Proposed Referendum Policy

What do you think of having a referendum whenever SF is about to be featured in a magazine or some such?

The features always trigger a stream of mindless n00bs who do things like posting half-naked pictures of themselves and asking us to recommend sources for purple suits, canes and Belvederes.

Referendums would allow SF's members to speak. They'd serve as non-binding counsel for the admins before agreeing to let the name be used in magazines.

Interesting idea, but it's not really up to us is it.

It's not our board. It's J's.

No one asked me if you could join, for example.

What recent publication was the Forvm featured in anyway?

Originally Posted by jimmyoneill

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What recent publication was the Forvm featured in anyway?
Maxim, apparently, according to the guy who posted the disturbing photos.

I do not think J cares who comes, more hits is better for him no matter if you have to look at a couple interesting photos?

Originally Posted by AlanC

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It's not our board. It's J's.

True. On that note, do these magazines even ask J's permission before featuring SF? Or is it as much a surprised to him when it comes out as everyone else?

None of us pay the bills, so it's not up to us.

noobs like those don't last anyway, they're just temporary disturbances here.

This proposal does not make sense. I am fairly certain that the journalists writing these articles do not ask for permission to write about blogs, forums, etc. When I freelanced, consent was only necessary for individual interviewees.

Yeah- because J certainly doesn't want the site to grow and prosper (and make $$)

Originally Posted by acidicboy

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noobs like those don't last anyway, they're just temporary disturbances here.

Actually, some do. They stick around, take the time to learn and become productive and contributing members of the community. If I remember, one of the first great waves of SF membership was after the forum was featured in the NYT.

Seeing references to purple suits and disturbing pictures, I sort of want to see them, anyone got a link? so long as its only disturbing sartorially, or in a humorous way.

Back on topic, you can't really stop journalists writing about the site. I don't see why you would want to, as a fairly new member myself I don't think any barriers to entry for new people are a good idea. The openness of this site is one of the things that appeals, opposed to somewhere like the London lounge.

I think that roundly abusing them till they leave or change rather than stopping them from coming at all is more the style of this forum, at least from what I have seen, and it works - and can be quite amusing.

As a "noob" here but a former working journalist (I have since abandoned that line of work for greener pastures), I can tell you unequivocally that newspapers and magazines do not need, or typically stop to ask ask for permission to publish content about a website. A website is published on the internet and therefore considered to be in the public space and fair game for comentary whether you like it or not. No "referendum" is ever going to disuade any journalist worth their salt from going to print.

That said, the flood of noobs is a always a problem in forums, and this one is no different. And they (or should I say, "we"), are not all people who just want to post pics of how badass they look in their black four button unvented suits. Besides people, both fine upstanding citizens and astoshing idiots alike will find the forum on their own anyway. I myself stubled accross here while trying to find info on MTM shirts and quickly got hooked.

Originally Posted by eponymous

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As a "noob" here but a former working journalist (I have since abandoned that line of work for greener pastures), I can tell you unequivocally that newspapers and magazines do not need, or typically stop to ask ask for permission to publish content about a website. A website is published on the internet and therefore considered to be in the public space and fair game for comentary whether you like it or not. No "referendum" is ever going to disuade any journalist worth their salt from going to print.

That said, the flood of noobs is a always a problem in forums, and this one is no different. And they (or should I say, "we"), are not all people who just want to post pics of how badass they look in their black four button unvented suits. Besides people, both fine upstanding citizens and astoshing idiots alike will find the forum on their own anyway. I myself stubled accross here while trying to find info on MTM shirts and quickly got hooked.

In what industry do you work now? I'm always interested in industries besides journalism which use the journalistic skillset.