First I want to address something Din said.
Can I just point out that admins, mayors etc etc etc etc will change, so no distinction need be made for anybody knowing who is who. The idea of secret id's turns me cold.
The second this board opens, anyone will be able to register as any name they choose. Your next door neighbor could register as Aragorn13986234 and you would never know it. To put a finer point on this, a fellow named Ted could register here and you would be none the wiser. Once we open, the only people who will be able to conceal themselves are the new posters. There is no way to mandate that a person coming over from another messageboard will use their same username. If the idea of secret ID's turns you cold, be prepared. It is quite likely we will have a number of them when we open. The only ones that won't be able to have them are the people that are currently here.
I think you missed my point Holby.
I know that when B77 opens we will be deluged by those who's lives have been irredeemably tortured by not being allowed to post here or view here, and I am sure we will have an interesting few months dealing with some of the nastier elements of TORC who will join and get their revenge. It is one of the main reasons that I am so against opening up this place, and I am hoping that it will not be so bad and that B77 will survive it.
My point was the potential for abuse. We all know petty vindictive arguments can start over little things, and we know that message boards attract small petty vindictive people as much as the happy folk we have the good fortune to have on B77 so far.
However, and it is a big however, multiple id's can be used really well and effectively to get at people. It is too tempting. Random sniping comments in an odd id that people may or may not know. It may seem like a one off comment, but it can start a shit war the like of which can effect the whole board. If you don't know who the id is, how in the nine hells are you suppose to react to them? How do you police it?
What do we do if somebody is seen to be harassing somebody in an alternative id? Do we ban the alternative, the main id, how do we tell? I am not sure if folks are aware but to set up an alternative id you need a second e-mail address (or third or tenth etc). We have no easy way to govern abuse in an alternative id, as we have no real way to know if the alternative id is in fact alternative at all.
And you are right
Holby, we don't know who everybody is. You don't know for example if I am the same Dindraug from TORC, a different person, an old TORC poster using the Dindraug id etc. We don't know at all.
Consider the many posters here who have put up pics of themselves for the first time. We do not know if they are them, or other posters from TORC/TORN/Lush with issues. We have no way of knowing, and because of that it is a none issue. If some of TORC trouble causers are here signed up as other people, what could we do? I am actually very surprised that somebody like The Angel has not signed up as a long lost poster who may have drifted off. Simply take the name and apply, it would be easy. If your clever enough, who would know (ok so that does rule out certain people but you know what I mean).
From my own point of view the whole issue is about honesty. If you want to say something, just say it. You don’t need to hide behind an alternative id.
They serve no purpose except clog the server with alternative info, give more to admin’s to do to look after them (ok so it is unlikely that we will have many more forums but as somebody who set up several, it is annoying organising permissions for them all).
Oh, and they are a fab vehicle for spam. That would seem to be the best, and most common, use of alternative id’s (outside RP).
Sorry to Rant, and not getting at anybody in particular. I just find alternative id’s outside RP dull. If it does go ahead, please do not be offended if I, or any others, refuse to respond to alternative id posts or if a response is made if it is addressed to your normal id.
But you are right Laureanna, this place is not as welcoming as once was