Should anonymous posting be disallowed?

[Paul R]

Are we being invaded once again by a evangelical and utterly hostile foreign power critical to open thinking, or is it just imaginary?

 

It is probably - almost certainly - imaginary of course, but anonymous posting does lead to people saying stupid things they would never say face to face, or if their real identity was known. And sometimes, people feel free to attack others because they feel sure they cannot be held accountable, no matter how untrue that idea is.

 

I do not think any of that is a good thing, nor do I think it helps the forums to grow. And, it does make the place a target for unstable mentalities. Seen a few of those here, no?

 

One possible cure to all the nonsense up to require real names to post on the system. Read all you want utterly anonymously, but a real name is attached to any and all your posts.

 

What do you really think?

[esldude]

The first sentence of your post is akin to saying the USA is being invaded by Americans.

 

Further your proposed fix for the imagined invasion also seems likely to be ineffective. What I consider to be the two most closed-minded, deranged, uncompromising, and holding the most clearly untrue ideas on the entire forum use their names. ( I am not referring to you Paul). Some of the clearly most open minded, and courteous also use their real names. Same can be said for those using monikers.

 

As one's made up moniker can be traced to all posted opinions, in the context of an internet forum this seems quite sufficient to me. I fail to see the issue as one needing addressing as you frame it and further find your proposed solution likely to be ineffective.

[Audio_ELF]

Completely idiotic suggestion...

 

How are you even going to attempt to police this Paul?

 

If you don't like Internet forums and their inherent anonymity; then You leave: don't try to make everyone else comply with your paranoia!

 

Eloise

[NOMBEDES]

The first sentence of your post is akin to saying the USA is being invaded by Americans.

 

 

+1 and my selection for funny of the day!

[Priaptor]

A good chance the Constitution would never have been ratified had it not been for the series of 85 essays published by Madison, Hamilton and Jay now known as The Federalist Papers all using the pseudonym "Publius"

[Paul R]

( I am not referring to you Paul).

 

Hah!

[DigiPete]

Look, many of us have a lot of very expensive equipment in our homes.

Being forced to use our own names may put a lot of people in harms way.

 

I don't post pictures, as that may give my address away to complete strangers (visual shopping list).

I use DigiPete on all music / sound related online forums where I hang, and people including Chris knows exactly who I am.

 

You can easily find me if you hang at CA regularly, but somebody passing by can't.

As passionate as I am about CA, you are not getting my real name plastered all over the net with a list of my equipment.

Not going to happen.

 

All you regulars are always welcome to come audition should you pass Copenhagen (you know who you are ;-) )

[Encore]

Look, many of us have a lot of very expensive equipment in our homes.

Being forced to use our own names may put a lot of people in harms way.

 

I don't post pictures, as that may give my address away to complete strangers (visual shopping list).

I use DigiPete on all music / sound related online forums where I hang, and people including Chris knows exactly who I am.

 

You can easily find me if you hang at CA regularly, but somebody passing by can't.

As passionate as I am about CA, you are not getting my real name plastered all over the net with a list of my equipment.

Not going to happen.

 

All you regulars are always welcome to come audition should you pass Copenhagen (you know who you are ;-) )

 

+1 Including the invitation to stop by for a listen if you pass Copenhagen. DigiPete and I live within half a mile of each other, so you can visit us both in one evening :-)

[kumakuma]

+1 Including the invitation to stop by for a listen if you pass Copenhagen. DigiPete and I live within half a mile of each other, so you can visit us both in one evening :-)

 

What is your address?

[firedog]

Don't agree, Paul. People can have many reasons for not wanting to reveal real identities here, and I haven't noticed any direct connection between real/online identities and civility/lack thereof.

[Paul R]

Look, many of us have a lot of very expensive equipment in our homes.

Being forced to use our own names may put a lot of people in harms way.

 

I don't post pictures, as that may give my address away to complete strangers (visual shopping list).

I use DigiPete on all music / sound related online forums where I hang, and people including Chris knows exactly who I am.

 

You can easily find me if you hang at CA regularly, but somebody passing by can't.

As passionate as I am about CA, you are not getting my real name plastered all over the net with a list of my equipment.

Not going to happen.

 

All you regulars are always welcome to come audition should you pass Copenhagen (you know who you are ;-) )

 

 

So essentially you are saying that you are concerned for safety reasons? I can see the sense in that. I also see the sense in not listing the entire set of equipment or gear one has in one's signature.

 

But it is without doubt partially paranoia to think that this is prime territory for scoping out burgle targets. The market for the equipment is very limited. And I would suspect most of our homes are somewhat well protected.

[Panelhead]

+1 Including the invitation to stop by for a listen if you pass Copenhagen. DigiPete and I live within half a mile of each other, so you can visit us both in one evening :-)

 

You would be safe posting your address and work hours here. The house hackers might take your computers. The pawn shops will not give people anything for audio gear. Same with TV's.

They hit Asians and Middle Easterns looking for cash and jewelry, and rednecks looking for guns. And of course other criminals to steal drugs and cash.

If they do not find cash, jewelry, guns, or drugs the other items are not worth carrying off. High end might go for artwork. But resale is tough here also.

The internet has made hi end audio too hard to wholesale.

Save your serial numbers for insurance purposes. Plus police. It will turn back up when changing hands.

[goldsdad]

Completely idiotic suggestion...

 

How are you even going to attempt to police this Paul?

 

If you don't like Internet forums and their inherent anonymity; then You leave: don't try to make everyone else comply with your paranoia!

 

Eloise

 

+1

[The Computer Audiophile]

Completely idiotic suggestion...

 

Eloise - Your comment does more potential harm than good. If new people think their comments will be passed through the Eloise idiocy test, they will likely refrain from commenting or asking questions.

[Audio_ELF]

Eloise - Your comment does more potential harm than good. If new people think their comments will be passed through the Eloise idiocy test, they will likely refrain from commenting or asking questions.

That's as opposed to Paul's suggestions (see prior "voting") where whole topics are banned from discussion just because they offend his sensibilities?

 

I also feel quoting that first line of my first post without the context provided by the second is a little rude. How would you suggest people prove their identity?

 

Eloise

[wgscott]

If Snowden's revelations have taught us anything, it is that internet anonymity does not exist.

[jtwrace]

How would you suggest people prove their identity?

For what?

[The Computer Audiophile]

That's as opposed to Paul's suggestions (see prior "voting") where whole topics are banned from discussion just because they offend his sensibilities?

 

I also feel quoting that first line of my first post without the context provided by the second is a little rude. How would you suggest people prove their identity?

 

Eloise

It has nothing to do with your logic, only your opening comment.

[Encore]

I haven't noticed any direct connection between real/online identities and civility/lack thereof.

 

Fully agree.

 

As for the risk of getting burglared, it may be true that it is very small, but it doesn't feel very safe to advertise your gear complete w address (which is fairly easy to find once somebody has my full name). And *IF* "luck" has it that you are burglared, the insurance company might not be very understanding that you have showed your wares on the net. Whether or not the burglars have seen it.

 

Ok, so we should avoid telling what equipment we have? Well, that wouldn't be much of a forum then.

[Kelly]

Kind of a weird suggestion that goes against the history of internet culture. I guess that could be changing though as message boards are increasingly requiring facebook logins to function. Facebook login would be one way to "enforce" Paul's idea. But that is a change that would make me leave the message board completely as I actually do like a little privacy.

 

People come to this message board for help or because they like to chat with other knowledgeable/enthusiastic people. We should be encouraging new people onto the boards not discouraging it, even if it lets a few trolls in every once in a while.

[goldsdad]

Don't agree, Paul. People can have many reasons for not wanting to reveal real identities here, and I haven't noticed any direct connection between real/online identities and civility/lack thereof.

 

+1

[wwaldmanfan]

People come to this message board for help or because they like to chat with other knowledgeable/enthusiastic people. We should be encouraging new people onto the boards not discouraging it, even if it lets a few trolls in every once in a while.

 

The funny thing about this forum is that the most obnoxious trolls are also some of the most knowlegable people here.

[wgscott]

Are we being invaded once again by a evangelical and utterly hostile foreign power critical to open thinking, or is it just imaginary?

 

Every time someone posts something about how files with identical checksums can sound different, a troll from hydrogen audio gets his wings. The real problem is that people really do find some of the more far-out wacko stuff highly entertaining. It is sort of like poking fun at Biblical fundamentalist creationists and Teabaggers. You know you shouldn't, you know it is immature, but it is almost impossible to resist.

[realhifi]

I don't see the problem quite honestly. I like the nicknames, the clever handles, etc.

As far as someone posting something I don't agree with it's pretty easy for me to simply not read it. I frankly think the way some folks get up in arms about comments or theory's or ideas is hysterical at times and I love watching some poke someone just for the hell of it on occasion!

 

I personally love it when someone gets all riled up and more often than not I end laughing and shaking my head at what I read here. You REALLY have to have pretty thin skin if you actually let an anonymous internet poster get your goat!

[realhifi]

Every time someone posts something about how files with identical checksums can sound different, a troll from hydrogen audio gets his wings. The real problem is that people really do find some of the more far-out wacko stuff highly entertaining. It is sort of like poking fun at Biblical fundamentalist creationists and Teabaggers. You know you shouldn't, you know it is immature, but it is almost impossible to resist.

 

*s*. Exactly.