Re: Unnamed posters in the NG
- From: Angus Rodgers <twirlip@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 01 May 2008 11:55:45 +0100
On Thu, 1 May 2008 02:12:50 -0700 (PDT), Basti05b@xxxxxxx wrote:
I believe Newsgroups should not allow unknown names to be used in the
media, for greater public trust in our scientific debates.
I believe the administrators of newsgroups should request some
information about the writers upon registration.
They can provide secure sites for collecting the information, such as
address, SSN, education, etc.
See <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet> (this explains about Google
Groups, among other things, and sets it in proper historical context).
There is undoubtedly a lot of crap on Usenet, simply because people
can get away with it.
(There is also a widespread confused belief that this itself provides
justification: "*&^% you, you &*^%$£ing %$£?#!" "What?" "Usenet is
an anarchy! Get used to it! What are you, some kind of Net cop?" -
etc. etc.)
It is appropriate to request about professional background of writers.
What I mean, is that these information are confidential, only the
users name such as John Doe will be surfaced on the postings.
This is essential for the health of these debates.
On the contrary, freedom of expression is essential for the health of
society. The crap comes with the freedom, alas.
For example posters using the names like m8C27, Cindy, Tom, etc.
might use obscenity or offensive words without any further personal
consequences.
We are not dealing with ghosts, we are dealing with peoples.
I know, and it's terrible. But it's much better than something like
Usenet not existing at all. Who* would you trust to control debate?
You evidently don't trust the academic community. But who else has
higher standards of rationality and fairness?
*(Or "whom"? Bugger, I'll never get the hang of English grammar!)
Some of them actually might be one person.
Thus the newsgroups should make sure that a unique person is using the
media.
We just have to make such judgements ourselves, with the help of
other people we have learned to trust.
I personally do not respond (now) to short or unknown form or number
names.
That's one criterion, but not one I use, because I understand that
there are good reasons for being anonymous on Usenet. I learned
that the hard way! But I still post under my own name, as much as
possible. In fact I'm only posting under my own name at the moment,
but I have a pseudonym I can use if it seems necessary. (I'm quite
willing to embarrass myself, even under my own name, but there are
limits!)
--
Angus Rodgers
(twirlip@ eats spam; reply to angusrod@)
Contains mild peril
.
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