A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.
Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych
In the quote above, Betsy says, "If you claim to be someone famous, we reserve the right to ask you to prove it." I think that's fair, as famous people go. (Also, with few exceptions, famous people seem to prefer to be handheld into the posting board process, and then run with it themselves, rather than leaping up on us when we're all unawares.)
As unfamous people go, I suspect it's not hard to tell when there's an unpleassantly intentional similarity involved. The name-chooser would be basically trying to provoke, when choosing an intentionally similar name, so it doesn't work unless people can recognize it. Unintentionally similar names are just that -- it's wise to pick something that won't be confusing, but I don't think it warrants Stompy intervention unless it causes a real mess.
I would be bummed if someone registered as Lysa Jane or Lyra J., or Lyra Jeanne, but if she thought of it on her own I wouldn't want to take it away from her.
Exactly. When amyth first showed up, I was a little "WHA??!!", but it obviously wasn't meant as a spoof -- my boardname is my first name and last two initials; hers is her first name and pseud initials that she'd used for years before ever coming to this board. Neither of has any more right to it than the other, and aside from BITCH STOLE MY NAME! occasional reading mixups, we've all gotten used to it.
When Astarte came on board as Ro, a bunch of people mixed her up with Rio; she was the one who offered to change (iirc, anyway), but if she had expressed a longtime attachment to the name, we would've gotten used to that too.
Porn argument? Know it when I see it?
Yeah, pretty much that.
we just have to apply the Polaroid 12 step analysis.
You do that. Knock yourself out.
we just have to apply the Polaroid 12 step analysis.
We can just see what develops.
FTR, the poster in question is not registered under that same name on the site they linked to.
I do think the similar names thing is basically only gonna be enforced for the VIPs (see amyth, amych).
Well, isn't that nice. Said poster called us "no-life assholes" and it was posted by the webmaster at HMC.
it was posted by the webmaster at HMC.
He came over to pimp his own site? And then insult us?
Someone slept through Marketing 101.
Let's Doblerize on the specific incident. He delurked; it went badly; he went back to lick his wounds and hurl a few accusations. I don't want this to turn into, like, Jets-and-Sharks time, only with keyboards instead of switchblades.
I know we aren't looking at new features right now, but from the discussion in Bureau (and I am posting this there also), I went to the Hellmouth Central site and found these pages.
Would something like this be useful here? Leaving out the Private Messaging - people could opt in the information they felt comfotable with and everyone would be in one place rather than having to look at each profile.
I do think the similar names thing is basically only gonna be enforced for the VIPs (see amyth, amych).
I'd agree on generous latitude for the non-famous, especially for posters working from their RL real names.
It isn't like anyone confuses me with Pete, Husband of Reason. And I certainly don't have a monopoly on "Fred." (Though I do reserve the right to the occasional intentional and humorous misunderstanding involving the AtS character.)
I don't want this to turn into, like, Jets-and-Sharks time, only with keyboards instead of switchblades.
Wasn't trying to be all Jets-and-Sharks; just expressing amazement.
