3 ms·

I've generally found a strong correlation between forum quality and the difficulty of gaining admission. One of my favorite forums put me on a waiting list for

I've generally found a strong correlation between forum quality and the difficulty of gaining admission. One of my favorite forums put me on a waiting list for three months before they let me post. So I'd prefer the addition of some sort of barrier to entry. Either an invite system like the private file-stealing sites use, a sign-up fee like Metafilter uses, or a vetting process for potential members. Ideally, I'd love to see Paul Graham take a couple hundred of the best users and start a new forum. After they had some time to establish the community, people like me could apply for membership, which would involve submitting a written case, and waiting a week for the existing members to vote on it. *This was originally a reply to lionhearted, who deleted his perfectly reasonable post.

jacques_chester 16y ago
> I've generally found a strong correlation between forum quality and the difficulty of gaining admission. There's a well-research phenomenon that people believe that a group is more valuable if it was harder for them to become a member. It pops up everywhere from YC to skull & bones to young men being ritually injured in the deserts of central Australia.
- danielford 16y ago
  This is true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm incorrect in my assessment. Compare the average Metafilter comment to the average YouTube comment. You'd have a difficult time making the case that there wasn't a discernible difference in quality between the two.
  - jacques_chester 16y ago
    > This is true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm incorrect in my assessment. Right, but as the subject of a membership ritual I have to discount your assertion. Sometimes membership rituals do increase value. But they increase perceived value regardless of what follows.
    - danielford 16y ago
      Aren't you engaging in the genetic fallacy here though? Pointing out a possible origin of my belief does not mean that you have disproved the belief.
      - jacques_chester 16y ago
        As developed through this discussion, my point would be that we need an outsider's perspective on the quality of a community. Perhaps a "passer by".
crasshopper 16y ago
NuclearPhynance doesn't block entry, but displays the community rules next to your first 10 posts. They quickly ban "bad guys" and IP block sock puppets / hidemy#ss. [PS you mean a strong _positive_ correlation, right? ;) ]

jacques_chester 16y ago

> I've generally found a strong correlation between forum quality and the difficulty of gaining admission. There's a well-research phenomenon that people believe that a group is more valuable if it was harder for them to become a member. It pops up everywhere from YC to skull & bones to young men being ritually injured in the deserts of central Australia.

danielford 16y ago
This is true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm incorrect in my assessment. Compare the average Metafilter comment to the average YouTube comment. You'd have a difficult time making the case that there wasn't a discernible difference in quality between the two.
- jacques_chester 16y ago
  > This is true, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm incorrect in my assessment. Right, but as the subject of a membership ritual I have to discount your assertion. Sometimes membership rituals do increase value. But they increase perceived value regardless of what follows.
  - danielford 16y ago
    Aren't you engaging in the genetic fallacy here though? Pointing out a possible origin of my belief does not mean that you have disproved the belief.
    - jacques_chester 16y ago
      As developed through this discussion, my point would be that we need an outsider's perspective on the quality of a community. Perhaps a "passer by".

crasshopper 16y ago

NuclearPhynance doesn't block entry, but displays the community rules next to your first 10 posts. They quickly ban "bad guys" and IP block sock puppets / hidemy#ss. [PS you mean a strong _positive_ correlation, right? ;) ]