CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,163 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 7:18am Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
I'll be the devils advocate here. People enjoy having a unique username, in most part because it provides an aspiration of what they want to be or believe they are. It also adds a "playfulness" to the site, which can only make the site more enjoyable to use.
Actually I used to enjoy seeing the adapted Southpark figure of CoffeeKid on the site. Its good not to take oneself too seriously.
EDIT: P.S. After I posted the above comment I told my wife Kara about the issue. Her first thought was that unique usernames add personality to the site. I thought her comment was right on.
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 8:42am Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
CoffeeRoastersClub Said:
I'll be the devils advocate here. People enjoy having a unique username, in most part because it provides an aspiration of what they want to be or believe they are. It also adds a "playfulness" to the site, which can only make the site more enjoyable to use.
Actually I used to enjoy seeing the adapted Southpark figure of CoffeeKid on the site. Its good not to take oneself too seriously.
EDIT: P.S. After I posted the above comment I told my wife Kara about the issue. Her first thought was that unique usernames add personality to the site. I thought her comment was right on.
I don't think that's really the issue. I tend to agree with you, we've already seen some pretty popular and long-standing usernames fall to the wayside. Keep in mind Mark is only after people using their real names in some element of their presence here. Len you're already doing this as you sign your posts as yourself and your profile contains your name. Marks after the folks who only have a screen name and offer no other information.
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,163 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 8:47am Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
TimEggers Said:
I don't think that's really the issue. I tend to agree with you, we've already seen some pretty popular and long-standing usernames fall to the wayside. Keep in mind Mark is only after people using their real names in some element of their presence here. Len you're already doing this as you sign your posts as yourself and your profile contains your name. Marks after the folks who only have a screen name and offer no other information.
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 8:56am Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
TimEggers Said:
I think this is a very exciting idea. As many of you know I have been doing this since day one. I should also share that I have had zero problems in doing so too. This is a safe thing to do guys and I like Mark hope you'll take the initiative and join in.
One of the benefits that I've seen is that you guys know me as me and I believe I've garnered more friends because of it. Don't get me wrong I rather enjoy the screen names I see, but its also more enjoyable to meet and become friends with the real people behing the text. Something I've always loved and cherished about CG is my many friends here. All of which I truly respect and admire and that I've learned from. That's what its about. We're all friends here, I hope others will come out from behind screen names or blank profiles and join in.
CoffeeRoastersClub Senior Member Joined: 6 Jul 2005 Posts: 2,163 Location: Vernon Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Vintage La Pavoni Lever... Grinder: KitchenAid Pro Line Burr... Vac Pot: Vintage Silex Drip: Aeropress, French Press Roaster: "EL SUPREMO" w/QuikSPIN-CRC...
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 8:59am Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 12:59pm Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
I'll hop on the bandwagon here. I'm actually kinda glad, because I never thought my username was that great, I was just stuck and couldn't come up with anything better. So, AudiMan is no more.
MarkPrince Moderator Joined: 19 Dec 2001 Posts: 4,700 Location: Vancouver Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Frankenstein'ed LM Linea Grinder: Anfim Super Caimano Vac Pot: 1922 Silex Drip: Krups Moka Brew Roaster: Hottop
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2008, 2:39pm Subject: Re: A non-mandatory Real Names policy on CoffeeGeek
Thanks everyone for the great feedback and positive comments so far! Keep them coming (maybe use this thread to announce your name change).
I do get the "cute" aspects of having a handle or nickname, so I didn't want to do away with it, but I guess now that I'm nearing 40, "CoffeeKid", which worked so well in 1997 when I was the young pup of alt.coffee, just doesn't seem so fitting any longer. ;)
That's why I suggested one or more of three possible changes
- Changing your nickname / handle - Changing your signature text to have your real name - Posting your real name on your profile page, which doesn't get indexed (but, if you post a product review, your real name is used, and it will be indexed there, just so you know). This is the most safe and privacy-assured method, since only site members can access your profile, and it cannot be harvested by bots, at least not easily.
I'm encouraged to see many change their nicknames to real names - not only in replies here, but when seeing who logs in on the front page of the forums, I see more "real names" instead of Maddog2040 :)
Of course, it is all on the honor system too. I could be "Bob Newhart" and while it seems a real name it isn't.
One idea I'm toying with regarding a future real names policy for specific forums is having an invite system to verification. As moderators, we may go through a bunch of members down the road and the people we actually know (and they have their real names in their profiles), we may just click a button to make their membership "real name status", then let the community take care of the rest - those with real name status can grant "real name status" to their friends on CoffeeGeek that they personally can verify are using their real name. I may even have a design in play that shows people with this status. I don't want it to be too over the top, and I don't want it to be intrusive, but as others have mentioned above, having a real name policy on the board has a lot of beneficial results. Plus I just don't want to be called "the coffeekid" any longer when I'm ooot and abooot LOL!
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 