Anonymous postings

[DanB]

Due to some problems we've had recently, and the fact that this board is getting more use lately, we've decided to require that all folks posting on the board sign up for a user account.  

We've had to delete a couple of REALLY bad spam and postings lately - fortunately we caught them quickly before too many folks saw them!  It's kind of unfortunate, but it will have it's benefits.

Anybody with a user account can easily upload pictures onto our server and use them in their postings.  Folks who have been regularly posting without an account may not be aware of this.

Getting an account is easy.

- Use the 'create new account' link in the login box on the right side to start. You just need to enter your desired username and a valid Email address.

This REAL email address will never be posted to the board unless you do it yourself...on your User Preferences page you can enter an email address that will be displayed. Many people use Hotmail or Yahoo addresses for this.

• In a couple minutes you'll receive an Email from Otherpower.com containing your username and a cumbersome (but strong) random password. Log in and you'll see whole bunch more menu choices available to you.
  
• You can change your password with the 'user preferences' link in the menu. Be sure to check out 'display preferences' and 'comment preferences' too -- there's some powerful features in there.
  
  

Sorry we had to do this, and I hope folks realize ... were not trying to drive anyone out here!  Requiring a bit of accountability for postings should hopefully drive away some of our troubles, and make things a little easier for us in the end.  We like to take days away from the computer everynow and then, but lately that has not been possible as we've had to keep on top of this board, and Anon postings are pretty much the problem.

If anybody has problems setting up an account, or simply wants us to do it for them - just send us an email: admin@otherpower.com - we'd be happy to setup  your account, and email you your password.  (sometimes it might take us a day or two, but we'll get to it!)

[xeroid]

No more cloak and dagger users.  Cool.  All too often annonymity is used by those who don't wish to be accountable for what they say or do.

It is unfortunated for those users who just don't have a great deal of computer saavy, but in the end, I think this is the right move.

Well done guys.

Xeroid

[electronbaby]

I think that is a great move also. Even though I had trouble in the beginning of this new board, I feel all the worthwhile people will figure it out and join us. Thats what this is all about anyway, right?? figuring things out?? This board is too valuable to all of us to allow spammers, solicitors and instigators to intervene. Good move!!     RoyR

[elvin1949]

i agree

i don't say much here

came to learn

tired of the garbage

later

elvin1949

[troy]

Dear Admin,

I couldn't help but notice that things have been particularly cheery, cooperative and productive lately.  I support your decision.

Best regards,

troy

[WetinOR]

Thanks Guys!  You gave the anonymous postings a fair shake and some just had to spoil it for the others who did behave themselves.

George

[hvirtane]

While this move is maybe the only thing

you can do at the moment, it probably will

affect the quality of the board as well.

It is quite certain that there are many such people,

who for different reasons don't want to give

to you any valid email address, but anyway wanted

to be involved in these discussions.

But it might as well create counterattacks.

It is quite easy to obtain all the time new

email addresses, create an account and to make

even worse spams?

It anyway creates harm to such people, who don't want

you to know their address and who anyway

enjoy the company somehow to change their

email addresses regularly.

- Hannu  

[RobD]

Hi Dan,
I didn't see a place on the new board for profiles like the old board. Did I just miss it?
I like the new board, by the way.
RobD

[TomW]

RobD;

I know you addressed the question to Dan but I'll take a shot at answering it.

I think the closest thing to "profiles" would be either "user info" or the Diaries Section with the Diary being the only thing a user can really edit.

So if you want to share your personal info like general location, contact info, etc thats the best option I can think of.

Personally I have found that my info from the old board has been used to sign me up to spam lists and everything from the gun-owners action committee, Republican national committee list to the Libertarian Party Newsletter. Not to mention several emails threatening everything from legal action and computer attacks to personal injury.

I leave it to you to figure out who might be doing it. I certainly wouldn't want to be in his, er, pants when the authorities investigate the source of said email threats.

Just noting a valid reason for not posting too much personal info online.

Cheers.

TomW

[Brian]

I'm gone for a week or so and come back to this. All I can say is THANK YOU!!!

[hvirtane]

------------------------

"Personally I have found that my info

from the old board has been used

to sign me up to spam lists and everything

from the gun-owners action committee,

Republican national committee list to

the Libertarian Party Newsletter.

Not to mention several emails threatening everything

from legal action

and computer attacks to personal injury."

-----------------------------

Yes, these are some of the things, why some

people wanted to stay 'anonymous heroes' and

anyway develop these technologies further.

It is quite easy to see that a kind of fight between fossil

oil industries and renewable energy industries is among

the most important issues of our time concerning

the world politics, not only usa inner politics.

(For example: It is quite common in Europe to have an

opinion that the main reason or even the only one

for mr bush and his allies

to attack iraq was just the oil available there.)

- Hannu

[TomW]

Hannu;

Damn, I know we have a bit of a language barrier but just what the hell does that have to do with my comment? You can easily be a registered user without other users knowing your info. I openly posted my information and it was used as a weapon against me. This has absolutely nothing to do with internal or external US politics it has to do with a person with bad manners and a worse education acting like a spoiled child.

Since you seem to be his only active supporter perhaps its time you started a board for him to misbehave on or just let it drop.

I sure hope you and Kevin enjoy your relationship but I think he will NOT be missed here.

Cheers.

TomW

[wpowokal]

Bugger I was even offered the JCP good morning show here in OZ via 'e' mail, not impressed, but I guess you get that.

Unfortunatly some excentrics are hell bent on destroying this venue.

regards Allan

[hvirtane]

I'm generally getting quite a lot of garbage mail.

I just tried to guess, why you got it.

I started years ago to get a lot of

garbage mail, when made some notes

concerning some world politics issues.

My message had nothing to do with Kevin.

Just trying to find out, why

you got all that garbage mail.

There are different reasons for different people

to want to stay anonymous.

There is no way to secure this kind of board from

experienced hackers to find out your email address

if it is given to the board admins.

This is the reason I think that it is not so good

to stop anonymity here.

But for me it means quite little.

I'm already used to garbage mail.

Lately is has been increasing quite a lot.

I'm quite sure that it has very little to do

with anyone posting here, maybe something

to do with some people

reading this board, however.

- Hannu

[hvirtane]

Hello,

it is unavoidable that there always are

some disagreements, which kind of technology

to develop and how to develop it.

I'm myself a kind of anarchist, who thinks that

it is not so good idea to make very many

people dependent on big companies' rule,

who again themselves are dependent on the

people, who are forged to pay them.

You see that this is the case with power companies,

oil companies, weapons industries, etc.

The maybe most cited example of anarchist literature

concerning power companies worry about self

made energy comes from France in older times,

in the age of windmills. Windmills were banned, because

they give to some people a possibility to make energy

themselves.

Please see somehow the other side of the coin as well,

JCP and the other defenders of the anonymity

have got their point, too.

http://www.fighting.org/discus/messages/71/437.html

- Hannu

[Andrew]

?

Did I miss something?

-Andrew