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Posting under real names on The Batavian

By Howard B. Owens

On The Batavian, we have a policy -- which most members of the site seem to support -- of requiring people to post using their real names.

From the first week of the site, we had a user with a first name of Laz who posted quite regularly.  I had initial doubts as to whether this was a real name, but the way people responded to him initially, I kind of got the impression that this was somebody that other people knew, so I let the name go.

A couple of weeks ago, I got complaints suggesting that Laz wasn't his real name.  I wrote him an e-mail and asked for confirmation.  I didn't get a response.

Earlier tonight, I banned his account. 

He sent me an e-mail after the banning suggesting another name was his real name, and then later suggested that name was one of three aliases he uses.

Here's the thing: We can't check physically the ID of everybody who posts to the site.  To some extent, this is an honor system. 

But if I have any reason to suspect that a user is not posting under his or her real name, I'm going to suspend that account, or at least challenge the user on the name.

We can't guarantee everybody on The Batavian is posting under his or her real name, but we will make every best, honest effort to ensure real names are used.

DOUGLAS MCCLURG

HELLO AND WOW
Well I would like to say that I am a real person. What do people like this think they're hiding from.This member mentioned,as we all know has had some of the most ridiculous ideas and off the wall suggestions.In all fairness to everyone here,users should have first and last names with initials not being acceptable.
Douglas Mc Clurg aka Shedguy

Jan 17, 2009, 2:07am Permalink
C. M. Barons

Regarding use of intials:
C. M. Barons is my nom de plume. It stands for me on three diplomas, my credit cards; my friends call me "CM." It is my legal signature. I do not use it to evade, conceal or otherwise obscure my identity. It IS my identity. 'Google it' should further convincing be necessary.

I'm not familiar with Laz' posts, but if he was being a SNERT, banning him was reasonable. Unpopular opinions shouldn't warrant expulsion. However, if your posting regulations prohibit anonymous handles, it's a moot point.

Jan 17, 2009, 3:35am Permalink
Ian Cromwell

I was very surprised to see noone has wrote anything about the fast food joint up and running. I personally have yet to eat the wonderful kentucky fried chicken and i'll give you one, maybe two reason why. Traffic and parking. That place is crazy. A line of cars streching all the way back east towards the light with their turn signals on. Seems as if there is no place to park in the small lot they have. People were literally parking in mcdonalds and walking over. Also i heard long john silvers isn't even up and running yet. I can't imagine what it will be like when it is.

Im just wondering if anyone has been in yet and what you think of the setup

P.S I'm Ian Cromwell, and I'm a real person !!

Jan 17, 2009, 6:13am Permalink
Jerry Buckman

Ha, I think it's funny that a new KFC is such a huge hit. I live in VA now and drive by one every day (and never eat there). Sounds like my old hometown all right. This makes me remember when "Carrols" opened up. "Home of the Club Burger", remember that? There were lines then, too. I miss that place. And when the old Genesee Car Wash opened on E. Main, there were long lines of cars every weekend all waiting to pay 50 cents for a marginal car wash. Funny!

Jerry B (real name)

Jan 17, 2009, 8:23am Permalink
Chris Charvella

As a person who's overseen more than a few restaurant openings, I can tell you that this is the norm. The love affair with our new KFC will end soon enough. Meanwhile, we can better serve our community by going out to eat at one of our many fine, locally owned/operated eating establishments.

Jan 17, 2009, 9:16am Permalink
Ron C Welker

Kudos Howard,
I have mentioned to Tom several times reciently that things were getting out of hand at the Batavian. Just childish ranting and trolling for trouble has somehow hijacked and threated to ruin a very good medium.
Keep up the good work and thanks for your time.
Ron

Jan 17, 2009, 9:43am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Good move Howard! The Batavian is a place for conversations. As we have seen repeatedly people who hide in the shadows with anonymous names, add nothing productive. Most of us know your words mean nothing if you refuse to stand behind them. It does not take a big man to sit alone in the dark plugging away anonymously on your keyboard. There are plenty of places to have a flame fight, which is not the purpose of the Batavian. For instance, The Daily News Online site is the place to go for anonymous nonproductive bashing. They desperately need a moderator.

I am upfront and willing to answer anyone’s questions or give my reasoning for anything I do. If you do not like what I say, fine more power to you. If your argument is well founded you might even change my mind; people’s honest comments on this site have done it before. I do not expect everyone to agree, that is un-American as far as I am concerned. If you want to have a conversation then everyone needs to be on a level playing field. Everyone in the room needs to know who is talking to judge what they say.

Jan 17, 2009, 12:53pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

I have mixed feelings about using real names vs aka or posting I.D.
On one hand I can see that is important to contol and protect the website and users.
On other hand I really thought that going through the registration process was adequate making sure you at least list your real name in your blog/account information so people could look up posting "handles".
I was comfortable using GeeDaveDee. It is how it spells. I use my middle name Dave. Gabor David Deutsch.
On the third hand I have/will not stop posting or acting differently because of listing my real name on every post. One Real Person, One Real Account. One Real Opinion, and One Real Mouth !

Jan 17, 2009, 1:40pm Permalink
Alice O

Having to post with my full name would be a deal-breaker for me. I have a very uncommon last name and I blog on a first-name-only basis. This is mainly to protect the privacy of the people around me -- I don't want my daughter to be looking for a job one day and have a potential employer google on her name and end up at her crazy old mother's blog. Since my blog is linked to my comments here, using my last name here would create a connection between my full name and my blog, breaking my first-name-only policy.

Jan 20, 2009, 4:18pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Alice, the very fact you cite -- potential embarrassment or loss of work opportunity is exactly why we require real names.

If you have something that say that you fear might be a future embarrassment, than it's probably uncivil and outside the bounds of what we would permit on The Batavian.

If you can't say it using your real name, you probably shouldn't say it.

Alice, I'm leaving your comment up in order that my response will make sense, but I will ask that in the future you refrain from leaving comments or blog posts unless and until you provide your full, real last name.

Jan 20, 2009, 5:14pm Permalink
lawrence S clark

I'm coming out
I'm coming
I'm coming out
I'm coming out
I'm coming out
I'm coming out

I'm coming out
I want the world to know
Got to let it show
I'm coming out
I want the world to know
I got to let it show

There's a new me coming out
And I just had to live
And I wanna give
I'm completely positive
I think this time around
I am gonna do it
Like you never do it
Like you never knew it
Ooh, I'll make it through

The time has come for me
To break out of the shell
I have to shout
That I'm coming out

I'm coming out
I want the world to know
Got to let it show
I'm coming out
I want the world to know
I got to let it show

I'm coming out
I want the world to know
Got to let it show
I'm coming out
I want the world to know
I got to let it show

I've got to show the world
All that I wanna be
And all my abilities
There's so much more to me
Somehow, I have to make them
Just understand
I got it well in hand
And, oh, how I've planned
I'm spreadin' love
There's no need to fear
And I just feel so good
Everytime I hear:

I'm coming out
I want the world to know
Got to let it show
I'm coming out
I want the world to know
I got to let it show

Yes, I am credible now

No, I must
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ZLbtWEQ54

Jan 24, 2009, 10:21pm Permalink

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