One potential downside of giving Tyler people's real identities is if the site gets hacked - unlikely someone would hack the site to get that, but it is a possibility.

Quote from: SNP on October 17, 2011, 00:36
I understand being cautious, but surely if you're that worried you wouldn't be here risking your account to begin with.

I'm not sure what you mean.  I haven't disclosed any of my agency account IDs.  Nor would I.

I enjoy 'wild speculation' and see no need to discourage it.   But if the person running this site (sorry, we're not on a first name basis) wants it to be 'taken seriously' then of course he can introduce any new requirements and conditions he wants.   And I'll just have to go somewhere else with my wild speculations.  It's all fine.  That's what the web is for: free and open exchange of ideas.

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?action=search2;search=hacked

Quote from: gbalex on October 17, 2011, 01:11
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?action=search2;search=hacked

Sure.  It can happen just like that.

okay, well I can't really trump all the what ifs. yeah, if the site were hacked (again)...identities could be compromised. can't argue that.

Would the ID need to be kept in the site? I guess that Leaf would just tick a "confirmed" box after verification.

Anyway, even if the site was hacked, what are the chances that personal information would be available to the agencies?

Quote from: madelaide on October 17, 2011, 08:55
Would the ID need to be kept in the site? I guess that Leaf would just tick a "confirmed" box after verification.

Anyway, even if the site was hacked, what are the chances that personal information would be available to the agencies?

If I confirmed identities it would NOT involve people sending me any ID like drivers licenses or passports.  it would be more in line with sending me a PM through one of the stock sites.

I actually thought that I did supply my identity when I signed up - not with any confirmation, perhaps, but I thought I had to say who I was.

Quote from: leaf on October 17, 2011, 12:35

Quote from: madelaide on October 17, 2011, 08:55
Would the ID need to be kept in the site? I guess that Leaf would just tick a "confirmed" box after verification.

Anyway, even if the site was hacked, what are the chances that personal information would be available to the agencies?

If I confirmed identities it would NOT involve people sending me any ID like drivers licenses or passports.  it would be more in line with sending me a PM through one of the stock sites.

Bear in mind the sites read PMs, sitemails, etc

Quote from: michealo on October 17, 2011, 13:06

Quote from: leaf on October 17, 2011, 12:35

Quote from: madelaide on October 17, 2011, 08:55
Would the ID need to be kept in the site? I guess that Leaf would just tick a "confirmed" box after verification.

Anyway, even if the site was hacked, what are the chances that personal information would be available to the agencies?

If I confirmed identities it would NOT involve people sending me any ID like drivers licenses or passports.  it would be more in line with sending me a PM through one of the stock sites.

Bear in mind the sites read PMs, sitemails, etc

Excellent point. A driving license or passport would be more secure than sending a PM, unless some bizarre coding was involved.

I'm sure there's a way to get it done with PMs that's safe enough. eg. Tyler sends you a random number in a PM on MSG then you have to PM him on a micro site from your account with the same number.
Someone would have to hack MSG and have access to your sitemail on the micro site to work out exactly who you are.

I think what some of you want is an MSG Facebook page, not a web forum. 

Personally I just don't pay attention to any posters who don't include a portfolio link.  I just assume they are not serious Microstockers, and are therefore irrelevant to my interests.

Quote from: rimglow on October 17, 2011, 17:40
Personally I just don't pay attention to any posters who don't include a portfolio link.  I just assume they are not serious Microstockers, and are therefore irrelevant to my interests.

Bad assumption.

Quote from: aeonf on October 17, 2011, 18:25

Quote from: rimglow on October 17, 2011, 17:40
Personally I just don't pay attention to any posters who don't include a portfolio link.  I just assume they are not serious Microstockers, and are therefore irrelevant to my interests.

Bad assumption.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.

To those of use old enough to remember Usenet, the demand to know posters' identities just seems weird.  I used internet usegroups for years, often to good advantage, without ever knowing who anyone actually was.  When web forums began replacing Usenet,  only the presentation changed; anonymity was still the rule.

But now we're in the era of Social Networking, where nothing is private, and in fact privacy itself is no longer 'cool' (right rimglow?).   I think many people are going to find out the hard way just how valuable privacy, and anonymity, really are.   Without them, who's going to be a whistleblower, or pass on interesting insider rumors?  Who's going to publicly rip into Getty, knowing their big-buck lawyers might be laying in wait?

And yes, I do have a Facebook page.



 

[dup]

Quote from: stockastic on October 17, 2011, 19:32
I think I see what's happening now.

To those of use old enough to remember Usenet, the demand to know posters' identities just seems weird.  I used internet usegroups for years, often to good advantage, without ever knowing who anyone actually was.  When web forums began replacing Usenet,  only the presentation changed; anonymity was still the rule and the exception.

But now we're in the era of Social Networking, where nothing is private, and in fact privacy itself is no longer 'cool' (right rimglow?).   But I think many people are going to find out the hard way how valuable privacy, and anonymity, really are.   Without them, who's going to be a whistleblower, or pass on interesting insider rumors?  Who's going to publicly rip into Getty, knowing their big-buck lawyers might be laying in wait?

And yes, I do have a Facebook page.


Wow you are an old timer
I remember the days prior to the internet, a werid thing called "BBS" where forums did exist but took 24 hours to sync the messages between them...
(and yes I do have a FB page as well)

 

Quote from: aeonf on October 17, 2011, 19:41

I remember the days prior to the internet, a werid thing called "BBS" where forums did exist but took 24 hours to sync the messages between them...
 

Sure, I used BBSs too.  They were cool.  The slowness of message transfers made for a different sort of exchange.

Quote from: pancaketom on October 17, 2011, 00:50
One potential downside of giving Tyler people's real identities is if the site gets hacked - unlikely someone would hack the site to get that, but it is a possibility.

So you think some agency is going to hack the site to find out who's writing things about them?

Come on this isn't National Security, people who claim they are afraid of agency retaliation I understand, an anonymous section for posts like that, might be an option. But then we get stalkers and hackers and things that can happen anywhere, including FB and Twitter and anywhere else.

What makes keeping an ID secret and not letting anyone know what your sellers name so important. If it's only about writing nasty messages about some agency, that's kind of weak. I mean, does every anonymous person here have some kind of cause and string of critical messages about agencies, that would cause them to be banned or punished? I don't think so. I enjoy the small number of people who think someone will steal their ideas. Kind of like taking a photo of you will steal your soul. I don't think anyone does anything so unique and special that it's at risk. We can see what sell, we can see best sellers, we can see top keywords, there are no Microstock Secrets.

So what's a real reason?

I'm with Rimglow, for some reason the anonymous people tend to be the trolls and rude, they hide behind their pseudo accounts. People who have a name or email connection, even if it's not real, something like a sellers name is fine. Known people tend to be a little calmer and know that their reputation is associated with their real identity. The anonymous factor just invites abuse.

No I don't think people need to send in drivers license or passports that's a bit over the top. Just that they have an email account or are actually identifiable Microstock sellers account with an agency.

Quote from: stockastic on October 17, 2011, 19:44

Quote from: aeonf on October 17, 2011, 19:41

I remember the days prior to the internet, a werid thing called "BBS" where forums did exist but took 24 hours to sync the messages between them...
 

Sure, I used BBSs too.  They were cool.  The slowness of message transfers made for a different sort of exchange.

you young puppies. I remember this thing called the post office where you would write messages on actual paper and stick them in a box and a few days later they would be delivered to someone else. It was so much clearer than smoke signals.

It is a bit amazing to think I've been using e-mail for 25 years.

I do wish there was some way to encourage civility without having to remove anonymity though. Not that there aren't plenty of people without anonymity who are uncivil. (maybe I am being too negative in that sentence?)

Quote from: pancaketom on October 17, 2011, 20:03
I do wish there was some way to encourage civility without having to remove anonymity though.

This was fought out on Usenet for years.  The only answer is a moderator.   Unless maybe someone develops true AI, and the forum software can detect "rudeness".

Quote from: pancaketom on October 17, 2011, 20:03

Quote from: stockastic on October 17, 2011, 19:44

Quote from: aeonf on October 17, 2011, 19:41

I remember the days prior to the internet, a werid thing called "BBS" where forums did exist but took 24 hours to sync the messages between them...
 

Sure, I used BBSs too.  They were cool.  The slowness of message transfers made for a different sort of exchange.

you young puppies. I remember this thing called the post office where you would write messages on actual paper and stick them in a box and a few days later they would be delivered to someone else. It was so much clearer than smoke signals.

It is a bit amazing to think I've been using e-mail for 25 years.

I do wish there was some way to encourage civility without having to remove anonymity though. Not that there aren't plenty of people without anonymity who are uncivil. (maybe I am being too negative in that sentence?)

Nope you are correct. But at least some grumpy old man, we know who it is, not some multiple account little troll sitting in the basement grinning as he disrupts the forums while he's downing his six pack and a pizza.  Anonynimity just open the door and encourages some people, the rest it wouldn't matter if they were their full name or a random number. It's the person behind the messages and some people just go that way. I suppose I'm wrong when I think that requirig real names or account connections to an agency, would change anything?

There is a confirmed Alamy account forum on Yahoo. Very funny, it's almost all the same messages and people that are on the Alamy forums (or used to be) I gave up reading there, because it was a duplication. And the Alamy forums you can make up a pseudo and post messages, hardly any difference. Well one, Alamy forums are moderated and they have a tight leash on trouble makers.

That may be the other option. Which of course will bring screams of "Free Speech". Freedom of speech doesn't mean someone can say anything they want!

By the way, I was a Fidonet hub that brought in some BBs from Canada and redistributed them to the States. Yes, those were the bad old days, systems with 2400 baud modems, dialing out at 3AM to pick up the packets for the day. No graphics, just text and a Control G now and then for sound.

Quote from: RacePhoto on October 17, 2011, 20:19

Quote from: pancaketom on October 17, 2011, 20:03

Quote from: stockastic on October 17, 2011, 19:44

Quote from: aeonf on October 17, 2011, 19:41

I remember the days prior to the internet, a werid thing called "BBS" where forums did exist but took 24 hours to sync the messages between them...
 

Sure, I used BBSs too.  They were cool.  The slowness of message transfers made for a different sort of exchange.

you young puppies. I remember this thing called the post office where you would write messages on actual paper and stick them in a box and a few days later they would be delivered to someone else. It was so much clearer than smoke signals.

It is a bit amazing to think I've been using e-mail for 25 years.

I do wish there was some way to encourage civility without having to remove anonymity though. Not that there aren't plenty of people without anonymity who are uncivil. (maybe I am being too negative in that sentence?)

Nope you are correct. But at least some grumpy old man, we know who it is, not some multiple account little troll sitting in the basement grinning as he disrupts the forums while he's downing his six pack and a pizza.  Anonynimity just open the door and encourages some people, the rest it wouldn't matter if they were their full name or a random number. It's the person behind the messages and some people just go that way. I suppose I'm wrong when I think that requirig real names or account connections to an agency, would change anything?

There is a confirmed Alamy account forum on Yahoo. Very funny, it's almost all the same messages and people that are on the Alamy forums (or used to be) I gave up reading there, because it was a duplication. And the Alamy forums you can make up a pseudo and post messages, hardly any difference. Well one, Alamy forums are moderated and they have a tight leash on trouble makers.

That may be the other option. Which of course will bring screams of "Free Speech". Freedom of speech doesn't mean someone can say anything they want!

By the way, I was a Fidonet hub that brought in some BBs from Canada and redistributed them to the States. Yes, those were the bad old days, systems with 2400 baud modems, dialing out at 3AM to pick up the packets for the day. No graphics, just text and a Control G now and then for sound.

After reading these latest posts I think the real need here is to verify if a user is over "a certain age" in order to be allowed to post (or to even see through the viewfinder of the camera, thank goodness for lcd screens). Or maybe not to post. We should have an old-timers section and a young bucks section. I wonder who would offer the most valuable info? - from a fellow seasoned photographer

Quote from: pancaketom on October 17, 2011, 20:03
you young puppies. I remember this thing called the post office where you would write messages on actual paper and stick them in a box and a few days later they would be delivered to someone else. It was so much clearer than smoke signals.

Was that back when there were dinosaurs and stuff?