We have different permissions at the catalog. For example we do not want that any anonymous user can delete banana labels in the catalog. If someone likes to add or delete labels, he does need an account (registered collector) and the account does need a permission to alter the catalog. That's the way it works. This is an overview of all our permissions we have created the last 6 or 7 years:
Registered collector: This is the basic permission of all registered collectors. When you are registered (that means you have an account name and password), you can search in the table of contents and see our well organised catalog entries with all the labels or sets that belong together. A registerd collector can add comments, can offer labels for trade ("I trade it") or build up an own collection ("I have it"). You remember: Labels you already have are not shown in any trade list to save your time when searching for new labels.
Organize own collection: With this permission you have some extra fields at each single label, that are private and only visible for you. For example you can add the name of your trade partner, where you have found it and when you have added it into your collection. And there is also a small textfield for any other comments, for example a reference to your own catalog like Gerri has done it ("G1-23"). I created this group to show less information at the screen, so new members at the catalog are not overwhelmed with too much information. This group of fields and related statistics is on the list to be offered only to 'Premium Members'
Add labels: To add, alter or to delete labels, you need this permission. I hope many collectors help to add labels to the catalog, but you need a little bit experience to achieve the high quality criteria. Please do also do some excerses in scanning labels with best results (300dpi & yellow background paper). To add new labels to the catalog is absolutly necessary and we do need many collectors who help. So far we are 34 collectos adding labels we have found somewhere in the world to the catalog and I hope many will follow.
Helping member: This is or was a test/idea to restrict the trade list only to collectors who help to keep the catalog up to date. Too many collectors are much too passiv and leave very few other collectors alone with all the work. I wrote a statistic in an other article: 91% of the work at the catalog is done by Peter and me. Fiorentina, Bert and Nico are following and all others are so far statitistically not relevant.
Collectors can earn automatically 'helping points' if they add labels, comments, correct data or verify labels to be banana labels. For more details see the article about how to earn helping points and their expiration date. It does need about 3000 to 4000 helping points each month and someone has to doit. It is not difficult, but it takes time.
The idea is/was: Before you have access to the trade list to care about your collection, you must earn some points to open the gate. Due to Corona, some annoying discussions and an increasing number of collectors who help, the number of helping points and you need to have access to the trade list is at the moment zero. But may be this will change again one day. You can see your 'balance' in the upper right corner 'My Points'. If you have less than 100 approved points you should know you do not help enough.
Premium Member & Paid Contend: Believe it or not, but to run this catalog on a computer with software does cost money. 720€ each year. I do not want to earn money with the catalog but I also do not like to pay for everybody. You are ask to help in the cost or send me some new labels you found in your country. Collectors who do what is right, get a gold medal to indicate they know what is right and have access to some additional content. For example statistic, most liked labels ("Hall of Fame"), the twins, magazines or pictures of some of the huge collections I had scanned when building up the catalog (Leee, Gerry, John), ...
Monitor Data Quality: Rather a technical permission to find banana labels in the data base with missing information or to do some bulk changes. For example to split huge catalog entries in the table ot contents into better structures.
Edit Articles: For collectors who like to write some articels. 163 articles later it is so far only Alex and me.
There is an other article here in the article section with some screenshots and more details. Any permission you like to have? Please drop me a line.
Michael