Invites for Systems - Spotify, Google+, Unthink....et al

[featured_spectre]

It is my firm opinion that you should ask for an invite for any of invite only systems if you fit the following criteria.

• Been a member for 6 months or more
  
• Have a post count of atleast 0.5 per day or over 100 posts
  

In the past there have been people with 1 post count and signing up in the month something has been released to invite only and beg for invites and frankly it annoys the hell out of me. Allow me to explain my rationale for this.

 

Invites for systems like this are limited, we are lucky to get more than 2 or 3 at a time and are like gold dust, as once they are gone, that's it. I don't want it going to a person that does not contribute to the community.

 

For example - Google+. I was one of the few people lucky enough to be on the Google beta boards so I handed out invites/loophole invites, and gave the community feedback and previews as to what is coming. New people coming and begging for the invites makes some of the people with the invites annoyed at the fact the people have the audacity to ask without giving anything to the community first.

 

So as such, please do not ask me (or anyone else for that matter without incurring my annoyance) for an invite if you do not satisfy the criteria above.

 

Many thanks!

 

Nephilim

[mac_shinobi]

On iphone and can't see any rep system so just wanted to give two thumbs up to the above

[aerospacemango]

I'll give rep for that!

 

We're a community, and a pretty tight-nit one judging by the coming on my End of an Era thread.

 

To see people turn up, and with 1 post to their name, start begging for invites really gets up my nose too!

 

I DID think I was the only one, so thanks Neph for bringing this up.

 

(It's not like these "new" members ever stick around for long....or am I wrong?)

 

I do understand that, for the community to evolve, we have to make new members welcome, but if they're only here for one thing....????

[mb2k01]

I'm happy with the theory of people contributing to the community, but not sure about the sweeping generalisation that we simply shouldn't tollerate/accept new requests.

New visitors may have been drawn to EduGeek for picking up on keywords like 'uthink' etc, but if they have a pleasent experience and get their request (from someone clearly happy to give one) they may well turn out to be a great addition to the site. If they only get cliquey negativeness it won't paint the community in the good light it deserves.

[featured_spectre]

Yes I agree, but look at the Google+ or Spotify, the vast majority of those that requested an invite have never posted since. The ones that do I welcome with open arms and rep/thank as applicable and help make their stay more enjoyable. Those that just do it and leave bring the others into disrepute.

[aerospacemango]

I'm happy with the theory of people contributing to the community, but not sure about the sweeping generalisation that we simply shouldn't tollerate/accept new requests.

New visitors may have been drawn to EduGeek for picking up on keywords like 'uthink' etc, but if they have a pleasent experience and get their request (from someone clearly happy to give one) they may well turn out to be a great addition to the site. If they only get cliquey negativeness it won't paint the community in the good light it deserves.

 

Much as I understand your point, I'm happy to concede that I am wrong, if you can show any of these "new" members have actually stayed, after getting what they want!

 

I think that Neph has made a really valid point, that can also provoke discussion and debate!

[mb2k01]

Much as I understand your point, I'm happy to concede that I am wrong, if you can show any of these "new" members have actually stayed, after getting what they want!

 

I think that Neph has made a really valid point, that can also provoke discussion and debate!

 

I obviously don't have access to such information, but if I had to guess would probably assume that you are largely correct.

It doesn't change my opinion that we would be wrong to blast new member requests en-mass though. We were all new once, and all wanted something, even if it was just a technical answer.

[featured_spectre]

but technical answers are not finite unlike the invites for these systems

[GrumbleDook]

I can understand why you would want to give preference to regulars and that is understandable. In the past some of these closed betas were very selective and if you were given invites to hand out it was expected that you would be selective yourself. In the days of closed mailing lists on JISC and Becta you only got in if you were a trusted individual and supported by an existing member ...

 

Nowadays most betas are a lot more relaxed than that and it tends to be simply restricting the number of people or about building up expectations.

 

If I have invites to something I would always give priority to those I know who are more likely to give me invites in return to other things ... and that trust comes from being in contact with regular members, but if I have any left over I have no issue giving them as incentives about how good EG / Twitter / that particular mailing list is to new members.

 

However (and this might be where some of this comes from) if a lurker suddenly starts asking, or if you are a complete newbie then understand that refusal to hand out an invite is nothing personal but just that others are slightly higher in the pecking order than you ... and not because of it being a clique, but because of a friendship and past experience of sharing. Please don't be abusive or dismissive but try to accept that sometimes thing do have to be earned, and that can start from good manners.

[featured_spectre]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ said better than I did! Cheers Tony...how does the remainder of my 5kgs of mexican chocolate sound? I'll post it up

[aerospacemango]

I obviously don't have access to such information, but if I had to guess would probably assume that you are largely correct.

It doesn't change my opinion that we would be wrong to blast new member requests en-mass though. We were all new once, and all wanted something, even if it was just a technical answer.

 

I'm NOT trying to create an argument about this.

 

I also think we should NOT blast new members, but Neph has a really good point. I agree that we should be encouraging new members.....as you're right....we've ALL been there, and all been treated like part of the family.

 

But, what is the answer?

 

*Edit*

 

Turns out that Grumbledook HAS the answer!!!

Edited October 27, 2011 by aerospacemango

[featured_spectre]

Tony has said the answer

 

Most people (myself included) were long time lurkers before posting. He pretty much hit the nail on the head...if the thread could be closed and stickied, perhaps people will understand a bit more in future.

[mb2k01]

but technical answers are not finite unlike the invites for these systems

 

Technical answers can be something you've had to work hard to get yourself, and potentially ones we could all charge to offer to someone. As a community we decide the effort and finance potential is less than the reward of contributing - and hoping we'll get the same back at some point.

It's not too different - it just depends on the individual's perception of value for an answer/invite.

 

**EDIT** As is often the case, Tony does indeed have the answer! Took me too long to type the above reply clearly!

[webman]

I thought only Smarties had the answer??

[GrumbleDook]

I thought only Smarties had the answer??

 

They don't do a tiger-striped one yet ... I might have to ask. Can I be the blue one instead?

[GrumbleDook]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ said better than I did! Cheers Tony...how does the remainder of my 5kgs of mexican chocolate sound? I'll post it up

That is *not* going to help my diet that much. Talking of which ... must go and update the weight loss thread.

[featured_spectre]

I'll bring it at the BETT show for you

[featured_spectre]

Thanks for the messages of support about this people Good to see that I am not the only person that feels this way.

[arwen]

Not sure I agree completly with it, but it is up to who ever has the invites to dish them out to whoever they want. No one should demand an invite from anyone. But there is no harm in asking, after all if you dont ask you will never get. (Unless of course incurring your annoyance is a physical thing, then it might hurt :-p )

 

I visit here most days, but I am a lurker, like on most forums I join. Simply because even offiline I am a pretty quiet person.

[featured_spectre]

ahh but you are a long time lurker and been a member for quite a while

[aerospacemango]

Not sure I agree completly with it, but it is up to who ever has the invites to dish them out to whoever they want. No one should demand an invite from anyone. But there is no harm in asking, after all if you dont ask you will never get. (Unless of course incurring your annoyance is a physical thing, then it might hurt :-p )

 

I visit here most days, but I am a lurker, like on most forums I join. Simply because even offiline I am a pretty quiet person.

 

But look at your post count!

 

I dare say that if you came on, one day, and asked for a google+ or unthink, or any other invite, you'd get one. This would probably be because people can see you have a history....Whether you are quiet on here or not, you've made the effort since joining to get involved, in whatever way you've felt necessary!

 

But, Neph's point is the 0 post, joined today people, who probably have little or nothing to do with Education or Technology, but just want an invite, from the first place they come across on google.

[Dos_Box]

TBH, if a new member who had joined, say 2 months ago and only posted 5 times had requested an invite I would have given it. I wouldn't give them to people who have signed up to simply beg an invite because, as has been pointed out, there is a (sort of) pecking order.

As regards to Unthink, we got so much attention because we were ranked quite highly by Google as being one of the first sites not an IT news site, hense the begging posts.

[featured_spectre]

This is my point entirely, if people contribute (like @arwen who has a low post count but been here for ages) then yes, I am all for it, but looking at other things, Google+ was a bad one for me, my inbox filled up in 2 days with people asking for invites who had only joined the forum that day/month. Pecking order (IMO) should be as follows

 

Friends (Self Explanatory)

Regulars (Well known people)

Supporters (Not so well known but makes an appearance quite often)

Backing personnel (Makes an appearance once in a while but not often)

New People (Self explanatory)

[featured_spectre]

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z167/Great_WhiteSnark/Nerd_Dork_Geek_Venn_Diagram.jpg

you can see where we fit in

[Rydra]

Just to note, I appear to have Google+ invites left. At least I've got a button to press on the side of my Google stream.

 

Even been added to circles by a couple of celebrities, go me.