An "Advanced Members" Forum for trip reports?

[forrestreid]

Trip Reports can be a divisive topic in this forum, while they are the most popular sorts of threads, there can be controversies about the subject matter and level of details.

 

Many people like to see pics of the guys, and to get all the full account of encounters, while some others dislike having the details of the sex lives of others laid open for all to see.

 

Others like them but worry about "outsiders" seeing details the shouldn't or have legitimate concerns that some working guys might not appreciate their pictures being up where all and sundry, such as maybe their workmates from the bar, can see.

 

In the (much larger) straight forums focused on Pattaya and the nightlife, one common solution to this problem is to have an "Advanced member" section,

 

This is a section where only trusted members, those who have demonstrated there bona fides in some way, can post.

 

In one well known forum, you have to have made 50 good-quality posts before you can get admittance to the section.

 

In this section, some more detail is posted of peoples adventures in the bars and massage parlours. there is an understanding all the salacious details of what went on in the bedroom may be posted, plenty of uncensored photos, etc.

 

The main advantage being, as it is an a "fenced off" section of the forum, prying eyes can not see it, you cannot just join up and be reading five minutes later, you have to prove yourself first before you can view that area.

 

Also, it make sit easy for all those who are embarrassed to read the gory details to avoid them

 

So what are the disadvantages?

 

One obvious one is that this forum (like all the Thailand gay forums) has quite a small audience. If you whittle the readership down to all who have made 50 posts (or more realistically, 25 or 20) you will get a fairly small number. And if they are only posting trip reports in that forum, you might only get one thread a week or less. So you would have the ""tumbleweed" problem - no one looks at the forum because there are few threads, few people looking at it mean few people think of posting, etc.

 

But there are ways to counter this of course, such as making that "Advanced forum" the first in the  forum list for everybody,  even if they cannot see it to make sure they are aware of it, encouraging people to post "G-rated" trip reports in the main forum at the same time as the post more naughty versions of same in the "Advanced forum", so people realise what they are missing, etc.

 

Or perhaps (if it would be possible), letting ordinary member see the postings in the Advanced forum, but not the pictures unless they were Advanced  members?

 

So, what do people think?

[paulsf]

Totally unnecessary. I don't see any of the problems your seeing.

[PeterRS]

Take away the trip reports and what is now left? Precious little. The Beer Bar used to be popular forum here. Now its all but dead. The first page has threads going back to January. Gay Asia a lot less. Gay Businesses have few posts except those about Pattaya. The information pages at the start of the site do offer some useful info for newbies but far too much of it is out of date. One of the listed restaurants died about 4 years ago. 

 

Going back to the reports, the level of detail has been raised to a new level in one member's recent reports. He reminds me of one poster who split the membership years ago by flooding the Board with hundreds of photos of ladyboys from a Pattaya bar. Since this poster admits he's bisexual, perhaps he's the same guy. I have no idea.

 

I suppose if you don't like them you just put the poster on ignore. But ignoring posters often ruins the progress of a thread. I'm frankly with the OP. But I assume were in the minority because readership here certainly seems to be on the increase.

[Guest DThump]

As those that dislike reports with pictures are fond of putting members on "ignore" so can they ignore these reports.

[firecat69]

Exactly. No reason to change anything. If you don't want to read it don't click on it. And by the way it is the number of views a thread gets that determines its interest.  We have many members and visitors that read the threads and choose not to post.

[TMax]

I just dislike the way people take trip reports off topic, instead of going off on their own tangent maybe they should start their own thread and leave the trip report for what it is, someone sharing their experiences on the trip. Please don't say it doesn't happen because it does.

[Alexx]

Unlike with the straight forums, here it's quite manageable to keep an overview of those who post trip reports. So my advice would be, if the reports of a particular member offend you, just don't open future trip reports of that member. I don't see any benefit in commenting negatively or requesting changes - those who provide us with trip reports should be free to post them the way THEY want to share them with us.

[TMax]

Spot on, Alexx

[kokopelli]

The OP's  suggestion has merit but likely difficult to implement from a practical point of view.

 

My suggestion would be that posters be more discrete in regards to names, places and events therein which could be harmful to certain businesses. 

 

The detailed sexploits of various posters don't offend me at all although they are of little interest.  Actually they remind me of those stories in that old pulp magazine, First Hand, which  predated the internet age by many years.

 

Of concern is some of the photos and related stories of the boys which seem to be an invasion of their privacy.  

Guess I am some sort of old-fogy who doesn't  kiss-photo-and-tell it all.

[stijntje]

When I was preparing my first visit to LOS this year, I really liked reading the trip reports. I had made 0 posts at that time.

[Guest]

Exactly. No reason to change anything. If you don't want to read it don't click on it.

 

Correctly, or incorrectly, I believe the opening post is suggesting a second level forum to prevent outsiders from reading the private posts and seeing the half naked bedroom shots etc.  Possibly a way around the "consent" debate ?  

 

I've sat on the fence in the previous debates.   I quite like reading the trip reports, with half naked bedroom pics etc, but have rarely posted photos I took in the bedroom, since I have doubts about whether that's correct ethically.

Note: I don't go around telling other members which is the correct approach on this issue.

 

If there was an "Advanced Members" forum, I and perhaps a few others might just be more inclined to post such pics.

Whilst recognising even there, the material could be copied and moved to other sites.

 

This forum might just encourage a few lurkers to join in.

 

Of course, all this debate is rather academic, since the topic has been raised before and does not have much support.

[Guest ryanasia]

I have made posts that give personal details that I was uncomfortable doing at first. Now I don't care. I wouldn't trust the people in a separate section more than I do the general audience. Or the Thaiboy I do it with for that matter. lol It is just best to let go and say what you have to say. You will get some snakiness and asshole comments about it.  However why be shy? If you don't feel you are doing anything wrong why the need?

 

There was a time just being gay would be enough reason to hide but those days are over for most of us and for the rest they should make the adjustment. Some people get embarrassed bringing guys back to a hotel and I hope this isn't the case in 20 years.Post what you feel like posting with in reason but I am not sure we need another section to hide in. If your insecurities dictate what you post try to overcome them as best you can.

[forrestreid]

Well, the consensus seems to be against it.

 

I have to admit, think the size of the board mitigates against it, as I dont think there are the numbers to justify it.

 

As Firecat says, if you dont like those posts, dont click on them. However, it would make some posters feel a bit more at ease (and I am more talking about the readers than the posters of such reports here, lol) if they were a bit harder to access.

 

But that would disadvantage posters like stjinte, who hadnt posted at all before he started reading trip reports earlier this year to get info prior to his first visit.

 

So it is a conundrum.

 

It would be interesting to see though,as an experiment, if at least one of the main gay Thai boards tried it out for a few months.

[vinapu]

Creating suggested 'Advance Member " section while has it's merit would lead to sort of old boys insider club at expense of the main section  of forum and with time would deprive as new membership.

 

What was sense of joining if one can't read good chunk of what would be posted here ? So I'm against such segregation.

 

As for content of reports I'd let posters to use their own judgement as what to post and what not,  with understanding then it may be subject of  , sometime severe, criticism / too graphic, to long , too boring, to revealing  etc./ .

 

Such criticism should not be taken as personal attack but at face value for it's merit without suspecting  malicious intentions.

 

Personally I don't mind if travel reports are interrupted by off topic comments as it makes for vivid discussion instead of uninterrupted flow of just plain reporting. 

 

After all reporters are not writing book here for us but providing us with entertainment and information, if they think off topic comments are derailing thread nothing stops them from protesting loudly.