There Needs To Be Guidelines Included On the Forum Board

Apparently there are some forums where all members are not permitted to post OP's or comments. Perhaps it would be beneficial to know beforehand which ones those are and what the parameters are. For instance, I tried to start a collaborative writing OP and after spending time formulating my idea and taking proper care do present it, I was shut down. There was no information in the forum or on the board that gave me any indication I was not allowed.

Now, please, be so kind as to alert me to what other forums I am forbidden to be included in and offer me an explanation as to why, when or how such a possibility can take place.

Perhaps the fact such forums exist makes it necessary for them to have their own specific location on the forum board, rather than be included where any member thinks for some strange reason that they are permitted to be there when in fact they are not.

Surely, I am not the first member to encounter this problem in the past and if that is the case why hasn't something been done to curtail this yet?

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Huh?! There are threads in which one is not allowed to post?!

Any examples other than the collaborative writing thing?

Thanks

a reply to: swanne

The debate forum was off limits, but hey that doesn't seem to be very active.

Certain forums require certain statuses. To post in the collaborative writing forum you have to request "writer" status.

The debate forum requires "fighter" status and the research forum requires "scholar" status.

Certain forums here on ATS requires a member to have a certain amount of posts before being able to access it, or post in them. Some require special permission to participate in.

If you can't seem to post in a certain area, either send a U2U to any Staff member, or use the Complain button and ask why. Someone from Staff will be more than happy to answer your questions.

a reply to: swanne

Apparently, unless you have a designated status bestowed upon you as a writer, scholar or fighter, you are prohibited from certain threads, but it would be helpful to know which ones they require those parameters for. You can add the Research forum to this, too.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: swanne

Apparently, unless you have a designated status bestowed upon you as a writer, scholar or fighter, you are prohibited from certain threads, but it would be helpful to know which ones they require those parameters for. You can add the Research forum to this, too.

Seems like you are already aware of them. So what's the point of all this?

a reply to: Bone75

Well that explains the why but it doesn't explain why the secrecy and why it is necessary to find this out after the fact, why not explain this on the actual forum board and take the guessing out of the equation?

a reply to: intrepid

I posted this before I found out certain exclusionary reasons. However, that does not mean it is still not an issue. Why not make it clear on the forum board?

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Each of those forums contains a sticky post explaining the rules.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Okay so we have to u2u to get information when it would be easier to explain that in no uncertain terms on the forum board itself? I don't understand why you would include forums that are not accessible without giving people a reason up front.

There are multiple threads, stickied in both the CW and Short Stories forum that provide the guidelines.

~Tenth

There is no secrecy. All one needs to do is ask.

Same goes for a forum you can't access. All you have to do is ask why. Which of course would be the right thing to do, since if you can not access it, you would not be able to open up the thread explaining why you can't access it.

Sort of like a note explaining why you can't open a safe being in the safe.

If you want a status to access a forum that requires a status to access and post in: Then ASK the Staff what you have to do.

If there is a forum that you want to access but can't because you need a high post count, then ASK the Staff what that post count needs to be.

Not really that much more work on your part to find out. Especially when things change around here.

a reply to: Bone75

No they don't. And the forum board itself is where the information should be, so members know beforehand not to waste their time. Why even have the forums included, if they are exclusionary and offer no reason? Okay, now I know, that does not change the fact that it is very frustrating to have tried to do something only to be shot down.

This is not the way to exclude people. If it is expected for members to achieve certain status then that should be made clearer.

What boggles my mind is the lack of sensitivity involved in the replies thus far. It is great for those of you that understand the process.

a reply to: soulpowertothendegree

Most Forums have descriptions stickied at the top .

for instance...

Want To Be A Writer ?? Please Read.

and

Writing Forums and the T&C rules

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
There are multiple threads, stickied in both the CW and Short Stories forum that provide the guidelines.

~Tenth

And the Research forum:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And the Debate forum:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Jbird

Most forums? Really? They may give descriptions in some of them but that is not the forum board itself. If there are exclusions then make them known. Really it is very simple and yet complicated for no reason.

The collaborative writing forum has the rules stickied at the top. I just checked again. I saw it when I first joined and became interested in the short story and collaborative writing forum. I have been entering the writing contests so I could get writer status, so one day I can maybe do a collaborative thread in the collaborative writing forum.

I think your just mad your post got deleted. I can understand being frustrated when something you spent time on just goes poof. But do not be mad at the site because you didn't see the rules.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

So far nobody has given me an explanation that is suitable to what I suggested. Why can this issue not be addressed on the forum board itself? Give me a good reason for that.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: tothetenthpower

So far nobody has given me an explanation that is suitable to what I suggested. Why can this issue not be addressed on the forum board itself? Give me a good reason for that.

Because it's been that way for the 11 years I've been here and it works.