Year Anniversary of RVF
08-12-2013, 12:56 PM
Today is the 5-year anniversary of RVF. I'm not good at commemorations so instead I will give a State Of The Forum address so that we're all on the same page with where RVF is and where I believe it is headed.
Rules & Warnings
First, I have recently made changes to the rules. Click here to view the updated rules. You'll notice only ten rules. I believe being a member here is more a personality issue than one of rule following. Men who belong here should be able to read those ten rules, observe how the forum currently runs, and fit in without instructions. There is a compatibility component to lasting here, as common with any sort of community.
But sometimes guidance is needed. Tuthmosis and I do so with a system of warnings. This is how it works: a warning increasing your Warning Level by a certain amount, which remains for 90 days. If you hit 100% from multiple warnings, you are automatically banned by the software. Newbies don't usually get the benefit of the doubt: they are banhammered upon their first serious break of the rules, but longstanding members who have contributed value are given warnings---sometimes multiple warnings---before a ban occurs.
There are now three warnings, two of which also include a temporary loss of posting:
1. 20% warning. No loss of posting.
2. 40% warning. 3 day loss of posting.
3. 60% warning. 7 day loss of posting.
So if you are given a 7 day ban, and then a 3 day ban, the software bans you (60% + 40% = 100%). This year, there have been problems with senior members having soft meltdowns and increasing their aggression or subtle trolling. I believe this is due to either boredom or substance abuse. Unfortunately, it's inevitable that senior members will be banned in the future just like they have been in the past. Some guys simply outgrow the forum, become irritable, and no longer care about losing their account.
Game & Travel
The travel forum has reached a high level of maturity. Almost every country in the world has been written in one way or another. Most major cities have also been covered. I predict this subforum will take on more a journal type of aspect where guys start threads for specific trips. You've seen this with guys like Fisto and Slubu, where they maintain a running dialogue of what they are experiencing on the ground. If you are planning on taking a trip, feel free to do the same. These threads are quite interesting to read. Combined with data sheets, I know of no other place on the internet that provides the information that you can find here.
The game forum continues to see growth because of the younger generation who are just getting into game. If you've learned from this subforum, I urge you to drop into the Newbie forum from time to time to answer questions. Yes, I know these guys have a long way to go, but most of us have been there too. Teach them the mindset they need to have, or at least set them in the right direction. It can be your good deed of the day. Most of the main game topics have already been discussed, so it will be interesting to see how this subforum evolves in the future.
Trolls
This forum is quite large, with over 600 posts made a day. It averages 2.4 million page views a month. With such quantity, it's inevitable that many men will be banned from participating here. This breeds resentment and then attempts to attack the forum either on other sites or by registering troll accounts.
I won't change the moderation style, and I'll tell you why: those who have been banned are desperate to come back in. I've lost count how many times I've banned someone only to have them assume a new identity to participate again. This tells me that in spite of being exiled, they still want to be a member here and participate in the value that it offers. It's not uncommon for banned members to have emotional breakdowns.
I'm often criticized for the tight moderation, but I have failed to receive such a criticism from someone who maintains a forum of this size. If it was easy to build and administer a large forum, I'm sure that others would start their own, but it is rather difficult and time-consuming, and I hope most of you trust me to do what's best for the forum's survival. In light of my recent distancing with the manosphere, get ready for more criticisms and hate to be thrown in this direction. People will be very angry that they are not allowed to be a member here.
Membership
The membership is getting older, but we still have a large influx of young members (mostly thanks to the game forum). That said, I have noticed a trend I don't like: divorced and married blue pill guys trying to be members here. While I have no inherent prejudice against them, they tend to be keyboard jockeys that are trying to rationalize their life choices. I believe many are MRAs in disguise.
The basic rule I have is this: if I wouldn't hang out with the guy in real life, I don't want him to be a member here. Call it dictatorial or Stalinesque if you want, but I will have no motivation to put the large amount of time to administer this forum if it's full of guys I don't like. As always, women will not be allowed.
Fun fact... these are only four members with over 250 posts who have been here since the first week:
speakeasy
basilransom
kerouac
ElBorrachoInfamoso
Best Practices
Here is a reminder of best practices that will help minimize problems:
1. Don't post while angry. If something you read upsets you, step away from the computer and do something else. Give yourself a couple hours before responding to something that stirs your emotions.
2. Don't post while intoxicated or high. Posting and drinking do not mix. Lurk instead and then post when you sober up.
3. If you wouldn't say it to the guy's face, don't post it. Petty insults often escalate into flame wars, resulting in needless warnings and bannings. It's fun to call out someone for being an idiot just like it's fun to bang a fat girl, but there is regret afterwards. Click the report button instead.
4. Use the search tool before posting a new thread. It's inevitable for a forum of this size to have an epidemic of dupes, but you can minimize this by doing a 10 second search before you share a viral video or article.
5. Be generous with leaving rep points. If you have found yourself liking 5 or more posts by a certain member, it probably means you get value from his postings. Show your appreciation by leaving a rep point. In fact, I urge you to leave one rep point today for a member that you enjoy reading.
6. Use descriptive titles so a member can decide whether he wants to check out your thread or not. Vague titles may cause guys to waste time on topics that don't interest them.
7. No more race threads. If there is a topic that consistently results in fighting, it's race.
The Future
The exponential growth phase of the forum has ended, mostly thanks to the 1 day per month registration system. Unique visitor traffic will probably level off. I predict less than 2,000 men will join each year. On the other hand, posts per day will increase, so you will see more activity, and probably find it challenging to keep up with all the threads.
I may experiment with adding new subforums (the Books subforum was recently added), but I don't plan on making any serious changes. My goal is simply to provide a venue for discussion that is centered around our core beliefs, while keeping away those who try to sabotage or poison our community. I know that more men are meeting each other via the forum than ever before, so the benefits of the forum will increasingly be offline as well as on.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. My inbox is always open to suggestions and concerns. For all of you that have made the forum a truly unique place, I thank you. Here's to another five years.
![[Image: clap2.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/clap2.gif)
Rules & Warnings
First, I have recently made changes to the rules. Click here to view the updated rules. You'll notice only ten rules. I believe being a member here is more a personality issue than one of rule following. Men who belong here should be able to read those ten rules, observe how the forum currently runs, and fit in without instructions. There is a compatibility component to lasting here, as common with any sort of community.
But sometimes guidance is needed. Tuthmosis and I do so with a system of warnings. This is how it works: a warning increasing your Warning Level by a certain amount, which remains for 90 days. If you hit 100% from multiple warnings, you are automatically banned by the software. Newbies don't usually get the benefit of the doubt: they are banhammered upon their first serious break of the rules, but longstanding members who have contributed value are given warnings---sometimes multiple warnings---before a ban occurs.
There are now three warnings, two of which also include a temporary loss of posting:
1. 20% warning. No loss of posting.
2. 40% warning. 3 day loss of posting.
3. 60% warning. 7 day loss of posting.
So if you are given a 7 day ban, and then a 3 day ban, the software bans you (60% + 40% = 100%). This year, there have been problems with senior members having soft meltdowns and increasing their aggression or subtle trolling. I believe this is due to either boredom or substance abuse. Unfortunately, it's inevitable that senior members will be banned in the future just like they have been in the past. Some guys simply outgrow the forum, become irritable, and no longer care about losing their account.
Game & Travel
The travel forum has reached a high level of maturity. Almost every country in the world has been written in one way or another. Most major cities have also been covered. I predict this subforum will take on more a journal type of aspect where guys start threads for specific trips. You've seen this with guys like Fisto and Slubu, where they maintain a running dialogue of what they are experiencing on the ground. If you are planning on taking a trip, feel free to do the same. These threads are quite interesting to read. Combined with data sheets, I know of no other place on the internet that provides the information that you can find here.
The game forum continues to see growth because of the younger generation who are just getting into game. If you've learned from this subforum, I urge you to drop into the Newbie forum from time to time to answer questions. Yes, I know these guys have a long way to go, but most of us have been there too. Teach them the mindset they need to have, or at least set them in the right direction. It can be your good deed of the day. Most of the main game topics have already been discussed, so it will be interesting to see how this subforum evolves in the future.
Trolls
This forum is quite large, with over 600 posts made a day. It averages 2.4 million page views a month. With such quantity, it's inevitable that many men will be banned from participating here. This breeds resentment and then attempts to attack the forum either on other sites or by registering troll accounts.
I won't change the moderation style, and I'll tell you why: those who have been banned are desperate to come back in. I've lost count how many times I've banned someone only to have them assume a new identity to participate again. This tells me that in spite of being exiled, they still want to be a member here and participate in the value that it offers. It's not uncommon for banned members to have emotional breakdowns.
I'm often criticized for the tight moderation, but I have failed to receive such a criticism from someone who maintains a forum of this size. If it was easy to build and administer a large forum, I'm sure that others would start their own, but it is rather difficult and time-consuming, and I hope most of you trust me to do what's best for the forum's survival. In light of my recent distancing with the manosphere, get ready for more criticisms and hate to be thrown in this direction. People will be very angry that they are not allowed to be a member here.
Membership
The membership is getting older, but we still have a large influx of young members (mostly thanks to the game forum). That said, I have noticed a trend I don't like: divorced and married blue pill guys trying to be members here. While I have no inherent prejudice against them, they tend to be keyboard jockeys that are trying to rationalize their life choices. I believe many are MRAs in disguise.
The basic rule I have is this: if I wouldn't hang out with the guy in real life, I don't want him to be a member here. Call it dictatorial or Stalinesque if you want, but I will have no motivation to put the large amount of time to administer this forum if it's full of guys I don't like. As always, women will not be allowed.
Fun fact... these are only four members with over 250 posts who have been here since the first week:
speakeasy
basilransom
kerouac
ElBorrachoInfamoso
Best Practices
Here is a reminder of best practices that will help minimize problems:
1. Don't post while angry. If something you read upsets you, step away from the computer and do something else. Give yourself a couple hours before responding to something that stirs your emotions.
2. Don't post while intoxicated or high. Posting and drinking do not mix. Lurk instead and then post when you sober up.
3. If you wouldn't say it to the guy's face, don't post it. Petty insults often escalate into flame wars, resulting in needless warnings and bannings. It's fun to call out someone for being an idiot just like it's fun to bang a fat girl, but there is regret afterwards. Click the report button instead.
4. Use the search tool before posting a new thread. It's inevitable for a forum of this size to have an epidemic of dupes, but you can minimize this by doing a 10 second search before you share a viral video or article.
5. Be generous with leaving rep points. If you have found yourself liking 5 or more posts by a certain member, it probably means you get value from his postings. Show your appreciation by leaving a rep point. In fact, I urge you to leave one rep point today for a member that you enjoy reading.
6. Use descriptive titles so a member can decide whether he wants to check out your thread or not. Vague titles may cause guys to waste time on topics that don't interest them.
7. No more race threads. If there is a topic that consistently results in fighting, it's race.
The Future
The exponential growth phase of the forum has ended, mostly thanks to the 1 day per month registration system. Unique visitor traffic will probably level off. I predict less than 2,000 men will join each year. On the other hand, posts per day will increase, so you will see more activity, and probably find it challenging to keep up with all the threads.
I may experiment with adding new subforums (the Books subforum was recently added), but I don't plan on making any serious changes. My goal is simply to provide a venue for discussion that is centered around our core beliefs, while keeping away those who try to sabotage or poison our community. I know that more men are meeting each other via the forum than ever before, so the benefits of the forum will increasingly be offline as well as on.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. My inbox is always open to suggestions and concerns. For all of you that have made the forum a truly unique place, I thank you. Here's to another five years.
Roosh
http://www.rooshv.com