One of the topics of discussion at the Board meeting was whether to limit posting to the forums for JCNA members only. This can be done and would require anyone that wants to post to be a current JCNA member. They would have to fill out a short form, submit it and be verified. New members would experience a delay as it does take a while to get registered and onto the on-line database. We are working on shortening this process so in the future it will not be an issue. Non Members could still read postings.
What I would like to know is if it is worth the effort to implement. Pascal and Ginger have been doing a good job of deleting the spam. If you see some, all you have to do is drop them a line and mention it. You also do not have to look at it if it bothers you.
I try to leave my personal views out of it and would like to see what the majority, members and non members alike think. From reading the forums, there are a lot of postings from non members that provide valuable insight. Some of these people might just find a home in the JCNA and join if they feel welcome. It is kind of like club events in that if you require people to join first, a lot of them will not bother. Our club invites people to come out to the events, meet the people and see what our club is all about. We get a lot of new members that way.

Submitted by woebegone@mind… on Tue, 05/18/2010 - 13:45

Depending on the forum software, the answer may be quite easy.

Simply moderate non-JCNA members.
That means, all posts by non-JCNA mnembers are scrutinized by the moderators bnefore they are put on screen.

I am a member of several groups that do that.

Dave

Submitted by SE98-32482CJ on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 10:57

Forums are just what they were when the term was formed--an open area for anyone to make a point or have a discussion or civil exchange. I doubt any benefit could be had by limiting who can log on to JCNA to have a look at what is on here. If they are offensive or abusive we have the tools to deal with that. So in a word "open". As JCNA expands its club benefits and services I do however see a need to limit who is able to enjoy the same and if we proceed correctly they will gladly join but that is different and good for a discussion on a later day. As far as the spam it is not as much of an issue here as it is elsewhere--I just do not see the problem I quess--heck we have a bigger problem getting folks to post in the correct area--sorry if some do not agree but it is just not an issue and even if it was JCNA has much higher priorities at this time and limited resources--thanks for letting me express my opinion.

Submitted by howardbollinge… on Wed, 03/31/2010 - 09:59

Dick, I for one would agree that getting people to join before posting is not the thing to do and alerting all of us to watch for spam and report to Pascal and Ginger is the right direction. Even though a member for many a year, I just looked for a long time before posting. We should all be ambassadors for the club and welcoming new participation by all interested parties. Is there any way to send a message back to new non member posters after their 2nd or 3rd post and tell them how much we welcome their involvement ? Maybe that is already being done but it would sure make me feel welcome if I was that person. Howard B.