Hi all.
Just my two cents on this discussion.
Democracy is for countries and for cultural associations, not for Internet forums. Some people tend to forget that this forum is paid and maintained by a group of people who OWN the site. It's their house and their rules.
I'm not a particularly good sharer (in fact, I'm always surprised that these members are able to find all this good stuff online and willing to share) but I try to help as much as I can (and what my time allows it) with my experience in structural and geotechnical design. Other people will help in other areas.
Point is: if you're invited to a friend's house and don't even bother to take a bottle or two of wine or a dessert, at least you could help to pay the dinner...
my 1 cent on the issues presented,
1. i take it as an exclusive club..... that is u have to qualify to be a member
(forum rule applies... whatever they maybe)
2. to be a member u need to abide with the rules and regulations
(u may voice objections but then again u follow the rules "under-protest")
3. if u dont tike the club... big deal dont apply for membership
4. the forum is privately owned and financed, so the admin can do whatever he wants
(if he chooses to close the site.... bye-bye to all of us)
5. if u dont like the way its being handled... be my guest... make ur own forum and invite me
6. if u need specific software bad enough learn software cracking
(my humble contribution to the forum.... a few softwares i cracked myself "not bragging about it", unfortunately the rest of the cracks i dare not share with the net)
Dear Forum friends,
I think the post of granjero_mx is taken very seriously and those who are contributor to the forum since its birth tried to defend the administrators decision. However, i think this forum is "the best" not because of those "viewers" but the contributors and hence the administrators/moderators has all the rights/responsibilities to keep these forum clean and "knowledge sharing".
I am not the Donner to this forum but i tried to contribute whenever i can and thereby i have forum friends whom i can contact whenever i need some information or help regarding the subject i am not good at and this is "CIVILEA"... those who believe that this is software downloading forum my humble request is to switch to another forum...
If one day moderator decides that everyone should pay for the forum then also i will try my best to pay to be with my friends ans this is a community of civil engineers ...
Dear BennyP,
First of all I do not know why should I explain that I clicked on a button. Nevertheless here is some explanation:
I clicked the button to thank the opinion of a user and because I partially agree with his/her opinion.
Yes I voted for some kind of sanctions against inactive users before.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind...
I think at that time the conditions how to deal with inactive users were not so elaborated to be able to judge it properly.
I still think that if the site cannot survive with numerous idle users it is a preferable option to delete the long time inactive ones (the Admin claims that the subscription fee is nothing compared to the total cost).
I am not an expert in maintaining forums, paying servers, etc. but many other sites can solve the problem without harshly restricting the newcomers and inactives.
Personally I do not mind if someone does not share or contribute to the forum, who I am to claim that I have more rights and access to “materials” based on my tiny voluntary contribution.
I do not understand the users who are outraged because of the inactive users and proudly enumerate his/her posts and uploads. I do not wait for anything as exchange and not monitoring others whether they share or not.
There are some parts I cannot grasp:
“Subscription fee is nothing against the time that we spend here, against the server and maintenance cost and”
“we do not need money from users!”
so why it is asked to get full access? why don't you prescribe e.g. two new uploads or 5 five mirror links in the first month?
The part with which I disagree the most is that the newcomers do not even have a chance to prove and became “free” users like us who registered earlier without paying for it at least once.
(honestly I have not managed to go through the whole description of the new system, sometimes it is “hard” to follow and understand; therefore, some aforementioned opinions are based on the description of my friends who wanted to join)
Finally, I am fully aware of that the Admin is in a quasi-autocratic position as he owns the forum and users have to follow the rules and my words weighs nothing, but I think it is healthy to share our opinions.
I do not want to start a hassle, since arguing on the internet is like running on the paralympic..
This is simply my opinion, I will continue to contribute to the forum and try to help users in whatever small amount it is.
p.s: sharing our knowledge, wealth and skills free of charge is the real way to end the exploitation
First I would like to thank BennyP (the best moderator 2009 & 2010 & psychologist 2012), by his rhetoric psychoanalysis to my post, and second but not least the administrator for respect freedom of expression, which must persist in anywhere.
I have read each and every one of the written replies, and I would add the following as my right of reply:
To kowheng, thanks for wanting to be my last post and my last entry, I think the most sincere and honest that it is written, I really appreciate the honest people.
How sad that a user had to be banned for not speaking correctly, but I agree that we should behave up correctly.
To Mybest (Candidate), I hope you also find yourself very well, as you read the following written by bennyp, "i can tell you too the reason is not 0 posts But we downgraded user only with More than 100 posts Because he only posted requests and never something else. " No matter how many post you have written, you will be banned one day and if you want to continue contributing and downloading will pay. I hope you understand that the discomfort is not payable for be a part of the newly civilea club, this would be the way, but the background is what I care about.
And may I add something else for you "sharing knowledge it is not sharing links, and neither is downloading".
Dear Redhorse , your reply to my post is the checkmate, the rules are the rules, and if the owner wants to charge. Well you have to pay.
For the Admin I think rusty's comment is very clear, and also seems strange to me, you do not want the money from users, among other things. I'm not against making money, I am against the way you want it.
Just try to answer this, administrator, support staff and users, Could Explain what is more wrong, charge for download or pay to download something illegal?.
This is not to tell you what is right or wrong, you have known this for a long time ago.
I do not wish to start a round, and it's nothing personal with anyone.
I will respect the rules, that is because this is a private forum, and as I will not pay, I will do what Redhorse suggests to me in his post, and of course he will be invited and anyone who wants to enter.
Greetings, and good luck.
I want to thank granjero_mx(The greatest Need Activation member since March 15th 2012, The best nagger member since April 4th 2012, and the best useless member since Oct 2nd 2010 until forever) for his really really great comment and suggestion since his first post in this thread(and in this forum).
Quote:Could Explain what is more wrong, charge for download or pay to download something illegal?.
you pay not for Content here but for fee to keep our forum alive. To pay our server cost(and maintenance), to buy new plugin for our forum, fee for developer(programmer) for their valuable time to make Long list of code to make a new template, to keep our forum strong from attack, to buy a new server and many more.
Quote:I will do what Redhorse suggests to me in his post, and of course he will be invited and anyone who wants to enter.
I will not give you additional comment for everything you said in your last post, I just wanna give you some tips if you want to open a new forum(better than CivilEA):
- Because you are a nice person and full of favor, I suggest your new forum to make all download link visible for all either register or unregister users. If you already have rich content, send me a PM that tell your forum address then I will come to copy all your file and then share here. It must not a problem for you because as I said, you are really really nice.
- If your forum already have many advertisement to get money to keep you alive, I suggest you to buy a new legal software(because your forum contain legal only) and you can donate(buy another license) to your member. This is not a problem for you because you are a nice person and your forum already have many advertisements.
- If your member share illegal content(software, ebook), I suggest you to immediately ban him because it against your forum purpose to share legal content only. This is very good to make your forum stay clean.
There are still many tips especially for your new forum but I can't write it all here in our open forum, it's my fear if all read it then your forum will get a company, so if you still need my guidance, don't and never hesitate to contact me personally. It's my pleasure to help our great engineer like you.
Regards
mybest
We can live without you Mr. granjero_mx so please go away leave us we like the way CivilEA is we like to help each other as much as we can by any means.
We want to keep this place alive so we can share our knowledge freely.
Without you and others like you donations could become a choice.
Because of you and others like you donations are required.
You can help us for the first and the last time by just leaving and never coming back, we helped you since 2010, be fair.
Now leave, go, have fun in some other place with your moral jokes, help us and yourself forget of CivilEA.
Hello and Goodbye Mr. granjero_mx
Firstly, i have to recognize the good will and kindness of admin, mods and others at the moment that they decided to answer a post that lacks of a genuine interest on the forum and membership over a feeling of damaged personal interest.
This is no kindergarden and there are rules and all I think are intelligent people who knows that in this world nothing comes for free. This is showed through all the measures taken for the survival of the forum for this time and I hope the future (hard work, time, money, new server, new interface, commercial spaces, sponsorships, request for more participation of the members, and finally donations) who pays and do all the work?.
Now I have read one member calling another a psychologist and naming others disrespectfully, members that invest time, work, enthusiasm and resources In a way that others have access to a great source of tools and information again over a feeling of a damaged personal interest.
There is no need to write bad words to insult another.
There is no need to be genius to see the real thing behind this post the frustration and anger and the worst trying to pretext a no do attitude through the necessary decisions and measures taken until now that time has passed.
Is this a genuine interest over membership and forum? I think no.
So kindly ask admin and mods to apply the rules over the above described and that this thread to be removed.
Kindly yours
Malc
Dear All and especially granjero_mx,
I don't have anything special to add to above discussion because already enough has been said.
If you see my record/profile then you will see that i joined this forum in June-2010 (four months before you joined.) I have only handful post and threads, partly because of the reason that whatever/whenever I try to find & post something new, its already present on the forum.
I am not practicing a professional job I am a M.Sc. student, I like this forum for resources of Literature and I also respect and support this forum, its rules, Admin and Moder.s. I am not saying this because I want to be part of this forum or my life would be incomplete without its membership etc.
Now to the point:- I have something common with you. I have not paid a single cent here. I have an upgraded status than yours. The reason that I am saying this is that I am presenting myself to you as an example. "I only and only did time".
I am not putting dirt on you. I am saying the the procedures/policy here are fair.
I did got warning levels (from kowheng, BennyP) but due to my mistakes. I actually was a member on this forum in early 2009 as Faizan Ali, at that time there were few members, and god if i had played by the rules I could have been a moder by now.
I don't partake in Legal/Illegal discussion. I rest my case, leave a question for you?
I am happy that a am still an active member and I hadn't paid any fee till yet like you.
I only and only did time, trying to give my input anywhere I can. Reading all the posts. Creating Mirrors etc.
Regards,
88FeNIX
I counted 17 answers to granjero, from All this good people. They have wasted their valuable time to answer. I dont know what to say, more I read all the frustrations displayed here more (?$%&*@#$$) symbols appeared.
I can not believe this person has a nerve writing something like this, and you nice people are taking it. If it is not against forum laws legally, I would just delete him, forever.
I feel sorry for him (granjero, what kind of name is it, like "grand jury"