Not feeling welcome as new community member

0100 · July 10, 2023 at 5:08 PM

Not sure what the reasons are but I feel quite uncomfortable as a new user in this community.

It's literally not possible to just post anything but instead a "grace" period of 40 minutes between every(!) post is configured in this forum. There is also no way to edit a previous post to add more text afterwards to (at least) overcome this awkward limit.

But by the looks of it even then no post/topic is published and a manual(!) mod/censor needs to allow every written word.

I personally never came across such an UNWELCOMING environment and I'm quite disappointed that such drastic measurements are taken and manifested.

The obvious would be that the admins had problems in the past with auto registrations/spam etc. and made the decision to make it almost impossible to participate. (Spammer can now only send 1 spam post every 40 minutes instead of 40 posts every second -> mission achieved)

I don't know when and what happened but you should definitely check if it would be possible to have sane/human levels of restrictions that still allows interacting so that new users feel welcome and want to stay and participate in the community.

For me it might be already to late and the bad (first) impression (also about the for me personal weird/antique/bad to use forum software) will stick.

Any way I wanted to get this of my chest as probably none of the users who sign up and just leave annoyed are telling you this. (But you might get an idea when filtering for users with only 1 post for example).

petediscrete · July 10, 2023 at 8:11 PM

It sounds like this forum may not be for you. Just an observation from what you have posted above. Do bear in mind that the project developers give all their time gratis and get very little in return.

**Da Flex** · July 10, 2023 at 8:28 PM

Quote from 0100

manual(!) mod/censor needs to allow every written word.

Yep, that's correct for new users. I wish we don't have to waste our time with this, but spammers are tricky these days.

Quote from 0100

Spammer can now only send 1 spam post every 40 minutes instead of 40 posts every second -> mission achieved

Nope, spam posts will be deleted before publishing. Multiple spam posts -> user / bot kicked out.

muppet · July 11, 2023 at 5:26 AM

I'm a new user and I don't feel unwelcome.

I understand your point, but these days restrictions on forums are the norm for new users.

I help Moderate a forum and even where we wait for a few posts, spammers still get through. They're so hard to fight.

So, don't feel unwelcome, feel annoyed at spammers that have meant people have to throw up all the barriers to what used to be free and open.

0100 · July 12, 2023 at 5:07 PM Best Answer

Quote from petediscrete

It sounds like this forum may not be for you

That's a VERY HONEST* answer to put after someone just told that he doesn't feel welcome

*"piss of we don't want to see you around" would have been even more honest petediscrete

Quote from Da Flex

Nope, spam posts will be deleted before publishing.

Which makes us wonder what the maximum 1 post every 40 minutes restriction is for at all if not for spammers and bots... anti engaging feature against human beings? -> mission achieved

Quote from muppet

but these days restrictions on forums are the norm for new users.

Is it? I'm soon a silver surfer and still remember the time when we had stunning 28kb/s and a busy phone line on top...

For me (being a moderator myself) and very active in a lots of communities (including joining new ones quite regularly) I can say it's the opposite of the norm. Normally it's sign up and dive right in (maybe a limit of maximum post/day with a freshman account).

The measurements taken in this forum look a little tragic to me and like a flash back when we had this phpbb forum type of software and every now and then we had to disable sign-ups because of attack of the bots... Luckily these times are (mostly?) over nowadays...

Quote from muppet

even where we wait for a few posts, spammers still get through

Yes, to be expected. And often better to "clean" afterwards than to over block users that want to participate. As you say eventually rule breaking content will be posted - but in a h-e-a-l-t-h-y community that is no problem at all because every one can flag content and then mods/admins can react on it easily without playing censor an dis/allowing each and every post.

Quote from muppet

So, don't feel unwelcome, feel annoyed

I feel both

Quote from muppet

feel annoyed at spammers that have meant people have to throw up all the barriers to what used to be free and open.

People (admins) don't have to this. I never came across such a locked-down community in the last 10 years. And spammers have a really hard time when using state-of-the art forum/community software btw.

And then, when you think you got it all already...

Quote from chewitt

we value the blocking (and resulting admin time saving) over the ocasional user inconvenience.

**Da Flex** · July 12, 2023 at 5:38 PM

Quote from 0100

And spammers have a really hard time when using state-of-the art forum/community software btw.

Tell us more about such software.

0100 · July 12, 2023 at 5:51 PM

As I can't edit my post (again)...

Quote from muppet

what used to be free and open

The saddest part actually is that this is a community for a open source project and one would think they try to have it as open, inviting and welcoming as possible so that the project thrives and as many participate and contribute.

After searching a bit actually other topics came up in this forum - and even deleted(?) are found in the internet archive which actually shows that this is anything but news for the people in charge.

- censored words

- https://web.archive.org/web/https://fo…king-censoring/

- https://web.archive.org/web/https://fo…ndle-criticism/

All found with external search engines as the the forum search is just utterly bad (just as the whole forum software which looks like to be made for german burocrats)

Quote from Da Flex

Tell us more about such software.

I would like to but I already written a post within the last 2,400 seconds and while my intention simply was to shine a light on this topic (as admins/mods don't have to suffer any over blocking, restrictions and limitations) it is now obvious to me that the team in charge actually knows about it and didn't revert or improve the situation.

I just leave you a link so you can read a bit how software automatically took most tasks of your job as censor/mod already (when using state-of-the-art foss software).

Tips for Preventing Spam

On most forums spam is rare. However, if you’re having problems with spam on your site, Discourse comes with numerous tools to help you automatically prevent…

meta.discourse.org

petediscrete · July 12, 2023 at 6:14 PM

Quote from 0100

That's a VERY HONEST* answer to put after someone just told that he doesn't feel welcome

*"piss of we don't want to see you around" would have been even more honest petediscrete

Which makes us wonder what the maximum 1 post every 40 minutes restriction is for at all if not for spammers and bots... anti engaging feature against human beings? -> mission achieved

Is it? I'm soon a silver surfer and still remember the time when we had stunning 28kb/s and a busy phone line on top...
For me (being a moderator myself) and very active in a lots of communities (including joining new ones quite regularly) I can say it's the opposite of the norm. Normally it's sign up and dive right in (maybe a limit of maximum post/day with a freshman account).
The measurements taken in this forum look a little tragic to me and like a flash back when we had this phpbb forum type of software and every now and then we had to disable sign-ups because of attack of the bots... Luckily these times are (mostly?) over nowadays...
Yes, to be expected. And often better to "clean" afterwards than to over block users that want to participate. As you say eventually rule breaking content will be posted - but in a h-e-a-l-t-h-y community that is no problem at all because every one can flag content and then mods/admins can react on it easily without playing censor an dis/allowing each and every post.
I feel both
People (admins) don't have to this. I never came across such a locked-down community in the last 10 years. And spammers have a really hard time when using state-of-the art forum/community software btw.
And then, when you think you got it all already...

Display More

As you have tagged me, If I had a dollar for every-time I heard age used an excuse I’d be a very wealthy man. It’s used here quite a lot too.

In my 7th decade now and have never needed to use it as an excuse or for attention. I think both apply in your case.

My original suggestion to you was made in a very gentle and subtle way. You’ve chosen to interpret it differently. You’ve got my attention now.

Now I suggest you fully read the rules, read the wiki and the many duplicate posts that are made here on the same subject. You may actually learn from them.

If that’s not to your liking well I suggest you join a men’s shed. They’d probably have more time to humour you. You won’t get much traction here. Folks are way too busy for that.

0100 · July 12, 2023 at 6:38 PM

Quote from petediscrete

Now I suggest you fully read the rules, read the wiki and the many duplicate posts that are made here on the same subject.

That's for your suggestion but I'm out of here. Beside I feel that this community doesn't welcome new members I actually also didn't receive any (technical) help. Lucky me I also signed up at the coreelec forums and it was quite contrary experience to here - like the opposite. Felt welcomed and directly "at home" (no blocking, censoring, timers...) like it should be (and I'm used from all the other communities I'm in). All good all settled.

In the past I used Libreelec - now I will pay attention that all devices I intent for media/kodi usage in the future are compatible with Coreelec. It's not that they have the superior software bundle or anything but they just have a friendlier and helpful community like I'm used from other FOSS. Also Hyperion(-NG) works without any additional hardware/grabber - big plus for me!

It looks like I'm not alone with this assumption as others tried to get help within the libreelec community and ended up with coreelec in the end

Quote from Hasselhof

For me it don't work and no help with libreelec. It was written my post is is hidden so I got no help.

With coreelec forums I immediately was attended and suggested cheap android box. Now written with coreelec and all works great!

And no petediscrete that's not "bashing" you like to call it but it was a simple constructive try to improve the (really) bad situation for new members. Let's see what the "old folks" do with it...

Again can't edit my last post so here is a new (for now inaccessible) one...

Quote from petediscrete

the many duplicate posts that are made here on the same subject

I even digged out some deleted/hidden ones in the internet archive - that you find now in my post before yours which was inaccessible before and therefor didn't allowed you to reply to latest post in this thread (because of the spammers... or not)

Quote from petediscrete

read the wiki

The libreelec wiki I read has lots of wrong/outdated content by the looks of it - maybe a consequence of making it so hard for new members to participate and contribute (or even just stay on the forums unlike peekaa after 1 post)? Maybe this - maybe something else? - maybe a combination... who knows.. none of my business...

I wish you good luck and really hope you improve the very bad experience for new users

petediscrete · July 12, 2023 at 7:43 PM

Quote from 0100

That's for your suggestion but I'm out of here. Beside I feel that this community doesn't welcome new members I actually also didn't receive any (technical) help. Lucky me I also signed up at the coreelec forums and it was quite contrary experience to here - like the opposite. Felt welcomed and directly "at home" (no blocking, censoring, timers...) like it should be (and I'm used from all the other communities I'm in). All good all settled.
In the past I used Libreelec - now I will pay attention that all devices I intent for media/kodi usage in the future are compatible with Coreelec. It's not that they have the superior software bundle or anything but they just have a friendlier and helpful community like I'm used from other FOSS. Also Hyperion(-NG) works without any additional hardware/grabber - big plus for me!
It looks like I'm not alone with this assumption as others tried to get help within the libreelec community and ended up with coreelec in the end

And no petediscrete that's not "bashing" you like to call it but it was a simple constructive try to improve the (really) bad situation for new members. Let's see what the "old folks" do with it...
Again can't edit my last post so here is a new (for now inaccessible) one...
I even digged out some deleted/hidden ones in the internet archive - that you find now in my post before yours which was inaccessible before and therefor didn't allowed you to reply to latest post in this thread (because of the spammers... or not)
The libreelec wiki I read has lots of wrong/outdated content by the looks of it - maybe a consequence of making it so hard for new members to participate and contribute (or even just stay on the forums unlike peekaa after 1 post)? Maybe this - maybe something else? - maybe a combination... who knows.. none of my business...
I wish you good luck and really hope you improve the very bad experience for new users

Display More

Don’t have the time or patience for this. I’m sure with these posts you’ve reached your quota now but good luck with your next pursuit. Hate feeding narcissists. Totally exhausting