Trusted Members

[Aston]

Right before you read on its important for you to understand that this has been written because I care about this forum and I want it to remain the best for years to come...

I have been off the forums for the most part of the year and I have had a chance to see things from a distance regarding both forums. I have been able to look at what both are doing without being especially involved and there is no doubt in my mind that this forum will always be the no 1 because...

1. it has the most history
2. it has more top trades people
3. it is wayyyy more beneficial for newbies & diyers due to the sheer amount of advice, pics, vids etc
4. it has a bigger presence
5. it is much more well know and established

BUT the only one plus I think the other forum has is, it doesn’t have the Trusted members tag/area.

I personally think, in fact I know this is the one thing that creates a ‘them & us’ scenario which alienates people and makes them not feel as valued and that the key word, ‘valued’. I often think how tommyzoom, Spanish tiler, miss tiler and many many more who have been overlooked feel when they have been posting for years and won job of the month but are not classed as trusted advisors. Is it any wonder that they eventually drift off to a place where everybody is on the same level.

As for all the trusted members, don’t hate me for this, I am thinking of the bigger long term picture rather than my own personal status.

If we are all on the same level (with the exception of moderators) then I really feel we would create a newer fresher feel to the place and more people would feel part and therefore post more openly and more often! And also, people would eventually come back home.

keep the current format ie tilersforums arms etc but ditching the trusted members tag would create a better & equal harmony.


People will decide for themselves or they trust and rate. After all, a job of the month winner or an old school tiler who only posts a gem once a week will probably get more respect than a trusted member who been voted in by the establishment rather than the people...you see it’s the people that make this forum. You can build a forum but it’s the members who decide whether it rises of falls and I honestly believe that now is the best time to make some changes in order to push even further ahead rather than run the risk of falling behind.
You’ve only got to look at my beloved football club LFC to see what can happen!

Anyway, this could very well be my last post (my choice btw :0) so I wanted it to be a post that benefited the forum because I owe this place a lot!! If Dan and Neale know me by now they will realise that if I have taken the time to write this, then this is because I genuinely care!!

regards
TF ED

 

[nybor62]

i know were your coming from ,ed before i was a trusted advisor i did feel sometimes a bit left out , but i stuck in there and suppose i was rewarded for my efforts , and that is what it is a reward for many years of input


i for one would not be bothered if the advisor tag was removed , but it works and the forum still pulls in new mwmbers.
so really its upto the powers that be

i have worked for rob spanish tiler , and im quite amazed he,s not a trusted advisor, along with a few others
so what is the way forward i dont know im sure dan will give it plenty of thought though

 

[Gazzer]

My own thoughts is that it wouldnt make much difference. If you get rid of the TA tag then what next .?? The Arms ?
Whether you are in or out of TA it makes no difference as long as you can talk the talk and walk the walk etc etc

But I have always maintained that its the members (all of the genuine ones) that make the forums. So i would say if after a period of this thread being read and commented on. I suggest a poll, let the members decide.

Personally I dont mind either way, for me when I read info given I can make my own mind up whether its good or not.

 

[DHTiling]

Well said that man. It has been mentioned before but TF didn't want to remove the trusted tag and upset those members. I'm sure if a vote was unanimous , then admin would listen.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gazzer]

With regards Spanishtiler, yes you cant fault workmanship but the title is Trusted Advisor !! where is the advice ?
As much as I love seeing his work , its more about self promotion. on top of that he does have a low post count, something which has always gone into consideration when giving TA status and something that was set even before I found the forums myself.

Another name springs to mind...Protilers... again workmanship fantastic but does he contribute anyway other than his own threads ?? plus most of his words are just duplicates from elsewhere.

Anyway back to hear more comments.

 

[Aston]

thanks boys, glad you both took this thread in the way i wanted it to come across ;0)

neale, a poll sounds really fair mate. (after a period of reflection)
i wrote this with a good honest intention so if a poll revealed that the forum were happy with the current situation, then that would be a great outcome, alternatively if the majority don't like the current format then maybe I was right to do this thread.

who knows, as long as the forum benefits then that's all that matters.

 

[Aston]

sorry neale
when you say have a vote, do you mean a whole forum vote or a trusted advisors vote?

 

[Gazzer]

Poor old Doug, just given the green tag and you want it taken away from him already....lol

 

[Gazzer]

sorry neale
when you say have a vote, do you mean a whole forum vote or a trusted advisors vote?

Hmmm I guess really it should be a forum vote for bonafide tilers....so all those with Arms access really ???

 

[Gazzer]

sorry neale
when you say have a vote, do you mean a whole forum vote or a trusted advisors vote?

Cant really restrict it to a vote in TA as that would be like asking members of house of commons if they get paid too much ! :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Aston]

Hmmm I guess really it should be a forum vote for bonafide tilers....so all those with Arms access really ???

sounds the fairest and the best way to me neale.
i personally would'nt change any other area of the forum, it all works well. dan, neale and the mods do a great job, could'nt fault any thing about the place, its just this one thing that sticks in my mind and i am sure if there was a vote, admin could then decide what to do in order to benefit the whole forum..

 

[peteablard]

As a relatively new contributor to the forum I never saw the green room as anything other than an area when the regular contributors can chat in private, I was certainly never offended that I couldn't get access just because I'm an experienced tiler. I'm quite proud that my regular contributions have been recognised because as you are all aware it takes a serious time commitment to regularly contribute on here. It's not a badge recognising your tiling skills, to me it says you are serious about spending time on here helping others. Whether that status is displayed or not wouldn't bother me but as a very recent member to this area and having read through a lot of the old posts in here I do see it as an important area to discuss things that really don't concern people who are on here for DIY advice or who only post every few weeks. Personally I don't think anyone would post any less or more if the area was removed.
Anyway that's just my opinion for what it's worth, whatever is decided for as long as I'm welcome here I'll continue to commit as much time as I can to helping others, cheers!

 

[Dougs Third Go]

I'd try and look at another view Ed, a newbie comes onto forum to ask a question, if everybody is the same colour tag but with lots of different replies whose advice would the newbie take? Green tag isn't given out lightly and it takes ages of consistently good advice to be considered for it. By and large green tag members will offer the same advice for a given situation, not always granted but most times, and if Joe Public can see that the advice from "trusted advisors" is for the most part consistent then I think he'll be more satisfied with the results he got. just my tuppence worth.

 

[Spud]

you could keep the trusted advisor status but do away with this closed forum as then you still have the value of a trusted advisors advice and the reward of trusted status with out seperating yourself from the rest of the forum,on issues where admin would like advice or imput away from the forum this could be done by pm or a group conversation rather than having a restricted access forum which could be classed as clicky if you know what I mean

 

[Aston]

I'd try and look at another view Ed, a newbie comes onto forum to ask a question, if everybody is the same colour tag but with lots of different replies whose advice would the newbie take? Green tag isn't given out lightly and it takes ages of consistently good advice to be considered for it. By and large green tag members will offer the same advice for a given situation, not always granted but most times, and if Joe Public can see that the advice from "trusted advisors" is for the most part consistent then I think he'll be more satisfied with the results he got. just my tuppence worth.

doug and everybody in here
you don't have to convince me...this thread isn't about me or what I want, its about the forum members in general and their perception.

i was only on the other forum for a very short while before asking for my account to be closed but what i did pick up on ,were the amount of comments made about clicks on here etc, and ego's. So, I am a big believer in evolving hence this thread.

if a vote happens and the forum says they like the trusted advisor tag, great!!
if they say they dont like it, then once again, great....the masses matter more than a dozens green tags

either way, we will learn something and that can only be a good thing can't it...

 

[Gazzer]

Please do keep all the comments coming and even if you have nothing much to say at least let us know you have read it and would vote if it were to come to that. This can only work for all if we have a big majority vote among the TA.

 

[DHTiling]

How about ditching the Tag but keep the forum for us that get allowed access to this area... or is it just close it all together and keep the Arms.. maybe even do away with all the tags and go back to the original user titles.. like newcomer, then regular up to senior members that comes as standard with Vbulletin.?

Just another thought,but personally i couldn't give 2 fooks.. i post and advise where i see i think i can help and tags don't bother me now..

 

[The D]

This may be a bit sad but I like the tag and would be sad to see it go. I did not much care for the term elite as there is nothing about me that could be considered as elite. But I was happy to be invited in and it did make me feel like I was excepted warts and all.

 

[Dougs Third Go]

How about ditching the Tag but keep the forum for us that get allowed access to this area... or is it just close it all together and keep the Arms.. maybe even do away with all the tags and go back to the original user titles.. like newcomer, then regular up to senior members that comes as standard with Vbulletin.?

Just another thought,but personally i couldn't give 2 fooks.. i post and advise where i see i think i can help and tags don't bother me now..

that's what we have on my vizsla forum that i moderate and no problems at all with it tbh

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I am with Dean on this one, was never keen on the term elite but was chuffed to be invited to the green side. I think it's good members are recognized for their imput/commitment to the forums. As already said if someone has earned the title TA and been voted for by their peers, or admin, it should give other members or guests a sense of getting sound advice they can trust from true pro's and not just any old so called tiler who can google an answer. Imho there needs to be a central core of members who have proved they can walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Just my take on it.

 

[Colour Republic]

doug and everybody in here


i was only on the other forum for a very short while before asking for my account to be closed but what i did pick up on ,were the amount of comments made about clicks on here etc, and ego's. So, I am a big believer in evolving hence this thread.

I don't think they were directly refering to the TA tag, besides most of those that made those comments were at one point heavy users of this forum, some who left recently and others who left 3 year or so ago.

There was bound to be a back lash with everything that went on but for the most part I haven't seen any such comments recently, i'm not a big one on this forum divide, they both offer something different and there are members of each forum who's advice I hugely respect. I really don't see why people feel they have to choose between the two.

I would vote for keeping the TA tag for reasons Doug said, I would also vote for keeping the forum because certain things get poted in here you wouldn't post elsewhere because it's more private and you are sharing with a smaller group you trust rather than with thousands of members which have arms access, be business advice, job advice, personal issues...

If anything you could hide the forum so people don't think you are talking behind their backs and think it clique. I members of loads of forums that have something similar, ones that advertise 'secret area's', other where you don't know it exists until you're invited, plain old taging systems with no private forums...

There have been a load of new faces to the TA tag over the last 6 months or so, poor *******s are gonna get it taken away :lol:

 

[Colour Republic]

By the way Ed, do you know the other forum also has a secret forum? I'm not a member by the way but know they have one, I don't mind and don't really think it's clique, it is what it is...

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

Well having read the other views , i tend to go with Dean/phil ,i was chuffed to be invited to the green side,and do tend to value other green/mods points over the rabble ,but some of the newbys do have some good point as well, as for a vote i do believe in democracy ! so i 'am easy put it to the vote if you want .

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

The inner circle Rob, I know I was told I would automaticaly become one if I posted on there but I don't so I'm not ,sounds a bit sinister to me. Much more than trusted adviser.:lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

I was chuffed to bits when dave offered me the TA tag, i see it as a kind of reward for putting the effort in and posting on a regular bassis, maybe that sounds a bit selfish, but isn't it the regular posters that keep the forum going?

miss tiler, spanish tiler and a few others produce stunning work and are able to give good advice, but how often do they come on here, once in a blue moon.

imo the TA tag gives other members something to aim for, to keep posting on a regular bassis, and to give good advice.

 

[Aston]

can i just add something
i am not asking anybody to choose between forums, you are free to do and go where you like and I would'nt put that on anybody.

this is just about a forum vote, to see what the masses think.

one thing is for sure I aint going to be popular in here anymore :yikes: but if this thread proves something really positive going forward, then it'll have been worth it...... i rate you lot because when i read something, i know its right. the green tag doesn't alert me to that fact, its my own personally opinion that forms my judgement. I also respect an awful lot of people on here who are not green aswell.

ps rob, thanks for teaching me to spell clique, i knew i'd spelt it wrong lol

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

Funny i liked the other forum before all the peeps left this forum to join the other forum, they seemed to bring a really aggressive/clique and straight to the top, so i don't go on there very much now,in fact i have lost my password and stuff so haven't bothered for months, i like it here Best

 

[Colour Republic]

The inner circle Rob, I know I was told I would automaticaly become one if I posted on there but I don't so I'm not ,sounds a bit sinister to me. Much more than trusted adviser.:lol:

It was because I saw those posts to you that I knew it exsisted :lol:

 

[AliGage]

Hi Guys and girls,

First ED, it would be a shame for you to leave the forum.

I for one love this forum. I found it quite sometime ago but only really started using it actively at the start of this year. It's a fantastic resource, past posts to refer to, past advice to refer to and of course there is almost always a few established, trusted, time served and qualified tilers/friends that can help you out almost instantly with some advice etc.

I only got the green tag recently and i'm proud as punch. I've read nothing but this post as to what the badge means. But i've taken it that i've been here for a while, been active, helped out and have been helped, all of which has been recognised by you guys. I try to advise here to all as best as i can, if i can. I can't say much more other than i enjoy it. I enjoy tiling and have a passion for it, so like many of you i would like this forum to keep going stronger and stronger.

This topic is a bit of a catch 22 situation. I personally don't think we are alienating anyone. I must admit i never even knew there was a trusted advisors board until Dave (i think) prompted me to look at the colour of my name by PM. I then saw the post in the list welcoming me to the TA class. I have recently used this board for something that i wouldn't of ever posted in the Arm's. Why? Because the way i see it the green badge denotes someone that can be "trusted".
I think the best thing to do is look at the bigger picture. I for one believe the advice handed out on this forum is in most cases invaluable. That advice comes from members of all standards and walks of life. But before i got the badge i paid particular attention to the "ranked" members when reading, answer, and creating posts. It gives the person sat at his computer, DIY'er through to professional a gauge to work from. I think from the perspective of someone that perhaps has no idea and has come here for advice, good advice, then, and this is my interpretation, an additional badge tells that person that the poster is someone that has proved there worth. That has contributed and recieved recognition for good, sound advice on the forums subject, tiling.
I personally like the badges, not just because i had a few, i didn't have to hit a target for them, they were given, reward based. And why not. In an industry plaqued by cowboy's i think it's a very good idea if this is to be a forum for the Novice through to the professional to show some kind of validation of the advice given.
There's no reason why we cannot recommend some of the members mentioned in the very board for perhaps review etc and have a vote on wether people achieve these gradings? It's a difficult topic to discuss without coming accross the wrong way, but as an ex-serviceman hierarchy is essential in life imo. I was given rank in the Army, and i had it taken away from me as well. I personally think it gives people something to strive toward, and while they're heading in that direction, people to look up to.

I looked up to a lot of you guys, and some of your work amazes me. Aspiration to be better and achieve higher is what makes me get out of bed in the morning.

 

[Dougs Third Go]

can i just add something
i am not asking anybody to choose between forums, you are free to do and go where you like and I would'nt put that on anybody.

this is just about a forum vote, to see what the masses think.

one thing is for sure I aint going to be popular in here anymore :yikes: but if this thread proves something really positive going forward, then it'll have been worth it...... i rate you lot because when i read something, i know its right. the green tag doesn't alert me to that fact, its my own personally opinion that forms my judgement. I also respect an awful lot of people on here who are not green aswell.

ps rob, thanks for teaching me to spell clique, i knew i'd spelt it wrong lol

no reason to believe that Ed, it's a sound thread and we've all been round the block enough times to know it's nothing personal