But doesn't this will encourage newbies (like me) to spam the forum to reach whatever post count we need to post?

As I recall, that's a quick way to a mod-initiated suspension. I think I read that in the CC thread rules

Cool. I say we create the new restriction and set it to people who have been year at least 5 years with at least 4k post count.

Take a look of my posts in this thread. Some don't think I contribute anything to the thread, does that make them "spam".

As a not-quite N00b but still not out of the beginner stage, I would certainly like to thank the generosity of veterans and, yes, even the bloggers without whom I wouldn't have found this site and gone from <50k miles earned over 8 yrs of sporadic travel to >500k miles in 6 months. The MS portion of those miles is not yet the majority, but it is growing in part to moving up the learning curve. As several already mentioned, you start small, make a couple of mis-steps (the 35/18 Vanilla VISA errors example), and eventually find your "uncle" risk threshold. Any attempt to restrict access and my ability to ask what I hope were intelligent questions means I may have gotten burned and given up the game. Some may think that's a good thing, but I certainly have enjoyed getting to know some of you through your posts. Just caveat emptor and pray for an outbreak of common sense.

So, which is it then? Don't try to be a hero and save people from themselves. It appears that you are trying to hide your real opinion behind this facade of "save the newbs from themselves." Re-read your post. The first paragraph is all about saving people from possibly screwing themselves over. Then, in a sly one-liner, you mention "rewarding FT members and keeping the leeches out." Why don't you man up, since you have no shame, and just admit that you don't want the "newbs" to have access to the information you have access to, since you put in almost three years on the forums so far (this is where I got the entitlement perception from).

I guess your OP rubbed me the wrong way because as someone who has read these forums for years, but only recently signed up for an account, I feel as though I've done my due diligence and that I can "handle" the big boy's MS game. You implying that due to my lost post count/late join date, I am a newb and shouldn't be considered for access to the MS forum is pretty infuriating. Many of us have put in years of work on our own calendars. Having to prove ourselves on the forum is just another obligation for the MS game which can greatly turn people off.

Honestly, I don't see any advantage to your scheme. If you were regarded highly enough around here, you'd have access to the private forums that have already been mentioned. Perhaps because you don't have access to them, you're trying to create a private forum over here, so to speak, of which you'd have access.

Generally speaking: dumb idea.

ETA: I am a "senior member" on many forums (5-10+ years of membership and contributions), both in post count and join date, and always welcome the new people with open arms. Perhaps I am few and far between, but you'll never see me ticking my post counter up with a post like "RTFM, noob," (or similar). The guys who do that are pathetic and self-entitled jerks.

1. The two aren't mutually exclusive.
2. I think I did to a certain degree
3. I don't see any downside to turning people off to this hobby
4. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps you're not. No one says that I meet the TBD qualifications

Generally Speaking: Thanks for your contribution

5. You have more patience than I

Hey, you asked for our thoughts and I gave you mine; nothing personal. Happy holidays.

I did indeed. And I appreciate your contribution.

Hi,

I've also been reading this forum for awhile and have gained a lot of valuable knowledge from it.

The main reason I don't post anything (and am considered a leech) is because I don't have anything valuable to add. but you can rest assured that the day I do, I would add it. I think it's important to make this case more straightforward. The OP does not like Leeches and is tired of having to deal with them.

I agree with others who have pointed out that this is not at all about protecting people from being stranded. There is no people saving here, the main idea is actually "should we stop having to deal with newbies who have no idea what they are talking about and not willing to put in time or effort?"

I think that generally everyone would like to stop dealing with newbie questions that are both lazy and poorly written (which bring down the quality of this forum). The question is how?

I think that limiting the forum to those who have a post count or membership for some time is perhaps too dramatic. I for one, would never have found this forum in that case (as I have posted nearly nothing).

I believe there are quite a few people in my boat. We are intelligent, we read the forum carefully, we PM a few people to ask clarifying questions (in hopes of a kinder answer than the general rude public) and we gather our information and use it.

To remove us from the field would be sad, both because I selfishly enjoy my access and because it would stifle a lot of potential future innovation.

Perhaps we could impose a time-limit of "read-only" mode for new members? 3-months before you can make a post in the MS forum? In 3-months of reading but no posting, they be forced to take the time to REALLY read in desperation of wanting their questions answered.

Another suggestion: I think we should have a nicely written "new to manufactured spending" guide. Which really explains some general concepts. Things that would help people from getting stranded and proper etiquette for how to behave in the MS forum.

anyways i appreciate everyone here and especially a few members who have generously (and kindlY) explained ideas via PM.

+1

I don't buy into that and I've heard it from many others throughout the 13 years I've been here. There's hundreds of forums on FT dealing with airlines, hotels, and even city and country specific forums. We have forums for news articles, hot travel topics and even a new one covering blogs. Surely you can answer one question every couple days or find an occasional news article to post. Manufactured spending is not the only forum here that will allow you to increase your post count.

The only person here that can put a member into read-only mode, or lock them out of a specific forum, is the Community Director. I very seriously doubt she wants the increased workload of monitoring every new member to see when they've been here 3 months so she can not only put them in read-only mode, but take them out of read-only mode. Some of our best contributions on FT come from new members,

To give another perspective to tom911's point, I am surprised every so often by a post from a long-time member who has only a couple of hundred posts. I occasionally check the posting history of that person and notice that almost every single post has something valuable to add to the conversation. In fact, some of these long-time members with low post counts seem to have the highest signal-to-noise ratio of all FTers. I generally feel a little embarrassed because I don't think my posts reach that level of quality.

I agree that there are many different forums around here that might benefit from your contributions so don't be so shy about posting. But you're right that a low-post count shouldn't disqualify you or anyone else from posting in this forum.

You mean like the permanent post at the very top of the MS forum entitled " New to Manufactured Spending? Start Here."? Which, by the way, was referred to a page or so previously on this very thread?:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

It's the above that drives people nuts around here - such laziness is often considered (rightly) as disrespectful to the rest of the community.

FT needs an arrows and circle blog for new members to read - similar to doing a online driving school test - where you are tested on content or you can't proceed...

Is this the official thread where people can increase their post count?