New policy - Limited forum access for inactive users (updated Oct. 14th 2010)

**lexie** · 14th April 2010, 02:34

Originally Posted by cateye

Okay so i'm a serial lurker. And it was quite a surprise to come back to boards and find this latest piece of news. I will try to come back to the forum more often, and try de-lurk myself.

Well, you've just de-lurked yourself with this little message. Welcome back!

**chrisrose** · 14th April 2010, 06:44

I am sad about this.

I love this place, honest, I'd be crushed if it ceased to exist... but real life crap has kept me a sporadic visitor. (I think at one point I was away for 2 years...oops!) I do leave feedback...but the fics I follow don't get updated often *plus* I have no concept of time so I don't always login/post every 30 days. I guess I'll have to be a Lurker most of the time and post in some off-topic forum to get access to fanfic again? Okay, I'll do it. But I just had to whine a bit about it.

**angie284** · 14th April 2010, 06:53

Wow it's been ages since i've come around here. I think the new policy is pretty fair. I'ts actually nice to see that this place isn't just dying out and shutting down. I'll be trying to stop in and comment more often from now on.

**TinyTini** · 16th April 2010, 04:12

Originally Posted by Zannie

But I'm afraid this will completely alienate a good number of folks who aren't hardcore Chlexers and just like to check in for an evening every once in a while to read some fics. It's a shame to shut them out completely, just because they don't care about Chlex the way we do (or did).

Thank you! I enjoy Chlex Fanfiction every now and then - but I`m not a hardcore fan! Besides, english is not my first language so posting makes me feel uncomfortable . If I´m not welcome to read here without being active I think I rather quit this site than force myself to do something I don`t enjoy. No offence......

**Julie** · 16th April 2010, 06:54

Originally Posted by TinyTini

Thank you! I enjoy Chlex Fanfiction every now and then - but I`m not a hardcore fan! Besides, english is not my first language so posting makes me feel uncomfortable . If I´m not welcome to read here without being active I think I rather quit this site than force myself to do something I don`t enjoy. No offence......

A lot of the users here don't have English as their first language, myself included! So you don't need to worry about that!

And also, I think your English is very good!

And while I do understand where everyone's coming from on this, it was done for the benefit of the overall community, and not a way to punish one group or the other. This is quite common on similar communities.

**lexie** · 16th April 2010, 07:14

Originally Posted by Julie

A lot of the users here don't have English as their first language, myself included! So you don't need to worry about that!

And also, I think your English is very good!

As an English teacher I agree with you; Tinytini's English is very good indeed.

Originally Posted by Julie

And while I do understand where everyone's coming from on this, it was done for the benefit of the overall community, and not a way to punish one group or the other. This is quite common on similar communities.

I can attest to this. I'm a member of several forums- not all of them devoted to a fandom- and almost all of them have a similar policy.In fact, most of them go a step beyond, they don't simply put you in the lurkers or inactive users groups, they don't allow you to delurk or reactivate your account, they cancel it so that if you want to access again you have to open a brand new account. I'm not really for this drastic approach, mind you, I'm just saying what goes on elsewhere. We're much friendlier and as you said, Julie, the aim is not to punish anyone.

And you've certainly hit the nail on the head. We're a community and being an active participant (and I'm using this term to refer even to those members who just post once a month) is what makes us different from those very popular repositories of stories that can be accessed even without a membership. This participation is what helps us be a family and a close-knit group of virtual friends.

**itsjustXchar** · 16th April 2010, 07:28

Wow! I'm just now reading this. Guess it doesn't apply to me then

I'm sad that the forums has been so down lately and that Julie had to implement this system, but I have to admit that I am loving the spike in...non-lurker/inactiveness!

I know many of you don't know me personally, however I miss you guys and this site when I'm away for a while. The banter keeps this little train chuggin' along!

**Ultra** · 16th April 2010, 08:11

Originally Posted by itsjustXchar

I know many of you don't know me personally, however I miss you guys and this site when I'm away for a while. The banter keeps this little train chuggin' along!

I know who you are! You're the fab person that made all those awesome Chlex vids I watch on YouTube

To all the recent lurkers who have delurked - welcome to the community!

As I'm sure you realise by now that we are a friendly bunch and do not bite!

**itsjustXchar** · 16th April 2010, 09:17

Originally Posted by Ultra

I know who you are! You're the fab person that made all those awesome Chlex vids I watch on YouTube

*blush* Aww thanks Ultra!

**jem** · 21st April 2010, 12:19

argh... fine fine... im delurking... this is a seriously ruthless tactic to get people to be more active on the boards, and while ive read some fanfic writers appreciate any feedback - including short one liners from readers, ive gotten the impression that some other writers out there dont care for it as they see anything less than 'a long, indepth, expose on their latest chapter' useless..

so i stopped..

i agree with a fellow de-lurker out there who wrote that most of us dont know what to say, other than 'awesome!!' or 'thanks', but given this new rule..i think ill stick to posting only on the off-topics, just to be able to access fanfic again..its a good idea to keep the site active though, i did admit it was sad to see less people posting (in general)..