Forum registration quiz - any opinions?

[Nacho]

MMM... why we don´t make a jury (maybe Andail, M0ds, Helm, Aga, CJ...) that will set up the member status to somebody reaching X number of posts? For example... Farlander reaches 200 posts, and teh jury says... "mmm... we´ve seen your posts, and you´re not funny at all, and your very inmature!" And then, I´ll have to wait to another further trial.

That could be funny, because with a jury we could judge weird conflicts between members. It would be a step more that the moderators system we have here.

[SSH]

Surely part of the point of the forum quiz is to stop people from posting if ther'e just going to put adverts or loads of one-line posts saying "me too" or something. So I think the questions should stay. On the other hand, I think that anyone with over, say, 240 posts should be given the title of "Supreme Grand Poobah" instead of just "member".

Of course, this just encourages people to post silly messages to reach the target. Maybe one could rate posts like some BBs do and you have to have a number of good posts. Or you apply as Farlander says, to the clique of the elite modertors to have a particular title. But then, who cares about titles when you have your avatar, signature and whatever you call that bit of text under your avatar...


EDIT:
By the way, has anyone else noticed that the "hide" directive doesn't work on these forums in preview mode or in the "most recent 10 posts". This is a real shame, cause you can get spoiled...

[DGMacphee]

I had a look at the past pages for the Gen Discussion forum and compiled some stats.

For example, the number of locked posts for each set of 10 pages:

1-10: 4
11 - 20: 8
21 - 30: 12
31 - 40: 12
40 - 50: 4
51 - 55: 3

As you can see it hit a high amount of locks, and now has fallen again.

However, the types of current locks appear more understandable, for example:

- One about a link for GK2 (Understandable, as there wasn't any piracy/abandonware rules).
- A second Matrix post (which I should have merged instead of locked, but didn't know about the merge command until later)
- Mitar's goodbye (A clearing-the-air post -- some things in that thread had to be said, I guess, but it's a shame that it has to end like it did)
- The LEC is no more/"fake yahtzee" causing probs thread (annoying, but handled well in the end)

From this, I think the maturity level has risen in the Gen Discussion forum.

I also think this is indicative of the forum entirely -- however, to get an accurate understanding you'd need to know the number of locks from all the other forums -- though, I'd guess they'd be similar.

And I also think more games are being developed (I'm only guessing this -- to find out, I'd need to measure the number of games released in the Announcement forum on a monthly basis).

This indicates to me that the questionaire works as something to subtly teach the rules of the forum.

This leads me to my opinion: the questionaire only needs emphasis that it is only something to teach, and not a deterant.

In other words, we need to be clear that we are not trying to shoo away 'n00bs', but at least trying to show them the system of respect that has been built around here and ask that they follow it.

And that's one of the key things this forum has been built upon: respect.

Perhaps just an additional message is needed for the questionaire -- something like "Note: This questionaire is not meant to block people from the forum, but to teach them how our system of respect works."

That's how I see the questionaire: An educational tool, instead of a security measure.

[Nacho]

I think that anyone with over, say, 240 posts should be given the title of "Supreme Grand Poobah" instead of just "member".

Of course, this just encourages people to post silly messages to reach the target.

That´s why I told that to win the title you must pass a trial.

[TheYak]

I dunno..  I think more rules and stuff might discourage newbies from joining the forums.  I know that we don't want a lot of crap posted here all the time, but must we be positively elitist?  

Maybe if we just leave the questions.

As far as "rank" or whatnot, I think a moderator should be able to come up with a sufficient title for each.  Something denoting how helpful someone is, what their specialty is or even just off-the-wall stuff.

[Scummbuddy]

but with helpfulness, we added the little icons to say that what they can help with.

[Pumaman]

I like Andail's idea, it's interesting.

But then, as SuperScottishHero says, the point of the test is to make registering a bit of extra effort, to put people off who might only register to spam the boards.

From experience, IMO ranks are more hassle than they're worth, and just keeping the 'Member' we have at the moment is fine.
But then, I would say that, cos I get my own

Perhaps just an additional message is needed for the questionaire -- something like "Note: This questionaire is not meant to block people from the forum, but to teach them how our system of respect works."

It does already sort of say that, but maybe it needs to be made clearer.

Anyway, from this thread I haven't seen anyone objecting to any specific questions on the quiz, so I'll leave it as is. However, I will remove the Newbie vs Member questions, since they aren't relevant these days.

[Mr Jake]

Since the point is too make them think about their answers, you could make it so it doesnt tell them what one they got wrong....

[Scummbuddy]

That seems like a good idea to me.

[Matt Brown]

I think that anyone with over, say, 240 posts should be given the title of "Supreme Grand Poobah" instead of just "member".

Of course, this just encourages people to post silly messages to reach the target.

That´s why I told that to win the title you must pass a trial.

I actually dont think that such a bad idea...prehaps if one is really dead set on cool little titles by their name, they can take an extra test, on prehaps difficult scripting questions, or what not, or something.  maybe a dumb idea...maybe not.

[Pumaman]

Hmm yeah, interesting point. I'm not sure, that might just frustrate them into clicking random boxes all over the place until it works, which kinda defeats the point.

Anyway, I have now replaced the user rank questions 7 and 8 with two questions about nationality. You can see the registration quiz here: http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/?action=register

[Andail]

7. You wonder if anyone else from your country reads the forums. What should you do?
* Post a new thread, asking 'is anyone here from Russia?'
* Nothing at all. The internet is a multi-cultural place, there are forum members from all over Europe, the Americas, Australia, Asia and the rest of the world, and more than likely there is someone from your country. Besides, why does it matter?

Woah, just don't make it too darn hard for them, CJ

I still like my idea. Maybe I'll just implement it on my own, if you don't agree with me!

[Pumaman]

Woah, just don't make it too darn hard for them, CJ

LOL well yes, but this way the fact that they have to click on that answer should make them read it, and thus avoid the threads we've had started on topics like that recently

[Synthetique]

a bad thing with titles by the number of messages is the spam that some people would post everywhere to become the supreme...

[Matt Brown]

I have an idea. A cunning idea, at that.

How about removing the entrance test, and let everybody register, but with the title "Beginner" or "Apprentice" or something. Then, at any time, he or she could take the "Big test" that will reward them with the title "Authorized user" or simply "Full member" or something whatever.
This test, of course, is much harder than the entrance test is at the moment. There could be at least thirty questions demanding both common sense, forum etiquette and some history knowledge.
This would of course just affect the member status, but I think that is enough incitament - people don't want to be taken for newbies forever.

Also, this authorization could be removed afterwards if the member kept behaving badly or doing inappropriate things.

I would gladly help designing such a test.

ahhh, I like this idea more then mine actually. prehaps it might be a good idea to write 45 questions, and only display say, 30, with a randomizer. this prevents a user from just clicking again and again

[Pumaman]

How about removing the entrance test, and let everybody register, but with the title "Beginner" or "Apprentice" or something. Then, at any time, he or she could take the "Big test" that will reward them with the title "Authorized user" or simply "Full member" or something whatever.

The alternative to this would be to have a karma-type setting on the board, where you can vote other people up or down. If somebody got 20 positive votes then their title would become "Respected member" or something. Probably unworkable, but it might encourage people to behave more sensibly in the quest to get the title

[Matt Brown]

doesnt slashdot have their source code for that system up for download?

[furrylilkreature]

Hay uummm i've been watching you guys post a whole bunch I new there was something I could put to try and help so here it is.  I think you should keep the registration quiz how it is but depending on how good a video game they make they makes them promoted... just a thought. :

[Proskrito]

Hay uummm i've been watching you guys post a whole bunch I new there was something I could put to try and help so here it is.  I think you should keep the registration quiz how it is but depending on how good a video game they make they makes them promoted... just a thought. :

But making good games doesnt necesarily (sp?)mean that they are helpful to the community, and vice-versa.

[furrylilkreature]

good point I forgot, how about we just keep the test but keep an eye on everyone