Important reminder: Forum "real names" policy

[Robin Garr]

I'm seeing an awful lot of new forum registrations come in with anonymous user names that unfortunately do not comply with our "Real Name Real Format" policy. As a gentle reminder to anyone out there who may be wondering why you registered for the forum but never received an activation reply and can't log in, here's why:

As spelled out on the registration page, we do not activate anonymous "screen names" or "handles" and we do not respond to non-complying registrations. User names must be in the format "James Beard" or "Julia C" (or whatever your real name is). We will accept a first name and last initial, as long as you tell us privately your full name and Email.

Registrations with first name only will not be activated. Registrations with company names will not be activated. Registrations with your real name in cryptic screen-name form ("jamesbeard" or "juliac1947" will not be activated.

Registering with a conforming user name makes the process of getting activated fast and painless! If you have tried to register with a non-conforming user name and have not been activated, this is undoubtedly the reason. Please feel free to contact me at rgarr@louisvillehotbytes.com, and let me know what user name you tried to register under so I can find your account. Also make sure you tell me what your Real Name is, so I can correct the bad registration and welcome you to the forum!

This policy is long-standing, and I'm not inclined to make exceptions. Talking to each other as ourselves makes for a more civil forum, and anyone who doesn't believe this is welcome to go look at the anonymous discussions that tend to follow a controversial story on the Courier-Journal's pitiful Website.

I'll leave this "sticky" at the top of the forum for a while, and then resurrect it monthly or so as a reminder.

i agree

the nameless forums tend to fall apart with the anonymity of cyberspace

thanks Robin

i agree

the nameless forums tend to fall apart with the anonymity of cyberspace

thanks Robin

Come on, like your name is really Shawn Vest

I totally agree with this policy, and by the same token, I wish I could implement the same thing at Louisville History & Issues. However, in a forum that's more political, requiring real names would leave me with no virtually no activity. Here, the discussion is mostly about the non-toxic subject of food, so people in general feel freer to be more open.

[Robin Garr]

I totally agree with this policy, and by the same token, I wish I could implement the same thing at Louisville History & Issues. However, in a forum that's more political, requiring real names would leave me with no virtually no activity. Here, the discussion is mostly about the non-toxic subject of food, so people in general feel freer to be more open.

I don't really agree with that approach, Steve, based on 23 years of experience moderating forums going back to the original CompuServe in 1985. Anonymity merely encourages people to behave badly, regardless of the forum subject matter. I believe any forum on almost any subject (barring specialized cases like, say, abuse victims) would be better run with a real-names rule. Anonymous posters equal flamers and trolls, and any forum can get by better without flamers and trolls.

It takes a leap of small daring to do it, but I'm torn between humor and irritation at your notion that an experienced forum host couldn't run a forum on a controversial topic on a real-names basis. I won't hold up your forum as a bad example, but as I've said before, simply look at the CJ story responses and message boards to see what happen when people are free to post anonymously.

I have forum rules to deal with the extremes, which actually rarely happen.

As stating opinions on community issues can get some people in trouble (even if they are very well-mannered), I don't mind (that much) people not using their real names. The fact that they're registered and not fully anonymous works for me. In a perfect world, everyone would be unafraid to stand behind their opinions on local issues.

I think the reason why the C-J forums fall apart is that there's a lot of people who have antipathy toward the C-J, and on top of that, since the audience is so large, there are many of a juvenile mindset who want to use that as a platform for showing off.

Well if I insisted to a group of 'average' media savvy teenagers that they use their real names they would look at me like I'm from another planet...maybe it's something from our generation...although names that sound like real names, as an earlier poster suggested is a 'screen name" too...

Personally, I don't believe that civility is equated with using a real name...books are written with pseudonyms, and there are ways to keep the real idiots out...there will probably be a certain amount of 'edgy' commentary that perhaps you may gulp at initially...

This restaurant forum is a little different because it's also about people's economic livelihoods and posts might impact businesses...also it's a kind of ambassador to newcomers to Louisville who might want to get a sense of the food situation here and a positive face presentation is important...and food conjures up emotions we thought buried long ago...and restaurant work is a very grueling everyday in your face job, so it's best not to dis the people too much...

We want EVERY restaurant to survive well and all the people in it, it's a reflection of us and our city...and Robin reminds us of this. Even when a chain closes, it's kind of a bummer...

So, I think anonymous posts are a huge part of the dynamic that is the conversation that goes on over the internet, but here in this restaurant forum, we're are a bit protective of the face that presents to the world. It will make the conversation a bit more cautious and perhaps not be a 'fit' for everyone.

Mari

With the internet, like in life, sometimes you just have to trust people. the forum here works off of trust that people will register with their real names, and not screen names or alias' becase if your here your generally interested in the subject. I dont ever see this being a hot bed of "133t" teenagers or those that still think they are teenagers. I have no doubt everyone knows about sites like hotmail and gmail and how easy it is to get a free email account. you can use just about any name in the world to get one, in a flash you can be Jaun Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez, or if you please Anastasia Beaverhausen.

Now on other places anonimity can be a good thing no one wants to caught for being the 18th or 20th guy to "rickroll" somebody, but your hear to speak on your epicurean interests, be it to learn whose got the best hot brown in town, that your still in business and its booming, or that the price of "two buck chuck" is now 4.50.

Haven forbid that someone might recognize your name out in the big ole real world and say hello.

Robin I whole heartedly support your policy, and give you kudos for enforcing it.

[Robin Garr]

Robin I whole heartedly support your policy, and give you kudos for enforcing it.

Thanks, Rob. And I really don't mind the gang discussing the concept of Internet anonymity as a general theory, but I do want to re-emphasize that I didn't post this to invite proposals for change. The real-names policy here is not open for debate.

Actually, I posted this as a "sticky" because we get about 9 anonymous registrations for every 1 that meets the simple rule. The large majority of them are offshore spammers who make it through the filters, but a fair number are nice folks who could join us here and would likely enhance our community ... but they're not getting in until they pass this simple IQ test.

Just to throw this out there but, technically, everyone is anonymous. I have no idea whether your name is Robin Garr or not, nor do I know if Steve Magruder is who he says he is or if he is even a he. So there is always going to be an anonymous element on any forum. This one is based on the honor system which, most of the time you would get the honorable so to contradict myself as always, it does help. I didn't see anyone say that it is really anonymous, though it is obvious and I am not trying to insult anyones intelligence. Todd alluded to it though. I think this forum is as clean as it is, because the moderator is a very good police"r" of his site and the subject matter doesn't really appeal to the really idiotic trolls because the people on here would tend not to feed the troll and Robin would boot the troll.

Just to throw this out there but, technically, everyone is anonymous. I have no idea whether your name is Robin Garr or not, nor do I know if Steve Magruder is who he says he is or if he is even a he. So there is always going to be an anonymous element on any forum. This one is based on the honor system which, most of the time you would get the honorable so to contradict myself as always, it does help. I didn't see anyone say that it is really anonymous, though it is obvious and I am not trying to insult anyones intelligence. Todd alluded to it though. I think this forum is as clean as it is, because the moderator is a very good police"r" of his site and the subject matter doesn't really appeal to the really idiotic trolls because the people on here would tend not to feed the troll and Robin would boot the troll.

WTF?!?

Sorry I made the obvious too difficult for you to understand Doogy (we shall say my writing skill is non existent to give you the benefit) but to make it short we are online and it is impossible to verify the identity of any person on this website even the moderator. So what I was saying is that it is a moot point to ask for real names since it is totally impossible to enforce such a thing. Robin can ask for real name formats but it is obvious that you can give a false name if one really had little to do as to troll this site and work up it's users. For instance, is your name really Doogy? Whatever the answer, it is irrelevant because I can't verify it either way, I can only take you by your word until you prove otherwise. In other words, this site is good because Robin is a very good moderator.