I wasn't a chat user, but I can see it being useful for others.
i rly feel like all this is gonna do is make people start spamming, its not helpful
It does feel like some of the really useful aspects of the community (e.g. chat, DM) require "spammy" forum behavior to access.
I understand the need to address bad actors, but this approach feels backward to me. I'd personally prefer a more open access, with a clear way for actual users just to flag bad actors.
But, I'm not an admin nor moderator, nor do I expect to be around long enough to (a) ever become a mod, nor (b) at this point, to be around long enough to ever have access to the locked out "until you spam the forums enough" features.
Regardless, I am genuinely grateful for the forums and, in particular, the comprehensive guides and megathreads. (Although, I do wish the informational aspects were aggregated into something more concise like a wiki.)