TCS Community

ChimpBoy · November 21, 2003, 08:20:34 AM

I'm sure I've seen it before on the boards, but have we ever thought of having a bit of a clean-up of the member list? I know we are all very proud of what dMw has become, but to be honest over half the people registered have never been on the servers (certainly not in the last six or nine months).

It seems a bit misleading, that's all. Perhaps a quick email to let these peeps who have "lapsed" in their use of our facilities to let them know we r going to remove them (stated in the nicest possible way of course) unless they reply back stating they wish to stay on? Hell, they couldn't even get back on when we change the server pw next time as they haven't registered their steam id on the users page, so they won't get on if they aren't active.

I know there are some very sporadic users (e.g. someone like "The Pendragon" or "Tugs") who not for one moment would I dream of removing, but there are many who simply joined the forums, played once or posted once then never came back. I don't know if it's possible to have some kind of logging system like Yahoo where if your account is inactive (i.e. you don't log onto the forum or server) for, say six months, your account is parked?

It just seems as though we have this large core of very active users who get on great, but then an equally large number of people who nobody knows and we'll never see again.

Thoughts? Abuse? Cries of "Get stuffed monkey boy"? :unsure:

Doorman · November 21, 2003, 08:32:47 AM

Get stuffed Monkey boy! (thought I'd be the first

) I agree witch choo.

Anonymous · November 21, 2003, 08:34:32 AM

Yup. Good idea. tell me when you have done it! muhahahahaha :ph34r:

ChimpBoy · November 21, 2003, 11:15:52 AM

How about defining inactivity as:

Less than twenty (?) posts total
&
Registered outside of the last six months (before July 01 2003?)

I can do this manually one weekend afternoon if need be and post up a list if admins are ok with it. That should help with a first cut. A list can be generated and if we know there are players on there who should be exempt from the cut then so be it. I know there are regulars who often don't post.

We can then look at what that leaves us with in terms of alpha company and decide if more cuts are needed (but I should think it will weed out most MIAs).

Dr Sadako · November 21, 2003, 01:06:14 PM

This is a very sensitive subject you are bringing up and I must admit that I have thought about it in the past. Sure we have some inactive members since some time back for different reasons (kids, no internet etc) but these people have been in on building the foundation we have today. If we only go by posts or similar you could have actually removed Stryker and DogMeat some months ago when they had tons of work and weren't available. I don't think that would have been good ...

We could send them an e-mail and ask if they would like to keep their membership in dMw and we would know. Another solution could be to put them in Bravo Company i.e. not playing matches. This would be imho a diplomatic solution to the 'problem'. Remember that dMw is more of a community tag and we have room for hibernating members. It is not my place to decide though.

Anonymous · November 21, 2003, 01:10:22 PM

Maybe one of the Admins could let us know if the following is possible:

Send an email to all members with a link to click to verify their wish to stay registered.
The target page of aforementioned link will somehow record who has visited and store it in a database (or amend an existing database).
We then remove those MIA based on the response to said email after a defined period has elapsed (1 month?)

The reason i suggest this (even though it is a lot of work) is that I am positive that we will have to go through this process again in the future so it would be useful to have a tool to do the hard work for us. Maybe the existing forums/databases already have this functionality built in (I know diddly about them, I'm just the "ideas man")

Thoughts?

ChimpBoy · November 21, 2003, 01:48:08 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Sadako@Nov 21 2003, 01:06 PM
This is a very sensitive subject you are bringing up and I must admit that I have thought about it in the past. Sure we have some inactive members since some time back for different reasons (kids, no internet etc) but these people have been in on building the foundation we have today. If we only go by posts or similar you could have actually removed Stryker and DogMeat some months ago when they had tons of work and weren't available. I don't think that would have been good ...

We could send them an e-mail and ask if they would like to keep their membership in dMw and we would know. Another solution could be to put them in Bravo Company i.e. not playing matches. This would be imho a diplomatic solution to the 'problem'. Remember that dMw is more of a community tag and we have room for hibernating members. It is not my place to decide though.

With respect Sadako, my criteria would not have filtered anyone like doggers or stryk out. I put "AND" in to highlight peeps who have been long time joinees yet didn't contribute to forums. I admit this will miss some peeps who play a lot and don't post, which is why I also said about emailing to ask if they wanted to stay in or not and also publishing a list for admins to give the final nod

I don't think we should take the unilateral line and boot them out - it should be both an opt in and opt out community.

Or was my Swedish not clear

I am only talking bout alpha people - anyone above this should def be exempt. Guys like Mister Eggs don't play much but I wouldn't dream of kicking out someone I knew - I'm talking about people who joined, played once, decided it wasn't for them, and were never heard from again. We have over twenty pages of alpha people and no one can tell me that they are all active on dMw.

Maybe I'm being a bit "precious" bout the whole thing - It's just that the term "community" to me should be about contribution, not simply signing up to get the pw access to another server.....

Doorman · November 21, 2003, 02:47:40 PM

A couple of things spring to mind (ouch)
1: I agree in principle
2: Hitler tried to clean up and didn't know where to stop
3: Is this a tidy mind in overdrive?
4: Re. 3 see 1
5: Are they taking up room? I suspect not, but if they are someone will start griping
6: There is no 6

Doorman · November 21, 2003, 02:51:03 PM

Just noticed a flurry of post by DogMeat. I think you got him worried Chimpy my son!

ChimpBoy · November 21, 2003, 03:04:18 PM

Hehe - like your style Doorman

Yeah I am a bit of a neat freak - Just ask Smilo. I'm sure he has many tales of my retentiveness from when we shared an office. It's not only that I like things "just so" though - my point is a serious one. It's hard to take seriously some of the claims about a "large and prospering community" (although I don't doubt we have one) when half the people registered don't really have anything to do with us. A bit of clarity never hurt anyone.

Now I'm off to comb my little moustache and polish my jack boots.....

Dr Sadako · November 21, 2003, 04:25:30 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by ChimpBoy@Nov 21 2003, 02:48 PM
Or was my Swedish not clear I am only talking bout alpha people - anyone above this should def be exempt.

Mea Culpa. Very loooong day at work.

I thought you were talking about dMw members only and hence my reply. Put in new light, YES fire away Chimp. Remove all the alphas you like. If they reapply they will have to put in their SteamIDs to get the password and that is what we want.

Sorry for the misundertanding.

Cheers,

Sadako still at work and even more tired.

TeaLeaf · November 21, 2003, 05:10:44 PM

Why?

For what benefit to the community?
At what cost to the community?

TL.

Zok · November 21, 2003, 05:31:42 PM

just thought i'd post before i get kicked

i am a most untidy person but, i hate mess
so i'm with chimpy

SLoWHaND · November 21, 2003, 06:31:29 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by ChimpBoy@Nov 21 2003, 09:20 AM
I'm sure I've seen it before on the boards, but have we ever thought of having a bit of a clean-up of the member list? I know we are all very proud of what dMw has become, but to be honest over half the people registered have never been on the servers (certainly not in the last six or nine months).

It seems a bit misleading, that's all. Perhaps a quick email to let these peeps who have "lapsed" in their use of our facilities to let them know we r going to remove them (stated in the nicest possible way of course) unless they reply back stating they wish to stay on? Hell, they couldn't even get back on when we change the server pw next time as they haven't registered their steam id on the users page, so they won't get on if they aren't active.

I know there are some very sporadic users (e.g. someone like "The Pendragon" or "Tugs") who not for one moment would I dream of removing, but there are many who simply joined the forums, played once or posted once then never came back. I don't know if it's possible to have some kind of logging system like Yahoo where if your account is inactive (i.e. you don't log onto the forum or server) for, say six months, your account is parked?

It just seems as though we have this large core of very active users who get on great, but then an equally large number of people who nobody knows and we'll never see again.

Thoughts? Abuse? Cries of "Get stuffed monkey boy"? :unsure:

I cant remember there being any time limit or degree of posting needed when I first applied to be a member here and being a member of this forum only gives you the right via the password to play on our servers.
It does not mean you have to.

I believe it would serve no purpose to do what you propose.

SLoWHaND

smilodon · November 21, 2003, 07:08:04 PM

I also can't see the point of cleaning the forum of non posters. They are just names in a list. They also make the forum look humungus.

We know who the community members are - they have added their Steam ID's in the last month or so.

We know who the bravo's are as they have to apply for membership.

We know who the Charlies are (he he he he)

But who are the mysterious Deltas eh?