Anonymous feature.

[Linus]

For EoEO. Make it possible for people to post threads anonymously. For example, let's say someone has AIDS and they need to talk about it, but they're not up for admitting who they are.

Or any other STD.
Or any other embarassing situation.
Or anything else.

I do realize an anonymizing feature can and would be abused, but we'll just have to keep an eye out and be a little more warn happy.

[Erdrick Holmes]

Well maybe this could be done but the mods would have to keep a vow of silence on the subject but still not a bad idea.

[Yamaneko]

I doubt it'd work too well, and yes the feature would be overly abused, I'm sure of it.

[PhoenixAsh]

What if a handful of profiles were made that everyone knew the passwords for so if they needed to do that then they could use them. It might be slightly hard to punish abuse though because that would stop mod's knowing too.

Although if you posted updated passwords in EoEO that would at least go someway towards protecting them.

[crono_logical]

I'm not aware of such a feature in vBulletin (anonymous posts). Why not post in 3rd person, saying its advice for someone else, or similar?

[Linus]

Phoenix's idea could work.

And clout, I guess I just won't post about it at all. :)

[PhoenixAsh]

I'm not sure people could really put over how something that serious was affecting them whilst pretending to be asking for someone else. Plus people would always suspect the truth.

[eestlinc]

"My friend Linus has Gonnorhea"

[Dr Unne]

The internet is already anonymous enough as it is. Has there ever actually been a problem where someone wanted to post but didn't because they wanted to be anonymous?

[Linus]

If someone wanted to be anonymous they would have never posted it, therefor we'd never know what could have been posted or not...

[PhoenixAsh]

How would we know? They didn't post.

There's plenty of problems in EoEO that if I had I might not want to name names, even if I was referring to a friend of mine that someone could suspect due to the relationship I'd described myself having with them.

That may or may not have made sense, it would have been easier to have made a joke about polling people to ask if they had any embarrassing problems they wished to remain anonymous about. But what ya gonna do?

[Dr Unne]

Even if they didn't post they could've gone to a staff member and complained about it. Or maybe some people who didn't post could use this thread as an opportunity to say so.

Anonymous posting would be abused like heck. I can see it being used to flame people, post porn, and generally do whatever someone would normally be scared into not doing because they know they'd get banned. I don't think anarchy is what we really need. If something is so terrible that someone doesn't want to talk about it without being anonymous, maybe they should be keeping it private to begin with? I don't know.

[Yamaneko]

Or talk about it with someone they know, not internet types that are likely not to care beyond the "I know what you mean, I'm sorry to hear" jargon.

[Del Murder]

Even though it's not allowed, creating a second account is probably the best bet. It just depends on how you weigh your message board ethics versus your own desire to talk about your problem.

[Citizen Bleys]

The only problem with your suggestion is that it's not possible. Or it probably is possible, but it would be just as hard for me as rewriting the board from scratch.

[Linus]

Actually the extra account deal is very very possible. And the admins would have power to lock its signature and such so that it doesn't get contaminated, and they can also change the password if someone naughty changes it.

[Yamaneko]

More than one would be nice. Like three. But they have to have cool names or I'm not for it.

[Del Murder]

'Del Anonymous'

[Endless]

I usually go for a complicated solution, so it might be simpler than this:

- make an account
- make the name and pass of that account only available through a stickied thread in EoEO
- make a new user group, whose priviledges are only to post in EoEO, block the edit profile, block access to all forums, block post attachement ability so that account can only post/read in EoEO (and only in own threads, can't edit/delete own posts/thread) and nowhere else, also disable the ability to send PMs.
- Warn users that abusing of the account will result in sanctions. But, I hear, how to check who posted and abused it? Simple, my dear Watson. the IP tells us pretty accurately who did it.

Abusing the account is:
- posting crap
- impersonating
- flaming, harrassing, etc... you get the idea, whatever isn't tolerated normally isn't either.

[Shlup]

There are a ton of ways to be anonymous on the internet that don't require me, or Bleys, or clout to do any work. What the heck're you trying to do to us?

[Agent Proto]

Well, in either way, we would like people to post their problems without having to worry about being flamed or anything. Personally, if they have a problem about not being anonymous, then they should PM someone they trust about it and let them post a thread for them, but not releasing the name of the person who wishes to remain anonymous. *shrug*

Seriously though, I think no one should be scared to post their problems in EoEO, as we should have most of the people who cause problems out of that specific forum Especially those 'lurkers'

[Endless]

There are tons of way of posting on the Internet that doesn't require you, Bleys or Clout to do any work, yet somehow, 8500+ users since the last reset chose to register here to have a chance to do so (and give you something to do).

[Garland]

What's wrong with just prefixing all sensitive EoEO topics with "I have a friend who..."? That's completely anonymous, and noone would suspect a thing.

[Dr Unne]

<i> Seriously though, I think no one should be scared to post their problems in EoEO, as we should have most of the people who cause problems out of that specific forum Especially those 'lurkers'</i> --Proto

That's one thing I've always agreed with. If the MB is working right, all the jerks should be gone already, and people should be perfectly comfortable posting whatever they feel like posting, especially in EoEO. What with that new rule giving rude people the boot from that forum, it should be truer now than ever. I think it is true for the most part.

[Shlup]

Besides, Linus, the fact that you're the one to suggest this makes me nervous. I don't think we need to give you another outlet for cute little jokes.

[edczxcvbnm]

Originally posted by Dr Unne
What with that new rule giving rude people the boot from that forum

I am still there...looks like the system isn't perfect.

[HOOTERS]

I just use one of my various second accounts to post anonymously.

[Garland]

Only one account beyond your first can be your second account :P. Anyway, if something is so personal that a person doesn't want to post it under their main username, noone here could probably do much to help anyway.

[eestlinc]

I agree that if you have something you want to post anonymously, PM a staff member and have them post it.

"A member has asked me to post the following anonymously..."

[Del Murder]

Hell, I'll even throw in a few threads that are really about my friends just to keep it credible. But I think I agree with Shlup. We're not falling for any more of your wolfcries, boy!

[Big D]

Originally posted by eestlinc
I agree that if you have something you want to post anonymously, PM a staff member and have them post it.

"A member has asked me to post the following anonymously..." This idea could work quite well, I think.

The person needing advice would have to confide in a staff member, but at least that's only one other person who knows.

[Loony BoB]

It doesn't have to be a staff member. You can ask anyone to do it. And if they agree, good for you. I don't see why anyone would need to say "My friend has asked me to post this on their behalf" either, actually. If they're going to post it, they can do it however the two members find most fitting, so long as it doesn't break any rules.

[Citizen Bleys]

Second accounts are bad.

The problem with an anonymous account is that the password would have to be changed every time someone was added to the EoEo disallowed group, which would have a needlessly high admin overhead.

If anybody wants to post something anonymous, I'd be happy to post it for them.

(I like the idea of it being a staff member, since we ARE supposed to act professional, but of course, the person with the problem should go to whomever they feel comfortable telling. Maybe even get a friend from off the forums to register and post it for them.)

[eestlinc]

It seems like people are just tryng to come up with more ways to make Bleys work needlessly.

[Citizen Bleys]

YES

[The Man]

heck, if you're *really* nervous, register a second account and post through a proxy so that *no one* can tell who you are. But yes, this seems like needless extra work for the admins... I certainly wouldn't do anything along those lines on my own board. waste of time =P

[Citizen Bleys]

Except that I have a habit of banning proxies when I find out their IP ranges, to prevent abuse by porn trolls.

[PhoenixAsh]

It would take anywork from admins bar stickying one thread, and occassionally changing a password.

Anyone can create the accounts, and anyone could post new passwords in EoEO. As there seems to be faith in the MB cleaning out spammers etc. in EoEO I don't see where the extra work comes from.


Just a note that my idea was basically everything Master Vivi posted (copied from me), except the big bit where the admins do work.

[The Man]

Originally posted by Citizen Bleys
Except that I have a habit of banning proxies when I find out their IP ranges, to prevent abuse by porn trolls. Ah... then that wouldn't work, I guess ;)

I suppose the staff doesn't really check IPs on new accounts against those on old accounts unless they have a reason to suspect something, anyway ;)

[crono_logical]

Oh we check IPs on new accounts more often than you think then :p

[PhoenixAsh]

Just out of interest how many people get added to the EoEO disallowed group? I thought it was maybe one every couple of weeks or so.

I'd be willing to make the accounts and the sticky thread (though someone would have to sticky it for me) for a trial. But it's not my call and I'm not gonna make new accounts without the okay.

Dunno why I'm trying to plug this idea. I don't have anything I wanna stay anonymous about except those WMDs and given the authorities say they know I've got them it should be at least seventeen years or so before they're found.

[Citizen Bleys]

There are a couple of people sitting in there right now. I should probably let them off soon, though. I don't even remember how long they've been on the list.

[Yamaneko]

I think most people are comfortable posting as themselves there anyways. I've seen very mature topics from newbies, i.e. the usual shy ones.

[PhoenixAsh]

We don't know though. Most of the threads about personal life are about parents that I see. I'm sure there must be a lot that goes unsaid here just from statistics.

There's only two people banned from EoEO? I thought it was a big list of people. Oh well.

[Citizen Bleys]

three or four, actually. I can' t recall.

[PhoenixAsh]

So is that a no don't make the new accounts for a trial then?
Thanks for the info Bleys, I'm still surprised mind.