It [...] would ensure that people are certain they want to be registered and participate in this community.

Zoe's registered six times so far. Anathema registered at least four. I don't think that a lack of persistence or patience characterised either of them.

(Julie - I think you hiccupped.)

Cindy, I don't think there should be legislation made because you're uncomfortable speaking up.

This is not the bater.

Sometimes, as ugly as that is, there's just a lesson to be learnt there. And everyone has to learn it.

And we've all learned it. I realize that things I say here are open to the whole wide world to read. It's something I already knew but was recently reminded of.

Fact of the matter is nothing on the net is truly private. Locking threads isn't going to change anything. It's simply going to foster the illusion that things are secret.

Cindy, I don't think there should be legislation made because you're uncomfortable speaking up.

This is not the bater.

Allyson - I don't deserve the condescension. You asked me a question, I answered honestly. And no it isn't the bater, and I don't want it to turn into it, either.

But Cindy, I wasn't being condescending, and I'm sorry you're seeing it that way. I can't think of another way to say, "I don't think you're being rational, and think you need to rethink some stuff" without sounding condescending.

People tell me to cool down, a lot, and sometimes I go do that.

I think you need to go rethink some stuff. This issue seems to be about you, what you feel might happen, in an almost paranoid sort of way. This is how I am reading you. It seems panicky for no good reason.

Fact of the matter is nothing on the net is truly private.

Ain't that the truth!

I don't think that a lack of persistence or patience characterised either of them.

True, but if we know anything about the next problem it's that it won't be anything like the last one. Or the one before that. I'm not trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted, I'm looking to preempt new and different problems without asking this community to change its nature. Or its rasion d'etre.

Slowing down the registration process can only make for dedicated community members. And I'm not sure how that's a bad objective.

You're right, they may not be dedicated to the side of good, but there's a process for dealing with them. That doesn't change whether the process is secretive or performed in wide open cyberspace.

And, basically, short of keeping them from interfering with the flow around here, there's nothing that can be done about someone that wants to say bad things about you (me, Cindy, Tim, lezbeans or bitterchicks) out there in cyberdom. So I think we need solutions that work towards keeping them from interfering with the flow around here.

But I don't think going into lockdown mode is the way.

Slowing down the registration process can only make for dedicated community members.

How do you define "dedicated", and is it unilaterally positive? If it's not, and since we know it might shut out people who aren't negative (I don't lurk. I didn't lurk. My registration to post gap is under a day, at every board I've registered for. I consider myself dedicated, but I'd not become a "new" Buffista with those rules. I also like to consider myself not a detriment), I don't see a compelling upside.

Allyson - I'm more angry than paranoid. I'm angry that we bend over backwards to accomodate trolls, need legislation to boot them out when they've been pains in the ass for weeks, not moments, and that we think it would be "unBuffista" to have a private place to discuss troll problems as a group. I am also frustrated that this got bundled in with a request to privatize a discussion thread in the first place, because I can (and do) understand why people are objecting to doing that.

Hayden, I'm blushing. Or something.

As long as you're not rushing to kick my ass, Consuela.