Suggestion for the CMT sub-forum

[Mr Buckshot]

edit: I have thought over one of my ideas. I think this test should only activate IF A NEW USER ATTEMPTS TO CREATE HIS FIRST THREAD ON THIS FORUM, not if he is simply lurking around to browse. The thing about "one wrong answer and you can't re-try for 24 hours" should apply anyway.

So, there has recently been an influx of newbs whose first posts on this particular section of the H2V forums are stupid noobish suggestions, or requests for betas (trust me, not many people read the damned stickies).

I'm not great at HTML and Java programming, but I was thinking of some kind of brief "test" that every newly registered member must take before making his/her first post, but ONLY in the CMT section (if it applied to other sections, we'd alienate many potential members).

Let's say that we have a new member, username Smith. Smith is a newb, eager to post on CMT stuff. He is free to spam the other forums with all his bullshit, but when he decides to visit the CMT section, he will be greeted with a brief list of "CMT rules," namely "no asking for betas" and so on. After reading through, he will click "I agree to the terms of blah blah blah..."

But after clicking on "I agree," he will have to answer maybe 3-5 short questions. For example, after reading through the terms and clicking "I agree," the first question will be "Are you allowed to ask CMT for betas?" Smith must answer the question correctly, and so on.

If Smith simply skipped past the terms of use and clicked on "I agree," and therefore answered the questions wrongly, he would still be able to try again, but only after 24 hours.

Pros of this idea: It does a better job of making new members NOT make noob suggestions or ask for betas. The stickies don't work, trust me.

Cons of this idea: May alienate new members, even if the process takes less than 3 minutes (which it should).

Once again, this suggestion is only for the CMT sections, not the entire H2V forum.

edit: In case you are worried, the quiz will only activate the very first time one visits/posts. Once it has been completed, it will never show again.

cool I can access this forum

[teh lag]

I've thought about something like this too - I'd love for it to happen.

[Mr Buckshot]

Well, we then need jcap to code it in. I'm fairly sure that vBulletin, as the best forum layout in the world, can support this.

[supersniper]

Actually this is a really good idea +rep for you and I hope this gets used. Also maybe there can be some advertisement about the server... just a thought.

[Hotrod]

This is actually a great idea, and it would probably help quite a bit.

[Masterz1337]

I'm for it.

[Syuusuke]

Phew good thing I signed up already or else I would never be able to get in =P

[Mr Buckshot]

The idea is that you can still get in, however if you get any questions wrong you will not be able to try again for 24 hours, otherwise noobs will just randomly click the various options without reading them.

[Archon23]

You know eventually a couple of them will go to general discussion and spam: "Wat R the Answers to teh CMT Quiz?!?!"

[Mr Buckshot]

True, but that's a risk we have to take. Make such threads an infraction, maybe?


Also maybe there can be some advertisement about the server... just a thought.

Uhh....what?

[Mr Buckshot]

I'm for it.

double post, but do you have access to the root programming (not sure how to phrase it) of the CMT section? Or is it just the red-username admins who have access?

[teh lag]

double post, but do you have access to the root programming (not sure how to phrase it) of the CMT section? Or is it just the red-username admins who have access?

If we section mods had that we'd also be able to give warnings. :(

[TrU7H]

This is a great idea! I'd love for this to happen too.

[Atty]

There is too much going on behind the scenes right now to worry about this, and honestly, it's not needed. If you want your own rules and registration terms start your own site, if you don't want to do that then live with how it is now.

And what is to stop kids from just lying? Nothing. You'd still get the same problems you have now, I can't see this solving anything. But if you are all so dead set on it, if you can get it coded and working properly we will add it.

[Mr Buckshot]

I know it's not a necessity, but it will help cut down on noob threads and on noob-flaming. In fact the lazier noobs may just ignore the section and quit the forum.

Trust me, the next member who behaves like Uber_Pwner may well decide not to post such a thread as a result.

Heck, the quiz should even be repeated (but in a smaller review form) right before someone makes his very first actual thread in the CMT section.

[jcap]

And what's to prevent them from lying?

[Mr Buckshot]

And what's to prevent them from lying?

The fact that they will be met with hordes of flames and -reps if they even try (I'm sure many of them won't bother with what the quiz says and just make such threads straight away). I'm sure some of the flames will be "Hey fuck off how did you even pass that quiz if you are posting like that."

Look at Uber_Pwner. That retard made a SECOND suggestion thread right after the first was locked - if he had taken the quiz, he'd know better.

In fact, beta request threads and the like should be classified as infractions.

[Atty]

Flaming and -repping isn't the answer when dealing with new members who don't know better, its always better to just calmly tell them what they are doing is wrong and introduce them to our ways. If that doesn't work then -reps are appropriate but flaming them doesn't help in any situation.

Really, I can't see this test helping in any noticeable manner, if they are joining this forum to ask for a beta or whatever they are doing then having a test won't stop them.

[Archon23]

Its not like anyone really does that anymore. Half the new members here are just lurkers. I mean having a test for lurkers would be pointless.

[I_Am_Error117]

having 2000 stickies on this board doesn't help.............

[Atty]

Yeah, Masters needs to cut down on the Stickies. He should only have two or three, not 6 or more as it is now.

[Mr Buckshot]

Its not like anyone really does that anymore. Half the new members here are just lurkers. I mean having a test for lurkers would be pointless.

fine, then change of plans:

the test will only be activated right before someone attempts to actually POST here.

[supersniper]

Ok I got the answer if they lie. Banned for a week. If it continues then banned for a month. Then ect.

[HalosGhost]

Good idea Buckshot. It is always good when there are less spams and overall, less noobs. +rep

[ImSpartacus]

Ok I got the answer if they lie. Banned for a week. If it continues then banned for a month. Then ect.

jesus christ, u cant just act like these people are cattle, and u certainly cant just temp-ban people for lying, it would be crazy. i say just use the warning (or w/e its called) system in place right now, and instead of spaming threads with flames (the flamers should be -rep'd and warned just as much as the thread posters), just warn and leave.

if somebody gets 3-4 warns then thier post/thread will be deleted and they'll be dealt with by the mods.

Instead of wasting time with a quiz system, why doesnt someone start consolidating the stickies, and deleting all the old noobish threads.

I'm not saying something like this couldn't be useful in the future, but the people that would be organizing it could be doing other things.

[Edward Elrich]

Great idea, Buckshot. I can see one more con, though. There's always going to be someone who will answer the questions correctly but still do something in complete disregard to the terms of use, like asking for betas, cussing frequently (I'm not going to say all the time, because I'm sure everyone who's been a member for at least a month has done it at least once on the forums, myself included.)
As said above, with a couple additions by me, give new members a certain number of warnings with posts. If they violate the terms of use with a post, warn them, telling them that if they don't edit/delete (why can't you delete your own posts, anyway?) their post, the mods will take more serious action.

[Dole]

And what's to prevent them from lying?
It doesn't matter whether or not they lie.

The "test" will just be an effective and hands-on way of force feeding them the messages of the stickies.

[Edward Elrich]

Makes sense. If they still post about what the stickies clearly say they shouldn't, well, they were warned. Who knows what the mods will do to their accounts.

[Mr Buckshot]

Well, I changed the idea a little so that the test won't be available for mere lurkers. The test only activates when a new user makes his first THREAD (not reply to a thread) in this section of the forum, hence, force-feeding the user the rules of the stickies.

If a newbie (let's call him Smith again) passes the test and makes a noob unwanted thread, everyone has the right to flame/-rep him simply because he didn't listen. For example, Smith's thread can be "hay pplz can CMT give me betaz I can help out man." A reply would be "Did you even read the test questions? Fuck off."

[Ryan]

Well if your fans would just not lie on the age verification step when registering we wouldn't have this problem. :)

[Mr Buckshot]

Well, it doesn't take a master's degree in literature to understand the message delivered by the test: You are not allowed to ask for betas, release dates, etc.

I don't think that they should be banned if they make a thread that violates what the test said - they should just be locked out of the CMT section for 7 days, that's all (browsing around other forums is permitted).

and once again, to prevent anyone from randomly clicking answers, answering any question wrongly will prevent a new user from re-trying for 24 hours (as in, they have to wait 24 hours before they can take the test again to make a new thread).

[Mr Buckshot]

In after lock: I really think this is an effective way to block out the annoying noob posters. That way, if they make threads that violate the quiz rules, then we'll all flame/-rep them and be like "wtf dude do you not remember the rules?" and then an infraction is given...