hiccupx:
We've considered two types of validation so far that might be useful but would love to hear your feedback. These are:
* Verify that users are who they claim to be, to reduce fake profiles. This would work in the same way as it does on many sites, where the members publishes a pic of themselves holding a sign saying 'fantasy feeder'
* Perhaps more controversially - verify that users aren't trying to sell something or asking for money. So long as there's nothing to suggest otherwise in their profile or posts, we'll verify the profile, however if we see or hear otherwise, we'll remove the verification.
Verified members would have a badge shown on their profile and could be searched for. Whilst there's nothing wrong with trying to earn money online, the idea is to try to improve friendships/dating/conversation by highlighting those people genuinely interested in the fetish.
Post your thoughts/comments/suggestions below.
clive2007:
To part 1 - as you say, this procedure is being used already to verify certain members, holding up something that validates that they are a real member, and this can certainly confirm things like age (although anything proving that would I imagine have to be sent in privately, can't have pics of drivers licences or passports being made public) - yet this would prove they are a "real person" - it wouldn't stop them from then going on to post details about running paid services etc and so on.
To part 2 where physically checking a profile on joining FF to make sure paid services or otherwise asking for money in return for something isn't being posted would work in the interim, but they could then start making such posts after being validated - yet you do say that you'd remove validation (presumably through policing) if such posts were made.
I'd say a third possible option, so that we could include posters who do have paid services to be able to feel included would be to maybe enhance point 2 and include an extra tier of membership reserved for those that have paid services which would mean that they would be paying (via subscription) for the privilege of advertising externally.
If they joined under that tier, and subsequently canceled this subscription down the road, then they would then still be subject to the second option where profiles/posts would be checked for illegal content.
Clive
This is what immediately came to mind for me as well. Two different membership types: General, and Professional. General memberships may pay for site packages, or not, like normal. Professional memberships must pay, but maybe they get perk packages, such as a new banner space where the site rotates through the professional membership profiles or something. The fact is, when you make something against the rules without creating an outlet, people just find ways to go around it. Always. That's what black markets are. Where there's demand, such as demand for advertising space, there will be a market and there will be people willing to do anything to get it. It may be that the only answer is by hitting them in their pocketbooks, lol. By creating a authorized avenue for professional memberships, you will incentive everyone that does obey the rules to flag everyone that doesn't.
But the problem always will loop back to the fact that a banned profile is not a banned person or agency. And the only answer to that, aside from ineffectually banning IPs, is to force people to show ID if they want to have an account here. Now, this sounds rough, but the truth is, the site is not completely blocked - there is content that is viewable to anyone without an account. But if anyone that is able to make a profile or message or post is registered and verified, it will solve most problems, while still leaving an avenue for people that, for whatever reason, can't or won't register, by still having (albeit very limited) site access.
