I am assuming that the original intent was simply to bring back the Auth Thread Squishy? As such, I fail to see what the harm in not having it lock for 2-3 days after it is posted and assigned. I don't think anyone is specifically asking that they be given extra time to post the thread outside the 24 hours, simply that the old habit of people coming to the thread and congratulating the new CL be allowed to return. And I get what you are saying that some one could simply post an additional thread for the interaction, but I think that seems a bit redundant. You will end up with one thread, that basically says "I have been authed by X to set up in District Y." and then another post with the interactive thread that will have the proper meat on the bones so to speak.

Just thinking out loud, but could there be a method for searching only auth threads? Like putting something in the search bar and getting a list of all the auth threads appearing chronologically?

This is maybe for the suggestions forum, but relevant for this conversation. 

I wouldn't mind seeing an additional Forum/spot specifically for these threads either.

While it is redundant, for those wishing to - putting up a 2nd thread isn't the worst thing. Like Squishy said, you do get rewarded for 'em anyway... 

I wouldn’t mind seeing an additional forum added alongside the streets, called like the commission or something that only CLs could post in. That way we could have all auth speeches and war threads, protection orders, etc.. posted in one place. They could still count for points even, but this way it would appear much more organized. As we’d have the streets for RP and the other forum for the important things.

I agree with the above. 

The very reason for this feature was so that we can have an auth thread for 100% of the crews.  We could barely get half of that before because of many reasons, one of the main reasons given was specifically addressed by locking it when the CL is ready to move it to the streets.  If we remove that aspect, then we remove the fix to one of the most common reasons given as to why they didn't do an auth thread.

Yes, but you punish the CL through coding if they don't post their thread Squishy, and that wouldn't change. You have changed it from a voluntary aspect of the game to a compulsory one, and that wouldn't change by allowing the thread to remain open for a few days.

Also, and this is purely a personal opinion and is backed only by supposition and not cold hard facts, I personally believe that people using the excuse of I didn't post an Auth thread because It isn't locked is a last straw excuse to the owner of the game, rather than having to admit "Sorry Squishy, I'm just too fucking Lazy to do the bare minimum expected of me as a CL because all I'm really interested in is my own personal gain and not the people beneath me." And ultimately that is the only excuse for not doing one. 21 years playing, god knows how many times as a CL, and I have never once not done an Auth thread, or had one done by my GF or City Head. 

When this change kicked in my first thought was it is a damn shame it has come to this. For years many have not visited the streets in fear of criticism. And nothing was done about that problem. It was so bad that typos were being attacked. Too many gang bang situations on how one wrote. Either they sucked it up or just refrained from coming to the streets. This should not be an excuse when a crew leader opts to take on that role. 

There was once a sin to not announce an auth. Thankfully, there are still some around here who will help a new CL write up an auth speech. When this started to dwindle off it was not anyone new who feared backlash. It was repeat CL's kins who took it for granted. (Not all) It was a good many who knew from the day of birth they would be a CL. Blah blah blah...

And speaking of auths, how many times do we hear nobody wants to be authed? That is straight up bullshit. There are a few out there who would embellish the opportunity. 

It was so bad that typos were being attacked. Too many gang bang situations on how one wrote. Either they sucked it up or just refrained from coming to the strestreets

 This whole paragraph sounds like jen lmao. 

The lack of commitment is a reflection of how stale things are. The lack of players a reflection of this regime.  Locking or unlocking threads won't affect either.  The idea that no one wants to be hand or leader is ludicrous.   

That's not what was said, people were alluding to the fact that they don't post because they feel uncomfortable doing it.  Looking at their historic threads and posts, I believe that.  Not everyone likes to get up under the spotlight and perform in front of a live audience, many people can do their best work in a studio where they have the ability to retry, retry, retry, until they get it right.  Not dealing with the public backlash of being a word Smith knowing the second you hit enter puts people a little bit more towards your comfort zone and makes it easier to do it.  

Fair enough, I have misunderstood what you were getting at and I agree with your assessment, there have always been people who didn't like going to the streets. But do you know what Squishy, this is a Roleplaying game, and one of the saddest things about it is as the user base has diminished over time, the roleplaying has also diminished.  Part of that is the famous posters of yesteryear leaving, part of it is down to what Revelation said.

For years many have not visited the streets in fear of criticism. And nothing was done about that problem.

This is the issue. There are some real dickheads who play MR and they will slag people of for the slightest mistake, a typo, bad English, lack of punctuation etc, and nothing is done about it. Again, this is a problem with the game at present. In years gone buy being a cunt in the streets got you wacked, not so much any more, unless you slag off one of the big boys who has the ability to swing their considerable weight about. Its the same issue that I brought up in the suggestions forum, the game no longer self regulates, self polices. And if a line is crossed, sometimes it depends on who its reported to as to whether the issue is addressed. I have seen some pretty vile attacks in the streets go unpunished, because its technically in character, and someone thinks its funny. And it horrifies me to see it. Sure, the old adage of 'if you aren't happy, rank up and do something about it' will be spewed by the haters and status quo junkies, but it is never that easy. I'm not an admin, I have no protection from the backlash of friends who take offense that I killed wee Johnny for being a dick, and no matter how big a gun I have, it won't protect me in the early hours of the morning when I'm asleep. So the idea of risking several hundred hours work for the feelings of someone else becomes anathema to most of us.

I'm not punishing players for not doing it, I'm simply not giving players the bonuses for a complete HQ when it's an incomplete HQ, much like the rest of the crew details have been for years. 

You are arguing semantics here, someone not getting something when someone else does is a punishment. But the thing is, I don't disagree with that. If you can't be arsed to correctly set up your HQ and make your presence felt, then you don't deserve to get the bonuses associated with that position.

I'm trying to work out exactly what you're trying to accomplish here

Again, this is a RPG, its not and should not ever be a simple point and click game. People should be rewarded for Posting etc and actually roleplaying. So I find it pretty horrific that you can place a post in the streets, a forum that is used for RP, and it is locked, preventing people from interacting with the poster and actually roleplaying. Creating a thread which is immediately locked in a forum designed to encourage role play is the diametric opposite of what that forum was intended for. That's my issue. Yeah, I want the ability to go up to some one and congratulate them on getting auth, or spit in their eye and tell them I wish they were dead. Locking the auth thread prevents that.

My goal was simply to get a historical record of the creation of a crew, and lay some kind of groundwork down so that people looking to join a family have something to read and consider while they are getting a feel for the different families.

If that is all you want, then tack it on at the end of the Crew Details page, or have a completely different non RP forum just for locked auth threads, or create a table with a historic list of all crews with The name of the person who authed them, the person authed, the name of their crew, and the name of their hands, and then its recorded for all posterity. Just don't put a locked thread in a forum created for the very thing that made this game so amazing and different from all the other shit that was and is out there. 

I would have loved if it remained standard practice, however the bar is set by the existing crew leaders. In a perfect world, the existing crew would be involved in the auth/introduction thread of the new crew, I can't force having pride in your brand, I can't force having pride in your expansion, but what I can do is make it as easier to reach the end goal of having an auth thread while removing some of the reasons why it's no longer done.  The community and its leaders have to provide the rest.

And this final statement sums up what is wrong. Yes standards have slipped. People no longer have pride in their 'brand', but people now are lazy, and few if any will bother to make an auth thread, and then post a second thread for Brand awareness, and that is not down to you, its down to us as a collective. The problem is, in Forcing it to be done in the way that you have, it actually discourages the few of us that do have pride in their brand and the expansion of our district/city. And I know that you will argue that that is down to us, and we can simply post another thread and have whatever meaningful contact we desire, but given how this game is dying on its feet from the button clickers and the people who just want the power without the fame or infamy that goes along with it, most if not all would simply say, 'but why should I bother?' and I personally feel that this current course of action encourages that mentality.

I know what you have done, and why you have done it, I just don't agree that it benefits the game in the way that you hope it does. Its like putting a sticking plaster over a 12" gash, or a man who dreams his whole life of owning a Rolls Royce, only to buy a Mini Clubman and sticking the Spirit of Ecstasy on the bonnet instead.

All I gathered from that was the street auth threads should be interactable, not necessarily required, and something about putting a band-aid on the scratch of your car.

Personally, requiring them is a yes for me. It's not the hardest thing to think up an idea for your auth thread. Generally, setting up a crew is planned beforehand, so you generally have the time to prepare to do so. For a game entirely revolving around text-based interactions, scenarios, and lore, you should be expected to be able to contribute towards that even the smallest amount. You definitely have to if you want to get anywhere decent in the game.

The argument regarding being harassed for poor punctuation is petty in my opinion; while I don't disagree that it can hurt viewership or perceived notions about someone, I've also seen plenty of lengthy interactions even if someone doesn't always capitalize their I's and end everything with a period.

Otherwise, the only point I can somewhat agree with is wondering why said auth threads are automatically locked, but the punishments for that are nowhere near game-changing. If anything, you can just take that topic of discussion mentioned in that thread and start up a new one and utilize that for all the major conversations and congratulatory statements.

Is there a length standard for these threads? I have seen a few that are a bit lackluster, and I get that writing is not for everyone. But if this is a requirement, does this mean the effort has to be purely minimal for it to count?