Why is it so difficult to become a full member on this site? It's kind of rediculous. I don't think anybody actually looks at the applications submitted. Or maybe I should just submit a new application every day until someone notices. Or just rant on a thread like this.
Or perhaps people can realize there are only so many staff out there and that to keep people safe you need to be proven a legit and helpful member of the community before being able to privately exchange information for instance. Posting entirely in chit chat for instance doesn't constitute peer support.
^ This. The staff have personal lives outside EC, and they volunteer their time to do work on EC. Unfortunately that means sometimes things take time. For instance, in my case, My Full Membership was approved 6 and half weeks after I submitted the application. The staff have said that they're working on reducing the time it takes for approval and I believe it has come down, but till then I'd advice you to wait patiently for that. The system they have in place is there for a reason.
Making it difficult will result in having only quality and committed members. I for one understand this completely. Next to that I don't find it that difficult. You have a post and time limit and once those are met you apply and wait. Pretty straight forward.
Hello, As everyone said, we know that the waiting time isn't ideal. However, keep in mind that we are all volunteers, and we are doing what we can to reduce the queue time. Posting in Chit-Chat or submitting new applications won't reduce the queue time: Instead, it will end up delaying things for everyone. It takes long because we look at the applications carefully. We are really rigorous during the process, because a Full Member will have acess to Private Messages and the Chat Room. While Full Members aren't "specially protected" and their posts/messages are moderated like everyone else, they are entrusted to these more private functions of the site. Therefore, for the safety of the community, we need to be really careful while reviewing the applications. Now, remember: Being a Full Member isn't an "special status". Everyone can contribute to the community, and we have many Regular Members who are active in the community, contributing positively to the discussions. Finally, and repeating myself: We have sucessfully reduced the queue time, and we are constantly working to reduce it further. However, it is expected that the process takes some time, because we are all volunteers and also because we need to be careful when processing the applications. We can't just look at the answers in 5 minutes and decide. That would compromise the security of the community, and, as our header says, this is a safe place to chat, and we are working constantly to maintain the forum as safe as possible.
