State forums for members only.

[Slab]

I have not had much time for fishing this past year, I have been tied up with my parents for I am the only child. They are old and have many medical problems.So I have not had a lot of input on the boards.But I go to the boards and look at the post. I enjoy the Mississippi board and look forward to meeting some of the Guys. and the guys here in Alabama and fishing with and against them. What I look for on the boards that I look at are different styles of fishing, location of places of businesses that provide bait tackle places to eat and overnight lodging. I am not looking for GPS coordinates or secrets. I don't always sign in sometimes I am at work and won't sign in or at home on my Kindle sitting in my recliner. I just enjoy it.I have sent PM'S and I never just chime in. If I have something to say I will say it. I am ashamed that I have not up myself to sponsor yet, this is a great site and a lot of very good people are on this site. If I can help anyone at any time I will be glad to do it. It would be my pleasure. So Slab it is up to you so do what is best for you. for me it does not matter, I will abide by the rules.

First off, there is no reason to be ashamed. Yes, becoming a Supporter or a Sponsor does help with the site costs but that's not why I added those options. They came about via "member requests". Members wanted to advertise their companies, and the only way to do it without the site becoming nothing but spam was to allow it in their signatures (and it's only fair if they pay for advertising). And since the ads helped pay for the running of the site, members volunteered monetary support to not see them. This has been a grass roots site all along. In fact we need to thank our moderators the most. I never would have added any forums unless we had a member volunteer to moderate it.

I've been reading and thinking about all your feedback. A couple things really hit home. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" is one of them. But I also see that there is a lot of support for having a private area.

If I create a "Members Only" area for members to post "slightly more detailed" fishing reports, I'm afraid some members might make all their posts there, and disregard the current forums. So I don't really want to "break" what we already have. I just want to add to it.

I am willing to trial something like this. I create a Members Only Lake Reports forum, as a sub-forum of a state forum. But only those detailed reports would be allowed there. No OT, and no general fishing info. We have other forums for that. And anything that is not considered a "detailed report" will be moved out. The problem with this is, it needs to be watched closely.

Huh, as I write this, I kinda came up with a solution for it having to be watched closely. Maybe the the threads in this forum all have to be "moderated" first. That means that the moderator of that forum has to approve it before it gets posted. So if it's not a fishing report, it does not even get posted. Hmmm

In other words, I change nothing on the site. I only add a Members Only Area (for states that request it), where only detailed fishing reports are allowed. All threads started there have to be approved by the moderator before members can see it. After approval, members can post to that thread without needing further approval.

And I do think it's a good idea to have a minimum number of posts before you can participate in this area. Someone mentioned that it is actually beneficial to that new member, to kinda break the ice and get those new members involved in our great site.

So, all said and done, we got till Jan 1st to figure out more details. Great feedback, great minds, and great members, all right here on Crappie.com. I just thought I'd give you some return feedback as to what I was thinking.

Oh, someone mentioned bigger prizes, I think it was Huntinslabs. I do have some bigger prizes line up for 2013. We have some new sponsors I'll introduce later. I think you're going to like it. 2013 is going to be a good year here.

[boc kennels]

I guess I am guilty for lurking around the site without signing in. I started crappie fishing with my son a couple years ago and an old high school friend and have become a crappie addict.There are not many days go by that I don't at least take a look at my states site to see if anyone's catching some even if I can't go that week I enjoy the stories and pictures. I have picked up quite a bit off the site that was referred to me by a member and friend. I have noticed from the time I started getting on the site until now it seems like there aren't as many reports. I really appreciate the information I have found on the site and look forward to continuing using it even if I have to sign in.

[Shellback]

First off, there is no reason to be ashamed. Yes, becoming a Supporter or a Sponsor does help with the site costs but that's not why I added those options. They came about via "member requests". Members wanted to advertise their companies, and the only way to do it without the site becoming nothing but spam was to allow it in their signatures (and it's only fair if they pay for advertising). And since the ads helped pay for the running of the site, members volunteered monetary support to not see them. This has been a grass roots site all along. In fact we need to thank our moderators the most. I never would have added any forums unless we had a member volunteer to moderate it.

I've been reading and thinking about all your feedback. A couple things really hit home. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" is one of them. But I also see that there is a lot of support for having a private area.

If I create a "Members Only" area for members to post "slightly more detailed" fishing reports, I'm afraid some members might make all their posts there, and disregard the current forums. So I don't really want to "break" what we already have. I just want to add to it.

I am willing to trial something like this. I create a Members Only Lake Reports forum, as a sub-forum of a state forum. But only those detailed reports would be allowed there. No OT, and no general fishing info. We have other forums for that. And anything that is not considered a "detailed report" will be moved out. The problem with this is, it needs to be watched closely.

Huh, as I write this, I kinda came up with a solution for it having to be watched closely. Maybe the the threads in this forum all have to be "moderated" first. That means that the moderator of that forum has to approve it before it gets posted. So if it's not a fishing report, it does not even get posted. Hmmm

In other words, I change nothing on the site. I only add a Members Only Area (for states that request it), where only detailed fishing reports are allowed. All threads started there have to be approved by the moderator before members can see it. After approval, members can post to that thread without needing further approval.

And I do think it's a good idea to have a minimum number of posts before you can participate in this area. Someone mentioned that it is actually beneficial to that new member, to kinda break the ice and get those new members involved in our great site.

So, all said and done, we got till Jan 1st to figure out more details. Great feedback, great minds, and great members, all right here on Crappie.com. I just thought I'd give you some return feedback as to what I was thinking.

Oh, someone mentioned bigger prizes, I think it was Huntinslabs. I do have some bigger prizes line up for 2013. We have some new sponsors I'll introduce later. I think you're going to like it. 2013 is going to be a good year here.

Sounds good to me. If you want your post only to be seen only by registered members, it will take a little extra effort on your part. For those who like to share with all, nothing changes.

[STUMP HUNTER]

I've been reading and thinking about all your feedback. A couple things really hit home. "Don't fix it if it ain't broke" is one of them. But I also see that there is a lot of support for having a private area.

Slab I have seen this posted by a few members and I have to say "It is Broke" on a lot of state forums (including S.C.) because most members that use to post great fishing (including myself) reports have gotten tired of seeing there fishing area over fished because of those that read and never - never post or give back to this great site. As a moderator of the South Carolina forum I think you have a great idea for the private "detailed" members only report section and the SC forum from the feedback I have seen would embrace a private report section and I'm not talking about a report that reads "I went fishing and caught 8 fish", we have to many of these reports so I think a approved 'report thread' would help keep the Private Section a fishing report section.

Ed, thank you for your time you put into Crappie.com and for always trying to make this a better site.

[bowhunter012463]

Thanks slab, I think its been along time coming. A friend and I was just talking about this very thing the other day.

[Fatman]

As Ed said in a earlier post "lurkers" may not be lurkers!! How many "Members" can't log into the site from work??? But being able to just view lists you as a guest. I know it's Ed's site but I really think the guys griping the most have this illusion that they somehow own the water they fish.

Even Bassmaster magazines a day on the water only lists Lake X!!! Why can't everyone here do that?? You can list all the details you want but just say Lake or Pond X, I hardly get to fish for crappie unless my nephew gets his boat out to go to Champlain, but I have been given a location to fish for them which is close to my home, and which I won't reveal as I promised I wouldn't. But I like to read about the techniques people used to catch them, not for the location.

Would I like to fish some southern waters for crappie YEP!!! but doubt I'll ever get there to try. I truly think some people will leave if this changes. And one other point I made in my original post "Where does it end", if someone wants another area locked off??

[MThook]

I guess my posts most often are off topic because I fish for Stripers not for Crappie and live in NC but fish in SC. I enjoy the information I find here (SC Board) and try to add info as I have it. Since I don't have much to offer the Crappie guys I can't/won't vote on the changes because it could drop me from viewing the board living in NC
I've enjoyed the board for many years and want to Thank everyone that does post their reports. Looking forward to see how this pans out.

[barrelslime]

I say make the State Forums Private. Regardless if the Search Engine doesnt work.

[CROPEE7]

Slab: This is a truly well thought out solution. As a one-time full detail poster turned lurker, I was tired of the members who whined about detailed reports ruining their spots and lakes. That coupled with the "picture police" that suggested you were lying without yet another picture of a garage floor full of more dead crappie. I would hope that a detailed fishing report will require more than just another picture of dead crappie. Now we will see who truly wants to share fishing information and who just wants to brag about their catch.

["G"]

I guess my posts most often are off topic because I fish for Stripers not for Crappie and live in NC but fish in SC. I enjoy the information I find here (SC Board) and try to add info as I have it. Since I don't have much to offer the Crappie guys I can't/won't vote on the changes because it could drop me from viewing the board living in NC
I've enjoyed the board for many years and want to Thank everyone that does post their reports. Looking forward to see how this pans out.

I think some of you guys are mis-understanding.....You are members here now so you will be able to see all of the state boards.......What Slab is saying is for the guests who are not members, they will not be able to see the state boards unless they join C.C