This is a topic that has been often request, and always ignored and dismissed.
Ever since the ability to be promoted to regular was suspended, devforum has increasingly became more aristocratic. With forum social mobility dead, and the powers that be deaf to any resentment or suggestions, it is no wonder that regular members of this forum are growing in discontent not being able to become a “regular” member just because it has been so dictated.
Regulars who already have the role on the dev forum are happy with the fact that they are in this special elite “club” that no others can enter, and devforum staff do not see the need of bringing on board a new system because it is too much work on their part. This only leads to the suffering of the majority who are members being silenced, and any chance of a voice they have removed.
They are not only unable to report any bugs they have, but they are also barred from ever having that privilege. They are not only stopped from being able to access channels to socialise with other devs, but they are permanently unable to even see themselves in such a situation as mobility to the “regular” rank is stopped.
There has been many suggestions previously regarding ways of adding back a system, but I believe we are missing out the point of the discussion.
It is not about how we can add a system for members to be promoted, the fact of the matter is that we need to communicate to the staff that we need a way for regular members to be able to be promoted to regular.
Each time a member adds a suggestion for staff to add in a way for regular promotion, it is instantly shut down by existing regulars who do not want others in their club. Flaws of their system is cherry picked out and any virtues completely ignored.
If you suggest a way that includes staff reviewing, the response would be “staff are too busy to review everything.”
If you suggest a way for regular promotion that does not include staff reviewing, the response would be “that is too easily exploited.”
If you suggest a way that makes it easy for people to be promoted to regular, you’ll be attacked for “letting in trolls and ruining the quality of the forum.”
If you suggest a way that makes it hard for people to be promoted to regular, people will just say “then there’s no point of having it if it is so hard.”
That is why, the argument should not be about how something like it would be implemented. The discussion should instead be centred on whether there should or should not be a system for regular members to have the rank they deserve.
This is because, when there is a will there is a way. If the whole forum and its staff can agree that we do need a system for member promotion, then working out a fair system would not be hard. But if we are always discussing on how to implement it, the opposition can have such an easy day of just picking anything apart because of one thing they do not like.
I know this topic may receive heavy criticism as there still exists the ultra conservative regular members who are scared of losing their uniqueness of showing off their rank. But that does not mean we should not put this issue out there. The issue that members are having their voices removed, and not even given the ability to ever be heard. It will soon be a whole year where members weren’t able to be promoted. I genuinely feel sorry for all those who were cheated out of their deserved rank.
