User Registration Notification

[Iconoclast]

Tired of newbies registering just to request for an ESA-protected ROM? Tired of newbies not reading the forum rules before posting? Tired of your math teacher saying 0 to the power of 0 is 1 when they really just say that just because they like to argue? Then keep reading!

Newbies can't help it if they're newbies, who know little to nothing about computers. They don't have the common sense to read Kameo's Rules of the ROM Request Forum thread before requesting a ROM. 95 percent of the threads in ROM Request are against the rules.

So, let's think logically. What can we do to ensure that the registering user sees the ROM request rules and so on no matter how common-senseless they are? Somehow, we have to put the rules right in front of their face so they will have to see it on their screen. The best way to do this is to put it in the CoolROM User Registration page. This is good because:

It is good to notify an user of the forum rules as soon as possible so they don't go too far just to find out too late, so the registration page is probably the best page to put it.
If they're really bad with computers, they shouldn't be so careless as to skip registration requirements and details, being careful about using a machine they know little about how to use. They should, therefore, catch the rules if they are posted in the registration page.I would put an entry in it like this:

"Before you begin your registration, it is essential that you understand the following:

If you are registering to request a ROM, know the game titles that are not allowed to be asked for on these forums. 95 percent of the ROM requests we have gotten so far are illegal, and chances are yours is illegal, so check (URL=ROM Request Rules Link)our list(/URL) of illegal requests first.
Do not request ROMs for consoles that are not available on this site (ex. GameCube, Xbox/360, PSX/2/3, etc.). We are not allowed to provide them for download, if you had the latest consoles in mind.
Do not request BIOS files on these forums. We could all get in trouble for that if anyone was caught doing that.
If you view the individual forums of CoolROM.com, at the top of the list of threads you will most likely, depending on the forum, find a rules thread regarding posting rules for the forum. You should read them, but you do not have to. They were made up by partially administrative-priveleged users called moderators who just like making rules for the heck of it, but you still probably should read them.(Optional, but I don't think it'll do any good:)And if you're registering to post advertisements on these forums, just thought it fair to warn you that you are wasting your time. Some of the most active users on this site will almost immediately catch the thread and delete it. Just saying this for your sake, a small warning that you're really wasting your time. Maybe you'll have read this, maybe you'll haven't; we don't care."

[pizzaman]

No, that won't work. Everyone skips rules and terms. I don't know a single person who reads all that, honestly. The thing to do is to give them a warning, and after a certain number of warning, they get banned. But most of the people just do it anyways and abandon their account after 3 posts.

[Iconoclast]

But it will help REDUCE ROM requests, not completely stop them. I think this idea is at least worth trying.

Besides, that's only the advertisers. Those are the ones who register the fastest, without reading anything, so I don't know why I put that anymore...but for ROM requesters, this has a chance of reducing ESA ROM requests. Isn't it worth trying? It belongs in the registration section, anyway; it's common sense to put the rules in the registration page, not in a thread.

[pizzaman]

But it will help REDUCE ROM requests, not completely stop them. I think this idea is at least worth trying.

Besides, that's only the advertisers. Those are the ones who register the fastest, without reading anything, so I don't know why I put that anymore...but for ROM requesters, this has a chance of reducing ESA ROM requests. Isn't it worth trying? It belongs in the registration section, anyway; it's common sense to put the rules in the registration page, not in a thread.
Well it might work, no one will have nothing to lose, but Admin does decide to put it in there, he should use this (http://www.pcsx2.net/forums.php) technique. See how there is no enter now button? It makes you have to read the rules before you enter.

[Kameo]

I find it to be a little offensive towards people, it's too much on the negative side.

I also think that Pizzaman is right, no-one reads them, there's rules already and they request for them anyway......

[Iconoclast]

I find it to be a little offensive towards people, it's too much on the negative side.

I also think that Pizzaman is right, no-one reads them, there's rules already and they request for them anyway......They might ignore it; they might not. I don't think they will, but I have no way of knowing. It's never been put to the test. The forum rules thread can't be counted as a test example because the user doesn't know they exist or bother to check to see if they do, but I think if it were in the registration page, it might catch a few eyes. I'm just saying it might have a chance, but I see your point.

Except for the offensive part...I don't get how emphasizing the rules could offend some users, but who knows. Negative...eh, I can be pessimistic at times, but I don't quite see.

Of course, an alternatie solution to newbishness is tolerance. I never get tired of telling them, you can't request this ROM, so go home. That's something I don't get impatient with. Still, for those who are annoyed at such users, I think this might be worth a try. I'm sure it would at least help.

[Kameo]

" ROM Request (http://www.coolrom.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8) (3 Viewing)
This is the only place where ROM requests are acceptable. PLEASE READ FORUM RULES BEFORE REQUESTING A ROM. "


Being ignorant is no excuse ......

[Iconoclast]

Uh, yeah, good point. Funny, how he's tried everything, yet he"$ missing the main idea. admin has put this newbie-correction information in the forums index, even.

So, let me 'start over'. Though the sentence is relatively emphasized and in capital letters, they still miss it and request for ESA ROMs anyway. The only way to fix that is to make it more noticeable to the user. How to do that? Put it in a more noticeable spot. I'd say, making a page that requires you to read the rules and click the "I understand the above rules" or whatever button before starting registration is going to catch a lot more, if not all, users' eyes than admin's little note in the ROM Request forum description. Besides, for those who already do catch the note that admin put in the ROM Request forum description, it's too late for them, because they already registered only to find out they shouldn't have. That's another reason why it goes better in the registration page is so they see it before they create the account and realize they shouldn't have.

Crap:

I'm not completely sure, but I think ignorance would have to be one of the things I hate most in people. It sort of depends, if it's caused by learning disabilities or general idiocy. Even high school teachers are severely ignorant of the subjects they don't teach. For example, my English teacher's ignorant about everything except English. And with them saying Freshmen are know-nothings compared to Sophomores? At least Freshmen know more than some of the teachers. Hypocritical and selfish, though very generous, socially, and nice to people, but I still cuss to myself about the computer stereotypes and know-nothingness in some of these people.

One of these stupid things I'm hearing from 80-year-old substitute teachers is trying to solve a computer problem. In Windows Explorer, they just double-click on "My Computer," and one of them's like, "Well, that's strange, because it should be on my computer," you idiot you have to select the C drive.

And these idiots bragging about what they know or thinking they know about other subjects. "Do you like PowerPoint? I've made, like, 12 PowerPoint Presentations!" **** you; I've made 52 PowerPoints in one year, and I don't just walk to the first person I see and say that.