What the MADmods Don't Know

[_Blixa]

You know, I too always used my real name or a variant of it, starting when I first logged on to the internet around 1994. I still do mostly, although I have used a screen name on more recent boards I've joined after a very disturbing experience. A longtime poster on a (non-lds related) board suddenly targeted me for attack. And I had provided him with much material since I had been (perhaps naïvely) very free with information about myself. I didn't mind the name calling I got hit with, what was upsetting were his posts about my husband (I'd always mentioned him in talking about myself) that started appearing on several boards AND a threat to call my workplace and inform them that I was a pedophile!

(I think pedophilia was simply chosen for its universal repugnance factor---its probably got more shock value than calling someone a nazi or whatever.)

That said, it hasn't been hard for people to figure out who I am (not that I'm anyone special, but people I know in RL have been able to figure me out). I had been thinking about talking more openly about myself/using a RL name here---but frankly, I'm not at all made comfortable by recent tirades by Ray A and your rapist/bioterrorist conflation.

I'm not a 'fraidy cat girly girl, either. Nor a master of sock puppets. What you see is what you get. The comfortable I am, the more forthcoming I will be if I think its anyone's business.

[_Yoda]

You know, I too always used my real name or a variant of it, starting when I first logged on to the internet around 1994. I still do mostly, although I have used a screen name on more recent boards I've joined after a very disturbing experience. A longtime poster on a (non-lds related) board suddenly targeted me for attack. And I had provided him with much material since I had been (perhaps naïvely) very free with information about myself. I didn't mind the name calling I got hit with, what was upsetting were his posts about my husband (I'd always mentioned him in talking about myself) that started appearing on several boards AND a threat to call my workplace and inform them that I was a pedophile!

(I think pedophilia was simply chosen for its universal repugnance factor---its probably got more shock value than calling someone a nazi or whatever.)

That said, it hasn't been hard for people to figure out who I am (not that I'm anyone special, but people I know in RL have been able to figure me out). I had been thinking about talking more openly about myself/using a RL name here---but frankly, I'm not at all made comfortable by recent tirades by Ray A and your rapist/bioterrorist conflation.

I'm not a 'fraidy cat girly girl, either. Nor a master of sock puppets. What you see is what you get. The comfortable I am, the more forthcoming I will be if I think its anyone's business.

You and I have had similar experiences, Blixa. I also naïvely used my own name when posting on message boards. After having a scary incident with a stalker who somehow managed to gain access to my work email, I started using an alias when posting on any board. Actually, I only recently have felt comfortable posting on boards again.

[_harmony]

You know, I too always used my real name or a variant of it, starting when I first logged on to the internet around 1994. I still do mostly, although I have used a screen name on more recent boards I've joined after a very disturbing experience. A longtime poster on a (non-lds related) board suddenly targeted me for attack. And I had provided him with much material since I had been (perhaps naïvely) very free with information about myself. I didn't mind the name calling I got hit with, what was upsetting were his posts about my husband (I'd always mentioned him in talking about myself) that started appearing on several boards AND a threat to call my workplace and inform them that I was a pedophile!

(I think pedophilia was simply chosen for its universal repugnance factor---its probably got more shock value than calling someone a nazi or whatever.)

That said, it hasn't been hard for people to figure out who I am (not that I'm anyone special, but people I know in RL have been able to figure me out). I had been thinking about talking more openly about myself/using a RL name here---but frankly, I'm not at all made comfortable by recent tirades by Ray A and your rapist/bioterrorist conflation.

I'm not a 'fraidy cat girly girl, either. Nor a master of sock puppets. What you see is what you get. The comfortable I am, the more forthcoming I will be if I think its anyone's business.

You and I have had similar experiences, Blixa. I also naïvely used my own name when posting on message boards. After having a scary incident with a stalker who somehow managed to gain access to my work email, I started using an alias when posting on any board. Actually, I only recently have felt comfortable posting on boards again.

Back in the good ol' days, I used to give out personal information. I always kept my whereabouts under wraps though, but I would talk about my kids by name. I have a daughter with a very distinctive name, and I didn't realize that the search engine on her college's web page would search by first name. She was the only one there with that name. She had roses sent to her by strangers, men she didn't konw would stop her on campus to talk, they'd send her gifts and pictures. It creeped her out and freaked me out. So... no more openness. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, in my case, not to keep me out of the bishop's office. Not that I'd show up anyway... ;-)

[_rcrocket]

I'm not a 'fraidy cat girly girl, either. Nor a master of sock puppets. What you see is what you get. The comfortable I am, the more forthcoming I will be if I think its anyone's business.

You and the others who make this argument are being disingenuous.

It's exactly like saying, gee, I have a penchant for defaming real people. Might as well do it anonymously so that I can protect myself. I don't know much about your posts, but liz's and harmony's are filled with defamatory derision of living persons, including yours truly. Either get off the net and cease the defamation or use your real name.

Study the New Testament. Hypocrisy is evil rooted in the depths of Hades.

rcrocket

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm not a 'fraidy cat girly girl, either. Nor a master of sock puppets. What you see is what you get. The comfortable I am, the more forthcoming I will be if I think its anyone's business.

You and the others who make this argument are being disingenuous.

It's exactly like saying, gee, I have a penchant for defaming real people. Might as well do it anonymously so that I can protect myself. I don't know much about your posts, but liz's and harmony's are filled with defamatory derision of living persons, including yours truly. Either get off the net and cease the defamation or use your real name.

Study the New Testament. Hypocrisy is evil rooted in the depths of Hades.

rcrocket

Okay, I'll ask you. What is it that you'd like to know about people and what would the relevance be?

Jersey Girl

[_Yoda]

[I might add that because of my non-anonymity, denizens of the predecessor of this board threatened to turn me into my partnership or my stake president for the things I have said. But I fear not them nor you.]



rcrocket

As much as you and I have butt heads, and you are, by far, not my favorite person, I'm confused as to what you would have said that would be of any interest to your law firm or your Stake President. I'm really confused.

[_Ray A]

Ray, what do you think of the early versions of (I believe) the D&C wherein code-names were used for key players, such as "Gazelam" for Joseph Smith, etc.?

Shades, you are missing the point. So is Liz. I have nothing against people who use pseudonyms! What I am pointing out is that people who use pseudonyms to constantly, deliberately and maliciously attack the character of other people, as in "Scratch's" case, and "Rollo's" is what I find despicable. It is the hiding behind the pseudonym to attack and malign. What are they afraid of? Retribution for those attacks? How cowardly is this?

[_rcrocket]

Okay, I'll ask you. What is it that you'd like to know about people and what would the relevance be?

Jersey Girl

You're just being disingenuous. You know the answer. An anonymous poster is willing to say anything; there are no controls. A poster who uses his or her own name has a control for good judgment: Their reputation.

I would suggest that if you use your anonymous name to stoop to say mean things about real people on FAIR, or RFM, or in the Church, you're being unfair.

If you say mean things about real people on FAIR, or in the Church, or on RFM, then I don't care nor will many others. You are relying upon the courage of your convictions.

rcrocket

[_Jersey Girl]

Okay, I'll ask you. What is it that you'd like to know about people and what would the relevance be?

Jersey Girl

You're just being disingenuous. You know the answer. An anonymous poster is willing to say anything; there are no controls. A poster who uses his or her own name has a control for good judgment: Their reputation.

I would suggest that if you use your anonymous name to stoop to say mean things about real people on FAIR, or RFM, or in the Church, you're being unfair.

If you say mean things about real people on FAIR, or in the Church, or on RFM, then I don't care nor will many others. You are relying upon the courage of your convictions.

rcrocket

Are you saying that the information would be a persons name? First and Last?

Jersey Girl

[_Jersey Girl]

Well, crock,

It's a pretty safe bet you're not going to reply to my question so I'll just continue on without you. What about those defending the church? Should they demonstrate the courage of their convictions by posting with their real name?

Why should I give you my full name on this board? So you can google me up and post information about me? (It's been done, by the way) or so you can knock on my front door and disturb my relative peace?

There are TBM's and non-LDS on this board, on ZLMB and MAD who know my full name and have my contact information. Some of them have met me face to face and not one of them has ever asked me to post any of that publicly on a board. If it's alright with them, I don't see why I should entertain your notions of disclosing information publicly on a message board.

This from the poster who regularly changes his screen name.

Give me a break, okay?

Jersey Girl