[Official] Upcoming changes to the library. Discuss.

[Morell]

Makes sense. And since the instant access can be bought, I think it's fine.

 

[SkullTraill]

Makes sense. And since the instant access can be bought, I think it's fine.

Hmmm kinda sounds bad when you put it that way I’ll try to think of ways to make this system better. A way to share books for instant access sounds like the only way. Hmmm…

 

[Morell]

Hmmm kinda sounds bad when you put it that way I’ll try to think of ways to make this system better. A way to share books for instant access sounds like the only way. Hmmm…

By my intent to close debate I've actually opened it. Ops!

By setting an obstacle into the path it is usual to cause people to improvise in dealing with it. I find it both interesting and hilarious, what it makes people here do.

First group are people who register, pay, download book that they want so much and leave.
Second are those who do their best to post as fast as possible to get to the library and when they can, they get the book and leave.

And sometimes those people return, for another book or to explore the page.

BTW, don't feel too bad about it, there is NO ideal solution. We just have to find one, in which the advantages outweight the disdvantages the best. There are always disadvatages. I think that this way it is not bad. A headache for those people for sure, but it definitely forces them to at least slightly explore the page before they get the book. And they are not forced to pay. They can contribute instead. And some do. Sometimes trash, sometimes real value.

Humans always remain humans, after all. Cannot be herd, just like cats. They will always seek the best solution for them.

Post automatically merged: Mar 5, 2026

Personally I like it how it is now, though I think that even new members might have some good material for the library. To search and post there feels like a good addition to how things are now, though of course we have to watch for uploading what is already there...

Post automatically merged: Mar 5, 2026

Maybe also anyone with reputation score 0 and less might be blocked from reaching the books... good reward for shit-posting.

 

[zagan]

Hmmm kinda sounds bad when you put it that way I’ll try to think of ways to make this system better. A way to share books for instant access sounds like the only way. Hmmm…

submissions section and filter out ai books.

 

[intensity4ever]

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I really appreciate the assistance. Best kindred!

 

[SkullTraill]

submissions section and filter out ai books.

Yeah been thinking about that, but big load on staff members. Hmm.

 

[Asteriskos]

I've seen a lot of rapid fire individual post submissions ( great for the post count ). Some of the related books might be posted more effectively as "collections"? My .02 cents.

Post automatically merged: Mar 8, 2026

I posted a couple myself recently and thought "damn I wish I had put them together, duh!" Too little, too late by then though!

Post automatically merged: Mar 8, 2026

A "collection can be modified" at any time by the OP for any number of reasons!

 

[SkullTraill]

I've seen a lot of rapid fire individual post submissions ( great for the post count ). Some of the related books might be posted more effectively as "collections"? My .02 cents.

Post automatically merged: Mar 8, 2026

I posted a couple myself recently and thought "damn I wish I had put them together, duh!" Too little, too late by then though!

Post automatically merged: Mar 8, 2026

A "collection can be modified" at any time by the OP for any number of reasons!

Please make a coherent suggestion in the suggestion section instead of treating this post as a post it note.

 

[Asteriskos]

Please make a coherent suggestion in the suggestion section instead of treating this post as a post it note.

Got it!

 

[missinkblot]

Is it possible to have gained access to the library then lost it after? I had access a week ago and it is gone.

 

[SkullTraill]

Is it possible to have gained access to the library then lost it after? I had access a week ago and it is gone.

Yes. The only permanent way to have access is by making 50 posts in occult sections, or by having shared a book (in the past- requires library access to share books).

The other requirement (registered for a week and make a post weekly) requires you to post every week. If you post once (in an occult section ofc) then you gain access for a week. If you don’t make any new posts your access will be revoked after a week.

All “posts” here means threads or comments in the occult section: called The Order.

So just make one post and wait up to an hour and you should have access for a week again.

 

[astreia]

I'm going to outline an upcoming change to the library. Sometime in the near future, I will be changing the access requirements for the library section. Feel free to discuss and share your thoughts in this thread.

What will change​

There will be minimum post/account age requirements to post in the library, and rather than give a text wall to explain it, here's how the system will check to see if you can access the library:

1. Are you a Benefactor? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
2. Have you ever posted a book share? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
3. Have you made 10 [increased to 50] posts in the occult sections (“The Order”)? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
4. Have you been registered on WF for at least one week? If yes:
   1. Have you made at least 1 post in the occult sections (“The Order”) in the last week? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
5. If you have none of the above, you do not have access to the library.

So essentially, you need to either have posted at least one book share, made 50 posts in total in the occult sections (“The Order”), been registered for at least one week and made 1 post in an occult section, or be Benefactor in order to access the library.

The individual details may be fine tuned over time.

Why is this happening?​

Two main reasons, firstly, I simply don't want WF to be a file share focused site. It's nice to have the library as a supplement to out discussions, and as a service to help spread as much awareness and knowledge of the occult as possible, but the primary goal is to do that via discussions as a forum. I can see that there are thousands of people per year just joining WF to download books and contribute nothing. While I have no hard feelings about that, the concern is that WF will end up primarily being used as a file sharing site, which it is not, and was never intended to be.

Secondly, I want to encourage more active discussion about occult topics rather than just pointing people towards books. Yes, I understand the concern that this will lead to a spike in low quality posting from people who just join the site and want to spam out the post requirement ASAP to get to the book they want to download, but I strongly believe we can counteract this with measures such as requiring a minimum character count in posts made in the occult section (which is something I've been thinking about doing for a while anyway). Not to mention, we have an extremely competent staff roster, who if they express such a desire, can be expanded with new staff members. I also personally believe that a lot of the people coming on WF looking for specific books are people who are already dabbling in or experienced in the occult, and who aren't contributing because they simply don't have to. I've been made aware by some that we could potentially lose out on some members who would contribute much later on of their own free will after downloading a book from WF, but there isn't strong evidence of that in the metrics (that it would outweigh the amount of people who are introverted or lazy who would contribute if they had to).

Also, if it turns out that this ends up causing more trouble than it's worth, it would be easy to undo and go back to business as usual.

Why allow Benefactors to access the library? Is this a cash grab?​

I assure you no one is going to be paying $4 to download one PDF. This is simply because it would be unethical to bar parts of the site from people who are actually paying to keep WF running.

Is this the makings of a plan to remove the library from WF?​

No, there is no such plan. I love having the library on WF - but to help our members educate themselves on the occult so that we can have more in-depth and meaningful discussions about occult topics to further WF's ultimate goal of being a community that focuses on bringing more people into the occult, and bringing more occult knowledge to as many people as possible. WF is not a library, WF is a forum with a library.

 

[astreia]

I'm going to outline an upcoming change to the library. Sometime in the near future, I will be changing the access requirements for the library section. Feel free to discuss and share your thoughts in this thread.

What will change​

There will be minimum post/account age requirements to post in the library, and rather than give a text wall to explain it, here's how the system will check to see if you can access the library:

1. Are you a Benefactor? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
2. Have you ever posted a book share? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
3. Have you made 10 [increased to 50] posts in the occult sections (“The Order”)? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
4. Have you been registered on WF for at least one week? If yes:
   1. Have you made at least 1 post in the occult sections (“The Order”) in the last week? If yes, you have access to the library, if no:
5. If you have none of the above, you do not have access to the library.

So essentially, you need to either have posted at least one book share, made 50 posts in total in the occult sections (“The Order”), been registered for at least one week and made 1 post in an occult section, or be Benefactor in order to access the library.

The individual details may be fine tuned over time.

Why is this happening?​

Two main reasons, firstly, I simply don't want WF to be a file share focused site. It's nice to have the library as a supplement to out discussions, and as a service to help spread as much awareness and knowledge of the occult as possible, but the primary goal is to do that via discussions as a forum. I can see that there are thousands of people per year just joining WF to download books and contribute nothing. While I have no hard feelings about that, the concern is that WF will end up primarily being used as a file sharing site, which it is not, and was never intended to be.

Secondly, I want to encourage more active discussion about occult topics rather than just pointing people towards books. Yes, I understand the concern that this will lead to a spike in low quality posting from people who just join the site and want to spam out the post requirement ASAP to get to the book they want to download, but I strongly believe we can counteract this with measures such as requiring a minimum character count in posts made in the occult section (which is something I've been thinking about doing for a while anyway). Not to mention, we have an extremely competent staff roster, who if they express such a desire, can be expanded with new staff members. I also personally believe that a lot of the people coming on WF looking for specific books are people who are already dabbling in or experienced in the occult, and who aren't contributing because they simply don't have to. I've been made aware by some that we could potentially lose out on some members who would contribute much later on of their own free will after downloading a book from WF, but there isn't strong evidence of that in the metrics (that it would outweigh the amount of people who are introverted or lazy who would contribute if they had to).

Also, if it turns out that this ends up causing more trouble than it's worth, it would be easy to undo and go back to business as usual.

Why allow Benefactors to access the library? Is this a cash grab?​

I assure you no one is going to be paying $4 to download one PDF. This is simply because it would be unethical to bar parts of the site from people who are actually paying to keep WF running.

Is this the makings of a plan to remove the library from WF?​

No, there is no such plan. I love having the library on WF - but to help our members educate themselves on the occult so that we can have more in-depth and meaningful discussions about occult topics to further WF's ultimate goal of being a community that focuses on bringing more people into the occult, and bringing more occult knowledge to as many people as possible. WF is not a library, WF is a forum with a library.

Hello,
I actually am a visitor member since a year and posted once. But I cannot use the website or post anything.
Please help

 

[Yazata]

Hello,
I actually am a visitor member since a year and posted once. But I cannot use the website or post anything.
Please help

It is literally explained in the post you copypasted. You need to have made at least 1 post in the Occult section. Questions like these also don't go in this thread but can be found by searching because 25 new members have asked the exact same thing (in Website Help..)

 

[astreia]

Ok, thank you for pointing me that or I should become a benefactor? I am not a good at writing

 

[Yazata]

Ok, thank you for pointing me that or I should become a benefactor? I am not a good at writing

:

The other requirement (registered for a week and make a post weekly) requires you to post every week. If you post once (in an occult section ofc) then you gain access for a week. If you don’t make any new posts your access will be revoked after a week.

All “posts” here means threads or comments in the occult section: called The Order.

So just make one post and wait up to an hour and you should have access for a week again

Now @astreia please do NOT reply in this thread Read what I have just quoted from @SkullTraill and make at least 1 post in the Order: Wizard Forums — A Magick, Occult, Esoteric Community Forum
For any further questions go to Website Help