Ask the Staff v7

[gertiekeddle]

Originally Posted by wandrider

Can someone sort more than once, since this sorting topic is more for fun? Or, is each person limited to one sort?

Everyone can sort others as often as he / she likes, but only can be sorted once. We could also instantly have asked everyone in which house they would like to be, but thought the other way it's more interesting. If a house gets changed, it's a bit of contradicting the idea of getting sorted.
Actually we didn't have a sorting feature for years since we wanted to avoid that it gets as die-hard issue. It's just an additional feature of the board.

For chatting the problem actually is that the board is quite busy rather than that a single chat post would be disturbing - but two pages of them are for everyone else, who tries to read the according thread. That's why we run with a no chatting policy in most every thread which fulfils a special purpose, even if it's an entertainment purpose (like sorting), except in the threads devoted for free talk like the 'Pitchside' and many threads in the Quibbler area.

[merrymarge]

I don't have the right type of phone, but is there an APP for this Forum? Seems like there is an APP for everything under the sun.

[snapespet]

How do you decide who can have access to the US Politics thread? I saw the note about not trying to request the password.

[Alastor]

Methinks it is Morgoth alone who decides.

[gertiekeddle]

Originally Posted by merrymarge

I don't have the right type of phone, but is there an APP for this Forum? Seems like there is an APP for everything under the sun.

This suggestion was made only shortly ago, because it's currently so uncomfortable to browse CoS by smart phone. By now we don't have it, but it might be a good idea to instal something of the like in future. It's just on a long list of things to yet done for the tech admins, who unfortunately have way less time for the board than they had in the past.

[Dobby138]

Does anyone know how/if I can report a member? It's just that a member has been very rude to me recently and I would like to report this.

[Alastor]

You can always send an owl about it to any member of the forum staff.

ETA: Forum threads, social groups and profile visitor messages all have a report function which you can use. If a member sends you a rude owl You can forward the owl to a staff member.

[Dobby138]

Yes, thanks, I'll do that, but which member of staff shall I forward it to?

[gertiekeddle]

That doesn't matter.

You can send it to us Admins (red username), but it's possible that a request takes a bit longer since we're often quite busy. Or you can send it to one of the moderators (blue usernames) currently around, who will have to check on the things to work upon that day, too, but will also try to come back to you as soon as possible.

[Dobby138]

Thank you, gertiekeddle. I hope you receive my owl.

[Hes]

Before someone asks, the April Fool's posts from this thread have been moved to the Quibbler

[FleurduJardin]

What, exactly, is a "Registered User", as opposed to a "Student" or a "First Year", "Second Year", etc?

I had an owl from a Registered User asking to be let in in one of the "Invite Only" social groups. I tried to look her up on her Profile Page (this person had zero posts in her count) but was told that I was not allowed to view that page, which sounded very strange to me. I'm confused and would welcome a word of explanation.

[ArryGrotter]

Originally Posted by FleurduJardin

What, exactly, is a "Registered User", as opposed to a "Student" or a "First Year", "Second Year", etc?

I had an owl from a Registered User asking to be let in in one of the "Invite Only" social groups. I tried to look her up on her Profile Page (this person had zero posts in her count) but was told that I was not allowed to view that page, which sounded very strange to me. I'm confused and would welcome a word of explanation.

I'm pretty sure that means they haven't posted, and aren't a 'student' because of this

[Muggle_Magic]

Originally Posted by ArryGrotter

I'm pretty sure that means they haven't posted, and aren't a 'student' because of this

But why couldn't Fleur look at their profile page? You usually can view anyone's profile page, don't you?

Strange, though, that someone who hasn't posted wants to join an "invite only" social group. But not our problem.

[ArryGrotter]

Originally Posted by Muggle_Magic

But why couldn't Fleur look at their profile page? You usually can view anyone's profile page, don't you?

The mods will need to clarify this, but I'm pretty sure there is a period of time that new member's profiles cant be visited. Like for example if you click the newest member on the main page, it'll usually say that you don't have permission

[Alastor]

Originally Posted by Muggle_Magic

But why couldn't Fleur look at their profile page? You usually can view anyone's profile page, don't you?

Not for new members waiting for an admin to confirm their membership.

Why a new member might want to do this or that goes under the header of GOSSIP and is thus uncalled for in this thread. Speculating about our members' motives is just something we don't do here.

[silver ink pot]

I've had newbies requesting to join a private group before. I just politely told them no, not right now, but maybe later.

Newbies don't know the protocols and rules by heart so of course they might ask just out of curiousity.

[gertiekeddle]

That's true and often a good solution. We have many rules and even if one reads them in the beginning, sometimes not all can be kept in mind.

Some of these 'newbies' only join to owl as many other students as possible though. The latter is by experience more likely when someone does so while their account is not yet even approved. If you ever have the feeling that's not only a new member who is unsure about the policies aka if you're unsure about it and who likely not only owled you, please feel free to report this member to staff. Many of them are quite aware what they do.

[silver ink pot]

Originally Posted by gertiekeddle

That's true and often a good solution. We have many rules and even if one reads them in the beginning, sometimes not all can be kept in mind.

Some of these 'newbies' only join to owl as many other students as possible though. The latter is by experience more likely when someone does so while their account is not yet even approved. If you ever have the feeling that's not only a new member who is unsure about the policies aka if you're unsure about it and who likely not only owled you, please feel free to report this member to staff. Many of them are quite aware what they do.

Thanks, and I'm sure that's true that some of it is intentional. I've just never reported anyone asking to get into a group because either I got to know them through the forums later or they just went away and never bothered me again.

[snapespet]

I'm a little confused. If a group is private, I'm not allowed to contact the member who started the group and ask to join?