Being Anonymous On TCI
Over the past week or two we have received requests for not having city and state to be displayed in the Forum Area.
After some pondering, we have decided to run a poll next week to have the community decide.
It is always nice to find out what area of the country a poster is coming from when asking a question in the Forum area, but we also want to protect peoples identity.
I think what we are thinking of doing is to just post the state rather than the state,city. What do you guys think?? Let us hear your feedback on this issue.
Will that information still be visible under your profile?
I think if we made a change, that we would do that globally. So the State would be just shown on the profile AND in the forum area.
I agree Joel it is nice to know where the person is from. Why not make it optional on post whether or not to display the city,state and just have this information in their profile.
I am unclear on the problem. If I already have an "anonymous" screen name, how does city/state info pierce my cloak?
A lot of people sign up with their real name with no spaces as their username. That combined with their city and state, if they live in a small town, it will show up. And sometimes people what to remain anonymous.
That is why I am asking how we should do it in this weeks poll.
Dear Joel,
I think it is a good idea just to list the State from whence came the Poster.
I know when I list my city and slum, many people discount what I have to say as they feel that someone living in the midst of a major slum must have little of value to discuss. Certainly not advise as this advise should have been utilized to help remove the person from the slum.
Now thats a hard situation to defend. I reside in a slum because I am cheap. I reside in a slum cause I love the mix of cultures and languages. I mean when one of my neighbors knifes another. We have long discussions on the proper way to handle edged weaponry.
When the Meth Lab blew up down the street we had a really informative discussion on the proper venting to install and the importance of charcoal filters to hold down the oder.
There are so many mixed unions in this area. I have become very accomodating in my thinking. My feeling in the matter is if the two beings wish to be together, it is all right, just as long as both are members of Phylum Mamalia.
I have learned so much over the last 10 years. I would never have learned it in Beverly HIlls. The only really important thing I ever learned in Beverly HIlls was that the Bitter Urbs should not be left until the end of the Sader. Or on a five picture deal never lead out with a doggie take your best shot on the first one then fill the others with scripts written by persons who flunked High School English. Then you can take a 50% kickback on all the below the line crew. The product will never see a theatre, not even a four wall venture. Just direct to Video and that with subtitles in all modern languages. Distribution will be assigned to single salesmen circulating among the crowds at swap meets.
Oh yes, never moe your own lawn people will think you are broke. Of course most of them are broke and if it were not for really biggy credit cards they would all be living with me here in North Hollywood.
So yes Joel, your idea is a most excellent one. Besides I am moving. I am going to join the lower middle class. You know older men who collect Cheve's from 1955 and spend all their time and attention on polish and horsepower.
Cheers Lucius 8-) 8-)
For what its worth I enjoy the city/state info. I frequently see people who have, apparently not provided this information since it does not appear on their forum posts or on their TCI page. Given that anononmynity seems to be a ready option for those who wish it, it seems superfluous somehow to enforce it on all.
Joel,
Personally I have no preference if my city is or is not listed. It is of interest what part of the country the responders are from, and one might be able to more directly relate to the replies. I just appreciate the site and the response from the many contributors. Keep up the excellence of the site.
ozzie
Being Anonymous On TCI !!!!
What possible reason could one have of hiding what they are, or should I say, where they are. Besides being embaresed about where one lives
location in my mind, helps me to under stand some of the topics as well as some of the responces made by ones from those areas.
It may seem a little odd, but a location adds a certain credibility, as well as stabilty to the person.
In my mind it promotes honesty in responces, in sharing any kind of information and builds trust.
8-)
by the way lufos forgot Chrom[/B]
Just State would be fine.
I'm usually very uptight about my privacy and hardly ever give out my personal information, but this site and the forums are designed to be a community of like-minded colleagues - there's a degree of trust and an expression of fellowship in these exchanges we have here. While I respect people's desire for privacy, I think there's something "weird" about being THAT secretive. I, for one, like knowing where people are from and I have never thought more or less of anybody based on where they live.
My 2 cents.
polina
...how anonymous can you remain if you then post your telephone # for contact anyway?
Remember good ol' reverse lookups?
I would opt to leave it how it is myself.
People can still get your details under false pretences if they really wanted to anyway.
Chris
I always look to see where the poster is from. This gives me insight to other parts of the Country and to other towns in my State.
I vote to keep it as is.
Quote:
On 2004-04-09 09:13, joel wrote:
A lot of people sign up with their real name with no spaces as their username. That combined with their city and state, if they live in a small town, it will show up. And sometimes people what to remain anonymous.
I like the city and state thing. The people who want to stay anonymous ought not use there real name in there user names. Especially there last name!! If it is that big of a concern for these folks then they can use any zip code they want to. We all shouldnt suffer for the sake of a few that choose to use there real last names. Be smart folks. See, I just moved to bastrop!! the weather is not so bad out here in the country.[ Edited by WheelerDealer on Date 04/18/2004 ]
I don't mind showing the state, showing the name of the city makes me uncomfortable. Someone from California may have a different perspective from someone from Mississippi but I don't think knowing whether someone from Kosciusko, MS, or Pascagoula, MS, makes much of a difference.
I just had to open a new TCI account to create the anonymity of which we speak. I think many of us did not realize when we signed up that the user name could be other than your first and last name or that it would require opening a new account to change it. I think if that could be clarified a bit more at the onset those that want anonymity might opt to create it at that point.
Also it would be nice if TCI could develop a way to change a User name without having to create a new account.
As for the value of knowing location, we all know that in real estate locale as well as differences in state and local laws etc., can make a hugh difference in how things are done and can be done, so when I read someone's question, comments or advice etc. and see their location it allows me to take that into consideration if necessary.
If I am in the same area it may help to educate me to something that I was unaware of, or I may be able to offer some additional information if it appears they are not well informed etc. If the person is from another city or state, their comments can serve to educate me on how things are done in their area should I ever do business there, which becomes more of a possibility with a national network such as this.
So I think the anonymity gained is not worth the value that would be lost particularly when there are other ways to achieve some degree of anonymity.
truly people aren't concerned about thier privacy if they sign up with thier first and last name - especially in a small town. hell if you live in a major metropolis and your name is john smith i still wouldn't sign up like that.
i like city/state - it gives credibility and helps me to network when i see someone from my direct city or very close by. if someone wants anonymity, i'd have them open a new account and have you erase the old - or simply switch their login.
i vote to leave it alone.
If you want to be "private" on TCI sign up as WheelerDealer" or with "JoeBlow2343" and no one will know how many tires are you missing on your '87 Golf or what prison did you brake out from just a week ago.
My impression of this forum is as follow: people who sign with their real names are those egocentric or confident ones WHO want to make sure everyone knows how good they are, regardless of the true facts stated in title record, which may speak in contrary. Period. I mean read Lufos posts, he talks about what he had for lunch, what size of the shoes his neighbor Shundtra Tahmali wears end whose toilet pipe caused a flood down the block, so how not showing which slump he came form will change otherwise funny and entertaining details?
And if this is not enough for the argument against the "anonymity", go ahead and sign up for any skip tracing service and you'll learn a hard true lesson about your imaginary privacy. Privacy? Does anyone still believe she exists in US? Check it out on http://www.thecreativeinvestor.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&articleid=461&mode=nested#2628 or on http://www.lexisnexis.com/
If you take city, what difference would it make to live the state. if someone is form the slump called Macupichy, NY I do not wish to be misled that the man or women know something about the Manhattan market. Boards are about information exchange and anything that helps verify the credibility of the source is IMPORTANT. Otherwise we may just be the audience of someone's writing contest supported by shire imagination or many books she or he had a chance to read.
PS
Where is MR. John Locke to ad to this tune? :-(
I like the city and state. To me Rochester NY is not the same as Manhatten NY. Beverly hills is not Fresno, and so on.
People often will bicker about how "rules of thumb" either never work or always work in their areas. With a bit of insite, I think we can respond more appropriatly and specifically to questions, concerns, and comments. Additionally, I think it's a good way for TCI cyber friends to become TCI real life friends. I regularly hang out with 3 other TCI members that I met on here who happen to live nearby, and we share many things in common. Granted, our wife's often end up in the other room talking about things that are "Anything but real estate" but we are all now very good friends, confidences, and perhaps future partners. Not all states are the size of Jersey. It's nice to know if someone is 20 minutes from you or 7 hours away.
I think there are a couple of times when it would be nice to be anonymous, such as when people ask "How much money do you make" or "what is your net worth." Those would both be interesting polls, especially if we could cross it with other information such as demographics and investing styles.
I would suggest that when people are registering that they are strongly discouraged from using their first and last names for a user name, and let them do with that information whatever they would like to. Give them a few guidelines and tell them how the username will and will not be used. Perhaps an option to change a username also (anthough that would bring about other complications).
You might give them the option to choose a region or metropolitan area also (Northern california, Florida panhandle, etc)
My vote: Leave it the way it is.
Hi Joel,
I find the City and State very useful information, not only to network locally but to see how specific state laws effect RE investing. My vote is to include the State as default but with the option of including city/State for those who wish to.
I say "it aint broke"
Seriously, nothing is more annoying than when someone posts and you go to their profile and there is nothing there. If you use your name etc. then get another name for TCI and register under a new name that is more "private". I wonder what is there to hide??
I don't get it. What difference does it make if I know the city and state of a person here on TCI?
It's not like I could open an American Express Blue account in your "user name (voluminous, catdaddy, ibuyhouses, realestateicon etc), city and state. Anyone posting anonymous apears to have something to hide. I know that I don't. Maybe the person or persons who post anonymously are afraid to let people here know who they are because they aren't who they say they are or they may be giving untrue information. Maybe he/she has a problem with being embarrassed if they are wrong. No one asked for a social security number or credit card information or did they?
When you filled out the profile I believe this information was provided. City and State are great. If I ask a question about Illinois Law in Real Estate how in the world can a person from Colorado answer me? Some of this real estate investing tips are general. It can be used anywhere. Some information applies to the states that we live in.
Supply me with a City and State of the person talking with me. Who knows, I may make contact with someone in my state that wants to help me out.
Toska Palmer
My original reason for keeping the city state on the website was so people could see where they are coming from.
There have been on occasion that I might have wanted to be anonymous, BUT, that I think questions my integrity.
My father always taught me to be honest, even though it has been hard. But by me keeping things open, it forces me to be honest.
I think that factor should help keep other people honest as well. As you can tell, I don't believe everybody has good intentions. But then again, I am the TCI's system administrator.
Joel,
I agree with you 100% on this issue.
Nancy
I like state only because in this small town, it wouldn't take much for someone here to realize who I am.
If I post to get input to help me put a deal together, and the person I'm trying to deal with can see what questions I try to get clearified, will that not hamper my deal making with him or even the local banker?
Thanks
I think the city and state is what makes me respond more to the post. I am able to understand the options that are available in other parts of the country. My experience in investing and financing in Pgh, Pa do not compare to my experience in investing and financing in Florida. Everything is about 180 degrees different in these tyes of investig and financing. so it is good to see where people are from. to me it makes what they say more creditable.
Every area is different. As you know from some of my former posts. What you can do in one area is unbelievable in another. But that doesn't it can't happen
Lori
[addsig]
Just the state would be good. I live in a small town and I think an individual was trying to get too much info on a property I was working on. It wouldn't take much because there are not that many apt. complexes in town. I don't think they need the city unless it was a region type big area. Just my opinion.
While a little more costly, because of technical needs, I believe it would be nice for the user to select if they want to show their city or not. In trying to be balanced, I do believe in privacy and someone should not be forced into displaying info they would rather not. I think State only would be fine for now with the future aspect woufocused toward toward user selection.
Personally I like the way it is now
I think that there ought to be more "required" information. Nobody knows your name and address anyway unless you let them know so how much more anonymous does it have to be? Personally I don't like it much when you click on a username and get nothing as to background, information etc. ALthough, most of these are low posters wanting to run an add or something 
_________________
"Chance favors the prepared mind..."[ Edited by Stockpro99 on Date 06/07/2004 ]