Text 5661, 124 rader
Skriven 2010-03-06 09:11:24 av Stewart Arnett (3:772/100)
   Kommentar till text 5641 av Lee Lofaso (3:800/432.0)
Ärende: Using An Alias 4
========================
Hello Lee.

04 Mar 10 21:18, you wrote to me:

 LL> Hello Stewart,

 >>LL> "When thou art at Rome, do as they do at Rome." - Cervantes

 >>DD> "When in Fidonet do as the Fidonetters do" - Drummond

 >>LL> And what doth Fidonetters do?

 SA>> Obey the rules of the echo as laid down by the Moderator,
 SA>> understanding that the Moderator's ruling is final.

 LL> Fidonetters PARTICIPATE!  That's what Fidonetters do!  Of course,
 LL> the Moderator is also welcome to participate, if he/she so desires.
 LL> After all, we are *all* Fidonetters, and that is what Fidonetters
 LL> do!

And in that participation they follow the rules of the echo as laid down by the
owner of that echo, the "moderator". If those rule say "no alias" then using
one is not allowed. That is not a Fidonet policy but common courtesy of the
echo you are using.

 SA>> PS To answer another question you asked, "what can a sysop do?"
 SA>> in your case if you were getting this echo from me, then I would
 SA>> simply turn it off and force you elsewhere.

 LL> All sysops are also welcome to participate.  Not just moderators.
 LL> Didn't mean to leave them out.  I mean, sysops are also Fidonetters.
 LL> My sincerest apologies for having offended thy most holy sysop. :)

On my system I own the system, if I don't want you then there is nothing you
can do about it, you do not enter.

 LL> Fidonetters often pride themselves being able to really speak freely
 LL> about any subject or topic (no matter how controversial that subject
 LL> or topic might be) to their liking.  Of course, it is not always
 LL> possible to talk so freely and openly about certain subjects/topics
 LL> with one's boss.  Or with one's co-workers. Or with one's neighbors.
 LL> Or with one's significant other(s). Well, maybe with one's significant
 LL> other(s).  I mean, just try talking to your boss about how much you
 LL> would love gays and lesbians to be able to serve openly in the
 LL> military or to adopt children (kinda hard for gays and lesbians to
 LL> make kids on their own). Doing so just might get you fired.  Know what
 LL> I mean?  Trying talking to your neighbor about that subject might get
 LL> you slugged in the jaw. Not fun at all. The fact of the matter is that
 LL> most folks choose to confide such talk to those they trust the most.
 LL> Those folks who keep secrets a secret.

 LL> But hey.  Enough of this nonsense.  What is the real issue?  Ask
 LL> yourself that question.  Certainly it is not how dangerous posting
 LL> messages under a real name may or may not be.  Sure, some folks might
 LL> view posting messages under one's real name is quite dangerous.
 LL> Others might view the dangers of posting messages under one's real
 LL> name as being insignificant.  So what is the real issue?

 LL> The real issue is whether you and I (and everybody else) will be
 LL> able to make our own decisions, whatever those decisions might be,
 LL> and protect ourselves (or not) as we see fit.

 LL> Why should others be able to tell us what to do, or what not to
 LL> do?  Especially in regards to protecting ourselves?  Why are some
 LL> folks allowed to conceal their identities, and others not?  That
 LL> makes no sense.  Absolutely no sense at all.

 LL> Let's take a further look.  There will *always* be folks who act
 LL> in an irresponsible manner on the nets.  And those folks will always
 LL> (or almost always) use an alias/handle.  You know that.  I know that.
 LL> Everybody in the whole fucking world knows that.  You are not stupid.
 LL> Neither am I.  Nor is anybody else in this forum stupid, or senile.

 LL> But that is only half of the equation.  Let's look at the other half -

 LL> There are also folks who act in an irresponsible manner who use their
 LL> real names.  Ever think about that?  That is something the fido powers
 LL> that be always fail to mention.  The fact of the matter is that most
 LL> people, whether they use an alias/handle or not, act in a responsible
 LL> manner.

 LL> Only a moron would believe otherwise.  And I do not take you, or
 LL> anybody else, as being a moron.

The real fact is nothing more than manners, you come into my house and don't
like the way I live then leave. You go into an echo and don't like the way the
moderator runs it, then leave. Same thing, no argument.

 SA>> I normaly like your arguments but this one is a lost cause,
 SA>> you would be better off dropping it.

 LL> It probably is a lost cause, but like Don Quixote, I must
 LL> always be tilting at windmills.  While singing "The Impossible
 LL> Dream".  :)

 LL> But hey.  Relax.  This is a limited thread, and was always intended
 LL> as such. This topic has been around since the inception of fido, and
 LL> even before.  I have presented no new arguments, merely repeating
 LL> what has already been said, many times over, for decades.

 LL> I'll draw this rant to a close with the following comments -

 LL> Some folks have said that fidonet is dying from the lack of
 LL> participants.  While the number of participants in fido echos
 LL> may be small today, those who remain active are building the
 LL> social fabric of tomorrow.  That is a good thing.  I commend
 LL> all those who continue building that future, including fido
 LL> administrators, sysops, moderators, and every participant
 LL> in every echo.

 LL> If we (everyone in fido) want to preserve the free and open atmosphere
 LL> of fido, allowing all participants to use an alias/handle when posting
 LL> messages seems to be a harmless, very fun and effective tool of doing
 LL> so.  So why throw that tool away?  Better to use that tool, for all it
 LL> is worth, to create a better future fido for us all.

Then go to an echo where an alias is allowed to be used.

 LL> End of rant.

Stewart

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