Why registration is bad and will make this board worse (A thoughtful analysis)
Jan 23rd, 2003, 08:54 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Why registration is bad and will make this board worse (A thoughtful analysis)
Message: Let me begin by saying that I posted this on the European board as well. I respect everyone's opinions on this board and I think we all should be allowed to express ourselves without fear of censorship or being subjected to repeated insulting posts. One caveat, however, everyone's post should respect others by being void of insults, vulgarities and falsehoods.
That being said, I feel that registration will make this board worse. I say that for a number of reasons. First is a concern about privacy of personal data. Your email is registered and is logged. I feel Fodors is a reputable and ethical company yet there are many reports of info being spread throughout the internet by hackers, etc.
A second reason is that registration may stifle free speech and ACCURATE opinions of travel sites. If someone is saying a flea bag hotel is nice and you say that is wrong and it is a dump can you open yourself up to litigation (libel, etc). Your address is logged and your opinion is logged to your email. The board will be left with nicey-nicey posts about everything and be of no value to anyone.
A third concern for registration is that it panders to the "inner circle of longtime posters" who try to enforce their own rules on the rest of us. We are told what is an appropriate post or that something was posted on that subject yesterday hence no responses are needed. Will the use of registered names "empower" these people more to report bad posts and ultimately ban well intentioned people? The cliques of like minded posters make it rough sometimes on individuals with divergent views.
Another reason for concern is that humor level of the board will probably decrease. I do not like bathroom humor or adolescent pranks. I do find some "troll' posts to be funny and I think others do as well. I have found that the majority of people who complain about troll posts seem to have NO sense of humor. I fear the humor will leave the board.
Another fear is that the inner circle of longtime porsters will enforce their own standards and attempt to ban nonconformers. This is similar to the above paragraph but different in this way. At times there ahs been an attempt by some to discuss adult topics/themes in relation to travel on the board. Not pornographic but an adult themed travel. Some posters throw a tizzy and speak about kids on the board and some things should never be said.....An avalanche of scorn came down on a couple people but it seemed no violation of conduct was made. Yet these people chose to make this their board and only certain "family friendly" topics are allowed. My point is who reigns these people in as I fear they will try and ban the maverick poster; the poster with original thought. I worry about the tyranny of the minority vocal posters.
This post is already too long but I thank you for reading it and hope you take it in the vein it was given. I understand that I am swimming upstream here but I felt some opinions against registration needed to be voiced.
Thank you and have a good day.
That being said, I feel that registration will make this board worse. I say that for a number of reasons. First is a concern about privacy of personal data. Your email is registered and is logged. I feel Fodors is a reputable and ethical company yet there are many reports of info being spread throughout the internet by hackers, etc.
A second reason is that registration may stifle free speech and ACCURATE opinions of travel sites. If someone is saying a flea bag hotel is nice and you say that is wrong and it is a dump can you open yourself up to litigation (libel, etc). Your address is logged and your opinion is logged to your email. The board will be left with nicey-nicey posts about everything and be of no value to anyone.
A third concern for registration is that it panders to the "inner circle of longtime posters" who try to enforce their own rules on the rest of us. We are told what is an appropriate post or that something was posted on that subject yesterday hence no responses are needed. Will the use of registered names "empower" these people more to report bad posts and ultimately ban well intentioned people? The cliques of like minded posters make it rough sometimes on individuals with divergent views.
Another reason for concern is that humor level of the board will probably decrease. I do not like bathroom humor or adolescent pranks. I do find some "troll' posts to be funny and I think others do as well. I have found that the majority of people who complain about troll posts seem to have NO sense of humor. I fear the humor will leave the board.
Another fear is that the inner circle of longtime porsters will enforce their own standards and attempt to ban nonconformers. This is similar to the above paragraph but different in this way. At times there ahs been an attempt by some to discuss adult topics/themes in relation to travel on the board. Not pornographic but an adult themed travel. Some posters throw a tizzy and speak about kids on the board and some things should never be said.....An avalanche of scorn came down on a couple people but it seemed no violation of conduct was made. Yet these people chose to make this their board and only certain "family friendly" topics are allowed. My point is who reigns these people in as I fear they will try and ban the maverick poster; the poster with original thought. I worry about the tyranny of the minority vocal posters.
This post is already too long but I thank you for reading it and hope you take it in the vein it was given. I understand that I am swimming upstream here but I felt some opinions against registration needed to be voiced.
Thank you and have a good day.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 09:21 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Frank:
Interesting thoughts.
You are wrong about one thing.
Posters cannot be sued or in any other way penalized for opining about pros or cons of hotels' airlines or whatever. Opinions are not grounds for libel and slander. Knowingly expressing negative and false information which could damage or injure another is the issue.
Even if someone knowingly and falsely defamed a hotel by writing falsehoods about it, it would be difficult to prove injury. What attorney would waste his/her time?
As for the quality of this board...one of the best things about it is its mixed bag character.
Part humor, part serious and useful info, part politics...it has a little bit of everything.
And it's always changing.
With registration it is likely to become mundane and one dimensional. I would not waste my time here except for actual trip planning and would not partake in discussions. Much of the activity here would cease. And with less traffic, less useful info will be posted.
Sure there's lots of fluff and some inappropriate material here.
But the search function bypasses all of it.
I'll likely visit here quarterly instead of daily. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
And then
Interesting thoughts.
You are wrong about one thing.
Posters cannot be sued or in any other way penalized for opining about pros or cons of hotels' airlines or whatever. Opinions are not grounds for libel and slander. Knowingly expressing negative and false information which could damage or injure another is the issue.
Even if someone knowingly and falsely defamed a hotel by writing falsehoods about it, it would be difficult to prove injury. What attorney would waste his/her time?
As for the quality of this board...one of the best things about it is its mixed bag character.
Part humor, part serious and useful info, part politics...it has a little bit of everything.
And it's always changing.
With registration it is likely to become mundane and one dimensional. I would not waste my time here except for actual trip planning and would not partake in discussions. Much of the activity here would cease. And with less traffic, less useful info will be posted.
Sure there's lots of fluff and some inappropriate material here.
But the search function bypasses all of it.
I'll likely visit here quarterly instead of daily. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
And then
Jan 23rd, 2003, 09:29 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Frank I agree wholeheartedly and worry most about the lack of humor and activity on this board. Specifically with regards to the lack of activity. How many people will continue to constantly post on different topics (like I do) if their name will be plastered all over the place. Nobody wants to look like a loser who hangs around a travel message board all day long.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:06 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Frank your points are big generalizations and quite skewed toward the negative. If you've ever participated in a real post about travel and not the troll posts you'd see there is lively discussion, dissention and lots of humor. Because these posts don't contain potty talk and name calling does not make them boring. Also you appear to believe that long-time posters are of one mind. I do not think this at all. I completely disagree with many regular posters but once I post my opinion I let it stand. I don't require everyone to agree with my assessment of a place I've visited. What would be the point of arguing with someone about their experience or opinion of the same place? Would I hope to change their opinion or experience of a vacation they've already had? How would anyone do that? It's the variety of opinions that make this board valuable. The reader must decide for himself/herself where he/she will ulimately stay.
It's the well travelled person who answers my posts that I find interesting and worthwhile. I've found posters who I know don't share my taste in travel whose advice I ignore and relish the responses from those who I know enjoy the type of travel experiences I do.
LIke someone else wrote on another topic about registration. This hubbub amounts to the same level of hysteria that existed with Y2K
It's the well travelled person who answers my posts that I find interesting and worthwhile. I've found posters who I know don't share my taste in travel whose advice I ignore and relish the responses from those who I know enjoy the type of travel experiences I do.
LIke someone else wrote on another topic about registration. This hubbub amounts to the same level of hysteria that existed with Y2K
Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:10 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Interesting points frank but at the end of the day this is a travel message board - the primary aim is the exchange of information regarding travel/tourism.
As for "yes", get real, do you really care what people on the internet think about you? Do you know these people? If it bothers you that much then i suggest that you stop visiting the site.
As for "yes", get real, do you really care what people on the internet think about you? Do you know these people? If it bothers you that much then i suggest that you stop visiting the site.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:22 AM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
To those of you who think that registration is going to keep the trolls out, it may slow us down but not keep us out. We enjoy stirring up trouble on this site too much to just go away without a fight.
I have already registered under 6 different user names using various email accounts and plan on tormenting you stuck up snobs plenty in the future.
I have already registered under 6 different user names using various email accounts and plan on tormenting you stuck up snobs plenty in the future.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:36 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
Oh botheration!!! I am worried that people I have never met before aka "trolls" may write something nasty about me, my opinions or a question that I pose to members. Please Mr troll dont be sarcastic or cutting towards me...sorry, i meant to say get a life you sad internet geek.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 10:43 AM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
I think one of the questions Fodors will have to answer is how they will moderate the boards. Many other message board sites use staff or volunteer moderators, many with editing and veto powers. If that approach is used sensitively, then normal rules of conduct, such as those we've all agreed to by using the existing system, can be enforced with relative ease.
Registration can (and presumably will) be used in part to raise the bar for would-be abusers of the system, so that once their alias name and email address is blocked, they'll have to go through the pain of setting up a new alias (which might be relatively easy but time consuming, which might annoy most of the creeps to get their kicks elsewhere).
Saying that this is being done because of the desires of some elite crowd is complete hooey. It's simpler than that IMO: Fodors is a for-profit business and their website needs to support that aim. Use of these boards is not an entitlement, and if the benefit of the boards to Fodors, through being of benefit to paying customers, is negative, then they can and probably should discontinue the service. Being a corporate sponsor for a site where half the time the boards are filled with profanity and junk, thereby driving away potential customers, is nuts. Using paid staff resources to clean up the mess all the time is equally nuts. But if travel Q&As, leavened with humor and insight, are beneficial to Fodors/Random House/Bertelsmann's aims, then good, it's a win-win.
Registration can (and presumably will) be used in part to raise the bar for would-be abusers of the system, so that once their alias name and email address is blocked, they'll have to go through the pain of setting up a new alias (which might be relatively easy but time consuming, which might annoy most of the creeps to get their kicks elsewhere).
Saying that this is being done because of the desires of some elite crowd is complete hooey. It's simpler than that IMO: Fodors is a for-profit business and their website needs to support that aim. Use of these boards is not an entitlement, and if the benefit of the boards to Fodors, through being of benefit to paying customers, is negative, then they can and probably should discontinue the service. Being a corporate sponsor for a site where half the time the boards are filled with profanity and junk, thereby driving away potential customers, is nuts. Using paid staff resources to clean up the mess all the time is equally nuts. But if travel Q&As, leavened with humor and insight, are beneficial to Fodors/Random House/Bertelsmann's aims, then good, it's a win-win.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 01:11 PM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Nice post, Frank. You are so right about everything you said.
I guess the proof is already out there - fact of the matter is, as I see it, is that the forums out there that use registration either fade away, have very little traffic, or are dominated by a handful of people.
Oh, and did I mention that they are really boring too?
I guess the proof is already out there - fact of the matter is, as I see it, is that the forums out there that use registration either fade away, have very little traffic, or are dominated by a handful of people.
Oh, and did I mention that they are really boring too?
Jan 23rd, 2003, 02:01 PM
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have mixed feelings about the change as well. The troll posts are mostly fun. It's only out of hand every so often. I agree with "yes" above. It will not respond to all the travel posts I have info on because I don't want to seem like a know it all, like how people make fun of an unnamed person on the Europe board. But the truth is that I spend around 80 days per year traveling and I know a lot of stuff. I eat, breathe, and sleep travel, my favorite hobby.
Jan 23rd, 2003, 02:38 PM
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Frank, your concerns about privacy are easily solved by getting a Yahoo! or Hotmail free email address. Presumably once you sign up you can throw this account away and never even look at it (if you are today not giving out an email address, obviously you do not wish to be contacted anyway).
Will these forums be more boring and more one-sided with registration? I doubt it. It's already possible to dominate other forums and newsgroups while being anonymous. I do think we'll see a reduction in traffic here, but that could be a good thing. There is currently a high level of noise here...
As for trolls: we won't get rid of those, either. But it will be much easier to report them and shut them down. I think we will see much less flaming after registration comes into play. I am looking forward to it.
Andrew
Will these forums be more boring and more one-sided with registration? I doubt it. It's already possible to dominate other forums and newsgroups while being anonymous. I do think we'll see a reduction in traffic here, but that could be a good thing. There is currently a high level of noise here...
As for trolls: we won't get rid of those, either. But it will be much easier to report them and shut them down. I think we will see much less flaming after registration comes into play. I am looking forward to it.
Andrew
