Replying to NSTO: An Idea to make this better

Hey guys, I've been frustrated in the past about buyers/sellers/scammers on this site, and I think that our site has reached the amount of members that we need to do something about it. I've given it some thought and this is what I've come up with. Please tell me what you think about this idea, especially mods/admins. I'd be more than willing to do all the work to get this thing running if it will provide some more security and organization here.





The Newschooler Trade Organization (NSTO):

Effectively, this is a cult. NSTO will work to give more organization and trust in members and transactions that happen on the site. While it will still be trust based, it will hopefully reduce the amount of scammers and provide a forum for more trusted members to trade/buy/sell with more confidence. Heres how I see it working:


The NSTO Rating:

This is something like the "good/bad buyer/seller" list that we have going right now (thanks again Nomensteven!), and in fact, I could see us still using the sticky we have now, albiet with a little more order to the chaos. Members that complete transactions can give the members they dealt with Seller or Buyer points. Did someone sell you an item and ship it fast? Give them a point by posting their name and if they sold or bought. Our cult will keep an excel file (updated weekly or more often) of all the good members and publish the list, making it available to all members. It would be great to have this hosted by NS, but we can also just use another site without too much trouble. Members of NS can look up their or anyone else's NSTO score and decide themselves if they want to sell/buy from them. Bad sellers/disputes will also be logged and kept with the list until they are resolved (affirmed by both parties).



The NSTO Cult:

Now, onto the idea I like most. The NSTO cult would be a cult for good buyers and sellers that have proven themselves in the past. Ideally, NSTO members would be some of the most highly trusted members to deal with. Becoming a NSTO member will obviously not be available for all, as you must have a trusted reputation before being allowed in. Once you're in, feel free to mark yourself as a NSTO member in your sales/posts.

Becoming a Member:
Admittance will be based off of your reputation on NS and your buying selling history. It will be up to the moderators of the NSTO ultimately. You can apply for NSTO membership if you have the following:

- 10 or more NSTR points (at least 1 in each buyer/seller category - cant be just a seller or just a buyer)
- No disputes or bad transactions (confusion does happen - if your dispute was resolved, show us the proof)

OR

- Have at least 3 veteran (over 1 year membership and over 200 posts) users message the cult leader and vouch for your validity and honesty.

Once accepted into the NSTO, you must provide and (keep updated) your shipping address, a phone number you can be reached at and a email address you use the most. Other information, such a messenger screenname, etc, would also be nice. Also, all members must have a valid paypal account. Paypal is the fastest and safest way of sending money to people for these kinds of transactions - if you are buying/selling enough to want to be a NSTO member, you should have this.


The Cult Message Board:

Basically, the cult message board would contain a stickied thread of every members information. Members would also be free to post sales/trades/auctions in the cult, making them availible only to NSTO members. And hey, since NSTO members would be pretty much safe to trade with, why not put special deals/discounts in there?


NSTO Member Rules:

I'd have to sit down and make a full list, but basic rules would be as follows:

- If a dispute arises that puts the validity/honesty of a NSTO member, the NSTO member will be notified and put on warning in the cult message board (effectively barring them from all NSTO Cult transactions). If the member does not respond to the dispute and work it out (proven by agreement/statements from both parties) within two weeks (14 days), then the member will be expelled from the NSTO and your privileges will be revoked.

- Your actions on NS will have an effect on your membership. They will impact everything from our decision to admit you to our decision to expel you. If you do something we deem questionable as a NSTO member, you will be warned. Repeat offenses/really bad shit will result in your expulsion.

- Anyone caught misusing the posted NSTO information (like giving it away to solicitors or another website) will result in your immediate expulsion, and your NSTO rating (visible to all users) will be permanently changed from a numerical value to a : (

-The NSTO is a trust based organization. We cannot give you a 100% guarantee that NSTO members will always provide fast and reliable buying and selling. However, we'll do our best to make sure our members are honest and that the member information we provide (NSTO ratings) is accurate.


What it comes down to is that even working optimally, the NSTO would still not be 100% scammer proof. People could work the system. But they'll have to try a lot harder to do so. We don't offer insurance, no guarantee's. But we'll try our best to make buying/selling on NS safer by providing a NSTO rating for all members who buy/sell and having NSTO members that are more trusted and honest than your new-to-the-site-less-than-10-posts-seller. With everyones approval (NS users, mods and admins), I'd like to see this cult get up and running.

So... whatcha think? Any feedback is welcome, I want to see what you guys have to say!