Thanks Pekka.
I actually liked the 180 day thing , it was just the 100 post requirement that seemed onerous... because I often can't think of anything constructive to contribute that hasn't already been stated by those who are both wiser and quicker than I am. For me to say anything more would make me look like Captain Obvious. Not that I'm not... it's just dorky to wear my cap and cape in every thread. It's bad enough in this one.
And while I'm being honest... probably the only reason why I liked the 180 day requirement is because I already had met it. And the only reason why I didn't like the 100 post thing is because I hadn't met it yet. It was everything I could muster to make my first 30 posts, once I decided to give it a go, in much the same vein as JonQCanon posted above.
So from the point of view of who is and who isn't effected by a rule change, it stands to reason that a POTN veteran like JMPhoto would completely support the changes, having long ago met both requirements, whereas someone like me, having only met one requirement, would support the one, and feel put out by the other.
Yet, looking deeper, why should I feel put out at all? Even if I was a charter member to POTN, with 30,000 posts, I would still have no claim of right to use the classified ads. The Marketplace is a favor to the membership, not an entitlement. It is a benefit that Pekka voluntarily facilitates for members, not a government mandate that Pekka must provide to members. As the owner of this website, he can pull it, replace it, or require that members master the hula hoop before being able to see it, all at his sole discretion. I have no right to demand it.
Furthermore, to my best guess (as I haven't used the classifieds here yet), neither Pekka nor POTN derives any financial benefit from facilitating the member to member buy and sell forums. As far as I can see, the entire classified section is most likely a big pain in the aas to administrate, all for which there is no commission or compensation. He's kind of doing us a favor.
On the other hand, I can certainly see how the Marketplace attracts members to participate, and more participation leads to higher traffic numbers that make for a better case to sell commercial ads... and meeting a 100 post / 6 month membership requirement really would limit the attraction of the Marketplace, especially since 6 months in digital is equivalent to 12 years in film, the technology moves so quickly. Younger people do not have the patience, or the time, literally, in todays fast paced world. So I can see opening the marketplace back up again as a good business decision. But not as a right of membership.
Finally, Traci_Ann brought up an excellent point. Having a certain number of posts on record allows perspective buyers and sellers to obtain a feel for who you are as a person. This vetting is as intangible as it is instinctual, but it can be key to increasing the comfort level enough to initiate a transaction, or to avoid one. For example, with me, people will know that I don't post much, but when I do, I can't seem to shut up. I'm sure that they will take that into consideration before PM'ing me about anything I buy or sell. They'll check their watch and say, Hmmm, do I really have time to read a C.O. response today?"
Thanks again Pekka, first for hosting a Marketplace, and second for finding a balance between protection and participation.
