[REQUEST] Premium only forum topic option

Edit: Let's see if I can explain this thing better...

Having an open forum where all users can mingle and discuss is great, but also having the option to limit particular forum topics to premium users only could be very handy for things like: UPF game suggestions/voting, premium Q&As, premium only events, etc. What do you duders Think?

*braces for free user outrage*

*braces for premium user outrage* ?!?!

Apologies to the OP, please delete my ignorance.

?????

...That sounds like a bad idea and kind of elitist even. I especially think it's a bad idea to shut out any free-user feedback; Giant Bomb is always after more subscribers, and taking away free-users' (who may have once been premium but unsubscribed) ability to critique premium content is not how you're going to win over more people.

100 % against this. The moderators do a fine job on the forums and this kind of change would be more toxic than any current troll activity.

I can only think of a couple of extreme edge cases such as the UPF feedback topic you mentioned where such a thing might even be somewhat appropriate. Just because someone isn't a subscriber doesn't mean they don't have anything worthwhile to say or valuable feedback to give, and the reverse is also true of subscribers. Add that to the fact that not everyone maintains their Premium status on a month to month basis, I don't see a reason why those people should be prohibited from participating in comments sections on some article or certain discussions during the periods in which their membership isn't active. There are already subscriber-only chats for certain shows and subscriber video comments sections aren't open to non-subscribers, in my opinion that's about as far as I'm comfortable restricting users' participation privileges.

The idea of Premium-only forum areas is an idea that has been raised several times in Giant Bomb's history, and one that has been roundly rejected each and every time - including before the site ever even launched. I'm firmly against the idea and have been for many years. The forums have always been for everybody and I'd like them to stay that way.

No.

UPF feedback can easily be gathered in the open forum - I expect those making use of such feedback could filter out the free users if they wanted to.

But the chances are any serious feedback would be accepted, many free users are former paid users etc.

Nope.

You can't see my silver medal?

Well, we wouldn't be segregated from each other anyway, but I'm now starting to think that might not be a bad thing :p

I am against the idea and the original Premium that Giantbomb (the people who work there and created it) conveyed was against this idea as well.

I understand where your heart is, but I disagree with this suggestion. Giantbomb does not need to be segregated. It's hard enough for them to convey open arms as it is with some people who see the premium features as a gate to content they might want to see already. Segregation by forum would only cause that to fester more predominantly.

I don't know what splitting a site further with the "haves and have nots"(not wealth, just a premium membership) is a good idea. I don't like having this badge that says I'm premium...

Worth pointing out that everyone who replied to this thread so far is a subscriber already, so you probably wouldn't even see much of a difference.

How can even call yourself a premium member with only a sliver medal? Us, Gold medals shouldn't even be put into the same category as those cheapskate slivers. (This is a joke)

C'mon, bruh.

"I'm not saying we should segregate the community..."

"I just want to segregate the community."

I would be down for it, just another perk for premium users. I don't see it as a problem, we are paying to be premium members and we deserve a place to bitch about non paying subscribers.

I'm not saying lock away everything that is premium, that is stupid, I subbed because the premium content they were doing sounded extremely interesting...and i really wanted to watch the SNES Marathon. I don't understand why a non sub would want to comment on a premium video so that doesn't make sense to me. Having a specific forum were only premium members can chat together isn't the worst thing.

It is a joke but a lot of Silvers actually pay more than Golds. Lots of people have golds from those sales.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I don't think I would utilize it.

This is actually a good idea, would create an area with no bots/spammers and or inflammatory 1-post alt accounts. I support this.

I do not like it one bit.

NO THANKS, FRIEND.

With the good comes the bad, but splitting up users sounds like a messy idea, even if *your* idea is to create topics purely for discussion of premium content... which is what those comment sections exist for.

I probably should have left the premium forum part out because it's apparently giving people the wrong idea here. I'm primarily talking about having a user filter to use occasionally for very specific scenarios. I'm not talking about creating two entirely different environments. I would also like to point out the giantbomb is already "segregated" and I fail to see how "segregating" other elements is going over the line.

How exactly can free users critique premium content?? I'm not talking about shutting out all non-premium user feedback, that would be ridiculous.

It seems extremely bizarre to me that all the premium members here are arguing about how terrible this would be for free users. However, The overall impression I'm getting is that it's more of a fear of what you'll lose when you unsubscribe. I thought the whole point of premium content was to encourage people to become and stay premium? So you don't like this because it would encourage people to maintain their subscription? The horrors of "segregating" an already "segregated" community feels like a weak cover story.

If "random non-premium trolls" really that big of a problem then sure, but right now, I don't think it is.

Now I really want to know who the real GB 1% is.

Eh? Can't you just use the comments section for a premium vid? Those are premium locked.

GIANT BOMB CASTE SYSTEM GO!

That's right - the comment box doesn't even appear on Premium features for non-subscribers. They are restricted to view only.

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS! You're segregating the community! How are we supposed to get non-premium user feedback?!? But seriously, what's the difference between this and my own suggestion?

I did have a reply to your reply @icyeyes but the forum ate it- it never seemed to show up. I was really happy with it, too. It succinctly encapsulated what I feel about this. I don't know that I can remember the amazing word usage I used to do it again.

So pissed that this forum keeps eating my posts!

I'll try, but it wont be as good.

@icyeyes: ... So you don't like this because it would encourage people to maintain their subscription? The horrors of "segregating" an already "segregated" community feels like a weak cover story. ...

This may come as a shock to you, but this has nothing to do with when (if) I lost my subscription. I only speak from experience. I have been on the internet a long time and been apart of many many communities (sometimes as a moderator). I have experienced what happens when adding a "premium" forum to a forum that didn't have it before. It adds an element of toxicity that never goes away.

Beyond this I would also argue it is not necessary because I don't see what discussions premium members would need to have that non premium members should not be privy to. This concept implies that all non subscribers are "unconstructive" and have no valuable feedback to provide by sole merit of being a non subscribers. That concept is, by itself, completely false. I also don't see how it does any good for Giantbomb as a whole. Even when used just for feedback on premium only content. It just has no merit.

As to your suggestion about "filters". I feel this is also unnecessary as filtering is handled by the mods of the site. That's how Dave designed the sites forums to work. We live in harmony. If you genuinely feel someone is derailing a conversation and/or being unconstructive all you have to do is PM a mod or flag them and they will look into it. If nothing happens it just means they don't agree with you (and I can assure you they do discuss it first. it doesn't, generally, just go to one mod and then one mod decides on it). So even just adding a filter to filter out non subscribers because for some reason you are prejudice against their site status (bad joke, sorry) holds no merit for me.

I'm sorry, but I still disagree with your suggestion. I'm also sorry; I don't feel I wrote it as eloquently as I did before, but this is the second time I wrote this. Most of the angst in my words is because of that and not because of you.

I think all that I would really need/want is a premium member hangout in the forums. Kinda like the mod hangout where when a non premium member clicks on it they get an error or whatever.

...read your edit...

NO.

Problem(?) solved!

I would be for this idea if I felt that there was a wild number of "free users" polluting the forums with nonsense but that isn't the case at all here.

If it was, a filter for Premium Members would be awesome.

The forums are where non-premium members can hear about the content in the premium sections and make the decision if it's worth their money. so no.

@cornbredx: Thanks for the detailed response.

I find it fascinating that people consider premium forum areas/topics more toxic and offensive than premium content itself. I suppose this is due to the nature of community generated content and a sense of ownership/rights/privileges, etc. But the negativities of such a feature still feel completely overblown to me. It was also never about weeding out trolls. And yes, mods can handle lots of things, but there's nothing wrong with making things work easier without them.

This is probably the best argument against the idea I've actually seen. Hell, 99% of the people in this topic and in the forums are premium users. If the entire Giantbomb forum was made premium only, most people wouldn't even notice it! I'm probably overestimating the usefulness such a feature would have on such a niche website. Oh well!

Just use the comments on premium content! I mean, don't go off-topic or whatever, but if you want to have relevant discussions with other members, that's the place to do it.

It would be a little gross to segregate the forums; you already get what you paid for, there's no need to exclude people from conversation.

I think what you're looking for is actually the return of something like Radio Dave. It used to perform the function that these subscriber only forums do on other sites, and was more in line with how Giant Bomb otherwise works.

I don't see a problem with premium only stuff... As someone who's never had a premium membership, I wouldn't complain if there were premium only topics or whatnot... the only thing I'd ask is why bother?

What real benefit do you think will emerge from a premium membership only option? The ones you provided are all very edge case and as MB pointed out, the comments aren't even open for non-premium members so even then, premium members can provide feedback and suggestions on those videos.

why not? i think its a fine idea. seeing it as an elitist thing to do is completely hypocritical of premium memberships. maybe there wont be any great quantifiable benefit but sometimes it would be nice not to have certain things open to everyone and have that feeling that you are getting something more from being premium. like another perk.

do i think itll happen? nope.

This already exists, all Premium videos & podcasts are only open to subscribers for comment.