[Announcement] Video Gallery Access - Policy change due to inactivity

[Furry-Sneezes]

I've adjusted the post count rankings and disabled access to the video gallery for anyone with 0 posts. This is not a permanent change, but I really want to see a community spirit around here restored. It saddens me that there have been so few posts or chatters or anything the last few months. So until further notice, if you have 0 posts, you will no longer be able to access the video gallery. Additionally, you will not be able to access the Archived Topic subforums.

Thanks for understanding and all it takes is a post. SAY HI! And take part in things! Be proud of your odd little kink and share a little bit about YOU. (So says the fully anon guy running the place but I have my reasons and many here know my regular identity :3)

More than likely I will remove this restriction once the Series Topics are caught up some. There's a lot there to watch and I need the help of the people here at the site. I also still (x.x) need help with improving on the stories. I believe someone suggested splitting art and stories/roleplay into separate areas, but I forget the whole of their suggestion.

[Enihs]

Personally I think changes such as these are more likely to drive traffic away from the forum than to improve it's health. Whilst I understand that it can be frustrating owning a forum with few posts/day, the fact of the matter is that sneezefurs is just a very obscure porn site, at least to me and other lurkers.

I don't mean to belittle the work you have down in creating the forum. Having a site like sneezefurs is important and very healthy for people with our fetish, it let's us know that our tastes aren't unique or perverse; it's comforting to know that there is a community of similar-minded people. The caveat is that since sexuality is a very personal thing, it would be wrong to force those people to post. They should be allowed to post when they are good and ready.

Even on a mechanical level, this won't work. You will (if lucky) see a surge of token posts by people who used to have access to the video archive and want it back, who will then go straight back to not posting once they have access again. There has to be a better incentive to promote forum health.

[Furry-Sneezes]

I'm certainly open to suggestions. I've been considering other options including changing it around to where the art gallery is the one that requires a post to access. Bandwidth isn't an issue, it's just a matter of having 120 members with no posts at all. That, and the fact that aside from a very few posts, the forum has been dead the last few months. If I'm going to put the work into the site that I do, I'd prefer to be motivated by seeing people actively enjoying it instead of just logging in.

And fetish content or not, it doesn't have to be just a porn site. If I'm missing certain forums or over-moderating to the point that people feel like posting is a waste of time, I need to be told this. I see a lot of very enthusiastic remarks by people who sign up only to have them never post and rarely log in. Kinda makes me feel cheated/tricked. I've seen a decline in bots lately, perhaps I could restructure the registration policies to where I just state people who skip everything are likely to have their account deleted. That's already my essential method of account approval unless their reason for wanting to join is related to why they might have been lazy or 'indecisive' filling out the various profile fields. As it stands, that's the only contact I get with many people who join the site.

I don't mind too much about the token posts. At least it helps me identify those who are active in SOME way, versus those who can't even be bothered to do that much. I want a community here where people understand it's okay to be social. I want a place where people can talk about whatever, and not just sneeze stuff. So what do I need to do to fix that?

[Otaku]

I am completely unsure what to think about this change, and I'd be surprised if anyone else felt really strongly about it. It doesn't seem immediately apparent whether it would be successful or not. I would highly advise letting it rock for a good length of time and seeing what happens; there's no way to no but to try it and see!

[Wisk]

Hmm... well that explains why I couldn't view the video archive.

[SnEeZy]

maybe the site needs more of a balance on the 'furry' side of things than it is on the sneezing. the 'sneezes' part is in large doses here, no question; the videos and art can attest to that. but aside from a museum of cartoon and anime clips, various artwork, i can't recall too many ever talking about generally furry innuendo: the fursuits, the furcons, furry jokes, furry politics, furry webcomics, furry anything. you've got the 'sneezing' part down, but i'm afraid it's overlooked a lot because it hasn't really gained much notoriety yet. if anything else, if the blue forum was Earth, then we must be the moon hovering around it. people are likely to go there first, then come here until much after they've figured it out.

the reason why the blue forum is active and works is that it has mass appeal. this isn't the blue forum, and i'm sure you'd rather not want that to happen, but part of it's charm lies in a broad variety of people going there: either wanting to know what a sneezing fetish is, whether they have it, or ample curiosity. a lot of people made friends there and know each other so well, it's hard not to go there, spend a month, and walk out with four fresh friends. maybe you could take a few pointers from them, i guess. plus, it's even gained famous through some of it's brief drama... closest thing we've had here to that is Blinky.

not trying to slam your site, but i think there really isn't much else to suggest beyond making it feel more 'furry' to attract furries to show up and not just the sneezing crowd. you've got all the basics down for a nice little board, and the attraction of sneezing videos and art is all there. we've already seen art contests, writing contests. maybe have a fursuit contest, or someone can try out posting a youtube video of them sneezing in a fursuit. i dunno.

members will talk when they feel like they'd like to talk, but lurkers are is lurkers do. i'm fine with the site the way it is. aside from the regulars, there's no reason to complain. just remove anyone who hasn't done diddly and keep the mainstays.

[Jasper Jay]

I have been a member of this site for a few years and have never posted before. I have been a member on the sneeze fetish forum since the beginning and hardly ever post there. It's not because I;m not a social person, its that this area of my sexual interests is very private to me, and I find I don't enjoy talking much about it, even with others who share it. I think you site is fantastic, and I do miss having access to the video archive, but I don't see myself posting more, especially when I feel I am being forced to.

[Furry-Sneezes]

Sometimes that's all a host needs to hear is a thanks from the lurkers. That's a far more pleasing post to see for your only post than other options. As we've said, don't worry too much about how 'odd' it is because here, it's not odd. You don't need to talk about the details of it either; I rarely do.

[furrylover926]

Same here. Nothing personal just private part of my life. You do good work here just the same.

[megacycle]

I imagine the sudden policy change is frustrating. Causing a lot of members to lose access to the video gallery, but to regain access just post a couple of times. If you don't feel comfortable talking about the fetish, try talking about a TV show or Anime or Video Game. Create a fun game for all members to play. Post something that is not in anyway related to the fetish on the general board/area. Comment on the other posts or stories or artwork on the forum. Even if the post only says, "Great work" or "Awesome picture, can't wait to see more." Create a topic that praises, furry-sneezes, for creating a marvelous website. Or all of the above. That's all it should take to regain access to the video gallery.

[Louise63146]

I wonder if by some chance you have changed your mind, and will allow members to access the Video Media Archives just because they're members, rather than requiring them to post a message in a forum in order to access the Video Archives?

By the way - how does one find the available Forums on which to post a message?  I don't see anything about that in the tabs on the top of my screen.

[Furry-Sneezes]

I'm afraid I haven't changed my mind on this. It's a fairly loose restriction and I ~believe~ it's fairly obvious how to remove it.

And the available forums are just everything that has a flower-diamond next to it underneath the archive links. Or did you mean something else?

[LK]

I'm in complete agreement with Jasper Jay.  I'm intensely private about my sneezing fetish.  I, too, have been on other forums since the beginning and I rarely post there either.  It took a huge amount of courage for me to even sign up here.  I'm terrified someone someday will see a post and connect the dots to me.  Now I feel like I'm being punished for being shy.

[Furry-Sneezes]

Trust me, if random people can't connect the dots between me and my other alias, then no one's going to find anything out about you guys unless you literally put your full name in a public area or use exactly the same alias (or post exactly the same emails).

Also, no reason to be shy around here. ^__^ I get that this is sort of a thing, like, most people are shy about this fetish. But around here is one place you can be yourself. Soooo in a way, kinda? Punished for being shy. I did this largely because TOO many people were being shy and I wanted to convince them it's okay to post, no one's going to eat your mother if you do. XD

[SnEeZy]

i've seen some progress with this rule so i guess some of it is working.

i wouldn't call it a "thing" though, that sounds kinda prudish there, imo. these are real people visiting this site who are either still adjusting with the fetish sexually or curiosity. you can't expect them to be so loud and proud like a pride parade, or openly candid like a furry convention right off the bat. everyone handles this differently and should be respected as such: otherwise, you're driving just as many people away for coming off on the wrong foot.

they will talk when they want to talk. if they don't want to, they don't have to.

the blue forum handles new faces rather nicely and warmly. maybe this site could learn a thing or two. otherwise this is still more of "aw c'mon, don't be a spazz, i beat off to this stuff too! you can trust me! i'm a nice stranger!"