To be a member or a guest?

Subject: To be a member or a guest?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:10 PM

I have posted to this site numerous times as a "guest" but with the same "post name after" I have used Mudcat regularly for posts, lyrics and all kinds of things, but now want to join up, but joined one or two other forum type sites to my deep regret, being bombarded with emails, junk and crap, and even being billed for services.

Is Mudcat really not the scary monster that i think it's not, why not stay a guest, what will I actually achieve as a result of member status?

I leave my post, a blank guest, for fear, some may agree / disagree with statements or prior posts, which will influence your responces.

C'mon Help me make the jump.......

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:15 PM

"what will I actually achieve as a result of member status"

Nothing....

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:16 PM

Nothing....

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:27 PM

Stay as a Guest.
Scooby.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:30 PM

... being bombarded with emails, junk and crap, and even being billed for services....

Been here since 2000. Never had any of these.

Joining lets you in on all sorts of things soe of which are described well HERE.

~Susan

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: MMario
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:34 PM

but if it would make you feel better I am *willing* to bill you for services. Or even to bill you for nothing.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:35 PM

Like as with anything else in life..If you are a member you get more of a sense of belonging. What I am wondering is...why did I want to belong here?

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: The Shambles
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:37 PM

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
Groucho Marx

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:46 PM

I go back to near the beginning at Mudcat. In all that time, I've never received unsolicited e-mails due to Mudcat. Even the private messages I've received (a benefit of membership) are few in number, easily managed, and always germane to some topic I've posted on.

You'll get the ability to post without having to remember to add on a name after "guest," the ability to send and receive private messages, and much more control over filtering the message thread here. You'll be able to trace threads, so that you can find them a week later after they've probably dropped off the bottom of the board (or six years later, when they've certainly dropped off the bottom of the board!). Sharing information like locations or birthdays or contact info on the members pages is optional, and even there, I can say from personal experience of many years that the information hasn't been abused.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 02:59 PM

*shrug*...I have no problems with a guest who uses a regular, identifiable name.....I do prefer the ability to PM someone, and to 'feel' that they trust US.

Suit yourself, but the advantages noted above are real if you use the forum regularly....and if you do not become one of the rare folks who become lightning rods of controversy.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Jeri
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 03:04 PM

You can, as a member, receive and send PMs, you can trace threads, you can get to the members' pages with profiles and photos, and you can view messages as a list of "Messages since last visit", which shows who posted what.

I've been a member since membership first existed here, and haven't ever received any spam on account of it. Whether or not you make your e-mail public is entirely up to you.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 03:04 PM

I've joined a few forums where you have to give them a "real" email address because they send you a password. Not so at Mudcat. You pick your own password. The email address you give can be totally bogus if you want. But, if you do tell then that your email address is "[e-mail]" make sure you don't ever forget your password because that's the address the response to a forgotten password query will be sent.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Crane Driver
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 03:46 PM

And, of course, there's the reason membership was introduced in the first place - it prevents anyone else passing themselves off as you in contentious discussions (contentious? here? never!)

If you post as Guest(whatever), there's nothing to stop someone else also posting under the same name, and you might be held responsible for anything they might say.

It happened, apparently, which is why membership was introduced.

Of course, if you're not likely to meet other mudcatters in person it probably doesn't matter too much.

And I've also never had any unsolicited emails or spurious bills as a result of my membership of mudcat.

Andrew

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: kendall
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:19 PM

As a member, you can also get into the Mudcat chat.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:20 PM

Become a mamber. Then you can post as GUEST whenever you want. As GUEST, you can't post as a member--unless it's as GUEST(member name). That has happened and on occasion GUESTS have posted as members. Sometimes it gets handled and sometimes not. FYI.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:23 PM

AS a member you can join in the auctions as well.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: number 6
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:23 PM

Exactly Peace .... so why not become a member.

And it's free too ... and that's hard to beat these days.

sIx

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:41 PM

The only conceivable reason not to become a member would be the desire to remain totally anonymous. There are no hidden costs or promotional emails to worry about.

The only disadvantage to becoming a member is that people sort of get to know who you are after awhile (or at least think they do), and that can lead to repetitive crap and arguments with various people who just don't like your style, and that can get annoying sometimes. But it's a minor problem, I'd say.

There are no financial or procedural or technical risks involved in being a member.

The only thing you will achieve as a result of member status is that you will be clearly identifiable AS you whenever you post something. That's it. Period.

Example: You can always post as "Guest, the idiot"...but then some other Guest may also post as "Guest, the idiot" after awhile when people have gotten to think they know who YOU are, and he may pretend to be you and further say that he hates Jews, blacks, and women and is in favour of child pornography. Then a lot of people will jump to the conclusion that YOU are a racist, anti-semitic, sexist, criminally perverted pig. That can be damned inconvenient, even though nobody knows who "Guest, the idiot" really is...

But, if you become a member and have a member name, such as "Charlie the Tuna", then no Guest can anonymously log on as "Charlie the Tuna"...they can only log on as "Guest, Charlie the Tuna". This will be a signal that they are an impostor. Thus your reputation will remain relatively unsullied when they claim to be you and admit to performing grotesque acts upon young penguins or something like that. That's about all there is to it, really.

Members have more credibility than Guests because they are more identifiable.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Ebbie
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:42 PM

For good or bad, as a member one develops a recognizable personality with interests, views, quirks and foibles and, on occasion, buttons to be pushed that are unique to oneself. As a member you are part of a community- as a Guest, it is much harder to feel a part of the Mudcat.

I have noticed, Clinton, that you are a member. :)

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: number 6
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 04:47 PM

Yeah ... whether he likes it or not Clinton is part of the community.

Good post Ebbie!

sIx

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: GUEST,Martin gibson
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 05:18 PM

No, he is the fart of the community.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: GUEST,DB
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 05:57 PM

Yes, I can testify that I've just been impersonated, on another thread, by a very sick individual.
I was once a member but when I came back, after a computer breakdown, I found I'd been 'de-membered' and procrastinated over joining up again. After the 'impersonation by a psycho' incident, though, I think I'll have to join again - but will dream up another name.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 05:59 PM

48.5

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:00 PM

I think you should be a gember or a muest.

Dare to be different.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:03 PM

Muest Gemberships are quite rare, and accordingly, are highly valued.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:05 PM

Gembers are not common either. However, due to the . . . .

98

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:07 PM

I would rathed be dis-guested than dis-membered.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 06:38 PM

Well the last person I remember encouraging to join and become one of us was Martin Gibson!
So it's no good asking me again!
Giok

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:03 PM

But at least you know he's the same person - and it means that it's possible to balance off in your mind the posts and the topics where he is more likely to communicate courteously.

Looking at all the handy aspects about having a membership it's hard to see any signifucant reasons not to. You don't get ever spam via the Mudcat.   Unless you get your email address you nevwer get emails from Mudcatter either. I suppose it woudl be possible to get PMs from othwer Mudcatters which were a nuisance, but thats never happened to me, and I'm sure that if it became a problem fro anyone the offenders would be shuty down.

So come on in, the water's lovely. But if you decide not to, than do please try to stick a name or label after your "GUEST", even a temporary one for a particular thread perhaps, to make it possible to have a conversation.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: The Shambles
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:11 PM

Why by a book when you can join a library?
Ricky Gervais

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:27 PM

"451"

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:53 PM

451!! Ohhh, a hot one!

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:55 PM

"0"

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 07:56 PM

that's a naught, so's you'd notice.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 08:11 PM

That's a good Italian accent, Bill.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: number 6
Date: 15 Mar 06 - 10:50 PM

"Why by a book when you can join a library?"

.. because you don't know who might have read the book before you.

sIx

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:09 AM

If you're a member, you can sign guests into the club.
If you're a guest, you can't sign a member or other guests in, unless you're a member of a "Guests only" club, of course, in which case you arre in fact a member...
Wait, what was the question again?

Seamus

OK, now I remember...if you're a member, you can PM bona fide big stars like me and Clinton Hammond and Kendall and Alaska Mike and Jed Marum who wouldn't normally give you the time of day if you greeted us on the street or e-mailed us, or even phoned us.
But we (don't we guys?) take our Mudcat superstardom very seriously.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 05:58 AM

"There was great excitement in the palace and the Emperor's clothes were the talk of the town. At last the weavers declared that the clothes were ready. Then the Emperor, with the most distinguished gentlemen of the court, came to the weavers. Each of the swindlers lifted up an arm as if he were holding something. "Here are Your Majesty's trousers," said one. "This is Your Majesty's mantle," said the other. "The whole suit is as light as a spider's web. Why, you might almost feel as if you had nothing on, but that is just the beauty of it."

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 08:11 AM

Hypocrisy in anything whatever may deceive the cleverest and most penetrating man, but the least wide-awake of children recognizes it, and is revolted by it, however ingeniously it may be disguised.
Leo Tolstoy

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: The Shambles
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 08:14 AM

Proposal for members only posting of BS

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 11:35 AM

I'm a member, but everytime I post, I get the Guest designation. Don't know why.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 11:50 AM

Reset your cookie. Log out. Reboot your computer. Log back in with your name and password. That should work.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Mar 06 - 02:03 PM

leenia...somewhere, your browser has been told not to 'remember' your cookie between sessions...gotta change that. Different browsers, slightly different places.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 10:23 AM

Thanks, Peace and Bill D. I've tried telling Internet Explorer not to block cookies from mudcat.org.   We shall see.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 12:32 PM

It's a Cafe. The coffee and dohnuts are subsidised for members!. Good coffee too.

Spot the Dog

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Wesley S
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 12:36 PM

And besides - you have to become a member before you can be allowed access to the super secret "other" Mudcat forum for cool people only. No riff-raff allowed. Insiders only.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: gnu
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 01:09 PM

Shhhh!!!!!

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Kaleea
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 01:14 PM

Ooooh! A secret society. Groovey! uh, except, umm-I thought I saw some kinda seedy looking people going in the backroom.

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 01:28 PM

That'll be Bobert he's just released a new seedy under the name of Sidewalk Bob.
G.☺

Subject: RE: To be a member or a guest?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 06 - 01:34 PM

I think most people here feel it's more polite to use a consistent name. Unless your post is totally objective and innocuous, an ominous tone is added to your post if you use no name, or inconsistent names.
It used to be that registered Mudcatters rarely logged out to post anonymously, but a number of Mudcatters have broken that tradition lately. That's a shame - it seems to me to be a betrayal of trust.
If you know a person by name, you tend to feel more comfortable and trusting.
I think that kind of trust is a worthwhile thing to cultivate here.
-Joe-