Ted O'Reilly Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 It took a long while for me to sign up at Organissimo, as I was bothered by all the board names, pseudonyms and false identities that many posters use. (My parents taught me to always introduce myself). I used to do a six-day-a-week jazz radio show, and got a lot of mail, but after a year or two--I was there for 37 years--I always opened the envelope and first looked to see if there was a return address and name. If there was none, the letter went into the garbage unread. (The perfect solution: you can say whatever you want, but I don't have to hear it). It matters not the content: positive or negative, if the writer doesn't have the cojones to stand behind what they write, the opinion is worthless. I wonder: are other members bothered about this? Or do you think that anonymity allows people to really be truthful? Is it okay to 'talk' to someone without knowing who they are? (Special ONE-TIME OFFER: I promise I'll read every response). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epithet Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 It matters not the content: positive or negative, if the writer doesn't have the cojones to stand behind what they write, the opinion is worthless. Dumb. Signed, Anonymous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted March 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Thanks for proving my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest che Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 It took a long while for me to sign up at Organissimo, as I was bothered by all the board names, pseudonyms and false identities that many posters use. (My parents taught me to always introduce myself). I used to do a six-day-a-week jazz radio show, and got a lot of mail, but after a year or two--I was there for 37 years--I always opened the envelope and first looked to see if there was a return address and name. If there was none, the letter went into the garbage unread. (The perfect solution: you can say whatever you want, but I don't have to hear it). It matters not the content: positive or negative, if the writer doesn't have the cojones to stand behind what they write, the opinion is worthless. I wonder: are other members bothered about this? Or do you think that anonymity allows people to really be truthful? Is it okay to 'talk' to someone without knowing who they are? (Special ONE-TIME OFFER: I promise I'll read every response). Ted. Welcome to the board. I guess people choose whatever name or face the want and there are many reasons for this. Question for me is how do you get to know people? Well one way is to 'look beyond' the name and the face that appears on the board and you may be surprised what you see and find. I find private messages helpful in this respect. Anyway I look forward to hearing some of your thoughts and ideas. Che. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) Is a first name enough? I think it doesn't take long here to get to know more about what kind of persons other posters are. I may know someone by first name only; perhaps I know that he's playing for a living, or that he's just a music fan living in this or that country. As I imagine most other posters have, I've had more personal contact with a few board members, perhaps regarding a trade, or when looking for advice prior to a trip to a country which a certain poster is living in. In those cases I've presented my full name, which the oher part has too. I have no problem taking in the opinions of posters just because I don't know their full name and identity. I tend to make the decision of what to ignore from the contents of a post, rather than if it was signed or not. Edited March 24, 2005 by Daniel A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) I've gone both ways with posting on the usenet or on forums. But as I've had the misfortune of having what seems like more than my fair share of encounters with psychopaths and stalkers in real life & online, I prefer to use a pseudonym in larger groups or those that can be Googled. I look at this as being somewhat similar to CB radio handles only without all of the lingo. And as Daniel mentioned, through contact with other board numbers sometimes we find out each other's full names. But a real name isn't that important to me. I've bought many albums & attended concerts based on the recommendations of posters who use initials, animal names, and golden armed jazzbos (to quote Monty Burns.) It's the content that matters to me, not whether the name is real or not. But then I grew up near Mark Twain's boyhood home, so maybe that has something to with it. Besides, how do we know you really are Ted O'Reilly? Edited March 24, 2005 by Quincy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 A name is just a name, Ted, if that really is your name. On the internet you can never be sure if anyone's name is real, so the "false" names are not different than the "real" names. No matter what name anyone uses, you still have to get to know them through what they say (their posts), so what difference does it make? It's not like you'd see my real name and think "Ohhhh, that guy", because you don't know my 'real name' any more than you know my handle. What I mean is, I have no more anonymity using "Jazzmoose" than I would having my real name. It's not like anyone I know in 'real life' would ever go to a jazz board anyway... There is a collary in internet life, though, and that's using more than one handle on the same board to deceive. Definitely frowned upon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Thanks for proving my point. By the way, if you do decide to hang here, you might want to work on that sense of humor a bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vibes Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) It matters not the content: positive or negative, if the writer doesn't have the cojones to stand behind what they write, the opinion is worthless. I wonder: are other members bothered about this? Or do you think that anonymity allows people to really be truthful? I don't think using one's real name has anything to do with whether or not they are truthful or have the guts to stand by what they say. With all the crazy people out there today, some people prefer anonymity, like me. I have been stalked online, and that's one of two reasons why I don't use my real name on any message board. The other reason is that I sometimes like to share insider information or opinions related to my job, and it is possible that I could be fired for sharing that information. Rather than take any chances, I stay anonymous. If I send a PM, however, I almost always use my real name. That using pseudonym means a person doesn't really stand by what they write or say is an assertion I've seen many times before, and I don't buy into it at all. Edited March 24, 2005 by vibes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) This community and thousands of other internet discussion groups work fine with people "hiding" behind nicknames, so I really can't see your point. For the discussions on jazz, we don't need to know who the person behind the opinion is, what job and other interests he has, etc etc. It is also not necessary to know in which other unrelated internet communities the person participates. Because the internet can easily be searched and archived, people would leave many traces for everyone to see and track, if they used their real name on message boards, Ebay and any other websites anyone can contribute to. The danger of abuse of this information is very high. In my view, using the real name only makes sense for posters which are known in the field. If a well known musician posts here it would add some weight to his opinions if he uses his real name and everybody knows who he is. But if the same person participates elsewhere in a discussion on marriage problems, what does it add to the discussion if he is identified as a famous jazz musician? Edited March 24, 2005 by Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I'm just glad I went from "GHF" to "Dan Gould": I've got the Ted Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Most of the regulars on the board know my real name. Not sure that this kind of topic will lead to any deep discussion. Seems trivial on the surface to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Moments Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 hi ted!! welcome to the board! i originally registered with my own name then changed it to give homage to my jazz hero RRK (and reflect my own outlook on life!) i think the "handles" are fun! BTW most of our faces are in the show us yer face - be not afraid thread!!!!! evan B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 wasn't there just a controversy around here with one board member threatening another member's life? didn't people take this seriously sort of? so can people be blamed for using a handle when interacting with people they don't really know? obviously as you get to know someone on this board, you learn their name. and if not, whatever. what a stupid post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 i originally registered with my own name then changed it to give homage to my jazz hero RRK (and reflect my own outlook on life!) Living life with three horns sticking out of your mouth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 Thanks for proving my point. By the way, if you do decide to hang here, you might want to work on that sense of humor a bit... What sense of humor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Moments Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 i originally registered with my own name then changed it to give homage to my jazz hero RRK (and reflect my own outlook on life!) Living life with three horns sticking out of your mouth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I still don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me jazzbo. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel A Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 (edited) what a stupid post. As I take it, the very first post was made out of genuine curiousity regarding what other posters thought about monikers. No need for statements like this, when the benefits of posting without revealing your identity have already been described in a friendly manner. If someone decides to only read fully signed posts, that's his loss (even if one wonders how much use you'd have of a message board with that attitude). Edited March 24, 2005 by Daniel A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I still don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me jazzbo. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest akanalog Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 yes i guess i was just offended that someone would use their second or third or whatever post to philosophize on the validity of someones posts because they use a handle or something. i mean i think if we all used our own photos for our avatars and our own names, things would get pretty weird pretty quick. plus it isn't like people use handles like phishphan420 or jerryrules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris olivarez Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I use my actual name on this board but I don't have a problem with those who choose "handles" to me it's a "to each their own" situation. I'm another one who is dismissive of anonymous calls and letters. When someone calls the radio station that I work at to diss me or someone else at the station they generally don't identify themselves and I refuse to give any credibility to that kind of scumsucking worm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
couw Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 i think if we all used our own photos for our avatars ... what do you mean if?? That isn't you in that avatar? drats, and I was just about to make fun of your lack of nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz Kat Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I still don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me jazzbo. . . . Maybe they figured you would like jazz? That's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted March 24, 2005 Report Share Posted March 24, 2005 I think, as others have mentioned, that the name one chooses to represent oneself is irrelevant. Who knows what's truthful? I can honestly say what I post here is representative of who I am and what I know (and what I don't know B-) ), but how is anyone else to know whether that's true? That's the inherent flaw of communicating via the internet- it's easy to deceive people and misrepresent yourself. AFAIC, though, the potential benefits of getting to know the amazing people here, to me, totally outweigh any concerns about matters of trust. I think the best way to decide who's who is to hang out here for a while, read posts and make up your own mind. My feeling is that everyone starts out with a "blank slate" and what they choose to susequently post determines the level of interest and/or respect they receive. Besides, there are so many experts here that anyone offering up a heaping helping of BS gets busted pretty quick! I think the system polices itself pretty effectively. ...and welcome to the board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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