I'd be for it so long as they posted someone at the door to screen for those guys who obsessively review high fibre content breakfast cereals.

And while it would be nice to have a place to put your feet up and have a drink with fellow regulars, I'd hope that Magellan and Twan have the good grace to not take their hightops off after a game of one-on-one.

Nice idea...I'll bring the hooch. While I don't have as much time these days to darken the RIA door as I used to, I still attempt to sneak a whiff of the regulars every now and then. And, geeze, lately I can't see the forest through the trees. Between FacebookBore's riveting reviews of Hannah Montana's latest drudgery, or MySpaceCowboy's senseless one-word-wonders on Harry Potter characters, I can't help but ask myself these days "where's the beef?"

Now, don't get me wrong, Lawrence...for someone who still types with two fingers, I find myself pretty awed by what you have done with this site over the past few years. With that said, who am I to direct your vision/pay check/legacy/etc.? However, since you feel such a temptation to spring the flood gates upon us poor, unsuspecting regulars, a designated "higher ground" would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure with your proven wizardry within this platform the task is simply at hand.

I like the idea of a lounge for the regulars, too. I have my own favorite reviewers, here, just a cozy lil group whose comments I happen to enjoy reading. Unfortunately, to get to the good stuff I have to wade through page after page of rampant idiocy. It's becoming a major challenge. CanadaSucks said that the good reviews will rise to the top, but unfortunately the crap is rising to the top. Yes, we regulars need our own little hideaway. It could be like a speakeasy, where you have to know a special knock to get in.

Maybe we could just spin-off an 'RIA Jr.' site.  It wouldn't be too hard-just take the lists for pop stars, junk foods, current TV shows, and all the other items that attract pointless comments from one-off visitors and create a separate site for them.  Either way, something has to be done soon, as the recent reviews page is rapidly becoming unnavigatable.

A few months ago and I would have said this was a bad, elitist idea, but the onslaught of the myspacers and facebookers is making me reconsider that position with extreme prejudice.  Today, for example, some lack-wit rated no less than two dozen items with the identical comment -- "I don't know."  The sad part is that his were among the more articulate reviews of their type on here.

I understand that RIA is a business, and businesses need to develop and drive traffic, and I'm glad that is happening for the long term viability of the site.  That being said, there is ample precedent for "levels of membership" to sites.   The threshold could be a number of "helpful" votes (relatively low I suggest, no more than a hundred or so) indicating that the reviewer had some peer respect.  It could be a number of reviews, but that's more dangerous given that some of the fly by night gadflies that have taken up residence are prolific for the two days they're here.  It could be invitation by administration, and then sponsored in by an existing member.  It could even be a nominal fee.

In any event, it is clear to me that something has to be done to allow filtration of the recent comment's page.  This has always been my jumping off place into the site, and I know thats something I share with many others on here.  Now, wading through pages of dreck dims my enthusiasm in a big hurry.

I felt Irishgit's ennui today as the Recent Reviews page loaded up with MySpacers and Facebookers dumping shit bricks and "They Suck!" comments. The 'git kinda reminded me of the boy in "The Empire of the Sun" when he and his mother are separated by the moving crowd. I can sense a clash of cultures here. How about building a back room for regulars who like to sit around and shmooze? Or has RIA turned the corner from a local pub to an order-at-the-window-fried-grouper-on-a-cheap-white-bun kind of joint? There's two things going on here. The teeny boppers pay no attention to the regulars and visa versa, and except for an occasional "funny" vote, there is little to-no-substance there. The boppers don't seem to be returning (am I wrong about the last statement?). (Actually reminds me of Spring Break at Daytona Beach assaulting a SevenEleven in an established neighborhood.) When a good, new reviewer shows up, they can be invited through the secret door. You know, Wiseguy can show up with a new contributor and say, "This is FB23456785. He's with me." (Might even create some mystique around the site)

Good problems to have, lawrence: Tons of traffic and more culture than "Hands Across America For the Spotted Newt."