Tweaking Permissions

[Jeric 46,834]

Blank Flank permissions have been altered to allow them to access profile pics, profile edit, and status updates. To prevent spammers and trolls for immediately slamming the site, they will be temporarily set to have their initial posts requiring approval. The moment the first post is approved by a staffer then the account is tagged as safe and the queue ends. The lone exception is for posts only made in Forum Games and the Lounge. I will revise the Welcome PM to direct new users to the Welcome Plaza to introduce themselves. 

We are currently evaluating additional perks for Subscribers. To start off the file size allowed for avatars has been increased from 150kB to 300kB. More is planned. They also have unlimited display name changes added to their perks.

Welcome Plaza posts now add to your post count. 

I am also going to be instituting a way of recognizing tenure on MLPF for users who have been a strong part of this community for a while. Rank badges are all well and good, but we need to find other ways to acknowledge our appreciation. Look for more information later. 

 

Edited April 28, 2019 by Jeric
Made several policy changes to edit

[Jeric 46,834]

Time limit to edit is now a month. 

Subscribers now have unlimited display name changes  

More is coming for subs

[Catpone Cerberus 23,426]

25 minutes ago, Jeric said:

Due to the historical issues with individuals coming back and ‘erasing’ content they have on MLPF, posts now have a time limit on the editing.

I assume the answer is yes, but want to check just in case...are OPs seen as different things than posts in this context? Since for example in request threads it's important part to be able to edit the original post. 

[Jeric 46,834]

1 hour ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

I assume the answer is yes, but want to check just in case...are OPs seen as different things than posts in this context? Since for example in request threads it's important part to be able to edit the original post. 

Request threads auto archive anyway if there isn’t any activity to prevent bumping. If there is a specific need to edit an OP simply report the topic and staff will make the edits needed. 

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

I'll just say it. I misread that as Twerking. I literally came here expecting, well, I don't know what.

Maybe it should say "Editing Permissions"?

[Rikifive 23,486]

Subs got buffed?

MLPF P2W confirmed! 

While we're here,

Posts Bundle is on sale!

Someone has more posts? Someone has higher rank than yours? Or maybe you just don't like the one you have and/or would like another?

You can skip to next ranks with that purchase! Forget about making quality content, just buy these! 

 

Just kidding of course; nice, nice.

[Jeric 46,834]

28 minutes ago, Bas said:

Imagine I create a topic about a (fan?) game and want to edit way later, for instance updating the dowload link pointing to a new version, features added etc.

I obviously thought of all of these issues, and as blunt as this may seem, the inability to edit posts in perpetuity is not a huge loss when compared to vandalization of content. So, you have one month to edit it. After that grab a staffer. We'll happily edit any changes you need. It should be mentioned that I can see how often people modify OP's so this is a hypothetical that happens only a few times, and that minor inconvenience is greatly better than losing historical content because someone rage quits or "leaves".  It is also the OP that I want to protect the most to be frank. Sorry. The other option is to archive inactive topics like we do in some areas already, but do it Globally. It makes the topic read-only and at that point most staff can't even help you make changes. This is a better solution. 

 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,426]

1 hour ago, Jeric said:

I obviously thought of all of these issues, and as blunt as this may seem, the inability to edit posts in perpetuity is not a huge loss when compared to vandalization of content. So, you have one month to edit it. After that grab a staffer. We'll happily edit any changes you need. It should be mentioned that I can see how often people modify OP's so this is a hypothetical that happens only a few times, and that minor inconvenience is greatly better than losing historical content because someone rage quits or "leaves".  It is also the OP that I want to protect the most to be frank. Sorry. The other option is to archive inactive topics like we do in some areas already, but do it Globally. It makes the topic read-only and at that point most staff can't even help you make changes. This is a better solution. 

 

So it is aright to use the report button for example when request maker wants to edit the list of accepted/completed/in progress by one name and such like many people doing requests seem to prefer to do instead of spamming the thread with posts? My concern is mostly on the fact that report button is usually used for..well, reporting, so many users, especially new ones may be bit too shy to use it to ask for small edits like that one.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Catpone Cerberus
grammar

[Jeric 46,834]

6 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

So it is aright to use the report button for example when request maker wants to edit the list of accepted/completed/in progress by one name and such like many people doing requests seem to prefer to do instead of spamming the thread with posts? My concern is mostly on the fact that report button is usually used for..well, reporting, so many users, especially new ones may be bit too shy to use it to ask for small edits like that one.



The report button is used for many reasons. For reporting rule breaking content, for making content specific suggestions, for users requesting a specific content item they made be edited or hidden, etc. It has traditionally had more than the primary use for years. I can also extrapolate the work effort by looking at historical forum usage of users doing a specific thing. It is trivial on both ends. We also do not have so many users that it would be an untenable thing. In fact ... its 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,426]

Just now, Jeric said:

The report button is used for many reasons. For reporting rule breaking content, for making content specific suggestions, for users requesting a specific content item they made be edited or hidden, etc. It has traditionally had more than the primary use for years. I can also extrapolate the work effort by looking at historical forum usage of users doing a specific thing. It is trivial on both ends. We also do not have so many users that it would be an untenable thing. In fact ... its 

Ultimately I will trust your judgment, after all I don't even claim to know that much about these things, and hearing that the report button can be used in that way takes away my worries mostly, but as a person who has learned to use report button for only reporting rule breaks and such, I'd say it would be a good idea to state somewhere at the forums the uses it can be used for. (if there isn't already, I haven't explored beyond certain sections for a while)

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

Hmmm... While I may not understand the full scope of the situation, it is what it is and I'll go along with it.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

I don't see the big deal with the "one month to edit anything you want" policy. Most of your old content most likely won't have future siginificance unless it's a thread that you want to update which in that case can just be reported and have a staff member update the said thread.

About the "owning the content" part and "letting us delete content", I feel that the site is responsible for anything that is said on here. Let's say someone wants to harm themselves and publishes images of them doing that said thing. That is our problem and we will take it into accordance. If you really want to have something delete, all you have to do is send in a report with what you want deleted and we will most likely ponder about it.

[Jeric 46,834]

It is one month to edit, unless there is a good reason to have an exception granted. I want to be very specific there. 

[Gestum 2,493]

I don't want to be negative, but I don't think that locking a users first post behind mod approval will do anything significant. It's easy for a troll/spammer or whatever to post a single good post, wait a day and then start trolling or whatever. Though, it would probably not do any harm either.

[Jeric 46,834]

Just now, Key Sharkz said:

I don't agree with that.

11 minutes ago, Mirage said:

We gathered, but be that is it may the disagreement of some in the community does not always mitigate a good decision. The answer and decision remains. Sorry, but it is what it is. Whether you agree or disagree with the justification is honestly irrelevant. The leadership sets the direction of the site and how it wants to control content. It is control. Some may think that is a bad word, but we don't. Also, how it impacts you personally is rather overblown. This announcement is started to become overblown with hyperbole and quite frankly, that was always a failing in the past. The decision is made. I'll create an FAQ on the new Subscriber changes and Veteran changes separately.  

I'll revisit this at a future point after I have empirical data and not hypotheticals. 

10 minutes ago, Gestum said:

I don't want to be negative, but I don't think that locking a users first post behind mod approval will do anything significant. It's easy for a troll/spammer or whatever to post a single good post, wait a day and then start trolling or whatever. Though, it would probably not do any harm either.

It is mostly to catch bots. Humans are always able to bypass these things. Handling Blank Flanks is probably the one thing that routinely change as we look for a balance that helps encourage new user adoption but prevents some asshat bot from making the place messy. 

[Jeric 46,834]

Upon further reflection the previous method of locating removed content and restoring it manually is preferable to wholesale blocking the ability. I have turned off the edit block for old content. I have also updated Welcome Plaza to allow intro posts and welcome posts to count toward post count as welcoming a new member should be encouraged.