GrayAnderson

This is largely a "what it says on the tin" thing, but given what is being discussed it would probably be beneficial if the MS forum wasn't externally Google-searchable or readable without logging in. Though the forum has quite a bit of activity, that activity is concentrated in a relative handful of threads (generally one for each of the main venues for MS plus a few others); of the first ten threads below the sticky ones, six have over 1000 posts.

Basically, I'm not sure if having the forum be "wide open" adds anything here while the ability to "peek in" without logging in likely marginally increases the risks of avenues getting shut down. I honestly wouldn't be opposed to requiring a modest level of activity (say, 10 posts) for the forum to become accessible. I know I've seen other sites where some forums are listed on the front page but aren't accessible unless you're part of a given usergroup and/or have met certain base requirements...and unlike most of the forums on here, I do think that in the case of the MS forum there is a sort-of secret to be kept after a fashion.