As some people have already noticed, I have made a few tweaks to the "member status" strata. The original was set up 7+ years ago and lacked any sort of imagination.
I figured that the new levels might be more appropriate going forward.
I assure one and all they do not signify individual importance, as some "senior" members are simply less chatty. We should all take note of how long someone has been a member when doing their diligence.
I am hoping as well, that some will be inspired to get more involved to move up a level.
Yes, as someone has pointed out, the entire site is private to the outside world. I may tweak that going forward. It is done entirely to protect the community, as scammers who can't get in can still get relevant info on members that they can then use to seduce them on other forums. It has happened recently. It gives me a chance to fully moderate each and every new member before they can see anything. Even then, I can't catch all of them beforehand.
For the record, I swat away numerous attempts every single day. It is not a rarity.