How do we class PL members as "trusted members"

[lasersbee]

I can't see the need for an exclusive "trusted Members" area...

Are these members considered "trusted" with money I may send for a
Purchase..???

Are these members considered "trusted" with any type of knowledge
or information they may post..????

Are these members considered "trusted" to safely handle any type and
power of Lasers...???

Or is this "trusted Members" area just to keep uninformed noobs away
from easy access to high powered Lasers and perhaps hurting themselves
or others..???

If it is the latter... I would go with Post #49 from dsli_jon...

On LPF there is a Vets section that you get admitted to after you get 1000 posts...
After a while it still got some Laser knowledge lacking noobs instated and some
of the <1000 post members resent the fact that they can't get in that "exclusive"
area without the proper credentials...

[EDIT]

As for sharing sensitive information... that can be share with members that
"you" know that you can trust by PM...IMO


Jerry

[Things]

The LPF vets section was created "back in the days" where maybe 3 or 4 people had more than 1000 posts, now people can just spam and get in. For that reason, it's barely used anymore.

[lasersbee]

Yeah... I was aware of that.... I was just making a point
that outsiders do resent the fact that they are locked out
for whatever reason...

Jerry

[mixedgas]

Go read PPrune.

Posts are moderated after posting, there is no "approval" process.
A little text is in each moderated post. "This post was last edited by a mod at XX:YY hours GMT because". They keep the response to one line, and apolitical.

Think about what they have to keep hushed, by law, while talking about aviation, and yet while trying to help new "direct to cockpit" first officers from many countries who get sat in a the right seat of a airliner after only say 1000 hours of instruction/experience.

If we had the discipline, we could do that. And you could bet a consistant wanker who keeps breaking the forumn security rules, gets a talking to, by the chief pilot, without tea and cookies, at his airline. Thats a plus of licensure.But we don't have a license, we have a " ragtag, fugitive fleet, on a lonely quest—for a shining planet." (apologies to Glen Larson"


Look, I'd love to be able to discuss what I 've spent years learning. I have a file on my laptop of how to ram 12 multimode diodes into a "something", done by a research scientist who needed red to pump a IR laser. They come out of that "something", far tighter then knife edging could ever do. I'd love to see responsible people have access to that. But given what would happen, mainly it being mass produced, at zero to low, quality in a certain Asian nation, one month after I post it? 12 x $50 = 600$ + 300$ worth of "mass produced" hardware = 6-7 watt tight beam laser for 2000$. What can I do? Well, I have no choice but to set on it and keep mum.

We then have the MICE problem. Why do people sell out (insert nation, company, group here!)?? Well the counterspy folks use the acronym of MICE. MICE = Money, Ideology, Compromise or Coercion, and Ego (Source = Tom Clancy)

DJ-ALIEN en could not get the 'Scope manuals and mods easily enough to suit his Ideology/Ego, so what does he do when he gets them? He posts them! Putting data that was kept semi-private by responsible people, or often, (truthfully), sold at around 700-800$ out in the public. If you pay 700$ to learn how to do something, you tend NOT to blab about it. So safety goes a little further out the window.

So if I post something in the "responsible" access only forumn, and it gets leaked? Then what is the penalty for "Breaking the Magician's Code"? Obviously we're not going to be able to "Stab you with a I90 plasma tube until near death, and,refusing you access to consecrated ground, bury you beyond the low tide line"

I think the obvious solution is make a members only section to keep 'Bots from scanning the forum, add "after the fact post kill" by a few moderators, and verify new users, and move on. Some things just stay secrets or get done via PM. And I say this SADLY!, because there are times you want to enlist help to achieve something in the background.

I always hated the teacher's rule of punishing the class for one bad apple. But it looks like it is the way now. Because it creates a classless society, avoiding POing the N members who would not be admitted. This is wrong also, because new members now have no reason to aspire to becoming better laserists, they just come here for a free instruction and move on.

Pick your poison, gents and ladies! (Yes there are about 5 ladies who read and post here)

Steve

[Admin]

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...651#post151651

[flecom]

DJ-ALIEN en could not get the 'Scope manuals and mods easily enough to suit his Ideology/Ego, so what does he do when he gets them? He posts them!

and I would have done the exact same thing... the whole secret squirrel thing doesn't work in the age of the internet... information is out there, its just up to you to find it

hell I have hundreds of GE/Ericsson/Tyco/Harris manuals on one of my webpages for anyone to download... including stuff I have written myself that could get them some flack from the FCC about product modifications that would void the product type-acceptance, but most of the stuff is going into use as ham-radio gear so it does not need type acceptance anyway

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...651#post151651

very well said

[zerowaitstate]

At the end of the day its up to the admin and his / her comfort factor and legal liability i suppose.

It's my belief that having information available is more likely to be a positive thing, as the more information one can bring to bear on a topic the more informed opinion can be formed.

A lot of the information is not really problematic until the technical skills in assembly, is achieved so its not likely johny the 12 yr old can purchase parts, machine bits and prepare them to a finished product.

Not to make the new blues the focus of information specifically here, but if you can buy one of these pointers for 200 dollars off the net in a pretty much annon environment that you are a lot more unlikely to have a healthy respect for the danger the device can cause.

Where as if you build it your self and are consulting people in the forum as you go, or purchase some thing from a member as a result of community design / construction I feel you are more likely to have a great respect for what the device can do.

While i cant see myself personally making component based bits or breaking down projectors to harvest diodes i feel i could make a great projector or beamer table, the first step in aspiring to do that sort of thing in knowing its possible.

[Eidetic]

The "veterans" section at LPF is incredibly unfair and inappropriate, especially when combined with the rep system there. It promotes an arrogance of power that's undeserved. The rep system is constantly misused by high count members to build each other's influence, which they wield unfettered against any who comment negatively against any one of them. The "Veterans" section gives them a place to plot retaliation against others. Post count is a terrible and unethical way to qualify members.

[allthatwhichis]

If we really need a separate section, which I have no opinion on for or against, I think each membership should be looked at on a case by case basis. At first, for the first selected few, to be approved soley by our illustrious Janitor and then, by the list of members in the new section. I do not feel any of the members here that would "quality" would be egotistical enough to not allow future members to be disqualified for meaningless reasons.

I believe qualification could be merited for a few different reasons; something as simple as # of post in the "normal" forum could be one aspect. Someone might have to look at each post of a few members... like buffo to make sure they are not just spouting crap.

Member has shown responsibility in their normal forum posts. Look at me, 5000+ posts... only about 1 out of 5 of my posts contain any sort of meaningful contribution, but most of those 1000 contributing posts seem fairly responsible. If I only had 50 posts I might need to qualify under another reason...

Member has been to a LEM or three and has shown themselves to be responsible enough to merit qualification. Several members come to mind that have less than 100 posts but have been to several LEMs and have much more experience that some of us with n000 posts...

Member knows another qualifying member and the qualifying member vouches for the newer member. Maybe a mentorship or sponsor type thing.

I am aure we can think of a few more qualifying reasons; my point is that this can be a bit more dynamic than post count and rep points, but, it might be a little work.

[ElektroFreak]

^still far too limiting IMO, and still lays the groundwork for an unfair hierarchy to exist. This goes against the very nature of the forum as I understand it. Just because you feel so warmly about the people who would be doing the member selecting, there is absolutely no reason to believe realistically that emotions wouldn't become involved on some level now or in the future.. Human nature does not allow for any other outcome. If this forum were to contain information only accessible to "the selected few", the chosen ones, I would immediately withdraw any financial support and possibly my entire membership as I do not feel that is wise, and I don't feel that such action truly represents the intent behind PL which, as I understand it, is to facilitate communication and information sharing regarding lasers. I don't think that PL is or was ever intended to be a closed forum in any way, at least that's not how I've come to understand it, given the Admin's reputed dislike for censorship. As has been stated by admin, there is no good way to limit access, the only good course ATM has been stated at the top of the little window surrounding the 445nm section: "Public Safety First! Be mindful. Be safe. Be sane." Also, as has been stated by other members here, it would be best to see what further action admin feels is necessary, if any. Limitation can be a very dangerous precedent to set in an environment seemingly intended to be open..