POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Questions and discussion regarding the IT behind caves.org

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Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

YES - I think forum members should be required to identify themselves by providing either their NSS number or their first and last name (for non-NSS members) in order to post. All forum members should be able to read anonymously
20
42%
NO - I think posters should not be required to identify themselves in order to post. All forum members should be able to both read and post anonymously
28
58%
 
Total votes : 48

Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby Wayne Harrison » Apr 28, 2009 6:51 pm

Phil Winkler wrote:Why many cavers including directors don't post is anyone's guess. Still, it would be refreshing. As it is now it just appears they are hiding. Directors don't respond privately or publicly.

What are we to make of that?


I had a thought. Maybe BOG members are posting under pseudonyms. :yikes:

Phil brings up an interesting point. Why expect regular NSS members to participate in a forum that most BOG members don't? And another point: is the lack of participation by the majority of regular members in any way tied to the lack of participation by the BOG?
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby wyandottecaver » Apr 28, 2009 7:02 pm

well I have a guess.

I have the luxury of a evening job where I get paid to sit idle for long periods while having access to the internet...I also don't have a wife or kids. Before I was in my present circumstances, If I participated in a forum at all it would be on a very sporadic basis and consist of skimming for "cool" topics. Obviously some folks have understanding spouses who indulge them...but I also notice a fair number of singles who are prolific posters. just a guess
I'm not scared of the dark, it's the things IN the dark that make me nervous. :)
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby Squirrel Girl » Apr 28, 2009 7:05 pm

wyandottecaver wrote:I also notice a fair number of singles who are prolific posters.

:rofl:
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby tncaver » Apr 30, 2009 8:31 am

I think everyone should be allowed to post anonymously if they want to. The bottom line is discussion and if anyone breaks
the TOS rules, they can be removed from the board whether they identify themselves or not.
Although I post anonymously most of the time, I am not afraid to identify myself. John Hutchison NSS11906. If you don't
like what I have to say, you don't have to read it. However, to get real opinions from people, allowing them to post anonymously
is the best way to guarantee they are saying what they truly believe in. For this organization to grow it needs cavers. If the NSS
ostracizes some cavers simply because they want to speak their mind without identifying themselves, then it might as well be a communist organization. The BOG ballots are also anonymous.
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby Bill Putnam » Apr 30, 2009 11:11 am

tncaver wrote:If the NSS ostracizes some cavers simply because they want to speak their mind without identifying themselves, then it might as well be a communist organization.


John,

That seems a bit extreme. Even I haven't called them commies. :laughing:

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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby tncaver » Apr 30, 2009 11:19 am

Bill Putnam wrote:
tncaver wrote:If the NSS ostracizes some cavers simply because they want to speak their mind without identifying themselves, then it might as well be a communist organization.


John,
That seems a bit extreme. Even I haven't called them commies. :laughing:
Bill


Communism is all about control. Controlling what it's subjects can think and say as well as what they can do. The taking away
of freedom. Sorry to be so blunt, but might as well call a spade a spade. Fortunately, this forum has NOT come to that...yet.
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby Bill Putnam » Apr 30, 2009 11:41 am

tncaver wrote:Communism is all about control. Controlling what it's subjects can think and say as well as what they can do. The taking away
of freedom. Sorry to be so blunt, but might as well call a spade a spade. Fortunately, this forum has NOT come to that...yet.


John,

I don't think anyone has suggested anything even remotely like that. No one wants to control anyone's speech. If anyone should be worried about being censored, it's me, given the experience I've had here lately. :tonguecheek:

The general idea is whether people should have to identify themselves before posting. Sure, it could be abused, but so can anonymity (and it has been, repeatedly). I haven't seen any indication that the NSS powers-that-be even pay any attention to Cavechat, much less seek to control or limit people's speech here. (Though the TOS do impose basic limitations - do you object to those as well?) And of course there are plenty of places such as the US Cavers Forum where people can still be comfortably anonymous if they're afraid to use you their names here.

Communism is about totalitarianism. How can TOS limits in one lousy cavers DB among many be even remotely compared to communism? Maybe you need to get outside and underground more... :big grin:

Does that make me a communist? Gee, my liberal friends will be amazed. They all think I'm a reactionary capitalist pig.
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby tncaver » Apr 30, 2009 11:56 am

Bill Putnam wrote:
tncaver wrote:Communism is all about control. Controlling what it's subjects can think and say as well as what they can do. The taking away
of freedom. Sorry to be so blunt, but might as well call a spade a spade. Fortunately, this forum has NOT come to that...yet.


Communism is about totalitarianism. How can TOS limits in one lousy cavers DB among many be even remotely compared to communism? Maybe you need to get outside and underground more... :big grin:

Does that make me a communist? Gee, my liberal friends will be amazed. They all think I'm a reactionary capitalist pig.


I guess I did not make myself clear. I'm in favor of anonymous posting so that people will be more likely to express their true
feelings. I am also 100% in favor of the TOS rules. TOS is necessary as a precaution against verbal abuse to the forum members. I am in no way calling you (Bill) or the NSS forum Communist. However, taking away annonyminity (sp) would likely
limit people's willingness to say what they really think. In essence controlling their remarks in a way similar to communism.
So far, this board does not do that. I applaud it's openness and hope that it will continue. :grin:
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby Squirrel Girl » Apr 30, 2009 5:32 pm

Aw, come on ya guys. Yer discussion board newbies if you're bringing up commies. If you want to be insulting, you're supposed to be calling folks Nazis!
:nyah:
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby wyandottecaver » Apr 30, 2009 5:37 pm

hmmm I think I did make some reference to Nazi's in my thread on destroying bat colonies :big grin:
I'm not scared of the dark, it's the things IN the dark that make me nervous. :)
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby tncaver » Apr 30, 2009 5:43 pm

Squirrel Girl wrote:Aw, come on ya guys. Yer discussion board newbies if you're bringing up commies. If you want to be insulting, you're supposed to be calling folks Nazis!
:nyah:


I'm not calling anyone a commie...yet. And hopefully I won't ever have to. I'm no newbie either. NSS11906. BTW, howdy
Squirrely Girl and wyandotte. I really enjoy your posts. :woohoo:
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby shibumi » Apr 30, 2009 6:17 pm

Squirrel Girl wrote:Aw, come on ya guys. Yer discussion board newbies if you're bringing up commies. If you want to be insulting, you're supposed to be calling folks Nazis!
:nyah:


I was wondering about that. I mean, the stuff they were describing was more about fascism than communism.
I didn't know if it was just an awkward circumlocution to avoid invocation of Godwin's law or what.

Ahh well, I may, or may not be,
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby graveleye » May 1, 2009 8:17 am

If y'all don't start behavin' this forum will become a dictatorship!! :rant:

:rofl:
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby shibumi » May 1, 2009 8:30 am

graveleye wrote:If y'all don't start behavin' this forum will become a dictatorship!! :rant:


I thought it was a dictatorship already? By committee anyway (I'm not trying to be insulting here).

I've always said that a benevolent dictatorship is the most efficient and fairest form of government. The
fatal flaw is that the trick is ensuring the next dictator will be benevolent.

As always,

Anmar (probably)
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Re: POLL: Do you think anonymous posters are bad for the forum?

Postby MUD » May 1, 2009 9:07 am

I believe in benevolent dictatorship provided I'm the dictator! :rofl:
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