Captain Ewok,

I'd like to suggest adding a feature that would allow members to post anonymously without having to create another account.

For example, some kind of box to check with each post whether someone wants to remain anonymous.

Currently, it is in violation of TOS for members to create false accounts and making the exception for some circumstances but not others invites all kinds of problems.

Sorry, Steven, but I think that's a really bad idea.

I can only imagine what kind of nasty things some people would start posting if they could do it anonymously. It would be a nightmare for mods to keep up with TOS violations.

Good Luck With This Idea

Its fine if they post annonymously, capt will still know who they are regardless

I agree..... KIS - Keep it simple!

Yes, I realize that. You don't think people are more ballsy when they're anonymous?

And so what if the mods know who it is? Sure they can delete the post, give a suspension, whatever they see fit, but the poster will still be anonymous to everyone else and will probably consider whatever punishment received to be worth it.

They'd only be anonymous to the rest us.






Perhaps, a zero tolerance for any member who posts anonymously for the sake of deliberately violating the TOS?

I agree - it's a nightmare to do.

But what Steven says about TOS violations is true. We have a thread now that's 12 pages - about 3 or 4 of which discuss if it's a troll or not....? We seem to have different rules for calling people trolls or not. Rules need to be clearer.

The Captain has said that if a member has a very personal question that they are too shy to ask, he is totally ok with them creating a new account to ask the question anonymously.

Mods do not have access to IPs like the Captain does. I agree that it is hard enough as it is to keep up with TOS violations etc, without people thinking they can post insults anonymously.

Why would anyone want post an insult anon? If I were going to insult someone I would want them to know it's ME insulting them....

But that's just me

In a situation where a regular member posts anonymously to deliberately violate TOS, then ban them...temporarily and if it's a habit for them, permanently.

Why can't we all post here anonymously at our own discretion? Why must the only the way to do so is to create a false account? Just seems a$$ backwards to me.

He won't know if you change your browser and your IP address. I have about
10-20 unsecured Wi-Fi networks around here -- all with different IPs.
Even the Captain is not omnipotent.

Spam is a much bigger problem, however. If spam robots could post spam
here without having to register first, we'd get tons of crap. Image verification
could help, I suppose, but I doubt the Captain is interested.

But if it's anonymous how will the mods know it's the same person consistently doing the insulting?

nm

That's why the punishment should be severe because it will require Capt. Ewok's involvement. In the meantime, as a mod, you can lock a thread or make a specific post invisible, then inform the Capt. what happened. He'll be able to see if it was a single member making multiple deliberate TOS violations anonymously and ban them.

I'd like to think that even though most of us regulars can be mischievous at times, we're not going to turn VJ into Lord of the Flies.






I'd think it'd be best to keep their identity available only to the Capt., since all our current mods also post here regularly.

I'd love this too, so I can stop biting my tongue and badmouth everyone that I want to badmouth.

On second thoughts, that's probably a good reason why its not allowed!

I've posted at boards before that have this feature (one whose URL I can't type here currently uses it). I haven't seen it become some rampant issue. Most times it is used is to ask a slightly embarrassing question.

I'm sure most people know that the admin can figure out who they are if it became necessary.

If a person is going to go to the trouble of multiple IDs anyway, I doubt the anon feature would somehow make that a more prevalent issue.

That's what I'm trying to say.

But I think that's exactly why it would make it an issue. Few people go through the trouble of creating a fake ID just to post an insult (although we all know it does happen). If you're heated though, it'd be a lot easier to just check the anonymous box and say whatver's on your mind. My feeling is that for most people, it's not a fear of being suspended/banned that keeps them in line, but rather their reputation on the site.

Maybe I'm being too cynical, but I see the potential for a lot of abuse with this feature.


ETA: Maybe we should ask all those people posting in the Biting My Tongue thread exactly why they're biting their tongues.

i think anon..is a bad idea....the site would turn int o a war zone with viscious harmful remarks re..a person..religion...sex..culture etc..

You login, using your login name and pass but click the box to be annonymous, YES he will know its you. you dont need to change your browser for that.

Steven....you've had another terrible idea

Exactly. Thank you. We would still be posting as we now do and our identity is still stored for the Capt. to see, but he would be giving us the option to keep that information confidential from other members.

There's many reasons why someone might want to remain anonymous when they post - being shy shouldn't be the only criteria.

What's wrong with that?

but, what if someone wants to insult the annoymous poster back...they can't. then they go stalking whoever they think it was. & all out war begins. the idea has its merits......but the consequences could turn VJ into sherdog.com overnight.

Like what?

Again, the Capt. would be able to see all the posts of a particular member and if they are deliberately violating TOS under anonymity they should be flat out banned...period. If some of us here are that deviant that we'd do that if given the chance, then we shouldn't be here in the first place, IMO.

What if it's not so clear whether it's a deliberate violation or a violation at all? What if it's just baiting, or making a snide remark? We have enough posters who do that already. Allowing people to do it anonymously will only exacerbate the problem.

steven we have both gotten into sparring matches before. and both blew the TOS. if it became a black & white TOS is the law period & we have no room for interpretation thing VJ would suck. ewok & the mods couldn't let the illegal immigration & political threads etc. go past 2-3 post. its a good idea but the possible problems it could create aren't worth it. VJ isn't broken, we don't need to fix it. besides: who really pays attention to a flamer w/ a join date on the day they're throwing fire? noone.

Actually, lot's of folks do...see the "troll" thread. And those become the most read threads for the day. Not saying VJ should be changed, just sayin' that flame threads see a lot of action.

Right now, the Capt. is allowing for members to create fake accounts if they want to remain anonymous because of an embarrassing situation. With anonymous posts, we would know that it is a regular member, even though we don't know who it specifically is.

Before this fairly recent change of exception to the rule (members creating fake accounts), most of us would discount any fantastical posts made by someone just joining the site, but now we're back to being in the dark and told to either give them support or shut up. Unintentionally, it has created this shield around anyone who creates a new account.

yah, but, i'm not talking about a troll w/ an extremely out there story fishing for a reactions. i'm talking about someone creating an account to insult & flame someone.

There is a difference between banter and vitriolic insults between regular members. If they post an insult anonymously, ban them. It's that simple.

Hmmm!!! One of these day, you will come up with a winner. However, this one is not it either... Keep the ideas coming though because that's how breakthroughs are made!

Cheers!!!

Sheriff Uling

I feel pretty anonymous already. Yes my IP is logged and you can ban me based off the IP range, however it's not like anyone knows my identifiers and is trying to steal my identity or anything. If I spend the next few months here posting and updating my progress and some horrific situation happens to me I'd probably post under my well known username because then everyone knows I am either really desperate for attention to pretend for 6+ months or I really had the posted situation happen and need help/advice.

I never even saw this section where the mods moved that post until today. That section with family changes or whatever. That place has a ton of horror stories and strange events that I was searching for, but never really found in one place. The title of the section is pretty evasive and vague, so I would guess many people don't know it contains the worst case scenarios, which I feel is pretty important to be informed about.

The problem for members that have been regulars here is that other members have to come to know them and their personal visa journey, so it makes it difficult should a regular who is well known to post something that may cause them or their spouse great embarrassment. Allowing members to make fake accounts isn't doing this community much good either because it open this place up for outside abuse, IMO.

Just in case you missed this S,




What else could be a legitimate reason? You said there's many....like what?

If Ewok knows who you are, it ain't anonymous.

And I don't know about the rest of you, but if there's something I want to say anonymously, it'll be serious enough where I will trust no one on VJ - not even Ewok - to keep my secret.

perhaps someone may want advice about a situation at home...but maybe does not want everyone to know that life is not roses for them...

there are people who really care what others think and may not want to cast any shadow upon them selves...

maybe the SO checks up on thier posts and they are trying to get answers without "getting caught"

I mean really who knows the thoughts of others that may want them to post anonymous...

maybe steven wants to post in the swinging poll

Zactly! ...not.


Seriously though, the idea that people are allowed to create fake accounts and then immediately start posting anonymously seems haphazard at best. It creates this sort of 'father knows best' approach in that regular members here are admonished or outrightly told to shut up if they dare to ask pointed questions or second guess anything the 'new' member is saying.

If we know that an anonymous poster is in fact a regular member, it makes it easier to know what advice or response we give and how we say it. For example, if a regular member, under a fake account posts about how he thinks his wife might be cheating on him, we could be more direct in finding out how he's come to that conclusion. Right now, it appears that we're only allowed to show them pity and support. As it was pointed out in a thread yesterday, there are two sides to every story, and the best advice anyone can give a poster in a situation like that is for them see it from another perspective.

There are some things about my life that I'd like to remain private. Common sense, along with my learning experience of posting here has kept me in check about holding my tongue, so to speak. It would be nice to post something anonymously from time to time about more personal matters to get other's perspective without my life becoming an open book.

So the advice would vary depending on whether you knew the person or not? But how would you even KNOW it's a 'regular member' if the flippin post is done anonymously??????????????????




As to your second paragraph, you can most certainly create a secondary acct and say what you want....which has already been covered by the original 'shy' pass E will give for making a second acct. I'd call it 'privacy issues' but I think we all know what that covers....and that's pretty much every reason for needing an anon post to begin with....unless you can think of others from the 'many' that you say there are....

I can see good parts of the idea but I think the bad parts may outweigh the good parts. If anyone could post anything anonymously, it also means people who just joined could do the same. So how would we really know if they were usual members or brand new members still just wanting to vent or ask advice.

If someone's join date is recent, it doesn't mean they haven't been reading for awhile and finally decided to post. I read VJ for a couple months before adding myself as a member and wanting to participate. It looked overwhelming to me at the time, so many different forums, which one to go to, etc. I never participated in a message board before that. I never even got the info off of here to send in my K1 petition, I used other sources, because I didn't feel like reading through so much stuff. I should say that was a long time ago before things were updated and changed, yet there were a lot less members then too.

But the problem I see is if we aren't sure if the anon person was a member already here or a new one still posting anon, would we have to ask Ewok about every single one to decide if it's real or worth answering? I doubt he has the time to be checking every anon post with everything else the admin does.

I'd rather treat everyone who posts as a real person, and their story as real, unless it's very obvious it's not(which is hard to prove), and then they will make the fool of themselves if they are just here to troll, not me.

If you post on here anonymously or under a known user name I feel it becomes public knowledge and is inviting comments. If I am not directly insulting someone or insinuating insults, but raise up real issues and bring into questions the information they chose to post and question the logic I have had people jump on me for not being supportive.

Well sorry, but I'm not supportive of actions and situations that are obviously problematic. I like to point out the flaws, argue for the other side that isn't in the thread, bring up issues and ideas that no one else has raised.

What's the use if someone airs out dirty laundry or an issue and the only posts they get are, "Oh that's so horrible. You're in my thoughts and everything will be ok."

If you'd like it all to remain private, why would you like to post at all?

You seem to be pushing this issue alot....c'mon what's on your mind, Steven? We won't tell.....

There's another way to remain private, I do this a lot: You start a post typing everything that's on your mind that you know will pi$$ off a bunch of people and then you don't hit add reply, just close the window.

I've really been thinking about this, and I know I've already posted...but honestly...I have two issues

1) I can't believe you tailor support depending on to whom you give it to.

2) How do you propose you give 'more concise support' to a 'regular member' by 'being more direct in finding out things'......when THEY'D BE ANONYMOUS?

See the hole there?

OK folks, I've had an epiphany whilst smoking just now....

Steven....is this thread a by-product of the 'fiancee disappeared' and 'troll' threads? Is there summat you wanna talk about without being barraged by the usual 'you're a troll' bs that normally is thrown around when there's a problem thread?

I think the solution is not to 'validate' members with problems as being 'ok' because 'hey (s)he is a longstanding member'. Rather, it's for everyone here not to jump to conclusions when summat strange is being discussed...no matter WHO the OP is. New members do have problems too...and all these hoops you wanna put in front of people in order to let an older member not go through the motions of starting a new acct and losing those nifty lil hearts and boxes is not the way to go.

I do feel that many people here like to dismiss bs away because it hits too close to home. Please, no one run to Calcutta with that statement. You see it all the time in some regional forums...when one person has issues, the others with the same demographic (USC/country X) start internalizing and worrying about their own relationships.

Also, let's all face it...none of us are really in 'conventional' relationships. IRL, I'm the only person I know who's ever petitioned for a foreign fiance. I'll bet many of the USC's family and friends were like 'wtf?' when first presented with the idea. So we all have VJ and that makes us feel a sense of camaraderie because there's so many in the same boat. So when one of us has problems, maybe it causes a ripple effect of worry. So it's really a defense mechanism to say 'oh that's a bullsh!t troll there'.

So instead of all these new options and reformatting how posts are made, perhaps we can all just cut some of these second-acct posters a little slack. And if anyone thinks the story is bullsh!t, then just move on. No one's holding a gun to anyone's head...so no one here has to 'help' someone (s)he doesn't wanna....

Wow, what was in that tab?!?!?!?!

forget the tab, what were you smoking?

[ANON]I hate all the moderators[/ANON]