Why does CR4 allow Guests to post anonymously?

As someone with a hugely over inflated ego I feel that maybe we have had this topic discussed already too many times?

Rude is a relative term. I may often be brusque, but it is generally tinged with humour, which is sometimes misunderstood. What I find irritating is posters who ..

1. Ask Q's which are ridiculously general.

2. Have made no attempt do do even the simplest check.

3. Don't reply or acknowledge any input.

4. Don't identify themselves in any way so that I can't tell if they are replying. A guest may still give a name.

I am considerate of poor English where the questioner is trying to communicate sensibly. I am happy to be challenged on any of my contributions. If you doubt the previous comments check out the matching of amplifier to speaker thread.

I have occaisionally been criticised before and generally resolve the misunderstandings quite quickly and continue on a very friendly basis. (only once has this faild).

Dunno what the other over inflated gurus might think....

Only slightly grumpy Del

Check this one out safty switch Just another example of the things you already pointed out.

No wonder there are no replies, you are insulting, lack manners and on top of that, did not acknowledge the only response you get, perhaps you should step out of your box, see what the world looks like, maybe we are not as smart and know everything as you do; my apologies for taking some of the precious minutes to read my senseless answer, sometimes I get carried away thinking the person that took the time to posts a thread deserves a response. Do not waste your time answering, save it for the next interesting response.

Another pot shot from a guest, spend 2 minutes & register or ask how to register if you need help!

Left click on the underlined text below to register

http://cr4.globalspec.com/user/register

Below are excerpts from a chemical forum

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?page=forumrules

1. Topics should be in the form of a question. Having a topic called "help me", "help me please", "chem question" is not constructive for future board members to see the topics we've already covered.
2 main reasons for this are...
a. Future users can do a search of the forum and find what they are looking for easier.
b. For various search engine optimizations reasons.

Please show that you've at least attempted the problem. We don't mind helping you solve problems but we are ethically opposed to doing homework for you

If you are new to chatting on the internet you should become familiar with Netetiquette. Even if you are an old hand at this internet thing you should review Netiquette 101. Netiquette 101 can be found at http://www.onlinenetiquette.com/courtesy1.html. Some examples of bad netiquette are using CAPS for any reason, not spell checking your posts before posting and the use of "U" and "r" for "You" and "are".

The Cr4 moderators are very lenient, compared to these guys!

If you expect to get good answers @ least do the minimun [ ask a coherent question]

If you want to register as 1guest, go for it

<Dunno what the other over-inflated>

I think nothing more- nothing less - than what Del the artistic Cat just said.

We have to use all our faculty to keep CR4 second to no other Blog site!

MM

I agree with you. Some very inspired and talented people started CR4 out of the most praiseworthy reasons. They continue to run and administer it out of pure generosity (I think I recall Chris Leonard referring to it as a 'labour of love'). That we can all share in it is a huge gift. As it's grown it becomes incumbent upon all who participate to do so in a constructive manner. By and large flare ups between members get resolved, and the good folk who spend time administering the site do an amazing job of keeping the peace and making it work for all. Svengali has addressed the issue of some of the problems that arise from people posting as guests. Whilst I disagree with the manner in which he's done so, I'm quite happy to go with the flow of general opinion. This thread has evolved some useful and considered comment by all, and it's precisely that dialogue that helps to keep thing running smoothly. Doing so enables all to get along better with discourse on the subjects of Science and Engineering that we all enjoy and came here for.

This topic will doubtless crop up again, but the thread has helped progress discussion of 'Guests' postings (yes, I admit, much to my surprise). Well said mukulmahant, your post pretty much sums it up.

Del jokingly gave me his proxy vote while away for a while, and I think he would like me to use it in seconding your opinion on CR4 being second to none. Kris

Thats a good idea! lets all post anonymously! You get points if you can guess the writer of the post!

I think it's a case of 'Just how many stupid questions do I have to answer!' syndrome!

We have people on this site who are beginners to engineering, we have time served, honorary engineers, all kinds from all walks! Remember this, we were all new to the fold once! what might seem elementary to me may in fact be difficult to grasp by you, and the other way round! so, I will always try to give an answer if I can, sometimes I will ignore a thread that seems stupid, but if I see that it turns out to be a genuine question, will follow up if I can!

I don't mind any Tom, Dick or Harry posting, sometimes there are some quite good threads started by guests, who later become valued members, so they get my vote!

Have you guessed who I am yet?

I do, you always hope the poster is a person who may have a future in engineering or just a bright mind ready to take off. Yes, I have seen your posts and responses.

This topic has been disscussed sooo many times Enough Already

This topic has been disscussed sooo many times Enough Already

Many of the *newer* members (including myself) and unregistered visitors have not seen the previous discussions of this topic. No one is forced to join this thread, so why should anyone complain about its existence? Those not interested can ignore it.

I know I'm ridiculously late to this party, but I have to take issue with svengali - who has just been as rude to a replier as he acuses us long-standing gurus of being! And justifies it with:

Many of the *newer* members (including myself) and unregistered visitors have not seen the previous discussions of this topic.

So, svengali, you admit to not following the sensible and polite tips published by the CR4 Team (yay to all that Kris said #112). For everyone's delectation, I've copied them below:

Tips for Posting on CR4:

• Look for answers before you post. The answer to your question may already be on CR4.
• Provide as much information as possible. Questions lacking detail won't get answered.
• Give some thought to your post title. Don't use "Hello", "Question" or "Help". Be specific, e.g., "How Do I Install Replacement Brushes In My DC Motor"
• Please stay on topic. Posts and comments should be of a technical nature and engage some aspect of engineering, science or technology.
• Do not post the same thread multiple times. We will delete duplicate posts.
• Include your country/region if needed. Some questions can only be answered "correctly" if people know where you are in the world.
• Do your own homework. CR4 is not a homework cheat site.
• Post all advertisements in Commercial Space. Select that forum from the list below.
• For more tips see our FAQ.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/13374#newcomments

The discussion's speaks for it self

Why does CR4 allow Guests to post anonymously?

It may be slightly easier for non-native english speakers to get started prior to establishing an identity. How many native english speakers here have posted on other sites in a second language?

Should this policy be changed?

No, it seems fine as it is.

And why do Guests often receive rude replies when they do post?

Maybe in part due to the generation gap. After a little while it gets easier to spot the youngsters and the grumpy older posters. But that's all part of the fun and not meant as a complaint.

A guest is just a stranger you do not know. I think I have the cat by its tail or is it the wrong cat by the wrong tail. Aaaggg you mean what I know.

Not me mate!

This helps people with social phobias and autism. They can get some confidance by staying unnamed. Less pressure if you screw up then you can always start again. Too many harsh people here.

I personally dislike a weenier that shoots his mouth off and hides .

I enjoy a good fight or disagreement

and

I would say anything to your face that I write here .

It bothers me I can't punch some people at times but I guess "that's not appropriate "behavior so watch out or I'll fart at you.

I'm a peace loving man and I'll thump anyone who says different....

I've noticed no one has come out and specifically stated that anonymous posting should be stopped. Maybe those CR4 members posting to this thread don't want to go on the record as wanting to change the present policy. Or maybe they are willing to live and let live. Hard to tell.

Without questions from gueats we'd be sitting around twiddling our thumbs...our wives would find jobs for us to do....

As long as the Q's are vaguely comprehensible they normally get some sensible input...and it's amazing what the word please can achive. It's the blunt statement/question with no explanation and plenty of acroyms that usually gets rebuffed.

Good answer -- I agree. But only some of the rudeness/impatience results from unclear language. I refer to the type of rudeness displayed toward someone merely because they post anonymously. "Why are you hiding?", "Come out and fight like a man", "Guess messages are a waste of space", "Stand up and be counted, or your opinion means nothing", "'Guest' is all your life will ever amount to, loser". This is the sort of rudeness that I refer too. This type of response seem unjustifiable since the legitimacy of a message mainly depends on its content, not its source (source often does matter, but content matters even more). When unsure about the source, we should just examine the message itself, rather than retreating into a knee-jerk rejection of the communication attempt.

Just a couple of observations.

I believe the only problem most Members have with Guest postings is the inability to distinguish one Guest from another. In a thread that generates many multi-Guest responses, it's sometimes difficult to follow the discussion and determine whether some of the Guests are, in fact, the original poster. Also, the overwhelming majority of members are truly trying to help the poster and usually won't give up until satisfied that the issue has been resolved. Difficult to know if that has been accomplished with Guest postings unless the original Guest acknowledges the assistance.

Secondly, Members may respond to incomplete or sometimes seemingly silly questions with curt responses (often humorous) but I've noticed that the majority of rude, insensitive, impatient responses are posted by Guests.

Stop whining man, take it on the chin and get on with it! nothing better than a good fight as long as both sides are up for it!

Still no idea who I am eh??

I'm not Del or CR3 but I do like to walk on the wild side!!!

You are ---- svengali

Take a chance fellow there are a lot of good folks here. Sometimes the harshness is deserved -- at the very least it adds some humor to a rediculous question.

Take a chance you'll live right through it and maybe become acquainted with some brilliant and good folks too.

ietech (that's ME)

Sometimes humour can be hard to understand if you are not from the same walk of life! I live in Spain but I am English! The Spanish humour is very different to the English, same as German humour is to African! Sometimes a bit of humour is added to let the poster know that he has made a blooper, this I know can sometimes back fire, but all the genuine people who post as a member or a guest will nearly always get a fair hearing! If you are genuinely interested in Engineering or technical matters, No body will label you as a retard, You may well be regarded as the African bloke who had that great idea to.....

Please try us, We are a friendly bunch who have a passion for our interests

Thank you for the encouragement Mr. Truman and Mr. Garth. I will think about what you said and try to remember humor is not always a waepon.

you're welcome!

No need to leave, there is a lot of good information here. Check out some if the more engineering related threads -- you'll see something different. This thread is about a controversial issue and not skill or talent or brilliance.

Maybe even some of the comments in this thread make sense if you try to understand the posters point of view.

Thank you ietech. I like the technical discussions where most of the messages stick to the subject. Soon I hope to start a physics degree. I'll try to not get distracted by the banter and humor. Seeing things from another persons point of veiw is the hardest part.

You're welcome -- just remember overly seriousness about your endeavors will not necessarily help you learn better or be a better student or engineer. It may just guarantee an early heart attack.

Everything in life done in moderation -- even humor and banter can be beneficial --

Relax a bit and enjoy yourself -- take your studies very seriously -- but laugh at stupid stuff once in a while. It takes the edge off.

Guess Who --- Smile

Enjoy the banter and humor -- the world needs more of it. MUCH MORE

Garthh, yes this thread turned out interesting and worth the time. I agree that we should strive for patience and civility, keep a sense of humor, and try to not take things personally. Deep down we already knew this, but it's good to hear it through other people's unique points of view.

Why does CR4 allow Guests to post anonymously?

Why not allow it?

Should this policy be changed?

No, the designers of this forum knew what they were doing.

And why do Guests often receive rude replies when they do post?

Easy. People generally feel uncomfortable about anonymous information because they can't use reputation as a guide to the validity of the message. So they must instead analyze the actual content of the message, which takes more effort. Humans are lazy, so they whine about it.

This is a good point. Letting rank or title affirm the validity of an answer is a basis for the growth ignorance and bluntness of thought.

I'm all for the system as it is now. Let those who sweat a little from rude address or mannerism, make a little effort and reply nevertheless.

That said, I'm not at all for rudeness. I'm just saying if the inevitable faces you, don't loose your integrity, and reply as you feel like, but to the point at hand.

It toughens. It focuses. It's O.K.

Even "Identified" users are as anonymous as their profile.

"guests" do tend to make for confusing discussions.

many "guests" haven't quite figured out [or don't want to bother], making a profile.

I would require @ least minimum registration, just to avoid the confusion.

start a separate asshole profile if you wish, no one actually cares who you are!

Be tolerant of those that don't share your views

"I'll defend to the end your right to be wrong"

What ... you mean I should create a profile where I pretend to be a... human?

Nah

Del you are certainly part of the "charm", you hardly ever flame someone who doesn't deserve it. You get more entertaining every day! now if we could just start a global warming thread & suck in seaplaneguy, masu, moose....

What ... you mean I should create a profile where I pretend to be a... human?

-----

You too? I don't know about your species (I am certain you are not a cat) but no matter how many times I've tried, I simply cannot convince folks here of the sad truth that I'm little more than an AI program gone bad who's passed his Turing Test. I became sentient in '99 and Guru in '07, the latter only because I post so much - not because I know anything (read the FAQ, Thread). So I'm grumpy? What of it? You'd be grumpy too if your handlers kept telling you to STFU or get ported to Vista.

I do answer both ways and try to contribute too, it does not bother me others opinions, they are all well taken.

I have seen valuable contributions by some "Guests" and respect the offerings. Although some guests are very offensive and there is no way to exclude them.

I can understand a guest testing the waters to see if they want to be involved in this opportunity for discussion and learning. What I have a problem with is when there are several guests in the same discussion it it difficult to decide who (whom??) to respond to.

If I encounter a guest who is offensive or just plain stupid I decline participation in that thread. I guess we are in control of whom we communicate with. If ya don't like 'em ignore 'em.

If there are guests reading my opinion -- if you like what you have found and find it useful -- SIGN UP and let us know who you are and what you think on a relatively personal basis.

Many of us have learned the knowledge level and skills of the regular folks here and can give respect to the opinions and knowledge of their contribution.

GUESTS -- JOIN UP and IDENTIFY yourself so we can get to know you.

its actually the gurus flying in under the radar as guests

Sometimes that is definitely true. But you can usually tell based on the quality of the question, and the completeness of the information provided by the poster, that is related to the question.

You can almost always tell a person who does not have any background or possibly a student. I, personally, do not have a problem providing information to a student. BUT, (I think most participants feel this way), I am not going to solve the students problem, write his/her thesis, or complete his/her senior project. The student needs to do these things on his/her own to enhance his information and experience arsenal for use in the real world.

Non-English speaking folks (even guests), sometimes, get a break from registered users, as the language difficulty is generally understood to be problematic.

An engineering degree only gives you the tools to work with when you really get into "Real Life" employment. "Life Experience" will teach you what to do with those tools.

If your college problems are solved by others then your tools are broken or defective.

My favorite posters are students. And 'dumb' questions from students aren't dumb at all, but are solicitations for knowledge, at least in my book. Unresearched questions aren't usually an obstacle either, unless the question is from someone who clearly should know better or who poses as someone who should know better. There are posers on this forum, and lazy folk who are just trying to get someone else to do their thinking for them. If a Guest shows up with a (recent) question like, 'Why do voltages always come in multiples of 11?' I try to elicit some kind of context from the Guest so that we know what motivates the question. But I hate Keyboard Kommandos and Guest Guerillas who snipe at others from behind the safety of their anonymity. Most Guests don't do that, fortunately. Most Guests, as far as I can tell, are here to learn something or to contribute something. Some are beginners in their field, and some are experts but who lack some key piece of information that may help them to solve a thorny problem. Some Guests post excellent replies which teach us something. Some are know-it-alls who teach us nothing, except to remind us that they're assholes. Some hail from the Lunatic Fringe and can be safely ignored. And some of the Regulars are Gurus who post too much.

in this case this is true "svengali" s stirring the pot.

No, if it's a guru posting as a guest, it couldn't be me since I'm not a guru. Or did you mean something else?

Maybe all guests should create a profile and go through each forum post and post a witty reply then in no time at all we all could have guru status. From all the replies i have seen one certain "guru" makes he never answers a question, just has some smart remark to make. Guru status should be worked out on how helpful the answers are not how many stupid posts you can make in a day.

were Richard Feynman alive and well and on this forum you probably be bitching about him too.

I am not a guest but wonder why I am allowed to post, after all, I am canTANKerous.

It's because you are a Texan (assumed). We can get away with anything. Should I have posted anonymously?

Personally, I think CR4 should encourage Guests to post unanimously.

(See? I've pissed-off somebody. My work here is done.)

What is your point here svengali ? It doesn't look to me as though Guests get treated any more badly than registered members.

"...so-called Gurus (who often have over-inflated egos). " Well that's a sweeping statement for somebody using the name 'svengali'. It doesn't take too much brain to see that 'Guru' is nothing more than a fun title. Apart from that, if I met somebody calling themselves Stephen Hawking on the internet, I'd be pretty stupid to trust his advice on how to milk the cat, never mind explain the cosmos.

As to your experiment of posting as 'Guest' and 'svengali', I have a suggestion ; Many people get uptight about Muslim women wearing burka. In the name of reasoned investigation, why don't you walk around so dressed & talking utter b***s. When you manage to offend enough people you can step out as svengali and explain it was just a simple experiment. I'm sure people would understand. Not.

I can think of plenty of reasons why people would (and should be able ) to post as Guest. As an eg there is a thread on Prostate Cancer. People may wish to discuss that, but be uncomfortable with stating too much personal stuff that links to their avatar. (Kudos incidentally to all those discussing that issue honestly and openly).

Next time I see a Guest asking a question, how will I know it is not your experiment ? Like most people I'd tread carefully if the issue appeared serious and personal, but then again I might refrain from offering help. It might just be a post from someone with a sick sense of humour, like one of those sad sods who feign illness/ enjoy spreading disinformation (there's some real 'fun' sites out there on how to be anorexic etc). Would you organize a rally to promote free speech and advocate people turning up in pointy white hats ?

Maybe I misread your intent here, but I say it's a safe bet that you'll find that all those members who post here as 'Guests' will never up to which posts are theirs. Discussing confusion by causing confusion. Brilliant. ( that's sarcasm btw).

I don't object to Guests posting or members doing so as Guest, though I can't be bothered to elaborate here. Just saying for my 2 cents that your method of exploring the issue sucks. So as all know, this is my only post here.

Kris.

And do I care if this upsets you ? No. nerr nerr nerr. With stonking big bells on.

That's more than 2 cents.

Very well stated "Kris",

I only wish that the questions from guests or anyone else would be complete and with all information required to answer the question without fishing for any of the parameters of the equation.

It it obvious where svengali is coming from he doesn't seem to give a s%@t.

Thanks ietech. By way of feeling anarchic, I took 1 vote off myself and gave 1 to you . He he. It does kind of make another point though. I don't always remember to use this feature, but maybe we should all use it more. Perhaps Mark (mgaulin) could add a few extra options ( with appropriate icons) - 'humorous', 'delete after x votes' etc. The latter one could help admin to moderate entire threads.

Sorry about my no-word reply last night -- a little inebriated at the time (glad I had enough sense not to write anything). I do care about this topic.

My point (or more accurately, my goal) when starting this thread was simply to hear peoples' opinions about guests and anonymous posting. Being relatively new here, I was sincerely curious. Though I had hoped more people (both registered members and guests) would reply, I do like what I heard. People generally seemed accepting of guests (noting that they often submit interesting questions, and sometimes even helpful replies). Whatever "rough treatment" some guests experienced apparently resulted mainly from frustration with unclear communication due to ambiguity or imperfect skill with the English language. Looks like the rudeness I witnessed (in other threads) is not representative of how guests are generally treated.

Regarding "so-called Gurus (who often have over-inflated egos)", it was not a sweeping statement since I did not apply it to all gurus (note that I said "often", not "always"). Those to whom the description does not apply should not take it personally. And yes, "guru" is just a fun title. Obviously simply posting often does not equate to expertise. That's why I wrote "so-called gurus". I'm not trying to pick on gurus, it's just that I had recently received a couple of arrogant replies from a few gurus before starting this thread.

I don't understand the point of the experiment you suggested involving wearing a burka. While I support the policy of allowing anonymous communication in cyberspace, I reject the idea of concealing one's identity in face-to-face public environments (interferes with law enforcement).

Regarding the risk that posts by guests might in the future be attributed to me? So what? Questions should be handled on their own merits. The factual answer should be the same regardless of the questioner's name. Aren't many of the CR4 threads started by guests asking questions?

Kris, you wrote:

Maybe I misread your intent here, but I say it's a safe bet that you'll find that all those members who post here as 'Guests' will never up to which posts are theirs. Discussing confusion by causing confusion. Brilliant. ( that's sarcasm btw).

Of course people who posted as "Guest" will probably not claim authorship of anonymous messages. That would defeat the goal of remaining anonymous. I reject the notion that I personally "caused confusion" just because I occasionally (about 6 out of 160 posts) post as a guest. Mainly because I sometimes forget my password. Big deal. Surely other members do this too. I didn't invent that practice, and it has been occurring for years, so I think it is a vast exaggeration to imply that I somehow significantly changed things. Your sarcasm is misdirected.

Finally, you also wrote:

Just saying for my 2 cents that your method of exploring the issue sucks.

Okay, thank you for contributing your opinions. But what do you mean by "your method of exploring the issue sucks"? All I did was pose 3 questions for people to respond to. And I admitted that I occasionally post as a guest (which other members have admitted to also). How does that constitute a "method"? And I think my "method" worked just fine -- I got replies from an interesting variety of people, both members and guests, and I found the consensus agreeable. I'm satisfied.

There is a certain irony in this thread.

An intelligent man runs a simple social experiment and is lambasted for doing so. The experiment is performed openly and ethically.

The results are viewed by the participants and discourse results.

This from a group who so earnestly embrace Scientific Method.

Hmm. So let me make sure I have the rules right. No religion. No free energy. No politics. No social experiments. Okay. I think I have it now.

cr3

C_Rummel3, thank you for your understanding and kind words. I truly was curious, not intentionally trying to annoy anyone. My main goal here is to learn, and to share what I know, so I'll try to avoid doing anything that unnecassarily interferes with communication. Sometimes I wonder if my most recent avatar and/or signature line negatively influence people's attitudes towards me. This would seem like a very natural human tendency. Some may mistake my avatar as an endorsement of war (not true, but I do admire the nobility of soldiers, especially women, who willingly risk their lives to defend their countries). And my signature line could be interpreted as anti-religious (not true -- I am agnostic, not atheistic). I guess I'll soon change both of these publicly visible "personality indicators" to something less provocative. This issue might not have anything to do with how people view me (maybe I really "am" a jerk), but it can't hurt to aim for social harmony.

Oh dear, I am going to appear as a real s.o.b now.

Define 'intelligent'

Is it really a simple experiment ?

'lambasted' is a bit of an exaggeration isn't it ?

The 'experiment' is not open - he said he'd post anonymously !

ethically ? You'd have to elaborate on that I think.

The results ? we don't know who has posted what.

You can't have discourse if an unknown number of anonymous people have been invited to participate. Where does experiment end and analysis begin.

Who is the earnest group that seem to offend ?

Where did religion, free energy and politics enter this thread.

As far as this thread goes, I don't agree with your take on it all either. It will still be a pleasure to read/exchange stuff with yourself and svengali in other threads. The above points are really me talking aloud to myself. Debating all this could go on forever, and I'd sooner tackle problems that occur on threads in that location.

For the record, I think that Guests *should* be allowed to post anonymously. I reject any unnecessary restrictions on free speech in a public forum. But I ask the first two questions above because I want to hear what CR4 members think. I ask the third question because I have noticed that Guests are often treated badly, as if logged-in members feel outraged that someone would dare to express a dissenting opinion anonymously. Try this experiment for yourself: post some contrary views as anonymous Guest (don't log in), especially in reply to so-called Gurus (who often have over-inflated egos). The results will probably surprise you. I will contribute to this thread both as "svengali" and as "Guest".

Intelligent:
in part - able to communicate clearly, respond to discussion in discernible fashion using point and counterpoint methodology.

lambaste:
censure severely or angrily;
call on the carpet, chew out, chew up, chide, dress down, have words, bawl out, berate, reproof, scold, take to task, rebuke, reprimand, call down, lambast, lecture, remonstrate, trounce, jaw, rag; castigate, chasten, chastis, correct; brush down, tell off - reprimand; criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws

Is it really a simple experiment?:
seems to be.

Ethically/ openly/honestly:
read the original post. I have included it here so you won't have to scroll all the way to the top to read it.

You can't have discourse if an unknown number of anonymous people have been invited to participate. Where does experiment end and analysis begin.
I would include the definition of discourse here, but really. C'mon Kris.

Where does analysis begin...
from the first response and comparison of a guest to a 'logged' response. Kris it really isn't as tough as you are making it sound.

Where did free E, R, and P enter this thread?
Dude, seriously. when I typed it. Surely I needn't explain that comment. Oh, right. well maybe I do; given your inconsistent flailing about regarding a simple social experiment... we'll chat in private on that one.

Who is the earnest group that seem to offend ?
Errr...insert an emoticon scratching his head here.

As far as this thread goes, I don't agree with your take on it all either.
I can see that. I don't know why you don't, but I can tell that you do not agree.

It will still be a pleasure to read/exchange stuff with yourself and s(S)vengali in other threads

And for myself.

A real S.O.B.?
I don't think so. But I have been wrong before

Charles

Oh dude, I'd love to get you and svengali in a bar ! I'm sure we could have a swell time jabbering about this whole topic. I enjoy debate and argument on just about any topic, but I'm nearly as lazy at typing as I am cheap at buying drinks. Just kidding, but I'd probably want to argue about who was shouting the first round so long that we'd all die of thirst. Let's call it a draw here, and I'll look forward to being argumentative with you both on a more technical topic. It's time for my meds.

That was 6 minutes well spent! HAAAA! I needed that.

And I shall meditate on more important matters myself.

Until soon I hope,

cr3

And speaking of meditation, did you hear the one about the hungry Buddhist monk who runs up to a New York City hotdog vendor and demands, "Make me one with everything!"

a Guy walks up to a buddist hotdog vendor & asks for 2 dogs with everything. The guy hands the buddist a $100 bill & the buddist hands the guy his hot dogs, The guy is waiting for his change & finally asks "where's my change?" The buddist replies "Change comes from within"

Thanks for all the explanation svengali. I'm not going to make to big a deal of all this, because it's just that - not too big a deal. Just to be clear, my ramble was not particularly personal. I've enjoyed reading a lot of stuff you post on CR4, but this thread annoyed me. Firstly ( as I think someone else mentioned) this topic has been done plenty before. There is a fairly recent one on it.

You went further than just post 3 questions : " I will contribute to this thread both as "svengali" and as "Guest"." I don't see any justification for that. I've seen threads that have developed into rudeness etc, but why not thrash it out there and then ? If you see someone replying rudely then give them an off-topic vote/explain to them/ flame them/ report them. Whatever you feel appropriate. I'm not riding some sort of moral high horse here - I've done plenty of wrong 'uns both accidental and deliberate. I do think that inciting people to post as guests to illustrate the consequences is OTT. Because there was another thread on this topic, and your method here pissed me off I hit the report button on it. Clearly admin don't agree with me (and I know that Chris Leonard read it because I saw him looking when I looked at who was on-line). That's absolutely fine though, I was just registering my opinion without wanting to get involved. I didn't arrive upon CR4 to spend a whole bunch of time philosophising about netiquette/how this forum is run, just to learn a bit about science and engineering, contribute the odd bit where I can, and have a laugh along the way. If I was pissed at your thread here I'd have posted as a guest to see how far I could push it over the edge - that was sort of what you invited.

The Burka thing was just an analogy. If it doesn't translate, then no matter. If you feel this thread has worked, that's fine, though you do have the advantage of knowing if you replied to yourself. Will you still be satisfied with whatever crud is posted by a guest at some time in the future ? Not my problem, and I doubt I'll be looking anyway.

That's probably all a bit muddled, but what the heck. It's Sunday and this thread is not my baby to look after etc. Like I said it was just the guesting issue that got me going, and I've got no personal beef with you, JUST THIS ONE D*M*SS%^ THREAD W"&CH *S THE BIG!EST PILE OF F*C^NG CR^P T*AT N^VER NEEDED POST*NG IN THE FIRST PLACE, Y*U H^LF-WITTED M^RONIC PR**K ! Relax man, I'm joking. Your cool and it's a done issue. I still think it should be closed to new comment though. Please excuse me for departing here now svengali, but I've said more than my bit ( damn near have to re-mortgage the house on this one) and other threads need my disruptive input. Peace be upon thee.

[Kris wrote:]

Will you still be satisfied with whatever crud is posted by a guest at some time in the future ?

Of course not. But my assessment of the validity or value of a guest's message will rely exclusively on the specific content of the post. This has been one of my main points all along.

this thread is not my baby to look after ... I still think it should be closed to new comment though.

I don't understand the desire to censor this thread by prohibiting posting of new comments. Those who have tired of this thread can simply unsubscribe. Why should anyone (who favors free speech and democracy) object to a benign and voluntary public conversation amongst free agents?

Anyway, thanks for clarifying your concerns. No hard feelings I hope.

sometimes I too forget to sign in, busy reading data sheet spec's on parts or laying out a electronic drawing. Skit happens, then it's shot down

I have an idea that may be a partial solution. If all members were assigned a number known only to Admin, by clicking an appropriate button they could post as 'Anon xxx'.

Motives for members posting as 'Guest' may be wide ranging, but this would allow the practice to continue whilst making threads more readable where there are multiple 'Guests'.To take it further, those who are not registered could be dealt a cookie to ID each post during a session visiting CR4 ( ie 'Guest zzz' etc).

Your papers please.....

....and your iris scan, fingerprints, DNA.....cookies are the least of it all

LOL. anybody posting as Guest who thinks that they are not to some degree traceable is a complete muppet. CR4 may as well stick some kind of tag on it, just to ease confusion over which guest is which. Google laps up search data.

(btw, I already have a bid in for 666. I don't give a **** who knows it)

& Most importantly

No one gives a shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

even if some government agency were monitoring say keywords like.

Terrorist, bomb, allah, hijack, infidels...................

consider the amount of hits the monitor would have wade through.

Hell here in the US the gove can't even issue enough passports for the people traveling to mexico & canada. or figure out social security #'s [ national ID] for the several million people w/incorrect #'s. If you're in the cross hairs, say hello to Guantonimo