Explaining user trust levels and permissions

I’ve created this handy overview of user permissions. Basically all users after registration start on trust level 0 (New User) and their trust level is increased with their participation (by visiting, reading and posting). One exemption is Leader (tl4) which is promoted by admin manually.

Want an illustration?

Visitor → Novice → Regular → Leader → Elder

Seems like great starting point for our user trust system, though we changed a few names. So in our case it is as follows:

0 (New) → 1 (Basic) → 2 (Member) → 3 (Regular) → 4 (Leader)

Your current level is visible on your user page. When reaching new level, you will be notified about new user badge.

Trust Level Usergroup
0 New User
1 Basic Member
2 Member
3 Regular
4 Leader

So let’s look at each user level in detail…

New users

(trust level 0)

New users/Users at trust level 0 cannot

  • Send private messages to other users
  • Flag posts
  • Post more than 1 image
  • Post any attachments
  • Post more than 2 hyperlinks in a post

If a user sticks around long enough to read a bit, system now trusts them as a basic user.

They can get to trust level 1 by…

  • entering at least 5 topics
  • reading at least 30 posts
  • spend a total of 10 minutes reading posts

Basic Users

(trust level 1)

Basic Users cannot

  • Send private messages to other users

Basic users can:

  • Use all core Overgrow forum functions
  • Upload images and attachments
  • Edit wiki posts
  • Flag posts (for moderator supervision or approval)

Members

(trust level 2)

Members keep coming back to the site, and have participated long enough to earn complete citizenship.

Members can:

  • Send private messages
  • Use the “Invite others to this topic” button for one-click onboarding of new users to participate in topics
  • Invite outside users to PMs making a group PM
  • Daily like limit increased by 1.5×

You can get to trust level 2 by…

  • visiting at least 15 days, not sequentially
  • casting at least 1 like
  • receiving at least 1 like
  • replying to at least 3 different topics
  • entering at least 20 topics
  • reading at least 100 posts
  • spend a total of 60 minutes reading posts

Regular

(trust level 3)

Regulars are the most active readers and reliable contributors over long periods of time.

Regulars can:

  • Recategorize and rename topics
  • Spam flags cast on TL0 user posts immediately hide the post
  • Flags cast on TL0 user posts in sufficient diversity will auto-block the user and hide all their posts
  • Make their own posts wiki (that means editable by any TL1+ users)
  • Daily like limit increased by 2×
  • Access special forum category - Private Lounge

You can get to trust level 3 by…

This is time and activity based, unlike the previous levels. In the last 100 days…

  • must have visited at least 50% of days
  • must have replied to at least 30 different topics
  • of topics created in the last 100 days, must have viewed 25% (currently ~250)
  • of posts created in the last 100 days, must have read 25% (currently ~ 10000)
  • must have received 300 likes*, and given 300 likes.
  • must not have received more than 5 spam or offensive flags (with unique posts and unique users for each, confirmed by a moderator)
  • must not have been suspended or silenced in the last 6 months

* These likes must be across a minimum number of different users (currently 75 users), across a minimum number of different days (currently 75 days). Likes cannot be from PMs.

Leader

(trust level 4)

Leaders are regulars who have been around forever and seen everything. They set a positive example for the community through their actions and their posts. If you need advice, these are the folks you turn to first.

Leaders have the ability to

  • Edit all posts
  • Pin/unpin topic
  • Close topic
  • Archive topic
  • Make topic unlisted
  • Split and merge topics
  • Daily like limit increased by 3×

Manual promotion only at the moment!

188 Likes

@btrue253 welcome to the best community here is a good thing to read

8 Likes

doug d i made it !

12 Likes

Awesome, good to see you @1oldfart . :v:

5 Likes

This was a good read. Interesting on how that trust levels up. Some of the things new folk might not know with likes and commenting on different threads an interaction in community. Just make yourself at home an it should take care of itself.

7 Likes

Finally i am a basic user, hooray! :innocent:

8 Likes

Once upon a time…

1 Like

I like the explanation of the hierarchy to this forum. It benefits regular poster to added benefits as time goes on like a contributing community for our passions i will be a donation member soon but as of right now i will enjoy posting and building the my cred around here happy posting everyone

9 Likes

I’m still a little unclear on how PM’s work? I seem to be able to receive them, and was even able to send them at one point but it seems now the ability to send a PM is missing for me. I cannot send a PM for the life of me. What level is that supposed to be enabled?

1 Like

Howdy @Quacks, for PM privileges one needs to be at least a TL2 trust level.

You can get to trust level 2 by…

  • visiting at least 15 days, not sequentially
  • casting at least 1 like
  • receiving at least 1 like
  • replying to at least 3 different topics
  • entering at least 20 topics
  • reading at least 100 posts
  • spend a total of 60 minutes reading posts

It shows that you recently gained TL2 member status approximately 30 minutes ago when viewing your badges as seen in the following link:

https://overgrow.com/badges/2/member?username=jaywire

This can also be seen by clicking on your avatar and then clicking on the “+12 more” link that will display all the badges you have accumulated thus far. It can also be viewed by clicking to view your user profile where it displays your stats where you can then click on the icon for the badges which looks a circle with triangles across its circumference. I guess that’s supposed to be a “badge” icon. Here is a link to that:

It seems like you just recently fulfilled the requirements for TL2 trust level and I would expect your privileges should start to reflect that soon if not already. It shows you as a member on your profile page but still shows you as a basic user when viewing the drop down information when clicking on your avatar so I’m guessing it still hasn’t updated yet but it should soon. Hope this helps. Many blessings and much love

5 Likes

Thanks man, I noticed that after I posted here, I got a notification saying I was TL2 :laughing: I was able to send a PM after that.

Thanks for the help either way!

5 Likes

Having looked at your post history, I’m guessing it was the “reply to at least 3 different topics” requirement and when you replied in this topic it fulfilled the last requirement that was lacking for you to gain TL2 status. Pretty ironic in a way. Glad you’ve been able to sort it and will be able to use the PM function as your like. Many blessings and much love

11 Likes

As far as Tier level 2 the requirement, “entering at least 20 topics”

Does that mean reading and commenting on these topics or creating 20 new topics on one’s own?

3 Likes

Reading/Commenting. I made it to regular member and only created one topic.

9 Likes

Just reading.

6 Likes

I read the RSS feed which does not count in my totals.
But I was curious, on 1-31-25 there were 12 new topics and 820 posting to various topics.
Most of the posting are not like reading a page from War & Peace.

1 Like

I will just keep showing up and participating. Eventually I will be level 3. It shocks me that I am not, but I guess I will be just fine anyway.

4 Likes

Thanks for that clarification. Entering does sound to me like creating vs reading, though.

I guess it is a low enough bar to weed out spambots and hopefully AI creatures.
And not make it too hard for people to enjoy the basics of the site.

By the way, thanks for the site!!!

2 Likes

Still trying to figure out myself lol

12 Likes

Welcome to OG @Bowser ! Make yourself at home.

5 Likes