mikebmassey Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I just received an email from this forum about my display name, asking me to change it to my first and last name. Can I ask why that's a rule? My background - I have been/am involved in the management of a social network in financial services, and have been doing so for the past 6 years. While I am not the leading expert in social media, I have read enough / interacted enough / been to a few conference on community management to where I think I know enough to be darn effective. That said... What if someone doesn't want to use their first name / last name? What if I only wanted to be Mike M? Is there a problem with me being anonymous on this forum? I'm comfortable with giving away some information about myself, but why do I have to provide my whole name? The display name I use is the display name I use EVERYWHERE on the web - LinkedIn, Blogger, Google, etc. Also - have you thought about what happens when someone with a name like John Smith shows up? How do you handle 5 John Smiths who are posting in the same forum? The other point I have heard is about stalkers - What if one of your members had someone who was stalking them / bullying them online? Using Google, the person would be able to find them here, etc. Now, Whole9 could just say "If you don't want to use your first and last name, then don't participate", but I would imagine they want participation in their forum - for support, questions, success, etc. I'm a big, big supporter of the work Whole9 does - I just wish you would rethink this rule. Allow users to have whatever for their username, as long as they keep it clean. It doesn't detract from the professionalism of the forum (as long as proper etiquette is enforced), and I think would make people feel more at home. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiaya Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I agree Mike, and I'm not really comfortable that someone in my professional life could google my name and find all my posts on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 These are good points. Thank you for bringing them up. We decided to go this route, as did other very popular boards (like the CrossFit message board), because forums where folks are hiding behind psuedonyms tend to have more trouble. Folks say things they wouldn't normally say and "fan the flames" when they're speaking anonymously, and we simply don't want that on our message boards. However, our community has always been nothing but respectful and polite - and mikebmassey brings up some excellent points that I had not considered. I'd be open to reconsidering this topic, but I'd like to hear from some others. Thoughts? Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebmassey Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thumbs up - I'm glad you are open to possibly changing. Just for another 2 cents - That drives me CRAZY that the Crossfit forum handles display names that way. I've been doing Crossfit for a year and while I'm improving, I still suck. I hate having to use my name when I ask silly questions. Thanks for considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Mike makes a very good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny M Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Tough call. I think privacy is a modem invention and as someone working in marketing/social space I basically have 0 left. Doesn't matter to me but I suppose you always reserve the right to block people if they're crossing lines. we are going to get haters though bashing us. It's kind of inevitable. Can someone use a full, fake name? If so is it a non issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Johnny, someone could certainly use a full (fake) display name and we'd never know (until we dug a little deeper into their log-in info). The Boards are very well protected from spammers, as you have to either use Facebook (which requires you to use your true identify) or a confirmable email address to register. I'm leaning towards allowing nicknames for now, with the understanding that if things go sideways due to the anonymity of posters, we can revisit. I have a hard time seeing that happening, though, based on the quality of folks we've historically had on our site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I would be happier to be non googable also, I do like the community feel of real names rather than "paleoprincess" or whatever. Would first name or first name plus initial, like I have at present be an acceptable middle ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebmassey Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Tough call. I think privacy is a modem invention and as someone working in marketing/social space I basically have 0 left. Doesn't matter to me but I suppose you always reserve the right to block people if they're crossing lines. we are going to get haters though bashing us. It's kind of inevitable. Can someone use a full, fake name? If so is it a non issue? I agree - trolls will show up. From a management point of view - you can block them/ban them when they break terms of service rules. That's straight forward. In regard to name though - Privacy is decreasing - I agree, but forcing someone to use First and Last versus and display name - that's forcing someone to give up their privacy. You're correct in someone using a fake first and last name, but for a person like me - I like being mikebmassey - I use it everywhere. With work, someone could figure out who I am and that generally doesn't bother me. But other people might have a problem with it. However - I think for a forum like this, where the focus is on self-improvement - I think you want users to be themselves. They can decide who they are, and how much to share. "I want to tell you all about me.... I just don't want to tell you WHO I am..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpellQ Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I signed up, but only so I could be sure to see full content. I won't be posting more than a minimal "agreed" for both avoiding google-able things as well as avoiding a stalker. Also, under the name I use everywhere on the internet I'd feel much more "at home" and able to share more of my real experience. Not only does having a stalker hinder my ability to share more under my own name, but also I feel like I can be more open and honest under my name that I've used on the internet for a few years now. There's something to be said for the comfort of sharing in a semi-anonymous manner for allowing more openness which ultimately helps us all. This name that I'm using is as close to my full name as I'm comfortable going. If anything more than that is required then I simply won't use this forum. I know it's a personal choice, but it's a sad thing for me because I was really looking forward to having this avenue to learn and progress since I'm so new on this journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny M Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I'm leaning more towards allowing nicknames or some level of anonymity. Basic privacy principles aside, food and health is pretty personal for a lot of people - so much that having to reveal themselves could prevent them from participating at all an we don't want that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Johnny, I'm with you. I'll send out another bulletin right away. Thanks to all for the open, respectful discussion. Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dana Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 i changed my name to first-n-last, but felt extremely uncomfortable doing so. i suspect i'll be extra-careful about what i share now, though that's probably a good idea with public forums anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratispho Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I just got an email saying this policy is revised. Thank you for considering our privacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiaya Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpellQ Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivelyLady Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I so appreciate the reversal of this decision. I was very VERY uncomfortable changing my display name to my full name due to Google and the fact that I own a business completely unrelated to my dietary choices and did not like the idea of customers "finding" me here. It's none of their damn business, as Johnny pointed out. So thank you for listening to your members and changing that deicsion. I promise that my use of my nickname (and yes, Jess really is the shortened version of my real name) will not encourage me to be disrespectful or say things I wouldn't say in person. I just appreciate not showing up in Google searches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 You're welcome, all - and thank you for your patience as we get this stuff ironed out. We've never run a forum before (and I haven't participated in one in years) so this is all new to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amygdalena Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Johnny, I'm with you. I'll send out another bulletin right away. Thanks to all for the open, respectful discussion. Melissa I am SO GLAD this change was made. I was extremely close to deleting my account. As a professional woman who prefers to keep her personal life as walled off from her professional life as possible, I really did not want my current employer, or prospective employers, to Google me and find me here; there is absolutely no way I would be able to participate authentically without the insulation of a nickname. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramsmom Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I too was going to delete my account, and even sent a reply to the first email requesting it be done (I'm not that tech savvy and couldn't figure out quickly how to delete!); Thank you for this change!! This is the 'name' I use everywhere also (having changed sometime back because my other 'name' was too close to my real name) so I have accountability in other paleo/primal forums. While I absolutely respect why you initially went with the full name, others above have explained far more eloquently than I could why I simply would not be able to participate. Again, many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I agree with the majority, although this is now a non issue.....I am a working professional and don't want my comments to be googled by anyone....love the way we can interact on this forum and it was respectful on FB so I don't think it will be a problem here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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