

[VXL V6]

I agree that new people should be welcomed and the ice broken but I think we all know that a fair few just want to up their postcount........

So i'm sorry if i'm being thick here but why are people so bothered about post counts? If you could trade your postcounts for the equivalent in £'s then I could understand it but FFS it's just a number!