Forum Changes

[Faust]

I think you'll get a kick out of the new registration rules text.

[Ivans On High]

only $10,000?

The no pictures rule was a nice touch too.

[Faust]

A lot of people lurk in order to read and also to buy things, so this probably would not be a good idea.

[lowrey]

being registered helps to follow threads as well, even if you don't post. but I suppose those accounts with zero post and no logins for a year or whatever could be removed? then again I don't know if these really have a big impact on the database size or anything.

[Shucks]

definitely appreciate the work to stop excessive external commercial exploitation of sz (i take it that's the point, rather than making $ from selling content to promostyl and all saints...). things such as antonioli linking to sz threads in their marketing really pisses me off. i'm definitely not here to provide them with free marketing insight or selling points.

one caveat - is there a risk that the (necessary?) natural inflow of new members may be affected too much? i mean, there needs to be some sort of way for good future members to understand that this is a place worth registering for. for me, being able to see the vibrant and lively discussions taking place here was part of the attraction that made me first lurk and then join. not saying there won't be enough incentive left or that too few will find sz - i'm just saying it might be worth keeping an eye on...

lastly, for transparency reasons, i for one would very much appreciate if sz actually continuosly discloses if and which memberships are sold to professionals/companies. i wanna know who is using me....

[Faust]

Dude, everyone is using you - from Banana Republic, to Chanel, to XXX. But I don't think it's necessarily the best way to look at it - we use other sources too. I don't want to be too precious with the forum - that stop the flow and exchange of information, but I do want fashion professionals who mine this site for data, trends, etc. - and there are a ton, to start paying. As for regular people - I don't see how having to register would turn them away from the forums.

[Shucks]

i know, but if you're gonna fuck me then i want dinner and a movie first.

so i still say let the sz community know who you sign up and sell access to content to - just to keep things on the up and up! honesty like that is better and much more easy to accept for members (i should think) than finding out afterwards that GAP or somebody are paying you money for access to the forum...

as for new recruits, i just mean that they maybe won't see much/any content before registering, thus maybe decreasing their initial desire to register to see the content? but then again, maybe the good ones make the effort to find out, just like they've made the effort to discover alternatives to mainstream fashion industry in other respects. it was just a thought...

lastly, not to rain on the parade, but since i deal with IP issues in my job, it struck me that you may find that intellectual property such as copyrighted texts and images (and what actually constitutes such) published on the site may become an important issue. if sz becomes more of a commercial enterprise, original rights-owners may kick up a fuss about getting paid for content published (without their permission) on sz. when someone starts making money, others crawl out of the woodwork to get a slice of the pie. perhaps you may want to check with a lawyer so you avoid any potential snags there... (and i'm only bringing this up to try to help!)

[Faust]

They see thread titles, so they know what we are discussing. I initially was hoping to just turn off images, but I can't find that option.

[Shucks]

(^ previous post edited...)

[philip nod]

interesting, slightly disturbing move

if you aren't paying for the content
you are the content

somebody said that about facebook but it applies here

[Shucks]

if you aren't paying for the content
you are the content

yes! this split is what i think just happened - and the more i think about it the more i think it bothers me. faust - no reply on my point about disclosing who/which companies (if any) in the future sign up for paid access to the board? for instance, if H&M pay you a wad of cash for their marketing and design dept. to gain access to sz, will we ever know this? or will we all just keep adding more and more stuff -about ourselves and about the world - to the forums which they can suck out and grow fat on? maybe it's a hypothetical situation, but i'd still like to know...

i'm aware most members couldn't care less what the SZ business model is - but i for one am here because as far as i know it is NOT a site profiting without my knowledge from me as a target consumer or as a marketing insight. maybe i'm naive, but i would like to think that was sort of the underlying philosophy of this place? i love the interaction and content of this place, but not as much as i hate being taken advantage of by some soulless corporation. so if it comes down to a choice, it's not much of a choice...

[cjbreed]

i don't guess i mind who knows how incredibly smart, talented, gorgeous and stylish i am.

[Shucks]

that's exactly the attitude i'd expect from someone who wears prada sport...

[BECOMING-INTENSE]

Before this change anyone could "suck out and grow fat on" Stylezeitgeist, including H&M, without your knowledge.

Now it can be controlled who, except for those who are already here.

[Shucks]

yeah, but then it wasn't the actual point of the site. the principle is important to me.