Anonymity on the board?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by sportscardtheory

This doesn't explain what you plan on doing when you get someone's info. So you get your feelings hurt, or worse, and now you know their name. Now what. You just look at it, or do you plan on some sort of retaliation?

Sportscardtheory- Just get over it. You are going to be held accountable on this board and your name will be given out, at minimum privately if not publicly, if you do one of the things that has been talked about warranting it. One other reason that this is a good rule is that someone blasting xyz company or xyz person could have some other hidden agenda....such as they are an employee for another company and are blasting the competition or a myriad of other situations. The new registration process makes it where no anonymity is allowed and privacy is given to those that don't get into arguments or heated debates etc......As has been said numerous times, when you have to put your name out there then you sometimes will act a bit differently, which is a good thing in my book. This is not personal at all. Same rules for everyone. Anyone want to know my name, no problem.

[sportscardtheory]

Originally Posted by Leon

Sportscardtheory- Just get over it. You are going to be held accountable on this board and your name will be given out, at minimum privately if not publicly, if you do one of the things that has been talked about warranting it. One other reason that this is a good rule is that someone blasting xyz company or xyz person could have some other hidden agenda....such as they are an employee for another company and are blasting the competition or a myriad of other situations. The new registration process makes it where no anonymity is allowed and privacy is given to those that don't get into arguments or heated debates etc......As has been said numerous times, when you have to put your name out there then you sometimes will act a bit differently, which is a good thing in my book. This is not personal at all. Same rules for everyone. Anyone want to know my name, no problem.

The thread is specifically about anonymity on the board, and that is what I am discussing... sorry.

[Jim VB]

Generally speaking, people tend to be a little more careful about what they say, and how they say it, when their identity may be known. This is a good thing, for the general mood of a hobby message board. They are usually more willing to say crazy things if they are unknown.

Also, communicating through message boards removes all tone from the conversation.

This combination of saying crazy things and lack of tone can be a dangerous combination.


On the other hand, I fully understand people wanting to be anonymous for reasons related to their jobs, careers, or families. Although most regular board members know my name, I choose not to use my full name in my posts, for that reason.

With an open board of this size (close to 2000 registered members) you have to walk that fine line. Just remember that if you let yourself get dragged into one of these catfights, and you say stupid stuff, people have the right (according to this board's rules) to find out who you are.

[Al C.risafulli]

This doesn't explain what you plan on doing when you get someone's info. So you get your feelings hurt, or worse, and now you know their name. Now what. You just look at it, or do you plan on some sort of retaliation?

I'll tell you why its important to me, Sportscardtheory.

If I read a post from someone and I don't know their name, and they're just posting about cards, its no big deal. Ask a question, make a comment, post a scan, it's all good. Nice to have you as part of the community.

But if I read a post from someone making an inflammatory remark, or getting involved in a debate about auction houses, specific sellers, a bad transaction, grading companies, or whatever, I want to know who it is that's making the post. If that person isn't willing to disclose their name, I assume automatically that they're hiding. Maybe it's an employee of one auction house, criticizing another. Maybe its a collector who had a bad experience with one grading company, and now they're making anonymous, negative comments because they have an axe to grind. Maybe it's someone who doesn't get along with a particular collector, taking potshots at him because of a personal dislike.

And sure, maybe it's a perfectly honest criticism.

But we've seen so many times on message boards where the person posting controversial comments in an anonymous way is actually someone with a hidden agenda. On the hobby message boards, I've seen competitors arguing with each other, both using anonymous IDs. I've seen guys who are known consignors to auction house A, criticizing auction house B. I've seen guys making anonymous posts on a message board, hyping a card on eBay, where it turns out that they're the owner of the card - or criticizing a card on eBay, when they turn out to be the winning bidder. We've even seen guys who are in legal disputes with companies in the hobby, anonymously criticizing the person they're in the dispute with - or trying to clear their own name, pretending to be someone else, giving a testimonial.

If I'm going to read someone's opinion on a controversial topic, WHO is writing it is almost as important as WHAT they're writing.

-Al

[sportscardtheory]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

I'll tell you why its important to me, Sportscardtheory.

If I read a post from someone and I don't know their name, and they're just posting about cards, its no big deal. Ask a question, make a comment, post a scan, it's all good. Nice to have you as part of the community.

But if I read a post from someone making an inflammatory remark, or getting involved in a debate about auction houses, specific sellers, a bad transaction, grading companies, or whatever, I want to know who it is that's making the post. If that person isn't willing to disclose their name, I assume automatically that they're hiding. Maybe it's an employee of one auction house, criticizing another. Maybe its a collector who had a bad experience with one grading company, and now they're making anonymous, negative comments because they have an axe to grind. Maybe it's someone who doesn't get along with a particular collector, taking potshots at him because of a personal dislike.

And sure, maybe it's a perfectly honest criticism.

But we've seen so many times on message boards where the person posting controversial comments in an anonymous way is actually someone with a hidden agenda. On the hobby message boards, I've seen competitors arguing with each other, both using anonymous IDs. I've seen guys who are known consignors to auction house A, criticizing auction house B. I've seen guys making anonymous posts on a message board, hyping a card on eBay, where it turns out that they're the owner of the card - or criticizing a card on eBay, when they turn out to be the winning bidder. We've even seen guys who are in legal disputes with companies in the hobby, anonymously criticizing the person they're in the dispute with - or trying to clear their own name, pretending to be someone else, giving a testimonial.

If I'm going to read someone's opinion on a controversial topic, WHO is writing it is almost as important as WHAT they're writing.

-Al

If someone is in a heated discussion and not doing any of the things you have stated, then I see that this is where the line is hazy. This thing started with someone, who I hadn't even had any kind of inflammatory discussion with, calling out for my name to be publicly displayed for God knows why. I didn't say anything derogatory, nothing that would harm anyone or their business. Nothing but opinionated discussion on the topic at-hand with a few defensive posts at some posters who were being inflammatory themselves (I didn't ask for THEIR names to be exposed because I simply don't care, BTW). So I'll ask again, what would anyone do with my name when I was simply discussing the Joe Jackson T202 and someone didn't like my tone.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by sportscardtheory

If someone is in a heated discussion and not doing any of the things you have stated, then I see that this is where the line is hazy. This thing started with someone, who I hadn't even had any kind of inflammatory discussion with, calling out for my name to be publicly displayed for God knows why. I didn't say anything derogatory, nothing that would harm anyone or their business. Nothing but opinionated discussion on the topic at-hand with a few defensive posts at some posters who were being inflammatory themselves (I didn't ask for THEIR names to be exposed because I simply don't care, BTW). So I'll ask again, what would anyone do with my name when I was simply discussing the Joe Jackson T202 and someone didn't like my tone.

Well, I sort of thought this thread would get about 2-3 replies and go away. Everyone that has been on the board for any length of time (more than a yr) knows the protocol.

When we are having debates we like to "consider the source." When we don't know the source it is hard to make a determination on their judgement. This board is different than many, probably, as at least several hundred of us know each other personally. I have stayed at Teddy Z's house before and got to taste his lovely wife's lasagna. I got to stay with Barry Sloate for a weekend one time and met his lovely wife. For the last 10 yrs or so I have had a booth with my partner, Scott B, at the National. We have had 8 yrs (not this one) of Net54 Dinners at the National. So, maybe this is unlike other boards in that many of us know each other personally. We like to know who we are arguing with, and as stated many times, knowing that each and every person has to stand behind their comments makes this board a bit more real than some others where that is not the case. Hope this helps. regards

[barrysloate]

Sportscardtheory (if that's your real name)- let's look at it another way. If you insist on anonymity you've got it. The board rules allow this. But there's a small trade off, and that is you need to be very careful what you say and how you say it. I just reviewed a string of your posts on the Joe Jackson thread and they weren't that benign. I saw you get snippy with several veteran posters, among them Rhett Yeakley who is respected around here by everyone. So the bottom line is we do have some rules and you have to play by them. And that's how you earn your anonymity.

[jmk59]

Originally Posted by Leon

Everyone that has been on the board for any length of time (more than a yr) knows the protocol.

This. This is exactly it.

Maybe I'm just crabby from being gone all week and a long travel day today, but I am honestly just so sick of newer or unknown people coming on this board and bitching about the way it is - things that have been done for years.

People say that new people don't want to post here because they will get bashed for lack of knowledge about cards. Honestly, I don't know if I can really think of that ever happening. But they might get bashed for coming on here and immediately splashing around with lack of knowledge of culture. Or worse, having the culture explained to them, they insist and demand it should be different.

There are a lot of us that have been around here for a long time. That doesn't make us better people or better collectors or whatever. But we have invested in this board and this culture - have dedicated time and emotion and relationships and thinking and every other damn thing so that it has a certain tone of civility and certain ways about it.

And it just grinds me to freaking sawdust that people who have invested next to nothing in this board and its culture want to call shots on how it should be. People like Chicago and others even more recently. Not all new people - Clayton, for example, has fit in here seamlessly from his first day - so definitely this is not painting a broad brush to all newer people.

I actually miss the rule of the old board where you had to put your full name ON YOUR POSTS for controversial posts and/or threads. It wasn't enough that Leon knew it and no one had to request it. Full name on your posts. Now that contributed to some self-moderation. [OK. sometimes self moderation ] If you wanted to keep your name off the board, you had to shut your mouth on controversial posts. Simple as that. And it worked.

I'm just tired of people with little history here b1tching about this or that part of the culture and wanting it different, even after people - long term, decent, nice people that have CONTRIBUTED TO WHAT THIS BOARD WAS BUILT INTO - nicely explain to them the reason and history behind some of our idiosyncrasies.

Sorry for the rant. I must be just really worn out here. But this has been really bothering me for a very long time, and in my opinion has weakened the sense of community of this board.

J.oann K.line - see? That's how it's freaking done.

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

But we've seen so many times on message boards where the person posting controversial comments in an anonymous way is actually someone with a hidden agenda. On the hobby message boards, I've seen competitors arguing with each other, both using anonymous IDs. I've seen guys who are known consignors to auction house A, criticizing auction house B. I've seen guys making anonymous posts on a message board, hyping a card on eBay, where it turns out that they're the owner of the card - or criticizing a card on eBay, when they turn out to be the winning bidder. We've even seen guys who are in legal disputes with companies in the hobby, anonymously criticizing the person they're in the dispute with - or trying to clear their own name, pretending to be someone else, giving a testimonial.

If I'm going to read someone's opinion on a controversial topic, WHO is writing it is almost as important as WHAT they're writing.

-Al

SCT the quote above is EXACTLY why full disclosure is needed on this particular message board concerning specific types of posts. If you refrain from getting involved in any of these discussions you're free to remain anonymous, if you choose to participate we should know who you are.