Forums that know where you are

[BuzWeaver]

Tracking posters in forums, with all the sensationalized government spying as though Grandma Ethel’s secret recipe to make Chocolate Chip cookies last forever by using nitroglycerin is such a concern, now there may be an interesting way to keep civility in forums?

Do you think knowing where someone lives will generate any more civility or a rash of paranoia?


There's talk about how, when you're online, your physical location means very little. However, the folks over at Topix.net are showing that where someone is sitting can still be quite useful. Last week, the company explained how it actually was able to keep flames to a minimum in its new forums by posting the geographic location of each commenter with his or her post.

They're using a geolocator service and a bit of quick weekend programming to do their best to add just enough info to make people act a bit more civil. However, once they had that geolocation info, they just couldn't stop, and now they're coming up with some other useful apps, including a new map showing exactly where the conversations are taking place.

More here: http://techdirt.com/articles/20060215/0226249_F.shtml

[Cantatus]

Niami already installed something like this several years ago, but much better. We can actually see everyone here that's posting at all times. We originally were going to do something similar and put the images in your avatar for all to see, but we're greedy bastages and decided to keep all the fun for ourselves!

[Doomspark Deathfire]

I know there's no such thing as real anonymity on the big bad 'Net. That said, I don't think it's a good idea for a message board mod to make their subscribers' location information public without giving them a chance to opt out. In fact, I think it's a very bad idea. It could be used by fanatics to track down people who disagree with them.

My wife is a prosecutor. She puts people in prison, often for extended periods of time. This makes her unpopular with a large chunk of the local criminal element. State law prohibits the publication of her home address / phone number in any public venue. It occurs to me that this law could be extended to cover what Topix is doing as well.

I'm not averse to a site admin collecting this sort of data and posting broad results where identities of the posters are kept masked. However, I will not support a site that publishes my personal information without my explicit permission.

[Minta Rose]

Doomspark -- Aristophanes Brekekex?

On the messageboard where everyone knows where you are, you just get more of the aggravation you'd get from knowing the posters in real life.

[Doomspark Deathfire]

Ah, someone recognizes the reference! I wasn't expecting the name to be available when I created the character honestly. Very pleased about it.

I thought about Brekekex as a surname, but it just doesn't grab me. So right now, Aristophanes shall remain sans surname.