Oh Dhalgren...

[Bob Peale]

This warranted it's own thread:

Originally posted by Dhalgren
I've turned off all communication devices six months ago and really, it's a lot more enjoyable..

It avoids those funky stalkers altogether...heh.


You don't really need private things said to you in emails and pms to feel you have made connections here..just keep posting interesting things and people will naturally gravitate toward you.

Then watch..those pms will come rolling in from people you know and care about.

Speaking of which...someone owes me an email since she tends to change addys like underwear

 

[Dhalgren]

Delightfully silly man..

Ya made me laugh.

 

[Bob Peale]

Laughter is good.

Unless of course it's followed by, "You call that a WHAT?"

 

[Dhalgren]

I highjacked that thread...you know.

Undergarments became strewed around and everything.

I'm almost afraid to go look now..
~grins~

You on the other hand, did one of the most decent things a poster could do..

You are absolutely one of the most kind hearted, thoughtful and considerate posters a community could ever ask for.

You could teach a course…my friend.

 

[Dhalgren]

"Speaking of which...someone owes me an email since she tends to change addys like underwear.."

Hey..did you receive my note giving you my email?


You know, it's really always the same email addy...
'Cuz once you know me, you get the real thing.

 

[Bob Peale]

"Speaking of which...someone owes me an email since she tends to change addys like underwear.."

Hey..did you receive my note giving you my email?


You know, it's really always the same email addy...
'Cuz once you know me, you get the real thing.

My apologies dear lady, I did.

Ironically, I did not have this one, but it is now burned in my book (and my Palm, and my Outlook, etc.) forever more...

 

[Dhalgren]

So write me so then I'll have yours...

Then we will be all even and such.


Speaking of owing...
Doesn't a certain gentleman owe me a nice, juicy story?
~grins~

I want to show you what we've been working on...
I'm super excited.

 

[Mister Man]

Don't press the man, hon! I'm not ready yet!

Actually the databases are finished and I'm working on the logic of the CMS now. I like to think it's a new take on distributed topical conversation and collaborative writing, and Dhalgren's team is creating some awesome erotic content to kick it off. But hey - no one cares until the skin gets put on - and that's last.

About this 'Dhalgren changing-addys-like-underwear' thing... She's had 4 email addys in the last year, and 3 of them are functioning to this day. I think it requires at least 2 addy drops to reach the "underwear" department, so I'm not sure this qualifies her for the panty removal program.

But more seriously, rumors like this could cause a fight, in some relationships. They can also have an adverse effect on one's rep in cyberspace. Such things shouldn't be said lightly in a place where having multiple personas is considered a social infraction.

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

Point taken.

It is commonplace to have multiple email addresses - doing so doesn't imply multiple personas. I guess what I was inquiring about was the preferred one.

My apologies - no implication was intended.

Sounds like the site has undergone a significant overhaul. I'm excited to see the results!

 

[Guest]

It's not really the having, I think it's the shedding that bothers people. For instance, we have multiple addresses because we run multiple sites, and we use each address for its own business. But we still use them all. That's different than a person who sheds addresses like underwear, which somehow implies a degree of fakery or fly-by-night-ishness... Let's just say it doesn't do a lot to inspire trust in your fellow cyber-citizens.

BTW, personally I'm not too uptight about multiple personas, as a matter of fact I'm in favor of them. But I think I'm in the minority here in that regard, since I've seen threads on this issue that turned into pretty heated arguments. Context is everything.

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

It's not really the having, I think it's the shedding that bothers people. For instance, we have multiple addresses because we run multiple sites, and we use each address for its own business. But we still use them all. That's different than a person who sheds addresses like underwear, which somehow implies a degree of fakery or fly-by-night-ishness... Let's just say it doesn't do a lot to inspire trust in your fellow cyber-citizens.

BTW, personally I'm not too uptight about multiple personas, as a matter of fact I'm in favor of them. But I think I'm in the minority here in that regard, since I've seen threads on this issue that turned into pretty heated arguments. Context is everything.

- mM

Ironically, here I would probably disagree.

I think that in general, there is more of an understanding about changing email addresses: you change ISPs, you need to go to a web based mail service, you don't like a web based mail service, your web based mail service goes out of business, you start to use your business email account as your primary, you stop using your email account as primary, you sign up for "1000 free hours on AOL", you resign up for "700 free hours on AOL", etc.

I believe that people have a bigger issue with usernames and salient information changing only to find out it is a person they thought they knew as someone else. In an era where email is virtually free and there are little to no barriers to change, I don't think people care what the current address is, just that there is one.

It's like telephone numbers - if you keep changing your number, only the bill collectors care

 

[Mister Man]

hmm

I see your point (Saturn Return notwithstanding), but bear in mind that we work out here. So we consider our professional reputation in addition to "normal" factors. There's very little else to go on as the basis of salient information. Perhaps I'm acclimated to seeing things from the pov of the webmaster, to whom the email address is the basis of identity, rather than the nick. But hey, we're all molded by our jobs.

I'm curious to know how you would feel about this... One feature I am building in the new system is the ability to change your (public) nick without changing your (private) account name (thereby retaining your stats). Another is the ability to display a public "dummy" email address which automatically forwards to another, private address. My intention is to provide a good mix of freedom and security, but of course both features will be "abused" by people some might call "persona artists" and others might call "liars" or "trolls".

Side Note: As the webmaster I still need to have a single email address which I consider the "real" one, even if I assist users in hiding it from others. The same is not true of nicks. I don't care if a user's nick changes as long as it's not already taken. In fact I don't really care whether he has a nick or not, since I call him by his account number, and verify his existence by his email address. ;-)

But anyway... What's your take on that?

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

BTW, before this goes much further, I'd like to say that this is proving to be a very enjoyable exchange.

There is a videochat system, ispq, that has adopted this model and it has been very successful.

Basically, you load client software on your machine, it generates a unique key at the time of installation that is written to your registry file (for windows - not sure what it does for Mac users), and requires you to provide a valid email address that will be used to confirm your identity.

All of your demographic information is fluid - you can change your nick, your statistics, everything.

However, where the software enforces its control is in two places.

First, in order to send messages, you have to add another user to your pal list. the pal list keeps track of the unique key assigned to everyone (although it is not visible to any user), thereby ensuring that regardless of what your friends may call themselves, they can find you (you can block messages from anyone, even people that have placed you on their pal list).

Second, the email address you use is not changeable, nor is it displayed to other users. You can send videomail to other users, but you do it through the program without use of an email client. This preserves personal privacy.

It's a decent model, but it could be improved and adapted a little better for web use. Drop me an email (my addy is still accessible here) and I'd be happy to share how I think it could be implemented -

Oh yeah, as to what do I think about the idea? I'm a fan

 

[Mister Man]

Glad to hear it, and back atcha.

BTW, you do know that there's really only about 50 people in cyberspace, right?

;-)

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

50?

When did it double?

 

[Mister Man]

Well, I meant if you count the cops.

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

The ones doing "research" on the porn sites?

 

[Mister Man]

Yup. National security demands a 1-to-1 ratio. After all, if they weren't capable of tracking every move you've ever made, you might lose trust in them!

- mM

 

[Bob Peale]

Now if they could just remember where they put the bloody car keys!

 

[Dhalgren]

Well now that you two are done scaring everybody...





How bout them um..um...Dallas Cowboys?

 

[Bob Peale]

Smart ass

 

[Dhalgren]

Well the good news is..

The smarts in my ass are for free.

My brain on the other hand, comes with an ever so slight service charge.

~grins~