TDF currently has a TDF Member Meets Forum that requires special authorization to enter.

Setting forums to Members Only makes them unreadable to visitors. One must have an account and be logged in to view them. This provides a greater level of privacy and security. It also provides incentive for visitors to register accounts, which also aids in security.

TDF Management is currently exploring the possibility of setting some non-critical forums to member only while leaving all the major doll forums visible to guests.

What are your thoughts on this?

I don't understand, what is the sense of having only members being able to see a forum if it is 'non-critical' ?

good point. What is meant is that the forums are non critical to people coming here to research LoveDolls. The forums are certainly important to the members

If we vote, are we able to change our vote if we read more peoples thoughts on this and think they make sense enough to warrant a change in one's voting?

If I were a manufacturer, I'd want the forum to be as inclusive as possible, for I would want people to see my dollies, forums, links, advertisements, deals, as much as possible.

But I am not a manufacturer.

I am all for exclusivity. But just how much, either some of the forum or all of it, I am not sure, but at least some.

I wonder what the "major doll forums" would be? Would Candy8teen forum be considered one? What criteria is one deemed as being a "major doll forum"? Ones that bring in the most traffic, views? Or would all the doll forums be viewable, just other sections like the "Dolls in General", "Open Forum", things like that, that might not seem to be anywhere near as "critical" as the doll forums are?

Thank you for letting us have a voice in this, Management, by letting us share our thoughts.

As a somewhat new member I am very happy here at TDF, and yes thanks for letting us have a say.

If the advantages would be members' only privacy, security, and also giving an incentive for visitors to register accounts, here is a little feedback:
Hope this all isn't completely out of left field, but

- perhaps a member while starting a new thread or topic can choose if it would be for "members only" to see
- perhaps "poll" topics (such as this one) are only viewable to members, as you need to be a member to vote
- perhaps visitors cannot see "who is online"

Either way, I trust in where you're taking us It's all good. Thanks again -drakee

If you could tell us which forums would be members only (private) and exactly which forums as public. Or more specifically a vote on which current forums you would like to take public.

Thanks
Mark and the Synthetiks

Yes, I just checked, this is possible.

I think it is all which are not in "Dolls in General". So Candy8teen is considered major. I am sure itsme would kick our butts if we try to tell him he is not major.

Actually this is just the first step, asking what people like at all. If most say "please stay public", then it is not necessary to discuss further.

One candidate for "member only" access is the "Dolls alive" which already has a separate poll running.

Personally I like to have as much as possible in the public, and this might even be all, as it is now and has been for 10+ years.
Otherwise I might not have found my way here if all I have seen are more or less customer discussions about this kind of doll or that, but missing e.g. the photo stories and stuff in Eye Candy. So I think: Less public forums means less new members. I do no want to rob anyone the chance to find happiness with dolls.

Also making things "Member only" makes me feel like there are things we should be ashamed of, and I cannot see any. "Dolls Alive" might be an exception, as this is something most outsiders seem to completely misunderstand. (I did not, even when I was lurking. Well, we had not really a "Dolls Alive" forum then, but we had already doll accounts.)

Then I am willing to accept that the majority wants.

edited to add:
this is an interesting idea, but I as far as I know I am afraid that the forum software does not support that.

Yes certain forums sould be kept for members eyes only. Personaly I think this perticuler section sould remain public. It would be nice for non members to see what dolls are selling and see what people are wanting to buy.

Hi I'm abstaining from this vote, purely because it is too vague in ambition: i.e. I would not want to be seen as voting for this 'indication' poll, and then find a year down the line that the Forum Owners have used it to close off certain sections.

I understand that this is not the intention, but it could be inferred differently.

I am happy to vote on more specific cases/areas, as indeed I have done on the Dolls Alive poll.

HTH, but probably not!

I voted some. Many people have come here to research dolls, whether they would be "right" for them, what kind they may want, what each offers... A lot of doll owners/members mightn't even be doll owners if they wern't able to have access to this resource, I think.

however some forums, like the meeting forums are specifically for the forum members and should be private, or at least accessible to members only. Personally I think it's fine the way it is.

Some public , Some private


example of what should be private:

"Meet & Greet for 2011 at Hershey, PA"

We have a private meeting room for discussion of details.

The specific location of the meet is not supposed to be in the public post. It is only there to inform people so they can apply for meeting room status.

There may by ongoing discussion now of changing the date and location owing to some people posting details outside of the private meeting room forum.

Really? Oh, no! Well, I hope this gets ironed out soon, because I'll have to put my time-off request with work within the next month or so. Darn people and their darn big mouths... *Grumble, grumble*

I think some, if not MOST, should be open to everyone, since many visitors become members after they've visited a few times (myself for one!) but other areas aught to be for members only as they deal with our daily lives with our Friends and Lovers and should not be open to casual visitors.
Thanks to the TDF staff for taking the time to consider all points of view in this matter!
That's why TDF is THE BEST!

As chat is lately dead, it's debatable whether even MOST TDF members even bother to login when surfing the site; unless they happen to want to Post, PM somebody or update their user Doll Album. The ratios at the bottom of the index page are typically one fifth logged in & four fifths not logged in.

Blocking access to purely Meet information to Meet attendence eligibilty requirements anyhow of 1+ years membership & 10+ posts doesn't guarantee security.

As far as other areas, I mean if you're ashamed about something, should you even be doing it?