OT - To All Trollers

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TB2K spinoff uncensored : One Thread

Now lets be nice. I just read where this forum time bomb moderator is now facing a dillema with another 'possibly' using a fake ie, Paula Gordon...

If someone is, PLEASE knock it off.

For the life of me, WHY do people keep impersonating others?

I wanted to start a 'MASKS OFF' thread, but forget it.

WHO IS WHO?

I honestly dont know enough about ISP's, etc, but I wish I did. Lets not wear out our moderator. HE/SHE is doing a great job of keeping this uncensored.

Isnt that why most are here?

LASTLY, How many here WILL ADMITT TO being an Imposter?

I can honestly say, since this site came available I HAVE NOT used any other name, NOT ONCE, Can Anyone else say the same.

consumer---who is pleading for some civil feedback.

thanks

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 21, 2000

Answers

I agree with you, consumer, but unfortunately reasoning with a troll does not work.

As to why they would do it, some person(people?) wants to see this forum go to. There were posts on that "other" forum where people predicted our rapid demise(sorry, no links to threads, but the posts were there).

I have not posted as any other name that I can remember; if I did it was to make a joke. I guess maybe the best course, sadly, is to assume nobody is who they claim to be!

Therefore, when we address others in responding, we can say "to the person who says there paula gordon...", or the poster formerly known as A......

It is sad, but I do not and will not believe that a few trolls can bring this board down. Thanks otbr for your work.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), March 21, 2000.


BTW,

It is posted on the What was Y2K supposed to look like thread.

Again, thanks to all.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


Thanks Future

I did not mean I was trying to 'reason' with a troll. I guess the main point is that because this forum is uncensored and I believe MUCH more tolerant of each other, there is not really a need to post using some other name.

Real is Real.

Most here are VERY funny, intelligent and overall 'cool' folks...

I wouldnt mind meeting any of them.

I guess maybe I am being naive to say the least when it comes to my thoughts on not having to post under other names. I honestly have loved it here because I didnt feel the need to use another name.

On another forum I wont mention, I too used alias's and damned if I didnt get caught..(smile, same as when I was lil, never got away with nothing)

But here I personally dont feel the need, cuz If I get pissed, I can say so, I can take heat, and I can dish it out.

So thats why I dont understand why the need for fake names.

Be yourself, to hell with what people think. Hence uncensored, right.

I dont believe this board will go down, because of 'free speech' which makes it 'unique' to say the very least.

I AM NOT LEAVING....

{{gonna go now, day off work, perhaps I'll go have a quickie} eg

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


Can the forum be "censored" to the point where only posters with legit email addys are posted? That doesn't mean we have to use our real names but it might minimize the worst trolling.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), March 21, 2000.

I don't mind the trolls as long as they are just being funny. Can't stand the ugly stuff. But I love this forum. Breath of fresh air.

-- imho (Redy@or.not), March 21, 2000.


I've always posted under my real name with a real e-mail address. I don't see the need to remain anonymous but I can see how others might not agree with this.

I think one of the downsides of freedom is a certain amount of disruption. We have the good fortune to have a sysop who keeps track of the threads and deletes the messages from those that he/she knows to be using fakes names. There was a fake message attributed to me in the vaccine thead that was taken care of quite quickly. I think that's about all any of us can expect from an open forum.

I'm more than willing willing to put up with some trolling and fake names as long we allow an open dialogue here.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 21, 2000.


The posting that is evidently in question is indeed from me. At least I am not aware of anyone who is posting using my name and e-mail address. (If the question arises again, please send me the posting and I will let you know if it is mine.)

As regards the posting in question, I had posted the quoted material that appears there before on TB2000 on February 3 or thereabouts. If you look at my January 17 Comments piece on my website, you will see that my statements in what I wrote on February 3 are totally in keeping with what I had written in January. (Go to http://www.gwu.edu/~y2k/keypeople/gordon and click on "Comments, Essays, and Op Ed Pieces). The difference between the January 17 piece and the February 3 statements is that the latter contains more recent information and some newer analysis. I plan to be posting more on my website in the future. The February 3 statements were intended to be a kind of preview.

If the reason for the question (of whether or not someone was posing as me) has to do with the mention of the 6000 reports to the ICC in the first five days of the year, I assure you that I have that on the best of authority. Anyone is free to send in a request to the ICC or the President's Council under the Freedom of Information Act if they would like to see if those reports can be obtained. (The names of corporations and businesses, etc., would likely have to be deleted.) I hope that if anyone does make such a request that they will not limit their request to the first five days worth of reports, but request instead all of the reports that the ICC received while it was operating. I also hope that they will archive those reports on the web or in a place that is publicly accessible. The reports should provide valuable insight into what has actually been happening. Insurance claims, SEC filings, quarterly reports, and law suits are also going to providing alot more insight in the weeks to come.

Please feel free to address questions to me directly. I cannot promise you a long response, but I do try to respond to the e-mail I receive on Y2K. I do not always keep careful track of threads where I've posted and do not attempt to respond to every question or comment that is directed to me on a thread. If you wish a response, I would be pleased to try to oblige if you e-mail me directly. Thanks.

-- Paula Gordon (pgordon@erols.com), March 21, 2000.


Mz. Gordon,

as the forum administrator here, it is in my moral duty to protect people's reputations by not condoning imposter trolls. By imposter trolls I mean people misrepresenting themselves as someone else, using their full name and email address.

If this is indeed you, Paula Gordon Ph.D., please email me at freespeech_y2k@yahoo.com

I'll wait a resonable amount of time for your email to me before I do or say anything else. Since you've posted on this thread, and were quite active on the "What was Y2K supposed to look like" thread, I believe you can remember to come back to them easily.

Regards,

OTFR

-- Old TB2K Forum Regular (freespeech@yahoo.com), March 21, 2000.


Thank you, Paula.

-- Normally (Oxsys@aol.com), March 21, 2000.

Jim Cooke,

While I appreciate your views regarding anonymity, I am not in a position to post with my own name and email address. I am a Sales Professional for an ERP software company and as such, am the "front- line" representative of my company. It would make a tough job even tougher if I had to start explaining to my prospects why I choose to be a part of this type of discussion forum. I do not mean to imply that there is anything at all wrong with ANY of the subjects we discuss both here and over there. Also, since my email addy contains the name of my firm, all of my associates would be considered "guilty by association".

I have wrestled with the anonymous thing ever since I started lurking and posting in late '99. As much as I feel like a weasel posting anonymously, I owe it my boss and co-workers not to have to answer for anything I say just to satisfy my desire to "out" myself.

FWIW, I have always posted with the addy below with one exception. That being a thread here not too long ago when Alice a.k.a Ynott was asking folks to guess who she was.

Jimmy

-- Jimmy Splinters (inthe@dark.com), March 21, 2000.



Jimmy:

I can see your point. I am on the otherhand, just sullying the reputation of AOL; yea, your are correct. Not possible.

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


Jimmy:

I understand your reluctance. On the other hand, you can always get a free e-mail address from any one of dozens of services on the net. You can still remain relatively anonymous while still having a "real" e-mail address. There have been several times I would have liked to send a poster some private comments but haven't been able to because they don't have a "real" address.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 21, 2000.


Yo, Z!

AOL has been very, very good to me. They still haven't cancelled my account even after all the complaints!

(Opps, did I just make your argument for you? :o)

~*~

-- Laura (Ladylogic@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


That's true, Jim.

Anyone can get a free Yahoo account. Just go to www.yahoo.com and fill out the information. You don't have to give any correct information except a forwarding e-mail address.

However, don't try to say you're under 18. They won't give you an account and then why you try it again, they tell you that you have to verify your age with a credit card.

~*~

-- Laura (Ladylogic@...), March 21, 2000.


Jim Cooke,

Yer absolutely right. I will do so. The reason I've been reluctant up to this point is that my e-life is relatively uncluttered at the moment as I funnel all of my cyber stuff through a single account. I guess I'll just have to spend the extra 30 seconds a day checking the "other" account.

*sigh* LOL!

Jimmy

-- Jimmy Splinters (inthe@dark.com), March 21, 2000.



Laura:

Don't think so. I was joking. Remember the big uproar over AOL problems with access. During that time, I had to fly to the Twin Cities. I looked-up the access numbers there and found that they had fewer than where I lived [75,000 population]. No wonder there were problems. It sometimes pays to live in a yuppie complex.

Best wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


Z,

Yuppie complexes are great :o)

Jim,

WAIT! Before you sign up, I need to tell you to clear the boxes marked for magazines and e-mails. It takes another ten seconds, but it's worth it not to have spam in your box.

~*~

-- Laura (Ladylogic@...), March 21, 2000.


Paula,

Thanks for clearing this up. We welcome you here. I enjoyed your participation before the uncensored board as I do now.

I hope I didnt offend too many of you. I'm not saying I'm using my real name, obviously my mom didnt name me consumer, just the posting of imposters. If you have a (as the truckers would say) a 'handle', fine simply use that one. I dont give out my true email address, never have.

I understand why many would not wish to do so. I just wanted to help our administrator, thats about it.

Again, this is the BEST site for tolerance I've seen, I enjoy it here, and if we decide to fake our handle, lets just simply admit it, I dont feel we have the need to 'hide' if we arent trolling or spamming.

BTW, thanks all for not getting fired up with me, I was sincere and just trying to help.

-------consumer

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), March 21, 2000.


Here is another angle on why I use different handles, and it is the "troof". I have enjoyed customizing a Handle to fit the subject of current topic. To add humor, most times. The 2nd reason is really stoopid. My email does not work. I have sat through two hours (over time) of a Help Desk walking me through remediation, only to have problems crop up again. I gave up on email at home. BTW, you really smart computer people, some of you like to talk about how really stupid some folks are on the computer. Seems to me, other professions like the automobile mechanic, has a understanding, more complex. So why don't we ever see any mechanics on the Internet pointing fingers and laughing because you don't fully understand how your Fuel Injection System works? Just a thought.

-- Name (Ch@nger.hobby), March 21, 2000.

I have never cloned anyone. And I am NOT Ladylogic.

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 21, 2000.

(chuckle)

I think there's only one person left who thinks we're the same person, cin.

I think even he will figure it out sometime soon :o)

~*~

-- Laura (Ladylogic@...), March 21, 2000.


Um, "Name Changer", you should here those auto mechanics when they're in the garage working on your car and you're outside waiting. Believe me, they do laugh at people.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), March 22, 2000.

Buddy, I appreciate your response. I have never doubted folks make fun of me anywhere. In fact, when I ask others for help, I let them know, right away, that I am a fool, in that arena. I have had some most delightful human interactions, with experts (in one field, or another), because I elected to acknowledge to them, my insufficent knowledge, my ineptness, in that area. I have had some really fun conversations and interactment with other humans, just trying to help each other get by. Guess the fact that my Chariot of Chance, is a 9 year old worker-bee vehicle, lets the mechanic know, I don't have deep pockets.

-- Name (Ch@nger.hobby), March 22, 2000.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ