Thread: Increasing Inbox space for starting members

Starting member PM privileges have always been hotly debated.

Here are the current Starting member settings:

Maximum Stored Messages: 3
Maximum Recipients to Send PMs at a time: 1
Message Throttle Quantity: 2
This limits the amount of messages the user can send within the Throttle Check Period

^The last option ties to another setting that is currently disabled. That means Starting members are free to send unlimited PMs.

I'm really curious if the majority of the site wants to: 1) keep them unlimited, 2) throttle them, or 3) disable Starting PMs completely.



Should we start a poll and vote on it?

Yeah, I'd like them disabled. I've had at least 20 people asking for invites :|

We throttle the number of PMs a starting member can send to make it easy for staff to communicate with ALL members, who often have legitimate reasons to PM a member. Vegas says they can send unlimited PMs, which means I missed a setting, so I need to fix that.

It's not too difficult to delete an unwanted PM. Kind of a whiny reason to inconvenience the staff and members this way.

A poll would clearly go in favor of banning members from PMing, despite the staff's need for it, because members don't always understand why staff make the decisions we do.

I don't personally think that disabling them altogether would be a good decision. I'm sure numerous users on here have had to deal with starting members PMing them for invites, I know I have a couple of times. Of course I pay no attention to them unless they mention a trade, then I make it a point to contact a staff member and make sure they are aware of it. Otherwise they just get deleted and life goes on.

I have on several occasions benefitted from being able to communicate with starting members via PM by being able to help them getting into our site and then continuing to help them once they become a full 10% member. I know it's shocking but sometimes we miss little things that are hindering some from joining (language barrier being the main thing). Sometimes I notice these things and sometimes I don't and I'm willing to bet there are others who do this as well.

Now in all seriousness I don't do it often these days, but it's good to know that I can do this. I've done it more so for those I know from trackers who are new to sites like this, however be it someone I know or don't know really doesn't matter in the end especially if I'm able to help them out even in a small way.

As for throttling I don't think it's needed. I honestly see no reason to do so considering how limited they are anyways. If a starting member is persistant towards any one member then that user should notify staff plain and simple.

Yeah, I suppose just reporting it or deleting it would work out fine.

When I first joined this site my intention was not asking for invites, rather more to discover the tutorial and seedbox sections. I found that my PMs were limited to 3 (both inbox and outbox) and obviously it's a hassle to keep on deleting the PM / sending a PM to other members. Only when someone PM-ed me about the introduction (not sure who, thanks!) did I realise that I had to create an introduction and be accepted in order to receive more than 3 PMs.

I understand that there are users who completely disregard the rules or are here just for invites but there are also genuine users out there that's joining this site solely not for the invites. With that said, I don't agree disabling the PM completely. It just shuts them out. Rather limiting them to 10 PMs?

Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by Enigma78

I don't personally think that disabling them altogether would be a good decision. I'm sure numerous users on here have had to deal with starting members PMing them for invites, I know I have a couple of times. Of course I pay no attention to them unless they mention a trade, then I make it a point to contact a staff member and make sure they are aware of it. Otherwise they just get deleted and life goes on.

I just wanted to +1 this as well as bring up something that was stated earlier in the thread. i dont think they should be throttled or disabled and to that extent i dont think a poll would give an accurate representation either. People, myself included are lazy and will vote out of convenience rather than logic.

it always astounds me how upset other people get by "unwanted" PMs; like the whole process of someone messaging you is somehow a hassle in their perfect lives. For that matter if it really bothers you to receive a random message dont open it and just delete it; i promise the 2 mouse clicks wont have a lasting effect on your schedule and for the love of god this also applies to IRC.

I also dont think just because someone isnt repped in means you shouldnt respond to them or help them. Just because they arnt full fledged members yet doesnt mean their questions are useless. You are in fact allowed to help people who arnt from torrent-invites just for the sake of helping another human being. If a 0% PM'd me asking my opinion on something that had nothing to do with their intro i would still answer them regardless of what their question was. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt give them any invites and i dont think others should either but a little human kindness goes a long way. This site is supposed to be about giving and helping other people and it is allowed and should be promoted to help people outside the site as well.

Just to give an example, we have pretty regular donations to various charities that loads of members here give a great deal of money too. Your helping people you dont know who have done nothing for you. Why shouldnt that same activity be expressed to people who ask you questions regardless of if their officially in t-i or not. A long time ago a user joined the IRC who wasnt repped in on the site (this was befoe we would auto-kick non-members), he randomly pm'd me asking about TV trackers and what to look for, my opinions on a few as well as a few other things, if i hadnt of answered him who knows if he'd have stuck around or not but i tried my best to answer all of his questions and than he left. He did end up joining the site and now hes on the 100 igiver club.

I rambled for a lil while there but oh well; its what i do.

Nicely put as usual josh. I think this whole issue is nothing more than a mountain being made out of a mole hill.

Maybe others will take note of this though and show a little more compassion towards our starting members.

@forever21 Nicely said as well and it's a shame that not all starting members go by your example.

In all seriousness the more I check this thread the more I kind of want to press forth the thought of possibly increasing there permissions on this subject because of users like forever21, the unnamed user josh talked about as well as the ones I've helped in the past.

I mean no matter what we will always have those who PM us for invites and truthfully if anyone here gets one of them and then decides to give one well that's on them and not us or T-I. We have a report system so use it, let the staff know and they will take care of it. Besides if I am not mistaken you can limit people on a per user basis with vbulletin. Those who insist on breaking the rules can be dealt with by removing/lessening there permissions.