What are some other notable "semi-walled" communities on the Internet?
October 24, 2013 10:41 PM Subscribe
Metafilter is an interesting community in that it is open to anyone to join, but it is semi-walled in that you have to pay $5 before you are allowed to post. I'm very interested in observing how various communities operate and I was wondering if there were any other notable (reasonable active) communities that have a similar "semi-walled" model. What I mean is that there is some kind of restriction on joining (like Metafilter's $5 payment or submitting an application), but anyone can apply.
One of the reasons I'm interested in this topic is that I find that the discussion in most Internet communities heads towards the lowest common denominator and I want to see if a gated community can solve this issue
One of the reasons I'm interested in this topic is that I find that the discussion in most Internet communities heads towards the lowest common denominator and I want to see if a gated community can solve this issue
Something awful also shares Metafilter's rough age in being a pretty long lasting internet community.
posted by The Whelk at 11:10 PM on October 24, 2013
posted by The Whelk at 11:10 PM on October 24, 2013
Years and years ago Livejournal required you to either pay for an account or get an invite code from an existing user to join.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:55 PM on October 24, 2013
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:55 PM on October 24, 2013
The fan fiction megasite Archive Of Our Own requires an existing member to grant you an invite.
posted by The Whelk at 12:00 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by The Whelk at 12:00 AM on October 25, 2013
Best answer: The SomethingAwful forums would be my first choice, second only to The Well.
posted by pipian at 12:21 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by pipian at 12:21 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
NeoGAF, a large gaming website, is somewhat of a walled community due to the sign-up process. It can take months (or longer!) to get an account application processed. Sign-ups aren't possible with throw-away emails (hotmail, gmail). Even industry people (developers, journalists) have trouble getting in and have wait for a moderator to check their credentials. This is coupled with a very strict moderation and use of "junior" and "full" member status. Break the rules once as a junior and you're perma-banned.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:33 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by swordfishtrombones at 12:33 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you don't know anyone who can invite you, you can get into What.cd through an interview process.
posted by a birds at 1:00 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by a birds at 1:00 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Gawker and affiliates? It is walled in that you have to audition before your comments are made public. That is, your username and comments isn't visible except to "starred commentators" and you have to submit a number of decent comments (as approved by the starred commentators) to gain status as a full commentator.
But it's gawker so the comments aren't as high quality all the time.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:51 AM on October 25, 2013
But it's gawker so the comments aren't as high quality all the time.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:51 AM on October 25, 2013
eGullet forums (on food and cooking) require an application. I think it used to require a few more written answers than now, asking you to write about your particular interests and expertise in food. I think it is better quality than other food forums that tend to endless threads on "Help, what should I eat for dinner tonight?" or "Any good restaurants in New York?". It does have strong culture/policy of not starting multiple threads on the same thing, but keeping it all in the one thread, so eventually you end up with a 10+ year old, 15 page thread on larb laab, larp (the Thai dish).
posted by AnnaRat at 2:37 AM on October 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by AnnaRat at 2:37 AM on October 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
Ravelry has (or at least had) a waiting list to join.
Some hobby forums have a vouch system due to people signing up just to use the buy and sell areas - essentially a vouch system.
TheLadiesLoos on Livejournal requires all members to be female, and they have to be vouched for by two existing members.
posted by mippy at 3:40 AM on October 25, 2013
Some hobby forums have a vouch system due to people signing up just to use the buy and sell areas - essentially a vouch system.
TheLadiesLoos on Livejournal requires all members to be female, and they have to be vouched for by two existing members.
posted by mippy at 3:40 AM on October 25, 2013
Many subreddits only allow approved posters, but there's no way to block voting from people who aren't members of the community. (I'm also not sure if this applies to comments.) There are also "walled garden" communities where you have to be approved to see the sub and to post in it.
The main one I can think of that has (or maybe had) approved submission rules is SRSArmory, which is part of the ShitRedditSays fempire, and it's dedicated to feminist/social justice infodumps.
posted by NoraReed at 4:19 AM on October 25, 2013
The main one I can think of that has (or maybe had) approved submission rules is SRSArmory, which is part of the ShitRedditSays fempire, and it's dedicated to feminist/social justice infodumps.
posted by NoraReed at 4:19 AM on October 25, 2013
subkultures.net is open for anyone to sign up but your application must he approved by a (actually the, as in single) moderator/admin.
posted by Venadium at 5:09 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by Venadium at 5:09 AM on October 25, 2013
Facebook has closed groups. So does LinkedIn. Many of the LinkedIn groups I'm a member of require you to include some detail about why the group is relevant to you, which is cross referenced against your profile, to prevent spammers.
posted by MuffinMan at 5:22 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by MuffinMan at 5:22 AM on October 25, 2013
Many bittorrent and other file sharing sites are invitation only.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 5:46 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by buxtonbluecat at 5:46 AM on October 25, 2013
Many niche bittorrent trackers are invite-only and have very robust
communities with great (moderated) forums. They also have ratio rules to make it hard for people to be part of the community without somehow contributing. The late Underground-Gamer was such a place.
posted by griphus at 6:15 AM on October 25, 2013
communities with great (moderated) forums. They also have ratio rules to make it hard for people to be part of the community without somehow contributing. The late Underground-Gamer was such a place.
posted by griphus at 6:15 AM on October 25, 2013
Stackoverflow gives you privileges gradually as you contribute more responses that people find useful.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 6:22 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 6:22 AM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pretty much every online community dealing with things of dubious legality (private trackers, carding forums, underground party forums, drugs forums, general darknet stuff, etc.)
Magic forums.
nthing SA forums too.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:24 AM on October 25, 2013
Magic forums.
nthing SA forums too.
posted by turkeyphant at 6:24 AM on October 25, 2013
On many poker coaching/guidance forums from last decade you had to pay to join (it got you access to teaching videos and such as well). Cardrunners is the only one I'm still aware of.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:27 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:27 AM on October 25, 2013
The Well fits this model, though the up-front and ongoing costs are higher (and not having been a member in recent years, I can't speak to the current health of the community there).
posted by killdevil at 6:32 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by killdevil at 6:32 AM on October 25, 2013
The Replica Prop Forum is only open for sign-ups very occasionally, which makes it sort of walled.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:42 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by rmd1023 at 6:42 AM on October 25, 2013
Something Awful. But lurk for about a year before you post. Seriously.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:47 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:47 AM on October 25, 2013
Best answer: The bookmarking service I use Pinboard.in has a one time sign-up fee to prevent spam/abuse.
The cost to sign-up increases over time, which is an interesting tactic:
"The fee is based on the formula (number of users * $0.001), so the earlier you join, the less you pay."
The fee is currently $10.23.
posted by stungeye at 7:21 AM on October 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
The cost to sign-up increases over time, which is an interesting tactic:
"The fee is based on the formula (number of users * $0.001), so the earlier you join, the less you pay."
The fee is currently $10.23.
posted by stungeye at 7:21 AM on October 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
Dribbble is a large online design community populated by many of the best known Web-oriented designers out there. You can't post there unless you're "drafted" in by an existing member.
Forrst is a developer/designer community that originally grew quickly due to having a restricted sign up process. It's still in place but the site is no longer as good as it used to be IMHO. Essentially they made you sign up to go on a waiting list and then users would be dribbled into becoming active. The speed of activations never seemed to be as fast as the sign up speed so there were lots of people who couldn't get in.
FilePile is also a notable one in the MetaFilter world, but I seem to recall there's some weird restriction about talking about FP on MF so I won't say any more.
posted by wackybrit at 9:26 AM on October 25, 2013
Forrst is a developer/designer community that originally grew quickly due to having a restricted sign up process. It's still in place but the site is no longer as good as it used to be IMHO. Essentially they made you sign up to go on a waiting list and then users would be dribbled into becoming active. The speed of activations never seemed to be as fast as the sign up speed so there were lots of people who couldn't get in.
FilePile is also a notable one in the MetaFilter world, but I seem to recall there's some weird restriction about talking about FP on MF so I won't say any more.
posted by wackybrit at 9:26 AM on October 25, 2013
Value Investors Club is free to join and open to anyone, but you have to prove yourself by submitting thoughtful writeups first.
posted by telegraph at 10:20 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by telegraph at 10:20 AM on October 25, 2013
RoadFood restricts much content to its "RoadFood Insider" members, though anyone can post in the forum.
posted by Miko at 11:13 AM on October 25, 2013
posted by Miko at 11:13 AM on October 25, 2013
This only fits an obscure niche, but there are some soccer/football supporter groups where you have to be a member to get access to some (or all) of their forums. Generally, that requires a membership fee, and joining the actual supporters group in question.
A couple of examples:
Emerald City Supporters, a supporters group for the Seattle Sounders FC.
Timbers Army, a supporters group for the Portland Timbers FC.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:05 PM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
A couple of examples:
Emerald City Supporters, a supporters group for the Seattle Sounders FC.
Timbers Army, a supporters group for the Portland Timbers FC.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:05 PM on October 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
cargocollective is a free hosting site for independent creatives. it requires you to make a direct application for membership or to receive an invite from a friend.
if you're a member you get five invites.
posted by rog at 5:55 PM on October 25, 2013
if you're a member you get five invites.
posted by rog at 5:55 PM on October 25, 2013
also, I'm apparently still a member of fipilele (just logged in). and was once a member of dreamless.org.
posted by rog at 6:51 PM on October 25, 2013
posted by rog at 6:51 PM on October 25, 2013
OffBeat Bride's Tribe forum requires an application, but basically anybody who is actively planning a wedding and willing to take the time to fill out a fairly detailed form will be approved. The level of conversation and civility is quite high.
posted by JuliaJellicoe at 8:01 PM on October 25, 2013
posted by JuliaJellicoe at 8:01 PM on October 25, 2013
The Whelk:
Archive of Our Own - actually, it's an invite from existing member, or a waiting period. Not sure what it is now, but used to be like, 3 weeks or something?
posted by Elysum at 10:30 PM on October 31, 2013
Archive of Our Own - actually, it's an invite from existing member, or a waiting period. Not sure what it is now, but used to be like, 3 weeks or something?
posted by Elysum at 10:30 PM on October 31, 2013
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