Being able to see what's on BladeForums Site without Logging on?

[d762nato]

I think Spark should change this like some other forums have done so just anyone can't see the forum until they join up. I think it also makes it easier for scammers also to operate being able to check things out around here. What you say folks?

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

If I understand correctly, you're suggesting the only way to see any forum content at all would be to sign up first? Why would anyone sign up for a forum sight(site) unseen? I wasn't aware other forums did this.

 

[EngrSorenson]

I read the forum for about a year before I joined up- I appreciated what I was reading so much I joined up.
Not sure I would have had I not had that positive experience.

 

[Pibbles Destroyer]

The search engines traffic attract members. There are forums that require registering to read, and as soon as I see “please sign up to view content” I’m like:

 

[kreole]

Do you mean the whole thing or just certain forums like selling?

I would imagine BF popping up in search results for knife terms is what draws a good chunk of new membership. Closing off everything would kill that source of new members off. I'm not a big USN member but have had a user awhile; they are fully closed off, and every section I look at there (the knife-related ones) is practically dead nowadays. I would hate for that to happen to BF. BF through everyone's posts also provides an information service to the community at large. For that sake I would hate for it to be walled off, as FB communities and others are.

Would closing off the "Individual" selling sections (only) do anything to slow scammers signing up?

 

[d762nato]

That would probably be better on the selling forums part of it. I belong to more firearm related forums and on a lot of them you can't see anything until you become at least a Basic Member.

 

[hhmoore]

The other side of that is a lot of people come here after searching for a specific knife. They register after seeing the ad, in order to purchase the knife...if the Exchange isn't viewable to nonmembers, a good deal of traffic would be lost.

 

[d762nato]

Yes, the good and bad of it all, I guess. Like life itself I reckon. Oh well carry on I suppose.

 

[evltcat]

Yeah, for a good example, check out the USN site.
You can register for free, but have to be approved by a mod, IIRC. They instituted the "must join to read" policy many years ago to stop spammers/scammers. Not really much going on there these days, and no where near the number of knaf discussions here on BF.