Clean up Classifieds?

[Mike13]

Would like to get people's opinions on a Classifieds cleanup. This would involve changing the forum so that only the thread initiator(seller) can post in that thread. Any communication (questions etc) would have to be by PM or email or whatever, with the seller choosing what further info they then posted.

This is a possible way to get rid of the spam that seems to continue.
On the downside it could make the forum a little sterile.

What do folk think or are there other ideas kicking around?

[gb]

No, I think leave as is.
Why:
People ask different questions, therefore giving newbies like myself a better insight to the item for sale.

Leave it be says I.

Cheers
GB

[recurve boy]

Can you allow the seller to modify his thread? Then s/he can leave valid or useful comments/questions and get rid of the spam. It'd be a pain in the ass if the seller has to reply "RH" to lots of different people.

[NOCK HUNTER]

No, I think the seller will end up with to many pm's (what colour,draw length and so on) the same question from a lot of people.

I think the spamming is well policed.

IMO

[Mike13]

The idea is that the seller adds the info to the thread as the questions are asked, but I see what you mean.
Might make people think about their ads before they post them.;)

[Mike13]

Can you allow the seller to modify his thread? Then s/he can leave valid or useful comments/questions and get rid of the spam. It'd be a pain in the ass if the seller has to reply "RH" to lots of different people.
I'll have a look.

[Progen]

No, I think leave as is.
Why:
People ask different questions, therefore giving newbies like myself a better insight to the item for sale.

Leave it be says I.

Cheers
GB


Agree!


Plus some of the fights are fun to read. :p

[primal]

i'd say give the author of the classified the ability to delete posts in there own classified. however since i imagine that that would be hard to instigate, i would go for the "authors only" can post in there threads.

[Hannah]

Is it possible to give the author the option for restricting access? That way leaving it up to the author to decide how that thread moves forward?

I personally would not have a problem with the classifieds section being modified in this way, but by the same token, I would not have said that there was a major need for it either. I think the only major issue with raising this type of question is whether it would work its way outside of the classifieds section...and this would defeat the purpose of a discussion forum. However, I do see the validity of the suggestion especially because of the potential for people to lose a sale due to some idiot's comments. People tend to get very narky when money is involved.

[The One]

I say leave it as it is

[Mike13]

I think the only major issue with raising this type of question is whether it would work its way outside of the classifieds section...and this would defeat the purpose of a discussion forum.
Classifieds only. Having a forum where only the thread initiator could reply would be a little silly.

[DanceswithDingoes]

I agree with you Mike, most ppl pm anyway, this gets rid of the dumb questions and dumber offers. If the ad is considerately worded then the seller need not get lots of stupid pms. I would only have this if the forum could upload and host the pic of the item from the seller's puter, reducing the hosting hassles. You cpould always have a 3 month trial to see how it goes.

[BrokenArr0w]

why not just let the author be able to remove any posts they dont want in the thread? and maybe the ability to give bad rep to anyone who spams in the thread aswell?

this would cut out the ammount of chatter and crap in the classifed threads but leave the essential info thats needed, it would also stop people from posting crap in them in the 1st place..

[Nathan]

i agree with arrow.. say someone askes a question about the objet being sold like if the author left out the # if the bow, then the author could read it and then edit his orignial post and put the # in, then deleat the post which was the person asking

if you get that.. and it will also clean up the thread

[gb]

I'll go along with Broken Arrow partly, initiators of the thread be given powers to delete unsavoury commments , smart cracks etc.

However I don't know about giving bad reps out though, this should be left to ADMIN, cause you don't know if its a personal feud, which I feel should not be carried out in the thread. ( take it out the back boys/girls)

I have been reg'd for a while and do not believe some of the childish posters get up to.

Thats my two bobs worth.

[Nathan]

yes i also desagree about the neg reps, but if they keep spamming/bothering your threads you could always just warn a admin

[CMB50]

I think it should be left as it is.
With the extra Admin and extra Moderator being added to the forum recently there are a couple more of us to police misguided comments placed on people classified adds.
Plus leaving it as it is allows for productive and helpful comments from other to be placed in the ad.

JMHO.

People know the rules of the classifieds and breaches will be met with negative rep points and/or suspension.

[Eberbachl]

I'd say leave it as it is.

I see the point RE: Spam, but some of it's worthwhile, and lots of valid questions come up too.

Moderating it isn't too much of a hardship.

;)

[frommy]

I go with leave as is. I agree with the comments by Luke and Cam above.

Brian

[Progen]

Agree again with frommy, Eberbachl and CMB50. I've yet to see an occasion where a moderator has not stepped in to break up the fight or remove any unnecessary posts.

[rabbitz]

If it aint broke, why try & fix it?

[Archangel]

There are quite a few times where the seller gets it wrong too - I've seen several where they forget to mention something, say what length a set of limbs are. Nothing wrong with someone posting a reply asking that - otherwise the seller could be bombarded with PM's all asking the same question :-)

[Archangel]

If it aint broke, why try & fix it?
In order to break it of course ;-)

[Hannah]

There are quite a few times where the seller gets it wrong too - I've seen several where they forget to mention something, say what length a set of limbs are. Nothing wrong with someone posting a reply asking that - otherwise the seller could be bombarded with PM's all asking the same question :-)

Of course there is nothing wrong with someone asking questions about the item, I think the main question here is whether or not we give the buyer the option of deleting posts to eliminate spamming on threads. Besides the number of times that I have seen people having to edit their original thread because of a PM sent in the current system is fairly high...so really I do not see a difference, except for preventing inane comments on someone else's thread. It is just a question of method.

[Hannah]

If it aint broke, why try & fix it?

One could argue that it is 'broken' which is why the question came up in the first place.

[Mike13]

I just brought this up as an idea I had to make the classifieds 90% self regulated. I am looking into the suggestion that sellers be able to admin their own threads atm but keep the comments coming. Am very interested to hear peoples opinions and ideas.
Thanks everyone.

[StevenB]

clean up on aisle 5