Changes to the Stormrage Guild system

[MongoJerry]

Maybe I'm just dense, but don't these two statements slightly contradict one another?

Not really. Within the "guilds," there should be little or no seperation between the players, because all players within the "guilds" should be trusted to begin with. The in-game "guilds" should not be the means by which we recruit new people. People in these "guilds" are walking advertisements for the Lurker Lounge, so those wearing the banner of the Lurker Lounge should already be known quantities. We should not need an in-game initiation process, since that vetting should have happened before the person was invited into the "guild."

When would you consider new people a known quantity on the site?  Only those who post frequently and well thought out posts to boot?  What about those who don't care to post a lot, but love to lurk and read and are great in game? How will they become known enough to "allow" into the guild?

It's one of those "you know it when you see it" things. Basically, if you feel you can trust that the person can be trusted with the responsibilities of being a "Lurkers" person, then they should be allowed to join. If one doesn't trust the person enough to do that, then they shouldn't be invited. If Tal feels that a subset of people in the guild are best able to judge who can be so trusted, then I'll be willing to go along with that.

The new person sees lurkers helping other people (or is helped himself) frequently, parties with lurkers a few times, is a great player, asks to join but is turned down and told to go to a webpage and post before being considered?

The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.
The Lurker Lounge is not a guild.

There is no right or priviledge to being in a Lurker Lounge in-game "guild." There is, however, a responsibility that comes with being a part of a Lurker Lounge in-game "guild" in that one becomes a walking advertisement for the website, The Lurker Lounge. As the designated WoW site administrator for the Lurker Lounge, I feel that it is reasonable to ask that those who advertise and represent the Lurker Lounge in-game be active members of the Lurker Lounge -- whether by being active posters or by just being active readers of the site. You seem caught in a guild mentality, which is likely where your confusion comes from, so let me use the Amazon Basin (guild website) vs Lurker Lounge (non-guild strategy website) comparison:

Amazon Basin: The focus is on the in-game guilds -- membership of those guilds, interaction within those guilds, and events planned within those guilds. The website is designed to support and foster better communication within those in-game guilds.

Lurker Lounge: The focus is on the website and forums -- the strategy guides, game news, game formulae, general venting and game discussion. The in-game "guilds" are designed to support the website in that they help people who come to the website and forums find each other in-game.

So, the answer to your question of what to do if you find a great player you enjoy partying with is to do what I do: Add that person to your friends list, and invite that person to group with you often. My friends list is filled with people like this. It has to be, since Bolty scared off most Lurkers from trying out the PvP server (j/k). You can even let that person know about this great site called the Lurker Lounge that you love so much that you walk around with a banner over your head proclaiming your fondness for it.

But it would be wholely inappropriate to have a person who is not in any way participating in the Lurker Lounge -- even by just being a passive Lurker -- to walk around with that same banner over his or her head. It's not a matter of being snobby. In fact, I strongly encourage all Lurkers to branch out and meet new people. I wish well on all those who join official guilds, and I frequently repeat the mantra that we welcome players of all guilds to join in the discussion here. However, I do not feel that it is appropriate for a person to represent the Lurker Lounge in-game, when the person is not in fact not a member or participant of the Lurker Lounge.