ANONYMOUS MEMBERS

[shyamwestwind]

Hi Everyone
It;ll be nice to get an opinion on this from our members.
Why, oh why do some members wish not to reveal their gender or their place of residence , or basic information about themselves ?
I have a sneaky feeling I've discussed this subject earlier, but obviously the situation is still the same and we still have "faceless" members present in our homely, friendly forum.
I feel it should be mandatory for a member to reveal his gender, town or city of residence,his or her date of birth (so we can wish him !) , his or her hobbies, etc etc.
Use a pseudonym or a nickname if you wish (you will eventually reveal your real name when you realize you're among friends), but lets have some basic info about you. There's no need to divulge your address and phone numbers, just basic, courtesy information.
I am sure Pat and Glenn can ensure these basic courtesies at the time of enrolment.
This a straight forward Forum consisting of sensitive musicians who want to share their music, expertise,experiences and happiness with other members.
We need to recognise each other .

[thingyy]

I guess it's because they dont want midi files sent to them.

[gibbo]

I disagree, Shyam.
If someone wants to limit their exposure of personal details, I support that right.
Putting personal details on the web is risky at the best of times and can lead to all sorts of invasions of privacy. It's got nothing to do with how safe the forum is or how nice the members are, once the info is out there it's out there for anyone. Members of another forum I visit were actively targeted with abusive emails for months by a crazy nutter who fell foul of administration and was ejected.
I know you may disagree but with the basic info such as a date-of-birth, location, gender and name/nickname one can find out all sorts of details... an email address is almost as good as a house-key to a determined stalker! lol

[shyamwestwind]

Gibbo, the info we have under your name and what you have permitted all of us to see, is all thats required. I know you are male and I know you're from Sydney. Thats basic stuff and even though your Birthday isn't made public, its sufficient info .E mail addresses ,I agree could attract unwanted mail.
Why should anyone be so clinically impersonal ?

[Emerald Midi]

If someone wishes to remain anonymous that is their prerogative and should be respected.

As a point of interest, it is never a good idea to place your e-mail address in a post. Doing so may result in you receiving spam.

Please read the following:

ask-leo.com/why_shouldnt_i_post_my_email_address_in_a_public_forum.html

[shyamwestwind]

I wasn't even suggesting divulging e-mail addresses. Telling us whether you are a male or a female, the town or city you reside in, your hobbies and if you so desire, your nickname, wont hurt will it ?
I know from whatever details are there , that you are Emerald Midi , that you are male, that you hail from Ireland and that you are a 24/7 midi enthusiast. Thats all the info required.
I truly feel every member should have that minimal information atleast, about another member.

[gibbo]

Well, fair enough, Shyam but that's not what you said in your original post! I quote, "I feel it should be mandatory for a member to reveal his gender, town or city of residence,his or her date of birth (so we can wish him !) , his or her hobbies, etc etc.".
That's what I was referring to (particularly the "mandatory")when I said "I disagree".
Once someone gets to know individual members here they may be more forthcoming about themselves but that takes time and you usually fill in your profile at the time of registering for a forum, long before you know what the experience will reveal about members and observance of forum etiquette etc. I usually keep my personal info as minimal as possible at first and sometimes modify my profile at a later time to include more info. Most people do the same but never bother updating their profile once they've settled in.
All that being said; like you, I always look for the gender and location of the member on posts and, like you, I appreciate knowing those details when I'm replying or answering questions for people. I just think it should remain optional and not be made mandatory.
Cheers, Dave.

[shyamwestwind]

Dave dont miss out on what I said should be there in someom'e profile - gender, town or city of residence, details of hobbies and maybe date of birth. Without these, he is actually a faceless entity. BASIC information, Dave - nothing invasive.
Very simply put, its as simple as being introduced to someone. We shake hands, say Hello and talk about common interests and the weather in his part of the world. Now if he had a mask on and just stayed mum, I wouldnt talk to him would I?
Hey, hey, hey Dave, we are not in any cloak and dagger drama.......... these are simple courtesies which, maybe we could request from our members. I take back the offending word - mandatory.if it sounds too severe.
Aaaaw,

[Emerald Midi]

I see where Shyam is coming from but ultimately it is down to each individual as to how much detail they wish to share either initially or later. But usually members are more forthcoming once they've had a chance to get to know you

[shyamwestwind]

Okay Pat, we'll let this rest on that note .

[Emerald Midi]

But you do make a very sound point, Shyam - if people were more forthcoming in this regard life could in deed be a lot nicer and friendlier

[shyamwestwind]

[gibbo]

[weegeo]

[weegeo]

Just thought i`d join in the madness I think/know that you both make excellent points but as the old wise owl said it`s up to the person concerned to disclose his/her info.

weegeo news at 11 belfast [well actually newtownabbey] lol lol

[Emerald Midi]

weegeo said:

Just thought i`d join in the madness I think/know that you both make excellent points but as the old wise owl said it`s up to the person concerned to disclose his/her info.

weegeo news at 11 belfast [well actually newtownabbey] lol lol

You are our very own news man ;D