Some common questions:
Q: What happened to the old mailing lists?
A: Primarily, they were too awkward to use, too limited in their function, and too much of a pain to administrate. These web forums have taken the place of the old cmpg, cmpg-member, and cmpg-photo lists, plus have added much more in the way of usefulness.
Q: Why do I have to register to post on this system?
A: Quite simply, it cuts down on abuse, and is a security measure. Certain features such as poll voting are inherently only available when individual accounts are registered. In addition, it allows us to restrict Guild business and material to member accounts only.
Q: I registered and everything – why do I have to wait for an administrator to approve my account?
A: Unfortunately, spam bots have got smarter over time. Some are now able to emulate user registration sessions so well that they can create and validate their own accounts. The admins have chosen to hand-validate all new users.
Q: I'm a CMPG member. How do I get member access?
A: If you are a CMPG member and have not received the appropriate access to the members-only forums, please either see us about it at the next meeting, or send a brief message to the admins
Q: I'm not a CMPG member, or I'm not current on my dues. What about me?
A: You must be current on your dues to have access to the members-only areas of this forum. Consider it a “perk” of membership, but we also discuss Guild business that may not be for public consumption.
Q: Can I moderate/start my own forum?
A: Not all by yourself.
If you would like to propose a new forum, please post in the general discussion area. If we like it, we'll probably create it. If you're a CMPG member and want to moderate the forum, we will give you the opportunity to do so. Non-members will not be afforded administrator or moderator roles.
Q: What's all this “newbie” and “Shutterbug” stuff I see next to my name?
A: Just a bit of fun – the forum software has user “ranks” based on how many messages you've contributed. A new user is a “Newbie”, 25 messages gets you “Snapshotter”, and over 150 posts is a “Shutterbug”.
Other ranks such as “Root Admin” and “Moderator” have special meanings, and are assigned to users with those privileges.