Adjustments to Job Offerings forum

[requinix]

Job Offerings has been updated to work a little differently.

 

Forum permissions:

• People can post new threads - unchanged
• Replies are not allowed. Replies are allowed but moderated. This means users can reply but regular members (including the user themselves) will not see the new post. Instead the replies are available for staff to view and approve if they become aware of replies and feel like doing so. There is no implied obligation to staff members to watch for, review, approve, or in fact do anything with replies.
• Editing follows global rules (allowed in a small window after posting) - unchanged

The Rules and Guidelines have been tweaked to mention requiring contact information that is separate from PHP Freaks. The DO NOT REPLY thread has also been adjusted and is a little less rant-y (sorry .josh).

 

The reasoning is due to technical limitations in IPB 3...

 

The problem is that sometimes users will post threads that don't include contact information and this puts them, and job seekers, in an awkward position:

• The poster may not realize they do not have access to the PM system
• Editing is not allowed so posters cannot add information after the fact
• Duplicate threads are prohibited, so the poster "cannot" make a revised thread
• Replies were disabled so members could not mention that contact information is missing

Two obvious solutions are not possible:

• Have the poster reply: staff can bypass reply restrictions, naturally, however IPB does not have a separate permission for allowing one to reply to their own thread. Lifting the reply restriction was tried in the past but was abused by people spamming their contact information and reinstated.
• Have staff PM the poster: not even staff are able to send or receive messages with restricted user accounts. Lifting the PM restriction is not acceptable because it's an obvious spam vector and policing PM spam is difficult.

Thus replies are allowed so the poster has the ability to include clarifying information, but moderated so that anyone attempting to advertise themselves in threads will not work.

 

Use the reporting system ("Report" link) if you see a thread but cannot find contact information.

 

 

As should be expected, abuse these privileges or the reporting system at your own risk.