As mentioned in a previous thread we have realized that a point system won't be the most resourceful tool for SO Trading Post. Lazygrae, in another thread came up with the idea for a SO Trading Post Council. I liked the idea, and the SO Trading Post Council will be used in place of the "Trader Reputation".

Lazygrae summed up well how the SO Trading Post Council will work:

Alternatively, consider that some of the active/reliable members here could create a list of those people that are known, with certainty, to be reliable. They could form a "committee" of sorts and can update the list every 1-3 months with new additions as new (or old) people prove themselves with other members OVER TIME. It is totally unimportant that someone has, say, "1" successful trade. But if a person does several trades with different members, and they see his/her list grow online as they post additions, and they participate in discussions etc, then they just naturally gain a reputation that everybody on the board can see and feel comfortable with. Only at that point do they get on that list. A scammer is not going to go through all that trouble so a system like that provides a safeguard to keep them off the list. If a person is not on that list, a trader check is in order.

_________________________________________________________________
Right now I'm going to propose a question to everyone. If you are interested in being a part of this council please submit your name to this thread. You have to meet some requirements though. These are the requirements:

You MUST have been a member at SO for 6 months and/or have 50 posts.
Submit your name and your name ONLY to this thread.
No profiteers
No public sellers
Diplomatic tendencies
Good reputation in the trading world overall


I'll be selecting four people from the list that will be created in this thread. I'm going to try my hardest to be as fair as possible when selecting the people. After a two days this thread will be closed and nobody else will be considered. Those who are selected for the council will be contacted privately to see if they are still interested.

As for "Traders Reputation", that idea is basically history and the thread will be gone. The Good Traders ONLY thread will be reopened for now, until the council is established. Thanks to everyone for their valuable input and cooperation. A special thanks to lazygrae for coming up with this idea. I truly believe that this will work.

Your Tape Trading Moderator,
Combsisthebest :wave:

If you only update this list 2-4 times a year, it won't be of much value. New traders come and go on a monthly basis. Just my thoughts.

If you only update this list 2-4 times a year, it won't be of much value. New traders come and go on a monthly basis. Just my thoughts.
Oops that's my error. I meant 1-3 months. :D Now feel free to add your name to the list if you are interested. :)

I will offer up my services since I really want to see some sort of system implemented to aid traders in their quests for honest traders. I will be upfront about the fact that I am not sure just how much longer I will actually be trading, so my position would eventually have to be filled by someone else. (I have been threatening to quit trading for over a year, but one of these days I really will. :D )

Jen

People seem reluctant to nominate themselves, so I'm going to step up and nominate 4 people who seem like obvious choices.

loren, combsisthebest, jen, lazygrae

I would encourage all these people to off themselves as members of the SO trading post council.
Sorry, you can't nominate anyone. However, if you'd like you can encourage them to nominate themselves. :D

I would like to help out with this new system. I've been on sitcoms for almost 2 yrs and I plan on being here for the unforseeable future;)

Count me in on the idea if I'm welcome to all, I would like to see this forum become more productive and see less bad trader postings. Good idea and let me know if you want me to participate.
THanks
Tom D.

Re: RareTV’s post: Wow. Lots of great ideas there, many of which, in my opinion, should be implemented, if possible.

I fully support having nannyfan and tdubel on the council (I sent an email to him encouraging him to participate). If he's interested, I would also support Loren being involved. Agent 13 and combsisthebest goes without saying.

While I think we're on to something here and am happy to participate in its development by making suggestions about how it should be set-up and run, as RareTV has done, I have no real interest in running it once it's up. The suggestion was made only to show that there are alternatives to the original # system which I strongly opposed, not because I personally wanted to be on any such committee.

We have good people here who are far more qualified than myself. I have had very few actual trades with members of this group. In fact, I would imagine that I am one of the very least-active members here in that regard. That is unlikely to change. Resultingly, I lack the personal connection that many other established, and for the matter even some new-ish, traders here have with other members. Since we're no longer collecting simple "cold data" in the form of #s, a lot more reliance has to be placed on gut feelings and people’s experience. I think the people who have those personal connections with the members here are the ones who can best serve the interests of the community.

I'm not interested in being apart of council ,.. just wanted to say WOW !!! where was RARE during the writing of the "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE" LOL :happyface

boy that was a looooooooooooooooong speech Rare ... lol :lol:

:crazy: MY EYES ARE BURNING ... HAHAHAHA :wave:

i would be pleased to help out the board in what ever task this involves

the group has helped me a lot, and added to my colelction, it would only be fitting to give back soem time and experience to make the group grow and get even better

loren

Being a member for 6 months and submitting your name are broad requirements. Would it be possible to have certain higher standards set for qualifying members for the council?


No profiteers
No public sellers (is this too strict?)
Diplomatic tendencies (at least for the spokesman...I think this is very important so as not to be offensive)
Good reputation in the trading world overall
etc.


Either I'm not good at expressing what I'm getting at, or else I'm too optimistic. :rolleyes:

I'm glad to see so many applicants! This way I can stay retired. :D

Agent 13,

For the record, I agree with your recommendations. I think tdubel is a very diplomatic person, too;) Six months on the board - or - 50 posts opens it up to wayyy too many newbies. We have some newbies that post very frequently. Personally, I think the number of posts should be irrelevant. I would like to see someone who has been on sitcoms for at least a year - just because they have seen traders come and go. As far as sellers are concerned, isn't it against sitcoms rules to sell? If so, maybe the council shouldn't have sellers on it??

Jen, those are requirements that I will add to the original post. I think that's really good. Nannyfan, those are bare minimum requirements. Remember that just because someone posts their name on this thread, doesn't meant they're going to have a position on the Council. :)

RareTVonDVD, I like a lot of the things you said and once the council is established we'll review every rule that you posted. Thanks. :wave:

i guess with the new rules,

member for 6 months

and not a seller

will disqualify me from this service, thanks to the people who thought enough of me to suggest my name

loren

I have been here for some time, and I have to ask about the selling question. I have tried not to do this lately as the copyright situation is really starting to become worrisome. That said, I get a lot of requests from new traders who have nothing to send at all and I have tried to go the new box set route, but at times that is either unfair or doesn't work, therefore I capitulate for the sale. (more rare now than in the past, I would sell at one point, but just not worth the hassle from some and the off chance that it is someone looking to cause trouble). Let me know how we are handling this situation.

Tom

If you want to be on the council you can not sell. If you have sold in the past it's not up to me to hold that against you. However if you no longer sell or wish to quit selling to be on the council that is your choice. I hope this helps. :wave:

combsisthebest... I was just throwing out some ideas, since I thought that the requirements were a little too broad.

To be honest, I think many traders sell, though not all traders sell on a big scale, which is more of what I think it's best to avoid (i.e. openly selling on-line anywhere). I'm not sure where it'd be fair to draw the line, but even TJ said that it was all right to sell for costs.

combsisthebest... I was just throwing out some ideas, since I thought that the requirements were a little too broad.

To be honest, I think many traders sell, though not all traders sell on a big scale, which is what spoils the trading hobby. I'm not sure where it'd be fair to draw the line. Even TJ said that it was all right to sell for costs. :confused:
That was before TJ did the No Selling rule. I have to agree that if you're going to be on the council you shouldn't sell. I mean would it really make sense to have a rule on the boards about no selling yet someone on the council is selling? However, I'm not saying that if you've sold in the past you shouldn't be on the council. I'm focusing on the present.

I have been here for some time, and I have to ask about the selling question. I have tried not to do this lately as the copyright situation is really starting to become worrisome. That said, I get a lot of requests from new traders who have nothing to send at all and I have tried to go the new box set route, but at times that is either unfair or doesn't work, therefore I capitulate for the sale. (more rare now than in the past, I would sell at one point, but just not worth the hassle from some and the off chance that it is someone looking to cause trouble). Let me know how we are handling this situation.

Tom

I tell people I never sell and if they really want something, I tell them some things I'm looking for and if they can find them, send me an email and we can work out a trade then. I haven't heard back from any of those people. I have heard of traders trading for all kinds of stuff, though. Things like cd sleeves, blanks (of course), disc storage, etc. It just isn't worth my time to trade for this stuff. I know it is tough starting out and I feel for the new traders, but - if they are determined - it doesn't take long to build a good trading list and they can find sellers if they read enough posts on enough forums. I like to get new "stuff" to watch - so, if I can't trade for something different to watch - then, I won't trade. Occasionally, I will take on a "pity trade" - but, I really try to avoid it because I have enough dvds that nobody in my house will watch.

If the system is going to be fair and ran by all the members of the board for the betterment of the members old and new then you can count me in, I think this would be a very good idea, besides if its good enough for agent 13 then its good enough for me because she always has her prioritys in the right place.

To be honest, I think many traders sell, though not all traders sell on a big scale, which is more of what I think it's best to avoid (i.e. openly selling on-line anywhere).
I agree with both points made here. We definitely do not need, or want, big-time sellers here. On the other hand, an absolute no-selling rule will probably disqualify a lot of good people. Agent 13 is the only person I know of who flat-out states she will NOT sell, period. I've never seen Loren or tdubel post a list of items for-sale, here or anywhere else, but like many traders I assume, it still goes on privately.

Like nannyfan, I prefer to get stuff I can actually watch and enjoy in trades. I've tried to work out other arrangements than selling when someone has nothing I want or need. It has worked once or twice, usually it doesn't. At the end of the day, I don't think it matters. I don't see a fundamental difference between someone spending $40 on a box set and sending it to a trader for homemade discs, or sending $40 cash to that trader for the same homemade discs. Would it be okay if someone sent $40 worth of gold, or silver? Since metal is not legal tender, would that be considered selling? In all cases, someone is sending something worth $40 for something that is not worth $40 (at least, not in any legitimate commercial sense), so what's the distinction?

Or, is it okay to trade for a box-set from some chain store, have the receipt sent as well, and when it arrives to return it for a cash refund? Is that selling?

I'm not trying to justify selling. It's going to happen with or without justification. It just seems to me that so long as the people are primarily trade-based, ie not doing this as a business, and are not profiteers when they do sell, then no real harm done. So long as it's done privately of course. My $.02 on the matter.

I am honest, if it is a strictly no sell rule, I can't be on the council b/c I know that I feel too badly when new traders beg and plead and I give in. I was in their place at one point and had to buy every set in sight because I had nothing to trade. Just my 2 cents, maybe I can participate as an advisor to the council?

Tom

Drumroll if you please.............

The SO Trading Council is:

combsisthebest
Agent 13
nannyfan
DAJIZZARIZZA
Flying Dutchman


Anyone else who wanted to be a part of the council is an alternate if or when any of the current council members decide to step down. You have to be trading based to be on the council. I'll be contacting you all privately since I believe that we all need to meet together. :wave:

EDIT: Yikes, I made a mistake! I'm SO sorry, I guess I'm just human. :eek:

Agent 13 is the only person I know of who flat-out states she will NOT sell, period.
I commented on this in another link: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=143604

Drumroll if you please.............

The SO Trading Council is:

combsisthebest
Agent 13
nannyfan
DAJIZZARIZZA
Flying Dutchman

Establishing a group of traders that are not sellers and that are willing to contribute (not dictate) isn't the easiest thing to do.

If you have an issue that you think needs to be addressed, contact combsisthebest and tell him. He needs to hear if one of the prospective members have a bad reputation in the trading world. Please speak up, but do so privately.

combsisthebest is just trying to implement a system where trading will be safer. He's not perfect but at least he's trying, which is a big step. Having to be diplomatic and please everyone is a very difficult job, which is one of the reasons why I am now the...

Former moderator of the trading post,

Jen

DAJIZZARIZZA wrote: "I'm not interested in being apart of council"

combsisthebest wrote: "The SO Trading Council is:... 4. DAJIZZARIZZA"

Did I miss something?

Not complaining about his/her presence on the council if that is indeed the case, just confused.

DAJIZZARIZZA wrote: "I'm not interested in being apart of council"

combsisthebest wrote: "The SO Trading Council is:... 4. DAJIZZARIZZA"

Did I miss something?

Not complaining about his/her presence on the council if that is indeed the case, just confused.
Oh my gosh! You're right. :( I'm made another mistake. I guess I'm just on a roll today. :rolleyes: (Rolling eyes at myself...)

JOKER seems to be a bitter person ,... i'm sure he refers to me as the thumbs down . lol lol hahaha

i NEVER asked to be on the council ,.. but after JOKERS :crybaby:

i think i may consider it greatly ... i sent you an email in this regards "combsisthebest" .

i may be far from diplomatic ,.. i know ,.. but do not like (HATE !!!!) scammers, con-artist ,... etc.

i am honest , fair ,... and do not have an EGO problem .

THAT'S THAT FOLKS !!!!

I SPOKE TO JOKER SINCE THIS POST ... WE SEEMED TO AIR THINGS OUT ... HOWEVER I'M NOT DELETING THIS POST DUE TO THE CRYING BABY IS ONE FUNNY PIC ,.... I'M SURE HE CAN UNDERSTAND . ...LOL

The FINAL SO Trading Post Council group is:


Combsisthebest
Agent 13
nannyfan
Flying Dutchman

Alternates:

DAJIZZARIZZA

Thanks folks, and look forward to some great changes to happen within the next week! :)

NOTE: You can still add your name to be an alternate. :)

Watch out bad traders, it looks like we are finally getting organized.