DCUM in the Washington City Paper

[Anonymous]

SAM2 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to post about your astronomical HHI, your yeast infection, your confession of deep secret racism, or your messy sharts, then just use a different login for those posts (or log out entirely). ]

See, this is why I don't have respect for people who log in. If you are going to post your shart stories anonymously then how brave are you for posting your sweet-smelling self when you log in? This came up once before with another sweet log-in poster who posted anonymously when she chose to. If you don't like the raw truth you get from anonymous posters then why come here at all?

[Anonymous]

SAM2 wrote:

I completely respect your point about not wanting to associate some sensitive personal info with your login. The solution is not hard though. If you want to post about your astronomical HHI, your yeast infection, your confession of deep secret racism, or your messy sharts, then just use a different login for those posts (or log out entirely).

See, this makes no sense. What would it accomplish for us to only have to own up to our nice posts? Simply log out if you want to be a jerk, then log back in to be helpful. While I suspect that many of our members with SNs may do that from time to time, I don't really think it would achieve what you want it to achieve.

I think it is very nice that some people use screen names. It's certainly easier to remember than 11:14 or whatever. But it's not necessary and probably would make the place much less open, candid, interesting.

[SAM2]

Are the two PPs the same person, or two different people? The writing style and sentiment is pretty similar, but I can't tell for sure. At any rate, responses to both comments are below.

See, this is why I don't have respect for people who log in. If you are going to post your shart stories anonymously then how brave are you for posting your sweet-smelling self when you log in? This came up once before with another sweet log-in poster who posted anonymously when she chose to. If you don't like the raw truth you get from anonymous posters then why come here at all?

I think we're misunderstanding one another. I'm not claiming to be trying to create some brave online character who exposes all her innermost views. But anything I post as SAM2 has at least some accountability -- if I am a complete ass who repeatedly offers nothing useful (and maybe some think that), then people will think I'm an ass can ignore my posts. By lending accountability to some of my posts, I don't think I'm morally obligated to tell you about my sharts.

Anonymous wrote:See, this makes no sense. What would it accomplish for us to only have to own up to our nice posts? Simply log out if you want to be a jerk, then log back in to be helpful. While I suspect that many of our members with SNs may do that from time to time, I don't really think it would achieve what you want it to achieve. I think it is very nice that some people use screen names. It's certainly easier to remember than 11:14 or whatever. But it's not necessary and probably would make the place much less open, candid, interesting.

[more later - gotta run]

I don't mind "raw truth" or want to deter "candid, interesting" posts. I love those. What I dislike are people who post nasty attacks or outright false info under cover of anonymity.

[Anonymous]

Those were 2 different posters. I was the one whose post got list in the quote. My point is, OF COURSE you have accountability when you post with a log-in and OF COURSE that changes how and what you post -- but there is no less accountability when you can then turn around and post about sharts or strong opinions anonymously, thus creating a false person as a log-in, one who is all sweet-smelling and even tempered.

I really admire the posters who are anonymous and STILL manage to remain civil and even-tempered. I love them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those were 2 different posters. I was the one whose post got list in the quote. My point is, OF COURSE you have accountability when you post with a log-in and OF COURSE that changes how and what you post -- but there is no less accountability when you can then turn around and post about sharts or strong opinions anonymously, thus creating a false person as a log-in, one who is all sweet-smelling and even tempered.

I really admire the posters who are anonymous and STILL manage to remain civil and even-tempered. I love them.

Meant "lost" and "more."
Sorry, need my coffee....

[Anonymous]

SAM2 wrote:Are the two PPs the same person, or two different people? The writing style and sentiment is pretty similar, but I can't tell for sure. At any rate, responses to both comments are below.

Anonymous wrote:See, this makes no sense. What would it accomplish for us to only have to own up to our nice posts? Simply log out if you want to be a jerk, then log back in to be helpful. While I suspect that many of our members with SNs may do that from time to time, I don't really think it would achieve what you want it to achieve. I think it is very nice that some people use screen names. It's certainly easier to remember than 11:14 or whatever. But it's not necessary and probably would make the place much less open, candid, interesting.

[more later - gotta run]

I don't mind "raw truth" or want to deter "candid, interesting" posts. I love those. What I dislike are people who post nasty attacks or outright false info under cover of anonymity.

I'm the author of the second comment, not the first. You didn't answer my question about what you think the benefit would be of someone posting under their SN some of the time and then logging out when they want to be outrageous. You have to take the good with the bad. Many, many people have told you that they wouldn't use the site if they had to register. I have never posted a nasty attack (at least, in my opinion!) nor have I ever intentionally posted false info (other than changing slight details to protect my anonymity, because even completely anonymous posters can discuss a story that will be transparent to people who know them). And yet I do not think that I would post the same way if there was an easy way for someone to collate all of my posts. Case in point: I once posted a couple of separate posts about where i live (neighborhood only) and what I do, what type of work and how big of a company and someone actually went to the trouble of trying to say which other posts were mine based on writing style and details I gave. (similar to what you did, above, except they were actually correct on some of the connections they made). I have to say it really freaked me out and I stopped posting for a while. So when you start posting under a screen name for a while, and your posts are all out there publicly, anyone (and I mean ANYONE, not just someone who is on this site for parenting advice, but rather, pedophiles, burglars, phishers, scammers, etc) can see that hypothetical poster, SN Dill Smith has

1. a 2 year old
2. a 6 year old who attends Maury elementary
3. a 16 year old who attends school w/out walls
4. a HHI of 315K
5. lives in Cap Hill
6. has a dog and thinks it is okay to be off leash in lincoln park
7. takes a walk every day at 6 with her kids and feels safe in her neighborhood
8. Lost her mother to cancer 4 years ago
9. had an abortion 9 years ago
10. Grew up in Cleveland
11. lived in Shanghai for 4 years
12. Used to be an investment banker
13. went back to school and got a master's in public policy from GWU
14. now works at a think tank
15. husband is a stay at home parent
16. thinks husband had an affair 5 years ago

and all of a sudden, people start connecting the dots and you might as well sign in under your real name.

So, given this reality, can you see how people would start changing the way they post? I wouldn't want to give my DS's real age. I wouldn't ever discuss what neighborhood I live in or what school my kids go to. I wouldn't post any identifying details at all. And I'd hesitate to post anything personal, at all. While people from all over use this site, it is a local listserv at heart. These are our neighbors on here. People will start to figure out who you are. They really will. I already sometimes think i recognize some of my friend's posts simply because so many of the details are listed in one post.

If your remedy for this is allowing people to post anonymously sometimes, then what's the point of having sn's at all? You could log out to get personal or you could log out to get nasty with someone. SN's aren't right for this site, period. Even if it were NOT a huge administrative burden, I hope Jeff will always reject the concept.

[Anonymous]

The only solution is to ban people with no perspective and no sense of humor. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun, though.