Write #1 thing you would change/implement (why - what desired results from the new feature)

How we integrate new members currently:

1. A potential is met through a game by any current IAM member and has some interest in joining the clan
2. Potential must register on the forums
3. Potential must be active on the forums (this rule is unenforced but still stands)
4. Potential must use mumble and meet with as many members as possible
5. A few weeks time is given to accept or decline member
6. Outcome (A. Given tag, B. Not given tag and repeat step 5)

What, I feel, actually happens:

1. Successful and happens often
2. Successful and happens often
3. This doesn't ever seem to happen. In fact, this stage doesn't seem to appear UNTIL they get a tag. (There are always exceptions but they aren't often and under much different circumstances ie. Captain, Wings, MIA members)
4. Successful and happens often given they own a mic
5. This is where we lose 75% of our clan prospects. In my opinion, it's killing us and bleeding our old members out. 2-4 weeks is a LONG time to wait for a clan tag in games such as HoN or BF3 where they have other clan options instantaneously. It just doesn't work from what I've seen since I've been around when HoN was new to IAM. I think we need to take a bit of importance off of our tags and be more lenient. Yes, the IAM tag represents who we are. I totally get that. It feels like we have such a selective and time consuming process in an age where patience is virtually non-existent.

So, there's my opinion on the current system and here's what I'm recommending as a solution.

New Prospect System (in the most formal way possible)

1. A potential is met through a game by any current IAM member and has some interest in joining the clan
2. Potential is given 3 objectives to complete in order to acquire his tag.
       a. Must register on the forums
       b. Must post an application in the "Applications to [IAM]" board and have a total of 5 posts
       c. Must install mumble and get it working
3. Upon completion of step 2 the potential will be allowed to use the IAM tag in games and will have the current IAM-r tag on the forums
4. They will have 2-4 weeks to integrate into the community both in game and in forums. Just as before, once this phase is over, our "deciding members (whoever they may be)" will decide if they get the IAM tag or not.

A few well thought out reasons why I think this will work:

1. It's instant gratification in games and will "hopefully" make them stick to IAM. Carrying an in-game tag in games like BF3 will have them playing with our current members as well as other prospects more often. Being around members more often keeps them in the loop of what's going on socially in the clan. Knowing what's going on socially in the clan keeps people around the forums. It's theoretically awesome.

2. Even if this becomes a temporary application process, I think we can recruit people at a much swifter clip and start populating the IAM ranks (which we can establish again once we have enough people)

Arguments:

Q. Won't we get assholes and crazy people?
A. More than likely yes. But, the faster we stream people in, the more likely we are to find cooler and more fun people to populate our forums. The most we'd ever have to deal with trolls and stupid people are a matter of a few days to a week before we realize and kick them. It's not like we don't deal with some of these people normally anyway right?

Q. Won't these people hurt our image if we let our tag "run rampant"?
A. Yes and No. We all have our moments, me included, in which we have not represented the tag well. If there ends up being a serious and ridiculous problem, those people would be led to our forums and see that particular member with an IAM-r (IAM RECRUIT) tag. And I'd just like to point out, I would welcome this problem as opposed to a dying clan.



So there's my two cents. I like gaming and I like this place and I think we're at a member standstill.