While I understand the benefits you are seeking with this proposed measure, and agree that they are significant, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I for one would bow-out.
I’m not at all ashamed of the things I post, but I feel very strongly that mixing politics and business is a VERY bad idea, and putting myself out there so that a single Google search could potentially insert politics into my business dealings makes it a non-starter for me. I run my own company, and having my name or my company name researched is not unusual for prospective clients. The last thing I need is for such a prospect to Google my name and find a body of political postings from Powerline.
Several PLF denizens already know who I am, and I am not shy about sharing my identity. You can already find out much by simple looking at my profile. But I would prefer to keep it under my control.
If further civility is desired, my suggestion is to be more aggressive about giving the boot to deliberately inflammatory posters.
I’m not comfortable with real names for several reasons.
I will be forced to stop posting as my company’s management would have a fit if they saw my name out there.
What attracts me to the PL Forum is the quality of the postings. Many posts are thoughtful and well-written. I suspect you have lawyers, members of the media, employees of Washington agencies and military personnel that contribute to the Forum. Having to expose their real names would curtail their postings, and that would be a loss to the high quality of the PL Forum.
While I would like to have everyone own their posts so to speak, I for one do not feel that the benefit of us doing so would out weigh the risks associated with doing so. I would also be reluctant to post under my own name in light of potential threats and harassment. I don’t pretend to understand all of the potential threats however lets just say I don’t want to find out the hard way exactly what could happen to me and my loved ones ,if others knew how to locate me. For this reason I limit the amount of informantion about myself and my family that I share on here in my posts.
I have no problem owning my posts provided those that read my posts are stable individual’s. I have no way of screening those that read my comments and as a result have no way of knowing if and when I might not want to make comments that will surely offend those that are of questionable mental health. As it is I limit what I say on here simply because I don’t have the time or inclination to debate every thing I might like to post. Consequently I post mostly what I believe needs to be debated and is not being debated and or is not debatable such as a verse of scripture from the bible without any of my own commentary.
The usual muslim apologists with the usual nonsense have already deposited here. The simple fact is that the Muslim faith as it is currently practiced is simply not fit for the modern world.
The bigotry, intolerance, and even hatred that is openly expressed on this blog, as in this quote, is occassionally jawdropping.
I have an idea. Let’s stop the hate before 2007 comes to a close. Contact Powerline’s ISP, below, and urge them to shut this site down. Who’s with me?
Let’s start 2008 fresh.
Let’s start 2008 without the hate. Hey, that’s catchy. I’m copyrighting that on Monday. Right after I give DNS Services a call.
DNS Services
E-mail: domains@hmdns.net
Phone (877) 643-1083
1650-302 Margaret St #332
Jacksonville, FL 32204-3869
This is not “done”. I’d ban him.
This is the best example I could provide for why no one else needs to know my name.
This is the best example I could provide for why no one else needs to know my name.
Your note brought to mind another reason, Pandora, although an unpleasant one. I don’t know the stats, but I’d be willing to bet that we have more than one female on this forum who has left an abusive relationship in her past and hopes to keep it there.
In fact, many of us have jobs that require us to be apolitical.
I have to agree here. I own a business in a very leftist town where most people not only wear their politics on their sleeve, they are hard core activists. Due to the nature of my business, I must remain apolitical. I would have no problem identifying myself to the owners of this site but it could potentially cause problems for me if people in this town could identify me through posts on this forum.
I am curious, now that this idea has been roundly rebuked, what Joe Malchow’s response might be to the very well thought out and reasoned opposition. In his initial post, he said:
We also recognize some serious disadvantages; but one we are not ready to accept is the argument that one would simply be embarrassed to post under his own name. If you are not proud of what you have elected to post to the Internet, well, then, perhaps you oughtn’t have posted it in the first instance.
I have seen many good reasons posted in opposition to this idea, and none whatsoever seem to involve pride or embarrassment, but rather common sense and safety.
I’m against the idea and would wager that you will lose a large number of posters if you force this upon them.
I used to be an administrator of a large sports site, and I’ve seen people use personal information in ugly ways.
This is especially dangerous for those who hold unpopular opinions. These people would get run off and this place would become a true good ol’ boy echo chamber.
IDP, I am not debating here; I am collecting opinion.
Oh, Joe, I was not asking you to engage in debate. I was wondering, since apparently there is close to unanimous opposition to your proposal, and since the opposition falls outside the reason you identified as illegitimate, what your thoughts might be regarding the reasons given for the opposition, that’s all.
If you don’t wanna answer, that’s cool. I was just wondering.
IDP, I am not debating here; I am collecting opinion.
I just went back and scanned the posters on this thread; many of those objecting are also major contributors to this forum. If they were to leave, it would have a significantly negative effect on the quality of the forum, especially if IDP were among them.
The usual muslim apologists with the usual nonsense have already deposited here. The simple fact is that the Muslim faith as it is currently practiced is simply not fit for the modern world.
The bigotry, intolerance, and even hatred that is openly expressed on this blog, as in this quote, is occassionally jawdropping.
I have an idea. Let’s stop the hate before 2007 comes to a close. Contact Powerline’s ISP, below, and urge them to shut this site down. Who’s with me?
Let’s start 2008 fresh.
Let’s start 2008 without the hate. Hey, that’s catchy. I’m copyrighting that on Monday. Right after I give DNS Services a call.
DNS Services
E-mail: domains@hmdns.net
Phone (877) 643-1083
1650-302 Margaret St #332
Jacksonville, FL 32204-3869
This is not “done”. I’d ban him.
This is the best example I could provide for why no one else needs to know my name.
I’d ban anyone too dense to see humor when it’s pointed, ironic, and tinged with sarcasm.
As for requiring posters to use their “real names” (which would, of course, cause many to re-register under false names), I agree that it would be a bad idea.
