Weed Out Time

I have been following the real name thing for a while now. I understand where the pro-name camp is coming from, but I do not think it will be of significant help in reducing the flame wars and mean-spirited posts.

Message boards have all four types: "Nice" posters using their real names, "nice" posters using screen names, "mean" posters using screen names, and yes, "mean" posters using real names. Of course, that is over-simplifying it and there can be sub-categories and overlaps.

If you forced everyone to use their real name, it wouldn't be hard for a troll to join and use a fake name that sounds real. If he (it?) gets banned, he can come back and re-join with another fake name, exactly the same way they do now with screen names. So if we were forced to put a real name, all it would do make us have to decide between giving up the privacy that we want (for our own personal reasons) or lying and using a pseudonym. It wouldn't necessarily reduce nasty posts to a significant degree.

Honestly, I hope that when people who are very pro-real-name see a screen name, they do not stereo-type that person as a troll. You may even want to re-frame your perspective and consider that, if the person is acting nice, you can be assured that they are at least as nice in real life. Playing devil's advocate, one could say that someone putting their real name might only be acting nice out of fear of protecting their own self-interest. How do we know what they'd do if there were no accountability for their actions? :eek:

If there were a good way to authenticate users, such as a $1 one-time credit card charge when you join, I wouldn't mind that. It would let the mods know who's who for purposes of preventing multiple accounts, especially by banned members, while allowing users to continue using their screen name on the board.

Other than that, I don't see any need to press the issue of supplying real names. Please don't let a few bad apples spoil the entire bunch. :)
 
A lot of the people that use their real names on here are here to sell something on this forum (not all so don't bash). Johnnyt
 
FWIW, if you had seen me in a pool room 25 years ago and asked me what my name was, I would have lied to you and made one up on the spot. Why? Because I was very particular about people knowing who I was, where I had been last week, where I would be next week.

The internet is a different deal. I post on several forums, either using "Blackjack" or by using "Dsapolis" - I believe at easy pool tutor I am registered with my real name. It's not hard to find out who I am or what I look like - just click on my blog or go to one of my websites - I won't say anything here that I won't back up in person.

I don't have a problem with someone using an alias on the internet unless it turns into a Fast Larry situation where you don't know who is who, and (for those that have been here long enough to remember) Fast Larry would have his aliases argue with each other and with him only to draw attention to himself. The recent idiot that was on here (Doublebye) was obviously an incarnation of somebody that had previously been banned. When you are dealing with these people that can't stay away and only come here to act like children - after a while you just take it from the source.

I agree with Smorg - sometimes its not easy to turn the other cheek - I confronted Fast Larry a few months ago on RSB - and after a few days dealing with me one on one, I was able to convince him to stop destroying the place... well at least for now... there are still idiots over there trying to bait him back. Children will play. When you become a target, your perspective does change. I don't get all riled up about it anymore, most of these trolls are idiots with no life and nothing better to do. Knowing their real name won't change that at all. That's the way I see it.
 
Cuebacca said, "If there were a good way to authenticate users, such as a $1 one-time credit card charge when you join, I wouldn't mind that. It would let the mods know who's who for purposes of preventing multiple accounts, especially by banned members, while allowing users to continue using their screen name on the board."

Now there is a good idea. It is not the name one uses that matters, it is the accountability that no one wants to address.

I can appreciate the need for confidentiality. Some who post here have other responsibilities in life and it would not be wise to reveal their identity because it might cause trouble in other areas of their life. As a CEO they may not want their staff to know their secret hobby. So not everyone needs, or cares, about "real" name. In most cases it probably doesn't make much difference anyway.

A sign up fee with a token charge to your VISA Card, is a very direct way to identify the user to the Board owners. If accompanied by a contractual agreement to abide by the forum rules, such as there is now, these policies would go a long way towards improving this or any other forum.

I can see a forum's need to have free access to establish itself. That is one way to build a business. However, once a forum is established and it has a good reputation, then it is time to clean house so to speak. This would be in the forum owner's interest to insure that bad actors do not drive business away and to encourage other reputable posters to subscribe.

I think that most people would agree that there are many people who read on AZB but do not post because of the current conditions. Many of these people could make the forum much more enjoyable and Cuebacca has a way to do it. Rep to you man.:D
 
JoeW said:
Cuebacca said, "If there were a good way to authenticate users, such as a $1 one-time credit card charge when you join, I wouldn't mind that. It would let the mods know who's who for purposes of preventing multiple accounts, especially by banned members, while allowing users to continue using their screen name on the board."

Now there is a good idea. It is not the name one uses that matters, it is the accountability that no one wants to address.

I can appreciate the need for confidentiality. Some who post here have other responsibilities in life and it would not be wise to reveal their identity because it might cause trouble in other areas of their life. As a CEO they may not want their staff to know their secret hobby. So not everyone needs, or cares, about "real" name. In most cases it probably doesn't make much difference anyway.

A sign up fee with a token charge to your VISA Card, is a very direct way to identify the user to the Board owners. If accompanied by a contractual agreement to abide by the forum rules, such as there is now, these policies would go a long way towards improving this or any other forum.

I can see a forum's need to have free access to establish itself. That is one way to build a business. However, once a forum is established and it has a good reputation, then it is time to clean house so to speak. This would be in the forum owner's interest to insure that bad actors do not drive business away and to encourage other reputable posters to subscribe.

I think that most people would agree that there are many people who read on AZB but do not post because of the current conditions. Many of these people could make the forum much more enjoyable and Cuebacca has a way to do it. Rep to you man.:D
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Lame. If it would require a dollar to stay on here (or a real name, for that matter) I'm gone. No problem. I'm sure I'm not alone...and when it comes to a game as deep as this, everyone collectively holds the knowledge. It would hurt the site a great deal, IMO.
 
$1 credit card fee. Best idea yet. No one should have a problem with that. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
$1 credit card fee. Best idea yet. No one should have a problem with that. Johnnyt
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Why should we have to pay a dollar to deal with trolls instead of doing it for free. A dollar is not going to stop some idiot. There are always going to be more idiots no matter what. On top of that many of the really good posters will leave on the pure principal of the matter. JMHO.

BVal
 
coopdeville said:
I got five on it
cannplant1.jpg

my name is Cooper and I agree, get the weed out.
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Bump

I think pool shoes are a good idea. Hey, mee too!
 
BVal said:
Why should we have to pay a dollar to deal with trolls instead of doing it for free. A dollar is not going to stop some idiot. There are always going to be more idiots no matter what. On top of that many of the really good posters will leave on the pure principal of the matter. JMHO.

BVal
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Thanks, guys for your thumbs up on my idea. :)

BVal, it isn't the $1 that would stop a troll. It is the moderators (or automated system) that would stop the trolls. The credit card charge would allow the moderators to know who is signing up with a new user name.

Basically each troll would only get one shot and, once banned, wouldn't be able to re-join without doing something highly illegal (credit card fraud), or extremely difficult to pull off at will.

I understand that there are some people without credit cards, so perhaps the idea wouldn't completely work. However, that would be a small percentage of users and there could perhaps be other ways to authenticate those folks.

Again, the $1 thing (or whatever the minimum credit card charge is) would be a one-time deal, not a monthly fee. It's not meant to be a money-maker. I seriously doubt it would happen anyway, but it is an idea nonetheless.
 
Cuebacca said:
Thanks, guys for your thumbs up on my idea. :)

BVal, it isn't the $1 that would stop a troll. It is the moderators (or automated system) that would stop the trolls. The credit card charge would allow the moderators to know who is signing up with a new user name.

Basically each troll would only get one shot and, once banned, wouldn't be able to re-join without doing something highly illegal (credit card fraud), or extremely difficult to pull off at will.

I understand that there are some people without credit cards, so perhaps the idea wouldn't completely work. However, that would be a small percentage of users and there could perhaps be other ways to authenticate those folks.

Again, the $1 thing (or whatever the minimum credit card charge is) would be a one-time deal, not a monthly fee. It's not meant to be a money-maker. I seriously doubt it would happen anyway, but it is an idea nonetheless.
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Hey I didn't mean to come off arguementative. I am sorry. I think it is the chili cheese fries I had for lunch.

BVal
 
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BVal said:
Hey I didn't mean to come of arguementative. I am sorry. I think it is the chili cheese fries I had for lunch.

BVal
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No worries man! My hair-brained schemes aren't usually bulletproof. It's always good to look at things from all angles. No offense taken. :)
 
Man Oh Man, It's Always SOMETHING.... imo

Johnnyt said:
$1 credit card fee. Best idea yet. No one should have a problem with that. Johnnyt
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I don't have a credit card. I suppose that I could send in a Money Order for $1.00 though.
Doug
( would I have to SIGN it )
 
Black-Balled said:
I don't see the peak...
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YES, it worked ! Of course you might already be one peak over the line, so yous wus easy pickin's :D

Dave, still
 
It seems to me that a forum would get pretty boring without the occasional nut. When you see one enjoy it. Don't encourage them too much. Don't run their threads up to 15 pages. Be entertained and move on. Somebody else will probably have a great thread going on swerve. Watching Smorgie and the newly humorous Jude deal with the occasional nut job is worth the price of admission. Wait there is no charge for admission. Oh well.
 
BVal said:
The way it was said - truckers were lumped in with "prostitutes and many others who make few contributions to the world." There was no distinction between the three of them when I think there clearly is one and should be. I was not trying to argue with you or anyone for that matter - Thank you for clearing that up.

BVal
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This is a prime example of the misunderstandings that can happen when communicating via written text!

JoeW made his point imprecisely (as he as admitted) and BVal reacted to what was written rather than what was intended. A little break here for BVal because the statement as written was definitely derogatory to truckers.

BUT, I thought it was pretty easy to infer what Joe really meant. I reacted the same way as BVal at first and then realized that Joe just structured his sentence incorrectly. BVal jumped in his face (slightly), where a suitable alternative response might have been "Whoa, did you really mean to say that?" Had the two of them been face to face, I think that might have happened. Not to pick on you, BVal - I was one keystroke away from responding the same way. :eek:

Now, this was an exchange between two reasonable people who cleared up the misunderstanding like adults. The problem with b-boards, forums, and even email is that it seems so easy to overreact and jump to conclusions. When either of the parties is seriously defensive, small-minded, had a bad day etc. things get rediculous very quickly.

Rep to both of you for being civil and reasonable.

Tom
 
Whoa, Was That A Typo ?

Tom M said:
Rep to both of you for being civil and reasonable.

Tom
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What the hell am I, chopped lover ?
Doug
( I meant 'chopped blubber' ) :)




.
 
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Cuebacca said:
Again, the $1 thing (or whatever the minimum credit card charge is) would be a one-time deal, not a monthly fee. It's not meant to be a money-maker. I seriously doubt it would happen anyway, but it is an idea nonetheless.
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You worried about placing real names in the forum and now you want to use your credit cards to weed out trolls.

Talk about identity theft invitations. No thank you. I'll just leave the forum.

Hmmm, might make a lot of people happu anyway...:D
 
klockdoc said:
You worried about placing real names in the forum and now you want to use your credit cards to weed out trolls.

Talk about identity theft invitations.
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Well, that's just my opinion I guess. Personally, I'm not too worried about making a credit card transaction online if it's through a secure site. I could be wrong of course. :confused:
 
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