Deletion of the Dog Lost post

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I haven't completely read each and every word in the threads already posted. However, I don't believe that anyone has touched on what may be the main reason for the "members only" rule. And that is the increasing # of hacking attempts on the site. Perhaps the Board's reasoning was that if a hacker had to pay $25 for the privilege of messing up our site, that he'd go somewhere else.

And just so you'll know that my comments are not all from my "exalted" position as Administrator, my first thought when I heard about the requirement was "WHAT?"
And then, "WHY?" I wasn't there, so I didn't hear the discussion. I would much rather have an open Forum, just like the opinions expressed here.

We live in a messed-up world at present. My nephew is the Chief Administrator of Laurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. Recently, the hospital was hacked, and held at ransom, putting many children at risk, and causing many problems even getting needed prescriptions renewed.

When we have evil people willing to risk children's lives for money, what we discuss here rather pales in comparison. So, I am like the rest of you. I don't like the thought of closing our Forum to "members only." But the decision possibly was made to further protect us. Like I said, I wasn't there, and don't know for sure. But that might have been the major reason.

(And I'm sure it wasn't just to get more members and their $25.)

[Lexi]

I can see that very good points have been made by both sides on this paid membership issue. Great points and tough to make a call one way or another on it. That said, Barry's "anti-hacking" speculation also makes sense. It is indeed a sad world we live in as he noted. As many of you have probably guessed, I am just to the "right" of Atilla the Hun, law and order wise, and know that we don't go ater the bad guys like we should. It is all about risk and reward. If the criminals out there think they can get away with it they will, so why make it easy for them? Hopefully the authorities will catch up someday and then carry the ball for us. Until then, paying $25 as an adjunct to safeguard this site seems reasonable if indeed it is found to be a positive factor. Clay/Lexi

[59-in-pieces]

And yes, I too was not granted access to the site and had to reinstate my credentials - again.
It was not the same problem as Eric described.
But, I did take it a bit personally.

Ok - Mr. Barry M. Wheeler - exalted ADMINISTRATOR (LOL), you need to read every word especially by Eric a few posts back.
 
"In any case, I don't buy for one second your ostensibly pure motives for doing so. The whole affair was nothing more than a convenient vessel for you to go into another of your bombastic diatribes - just like you've been doing here since day one with consistency unparalleled. An opportunity that the attention hound in you salivates for. So kindly spare us your sanctimonious self-righteous rabble rousing nonsense. While some may have fallen for it, I have not."

In my humble opinion, the above characterizations are not of a kinder gentler point of view - they have crossed the line of "disparaging" and not even close to bordering on a personal attack.

If you agree, I would suggest you too don't take a draconian approach - as Bruce - and lock the string.
A trip to the shed, and a time out to cool off, may be in order.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[Cadman-iac]

  Children, Children, PLEASE!! If I have to stop this car.......

[Carfreak]

Thanks, last I checked I'm very much a member here.

I believe the definition of 'member' was intended to indicate CLC member, not a non-CLC Forum Participant.

I am a part-time freeloader here. I Initially joined and posted without CLC membership. Because of this forum, I then got a CLC membership. I let that lapse as I couldn't see the benefit to being a member as I don't attend shows, live too far from the museum, and do most of my own work. This was before all of the membership tier changes happened.

It must have been quite a few years ago you were a CLC member; search of current & recently terminated members list online doesn't include the name shown in your Forum Account Profile as either active or recently terminated.  Nor seeing you listed in my 2017, 2021 or 2022 Directories.  Will admit to discarding the years in between for more space to keep stuff I like better. 

You've been a Forum participant since 2017, almost 7 years and 275 posts. Now that most or all of the photos were reinstated to the Forum; are you planning to join the CLC as a dues paying member in May to be able to post or continue as a non-member and be happy reading posts? 

[Carfreak]

I hope this isn't the beginning of all forums costing . Just like trying to watch sports or shows from all the streaming apps.

Pretty much NOTHING of any value is free anymore.

Don't recall exactly when the CLC Forum was created but I've been posting here since about 2001, maybe 2002.

Non-CLC members have had a free ride to participate on the Forum and post here for 22 or 23 years. 

Meanwhile all costs have been paid by CLC dues paying members. 

You will still be able to read but if you don't join the CLC; you just won't be able to post. 

[cadillacmike68]

What did I miss??

[Bryan J Moran]

I think you missed Vince Taliano. He is a listed as an Administrator. 

[Carfreak]

I thought Vince only acted as Admin for the commercial ads

[smokuspollutus]

I believe the definition of 'member' was intended to indicate CLC member, not a non-CLC Forum Participant.

It must have been quite a few years ago you were a CLC member; search of current & recently terminated members list online doesn't include the name shown in your Forum Account Profile as either active or recently terminated.  Nor seeing you listed in my 2017, 2021 or 2022 Directories.  Will admit to discarding the years in between for more space to keep stuff I like better. 

You've been a Forum participant since 2017, almost 7 years and 275 posts. Now that most or all of the photos were reinstated to the Forum; are you planning to join the CLC as a dues paying member in May to be able to post or continue as a non-member and be happy reading posts? 

As mentioned, this site is presently more than worth the ask. I know it's helped me save a few cents over the years, and if there's a price for entry now, that's fine. So yes, I have reached out to the join/renew email listed on the club website for direction to either reinstate the old membership #31916 or create a new one if necessary. Sad thing is that someone who's floating along on the internet and comes across this board isn't going to get the same opportunity that I got, and we'll all be worse off for that in the long run. Can't understand the rational for making the people who are creating the product pay to do so, but hopefully with the ability to continue posting, a few minds can be changed and a different means will be found to keep the lights on that won't shut people out.

I've been a member on other boards where the old pictures have been lost/corrupted (these boards are all getting older, can't expect much else for content created 20+ years ago at this point.) and after a while you accept them as a temporary thing, especially after the Photobucket debacle from years ago that wiped out a ton of information. On most boards something like 90% of the user memory load is supporting attachments, so years ago, I started hosting the pictures on a site that I pay for, which has proven to be a fairly stable base for archiving a lot of large, high quality images for no-cost public access.

[bcroe]

Regarding bandwidth, I notice often a reply to a post
with pictures/attachments REPEATS the pics, using a lot
of redundant storage.  I always try to edit down to the
related text, and never repeat the attachments.  Bruce Roe

[Caddyholic]

Why can't we have an election and vote on who the moderators are? we vote for club officers don't we.

[Cape Cod Fleetwood]

Why can't we have an election and vote on who the moderators are? we vote for club officers don't we.

The problem with that is you're stuck with people until the next election cycle then you have to hope they
get voted on or off the island. Better to let upper management be able to remove/add people quickly as
necessary.

[cadillacmike68]

The problem with that is you're stuck with people until the next election cycle then you have to hope they
get voted on or off the island. Better to let upper management be able to remove/add people quickly as
necessary.

And,,,,, Who would actually WANT to moderate a forum??