Arrogance,Waukegan and the Internet

[Danno]

Hi Danno,
I think most readers to this site are intelligent enough to figure things out for themselves. From a personal point of view, I'm not quite sure that I see what the fuss is about. My full name, telephone # and email address are required for multiple forums that I belong to; my son's school forum, membership of academic sites such as H-War, online journals, university library sites, archival databases etc etc I joined those sites becase I wanted to be a part of them; I made a cost/benefit analysis as to whether I could live with imparting my name, telephone # and email address in order to participate in something that interests me, end of story. I did not give these sites my bank account details, social security number, mothers maiden name, the names of my children, the alarm code to my house or the like. It's a simple, personal decision, no fuss required.

Seems to me that the doors open the same way, the choice to open them is what's different.

If you don't want to acknowledge that there's a big difference between giving your full name and telephone number and not giving it that's up to you. But don't try to BS the reader into thinking there is not a difference there.

Kirsty, yes, people here are very intelligent. some of them even have their BS detectors turned up on "high". For clarity sake, there are two entirely different issues being discussed here. One is the requirement for name and number. The other is whether a requirement for name and number is the same as no requirement? I have no problem with the requirement for name and number. I am not going to participate in the CREW forum for the reason I stated earlier in this thread and not because of the name number thing.

Now, I hope you can understand why my BS detector went off when I hear sailor72 equate a forum that reqires name and number with a forum that does not by saying it's ONLY a matter of choice: "that the doors open the same way, the choice to open them is what's different". Based on statements like that, if sailor72 were part of another regime I certainly would have to assume he/she is their acting "Minister of Propaganda".