Recent Forum Changes

Edit: This post was written before the switch to Vanilla forums, so this largely no longer applies. I'll update when I have a better grasp on the new features.

Eagle-eyed readers are probably already aware that the board has undergone some changes. iseff and I worked together over the weekend to implement these changes. If you logged on to find that you couldn't access anything, sorry about that, it should be straightened out now. The major changes are:

Anti-Spam Measures / New User Accounts

Signature spam is probably our #1 spammer problem. To address this, we have reconfigured new users such that they cannot create signatures, along with other account limitations. "New" is defined by post count, and although the specific number is classified, it isn't very large. Once you have crossed the threshold, your account will automatically be move to a normal permission level. There is a delay for the updated permissions to take effect, so don't crank out 50 posts and then start complaining that you're still a new user. Check back the next day, you should be good to go.

Please note that post count is the only metric involved. So if you have been here for 3 years and have only 2 posts, you are indeed marked as a "New User". If this is a concern, post a few more times, or if there is a reason you can't do that, PM me and I might - no promises - be willing to upgrade your account manually. If you feel that your account is wrongly limited, send me a PM.

Reputation

Reputation was enabled when I first came here, and I honestly don't know why it was turned off. iseff doesn't know either, so we've decided to turn it back on. Under the user information on the left side of each post, there should now be a button that looks like this: . Hit it to add to that user's reputation. I am not currently allowing negative reputation, but will listen to convincing arguments regarding why it should be enabled. As far as I can tell, if you earned points when the system was enabled previously, those points are still there.

Jobs Forum Restructuring

The Jobs forum has been brought to the top level, and split into 3 sections. This should make it easier to find out who is hiring, and who is available to be hired. We also added a new limited "for sale" forum to address an occasional need that hasn't fit very well anywhere else. Be sure to read the forum rules.

I'm considering adding a 4th forum for addressing scammers. We haven't had a significant scammer problem overall, but there have been a couple of noteworthy situations recently. I want scammers to be handled as publicly as possible, but I also want to keep the job forums clean. Perhaps the 4th forum could simply be called "Testimonials" and could be used for both positive and negative reviews. I'm open to suggestions.