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Screening of New Members
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Agent Smith on Fri Jan 28th at 1:41pm 2005

I've been thinking it might be necessary in the future to screen new members to the site, to ensure that they understand something about forum etiquette and most importantly how the SnarkPit and most other mapping forums operate. If not this then perhaps a trial period where any legitimate complaints against them will result in a rejection of membership.

Most members on the site are great, and I'm not attacking any new people. However it seems that some individuals do not know how to behave. I'm not being elitist, and I don't want the SnarkPit to become elitist. However I think we want to make sure that everyones experience at the SnarkPit is a pleasant and constructive one.

Fair enough some of us can be crabby at times, myself included, its called being human. I'm not talking about that, and I'm not talking about legitimate debate that occaisionally gets out of hand. I am however talking about open hostility between members or towards other members.

It's just a suggestion, but one that may be need to be implemented.


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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Junkyard God on Fri Jan 28th at 1:44pm 2005

mayb make people who 'behave ' better gold members and people who behave bad kicked, and normal people just regular members, gold members getting more map space etc.

regular: 1 map allowed
1 file

gold: 10 maps
10 files
tutorials
etc. etc. etc.

(for example)

or make some forums restricted untill youre a 'gold' member, thay way you could encourage people to behave good for mor priveliges.

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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Andrei on Fri Jan 28th at 2:43pm 2005

Yes, i've heard that other forums do things like this. It's a good way to keep spammers at bay. And how about a basic mapping knowledge test before you reg (or before you plan on posting your first map. How could you make a playable map if you don't know what rad is or consider vis useless???)? Any newcomer should know what a brush or a compiler is. A simple test, where you choose the correct awnser from 4 possible awnsers. That way rather than having 10 thousand unused profiles (the so many ppl who reg only to post a single question rather than googling the awnser themselves) we would have 1000 USED ones. Or maybe this isn't such a good idea? Hmm...

Oh, and regular members just ONE map?!? Give me a break!
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Leperous on Fri Jan 28th at 2:56pm 2005

I don't expect anyone new to this website to be able to instantly know how to use it properly (though it is simple really) though I am giving more "repeat-offenders" daily post limits nowadays... Though a small intelligence test that has nothing to do with mapping might be a good idea.



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Bobv on Fri Jan 28th at 3:02pm 2005

? quote:
Though a small intelligence test that has nothing to do with mapping might be a good idea.


heh give them a quiz

1) You really want to tell the world about this new texture you made! Do you...
A. Go to art forum and make a thread labeled "OMFG UBER UBER HAWR HAWR," without even putting up anything related to the texture.
B. Go to the Half-Life 2 editing forum and make a thread with the texture
C. Disguise the texture in another Killbox? map, you are confident people will like it just because of the texture.
D. Perform a search to make sure your texture is original, then if you are sure it is not you create a well-thought out thread with decent title and description, with a sample of your amazing texture.
E. STFU! people on this forum dont like when you talk .




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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Loco on Fri Jan 28th at 3:41pm 2005

I can't help but feel that the map comments system is occasionally abused. Cassius has already pointed out one "comment war", and I spotted on Agent Smith's dm_hydro the comment:

? quote:
Yeah its overloaded and ugly as f**k what a bag of s**t id rather be shot in the face than play this map and i bet valve are laughing there asses of


IMHO, it looks like a damn nice map, and the other comments agree with this. Maybe the comment is meant to be sarcastic, in which case sorry for misinterpreting it,but comments should probably be restricted. Maybe to two for each beta and two for each final release...

Just my opinion.
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Leperous on Fri Jan 28th at 3:42pm 2005

I am aware the comment abuse goes on, but map authors have the power to delete/edit comments for their own maps...





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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Forceflow on Fri Jan 28th at 3:45pm 2005

? quote:
I am aware the comment abuse goes on, but map authors have the power to delete/edit comments for their own maps...



Then again, that could be abused too.

I can see tons of evil people submitting killboxes, and editing all the comments into 'yeh, cool map, 10/10'
[addsig]



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Leperous on Fri Jan 28th at 3:49pm 2005

I've thought of that, and you can't edit the scores that people have given you... though if you wanted to up your killbox like that you could just create new users anyway. I just checked out that Mik! guy (and banned him) and it seems he'd created another user (or perhaps it was his brother? They used the same PC anyway) to big up his level.

*EDIT* and now with 'this comment has been edited by author/moderators* warning message goodness





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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Forceflow on Fri Jan 28th at 3:52pm 2005

? quote:
I've thought of that, and you can't edit the scores that people have given you... though if you wanted to up your killbox like that you could just create new users anyway.



It is a sad fact that some people actually do that kind of stuff.

Anyway, I don't think a new member screening would be a good idea. Would be a bit scary for those new members no ? When I arrived here, I was amazed how all you guys talked about serious stuff, and went on with it for several pages. Plus, most of you could create amazing maps. If there was some sort of screening system, I might not have been here at all, because everything would look so ... elite.
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by satchmo on Fri Jan 28th at 4:21pm 2005

The bottom line is that there is no fool-proof way of preventing people from acting irresponsibly and inappropriately, using any sort of rigid, "bot-like" system.

However, the wonderful moderators for the Pit do a good job of banning and punishing these offenders before things get out of hand. That's why it's impossible to replace these human elements in managing a forum or any online community. Sure, it's possible to sneak around the rating system and abuse the comments, but it's virtually impossible to fool an intelligent human being.

I believe any strict "cast system" would be undemocratic. Limit new users the use of the forum would be defeating the purpose of the forum in the first place. They undoubtedly have mapping questions to ask (and most of them would be fairly legitimate). If they already know all the mapping knowledge, why would they even bother coming to the Pit?

And restricting "stupid" users reminds me of the eugenics practiced by the Nazi's. Why shouldn't we just endorse the government to sterilize these idiots so they don't even reproduce? We don't want retards to populate this planet, right?

This type of thinking is indeed extremely dangerous. And if you actually briefly considered the possibility mentioned above, I would try hiding those Nazi flags in your room better. Don't show your new girlfriend the Hitler poster on your wall until you're sure that she's a white supremist also.
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by fraggard on Fri Jan 28th at 4:29pm 2005

I don't think screening is a good idea at all.

It's probably simpler to make a page with a simple set of rules, and make it the first thing a new member sees after he registers. If the member breaks any of the rules, the mods can warn him a couple of times, and then hit the big red button.




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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Leperous on Fri Jan 28th at 5:05pm 2005

? quoting satchmo
And restricting "stupid" users reminds me of the eugenics practiced by the Nazi's. Why shouldn't we just endorse the government to sterilize these idiots so they don't even reproduce? We don't want retards to populate this planet, right?

This type of thinking is indeed extremely dangerous. And if you actually briefly considered the possibility mentioned above, I would try hiding those Nazi flags in your room better. Don't show your new girlfriend the Hitler poster on your wall until you're sure that she's a white supremist also.

That analogy is completely over the top We have every right to ban/limit members who act "stupid" (how are we meant to know what they're like in real life?). And of course "stupid" people have a right to life, but should they be allowed to attempt mapping if it's clear that they'll just fail, and annoy other people in the process? This is just a leisure activity for most, not some right protected by UN conventions





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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by fishy on Fri Jan 28th at 5:09pm 2005

Satchmo, do you think the only club in the world to have a screening process for its members is the KKK?

[edit]meh, orph beat me[/edit]

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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by DrGlass on Fri Jan 28th at 5:42pm 2005

I think I had like 600 snark marks with in my first few weeks of being here. If I can make it in here anyone can
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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Gwil on Fri Jan 28th at 6:04pm 2005

I haven't been around as much of late, dibbling with my travel plans has cut out chunks of my time (always spent productively otherwise, of course!)

Even then we rarely moderate, that is the beauty of the situation, but I agree in essence with trying to maintain a decent standard of forums. I don't have any good plans though, so forgive me
[addsig]



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Yak_Fighter on Fri Jan 28th at 7:21pm 2005

? quoting Loco
I can't help but feel that the map comments system is occasionally abused. Cassius has already pointed out one "comment war"

Uh, it wasn't much of a war really, and I highly doubt any of that was abusive. Pointless and accomplished nothing yes, abusive no.

It is bad though that for the six maps I've reviewed three authors have personally complained to me about what they received and one guy voluntarily removed his download link. I don't know how any map reviewing can be done when authors are breathing down your neck ready to throw down demanding a better score for their killboxes. Apparently nobody can accept the harsh reality of their maps anymore?

[addsig]



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by Agent Smith on Sat Jan 29th at 12:09am 2005

This has been something I've been thinking about for a while, but I posted it after a map comment made by me resulted in a pretty aggressive, and also pretty childish, attack on me and my map. I come to the SnarkPit because I know its one of the better mapping forums around, where most members respect each other, offer and accept advice, and generally get along really well. I would hate to see it become another Steam forums or the like, where the these things no longer exist. I'm sure most members share my feelings on the matter, and would like to see the SnarkPit keep and continue its great atmosphere and community.
[addsig]



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by mazemaster on Sat Jan 29th at 12:40am 2005

The Snarkpit is quickly becoming _the_ premiere HL2 editing site. Don't fu*k it up by instituting draconian measures. [addsig]



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 Re: Screening of New Members
Posted by BlisTer on Sat Jan 29th at 12:41am 2005

i agree with fraggard.

Compared to other forums, the snarkpit has been quite spared from morons, until the hl2-related influx, but this will quiet down after a while. And i think this "being spared of morons" is due to the few harsh guys here that yell noobs to their place when they cross the line. Only the real stuborn morons persist in trying to wage those flamewars where its everyone against one. For those the post-limit is already a great idea.

So the thing remains about comment-wars, which is indeed a persisting problem (and could be expanded to user-rating wars). I think in this case a moderator should be informed, who can delete all comments and rates resulting from such war. But, as ForceFlow said, dont give that power to the mapper in question.

[addsig]




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