Class Politics Anonymous Posters and The Forum

Should Posting be Restricted to Identified Members?


  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .

gouvernail

Super Opinionated and Always Correct
Perhaps I am a pot calling a kettle black. My "Gouvernail" moniker does not make my identity as obvious as my real name might.

SFBaylaser, Merrily, Fishing Mickey, and lots of the rest of us have Forum names that conceal our identity but we also make it pretty darned clear who each of us really are.

Should Bradley reset the forum such that he makes it impossible to post without a clearly known identity?

What is the up side? What is the down side?

What do you think??
 
gouvernail said:
What is the up side? What is the down side?

The downside of public identity is that children, who should remain anonymous to protect themselves from internet predators, would not be able to do so.

The upside of public identity is that adults who want to hide behind anonymonity to create chaos would not be able to do so. Some use their anonymonity to make sarcastic or just plain mean remarks, to take a position that they are too cowardly to defend under their own name, or just to create chaos. Fortunately, most anonymous posters don't do this. They engage in civilized discourse despite all, and simply want to protect privacy for privacy's sake.
 
Merrily said:
The downside of public identity is that children, who should remain anonymous to protect themselves from internet predators, would not be able to do so.

The upside of public identity is that adults who want to hide behind anonymonity to create chaos would not be able to do so. Some use their anonymonity to make sarcastic or just plain mean remarks, to take a position that they are too cowardly to defend under their own name, or just to create chaos. Fortunately, most anonymous posters don't do this. They engage in civilized discourse despite all, and simply want to protect privacy for privacy's sake.

I completely agree.

Another upside to anonymity is that people (adults too!) may be more willing to ask a "stupid question," or post an answer to a question when they are only partly confident that they know the answer, when they can be anonymous. Often the "stupid question" or "stupid respons" are exactly the opposite!

However, as you say, it is unfortunate that some out there use anonymity to hide while putting out false or misleading information to promote their own agendas.

Tracy
 
I dont think I wasnt people to know my address, not because I dont trust any of you, but I dont want someone to be able to scan this forum, find my email or snail address and send me junk.

Maybe my anonymity makes me blind, but is there a problem with ananymous posters?

Pez - Laser #1769
 
i have witnessed anonymous guests hijack threads... which is really annoying.
but as gouv sez, most everyone knows who the registered ones are.

there doesn't seem that there are too many hijackings on this forum anyway.

i think it might be a good idea to limit postings & answers to registered users.

if someone gets out of line, boot them off & log their ip address. if they try to reregister under a different code name, there is still a way to keep them off... (i think... though, I am no web guru)

btw
my name is David Butler & have been racing J22s for about 10 years now & am just now getting back into lasers after about a 20 year hiatus.

keep up the good work


cheers
 
roshambo said:
i think it might be a good idea to limit postings & answers to registered users.

Hi David Butler (these are family names for me--I have cousins in Britain named Butler, and there seem to be a lot of Davids, too.) Anyway, it already is not possible to post or reply here unless you are registered, but you can register without using your real name.
 
I think that if somebody wants to hide his true identity he will do it anyway just giving a false name. So why bother?

Paolo
 
roshambo said:
cheers to civilized discourse!
Amen. but i think it might be a good idea to make it optional cause it would be pretty cool if we for example saw a name we found to be familiar from the laser forum on a results list at a regatta we could meet that individual. And by the way my name is Sam Walker and im 16 and from Vero Beach, Forida and have been sailing Lasers for about 2 years. even though i am a youth i trust all of you guys:)
 
My identity is not particularly secret on this board, but I think anonymity is, in general, fine. Each screen name, over time, becomes associated in the minds of readers with the personality behind it... and the reader can take that personality into account when interpreting postings made by that screen name. Knowing the "real world" identity behind the screen name doesn't improve upon that IMO.
 
Wow. Oklahoma Laser sailing will benefit from Roshambo's return!!!


Thanks for all the comments. I believe we have here one of those healthy threads that make this forum a lot of fun!!

Mostly I started this thread to shove the pcc thread down the page a ways and also because I am really annoyed by folks who slam from behind an anonymous address.
I say a lot of dumb stuff in person and write a ton of dumb stuff in emails and on forums. But at least everybody, except Ranger Smith and please don't tattle, knows I am Yogi Bear.
Have you seen my voiceover's website?? http://www.dawsbutler.com
 
gouvernail said:
Thanks for all the comments. I believe we have here one of those healthy threads that make this forum a lot of fun!!

Mostly I started this thread to shove the pcc thread down the page a ways and also because I am really annoyed by folks who slam from behind an anonymous address.
I feel the same way.
 
People who are rude and disrespectful behind an anonymous screenname still get in trouble and still get booted. I don't think knowing their real name would help much.
 
This is about as slanderous as I will allow myself to become.

Fred, I am on a first name basis with a local shrink. I have found this necessary after reading some of your insightful thoughts of late. He is willing to double up so we can save a bit on fees. Pal....its time......If need be, we will come to Texas for you.

Anonymously,

mark
 
Mark Grinder said:
I am on a first name basis with a local shrink. I have found this necessary after reading some of your insightful thoughts of late. He is willing to double up so we can save a bit on fees. Pal....its time......


OOOh group therapy!! I remember something about that from my days at Penn State faking the student life as a Psych major. or was I spending all my class time oggling the co-eds and/or sobering up from the previous night's party? Dunno. Forgot. I have slept since then..

The problem is the cost of the drugs. My insurance has a huge co pay. As we all know the doctors can prescribe the correct drugs all day but when when patients fail to ingest those drugs the problems continue.

There are inportant things to do with that dough. Sailing costs money.
Today's example: I need money to pay for gas to get me to Milwaukee this week.

Let's compare:
Option A: Buy expensive drugs. Stay home.
Option B: Buy gas. Drive like maniac. Sail like maniac.


Yes, the old fat guy is attending his sixth O'Day finals. One thing I can guarantee. I will be extending my record for total lifetime points earned at the O'Day finals.

If the wind blows hard enough and the waves are big enough I plan to make the kiddies recognize the old hairy creature as a factor.

Bear skin, as opposed to bare skin, holds a lot of water and when soaking wet, the owner hardly needs to hike at all.

Don't worry. There won't be a PCC style event as a result of my undrugged self. My claws are clipped so they won't scratch the deck and it is REALLY hard to sit on one Laser and successfully bite someone riding on another Laser.

When is our appointment??
 
As far as Internet forums go, this is one of the most conservative and kid friendly I have ever come across. Whilst occasionally I have to hold myself back a little, I respect the culture created by Bradley and Merrily.

In no way is it necessary to remove anonymity here.
 
rock steady said:
As far as Internet forums go, this is one of the most conservative and kid friendly I have ever come across. Whilst occasionally I have to hold myself back a little, I respect the culture created by Bradley and Merrily.

In no way is it necessary to remove anonymity here.

Thank you so much! It's been a little discouraging lately.

I also sometimes have to hold myself back, but I try to keep in mind that Lasers are sailed by kids, too. I want to create a good environment for them, as well as a friendly environment to ask the so-called stupid question.

I have met so many great people sailing and on this forum, and I continue to learn about the boat from the pool of knowledge. Go TLF!
 
gouvernail said:
Wow. Oklahoma Laser sailing will benefit from Roshambo's return!!!


not sure if that is a left handed compliment or a complete boot in the jaxie...

I'm a Texan... of the Dallas variety ;^)
 
roshambo said:
not sure if that is a left handed compliment or a complete boot in the jaxie...

I'm a Texan... of the Dallas variety ;^)

Jaxie? Never heard that one before. Must be Texan. :)
 

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