Why not join- it has it advantages!

17 Aug 04 - 06:06 PM (#1249776)
Subject: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Strupag

I'm delighted to get all the response from my thread about Cuillin FM but obviously I would love to have personal corresponce with many
of the contributers but, in many cases, they have that dreaded "GUEST" title before them.
Can I assure them and all our "listeners" that we could enhance this forum of only they let up and realized that the world of mudcat is a wee haven in a nasty world.
The worst virus you will get from Mudcat is LOVE

Join us All

Andy

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18 Aug 04 - 03:56 AM (#1250065)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: GUEST,Mingulay

Andy, I for one one would love to join and lose the Guest tag, but at the moment my only internet access is through work. As soon as I can afford a new box of electricaltrickery to replace my old steam driven model I will be pleased to join. I think others are in the same boat.

Pete

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18 Aug 04 - 12:34 PM (#1250472)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: PoppaGator

I, for one, have my cookie in place both at home and at work, and post under my name (well, my pseudonym) from both places. And I know I'm not the only one to post from the workplace; in fact, I know of at least one guy who used to be a regular participant until he retired -- now we only hear from him once in a great while.

I've been repremanded on rare occasions when caught goofing off (not just frequenting this site, but checking personal email, general surfing, Googling, etc), but have never had any trouble over being registered as a member here or elsewhere, nor has said membership even been discovered. (I am a registered member of a couple of *work-related* forums as well; perhaps that serves as "camoflage" for my membership here.)

Of course, some of you guests may have tighter security at your workplaces, but -- for most if not all of you -- it might very well be feasible to sign up as members.

I first registered from home, and originally participated only at home. Only very gradually, as the addiction took hold, did I begin indulging my Mudcat habit at work. So I understand anyone's trepedation about signing up for the first time from the workplace; I probably wouldn't have done so myself, either. But I can offer my opinion, based on personal experience, that most anyone who spends the workday in front of a PC can *probably* get away with joining our little club.

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18 Aug 04 - 12:43 PM (#1250484)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Bill D

some places evidently have corporate firewalls set up that are quite severe, everyone soon discovers the rules about posting/surfing form work....
I do notice the traffic drops off a lot on weekends, which tells me something...*smile*

Computers ...and even access... are gradually getting cheaper, and it will soon be no excuse not to have a computer at home.

As to 'joining'...there sure ARE advantages, but I can live with 'guests' as long as they choose a name for the sake of coherent posts.....I only object to those who make it a point to be a nameless ghost in order to troll and harass...

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18 Aug 04 - 12:43 PM (#1250486)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Leadfingers

Hobby Horse Time Again!! Its all very well inciting people to join but I note that neither Strupag NOR PoppaGator have been sufficiently interested to put a profile up . Its particularly noticeable with those members who come into MudChat , that we WOULD like to know who we are chatting to . With a lot of the Cat Names its it not easy to sort out even Gender ,let alone anything else . So YES ! Join up and then put your profiles in as well .

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18 Aug 04 - 01:51 PM (#1250554)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: artbrooks

OK, Terry, enough of your abuse. Profile sent to Jeff this morning.

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18 Aug 04 - 02:02 PM (#1250561)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Leadfingers

At least you have a Piccy up art - and i look forward to reading your profile .

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18 Aug 04 - 02:06 PM (#1250566)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: open mike

and esp. if your moniker is similar to several others...
often very difficult to sort out...that is where the profiles,
and member info comes in handy...

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18 Aug 04 - 03:14 PM (#1250636)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: GUEST,Polly Squeesebox

Bill D says he has "noticed the traffic drops off a lot on weekends". Silly me, I didn't realise this was because people were reading/posting from workplaces. I assumed it was because others, like me, were away from their home/computers at weekends and busily enjoying their folk interests at festivals, events, etc. - rather than just talking/writing about it on the net. Also, meeting Catters face to face.

Anyway, point taken - I'm off to join.

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18 Aug 04 - 03:19 PM (#1250639)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Polly Squeezebox

There you are see - no 'GUEST' - I'm all joined up!

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18 Aug 04 - 04:08 PM (#1250698)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: PoppaGator

Leadfinger:

I plead guilty to not having posted a profile, but please check out the "Member photos" section where I've posted a few revealing shots (not nekkid, but hopefully indicative of who I am).

Let me try to explain myself and my preference for semi-anonymity.

[Caution: thread drift. I didn't intend to go quite so far in my response, but I did, and here it is for what it's worth.]

Originally, over a period of several years, I would occasionally check into Mudcat, never giving a thought to membership. I would read some threads, and, when sufficiently motivated, would post a response as "GUEST, [my real name]." I would *always* append my name, in the interests of clarity; I certainly never felt that I had anything to hide.

Finally, at one point about a year and a half or two years ago, one member -- WYSIWYG -- responded within a thread, urging me to join and suggesting that I send her a PM to discuss it further. She not only persuaded me to join, but strongly encouraged me *not* to use my real name (as was my first impulse) but to adopt a "handle." Without any real conviction, I went along with the plan.

Since then, of course, I've become much more involved, and have found to my surprise that I *prefer* the modest level of anonymity that a fake name (and absense of a profile) provides. I enjoy using Mudcat as an alternative reality or fantasy world -- make of that what you will.

Case in point: I recently survived a bout with cancer. It occurred to me to ask you all for sympathy/prayers/virtual hugs, etc., but decided against it. I was getting plenty of that stuff from my real-life friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, etc. -- more than I could comfortably deal with, in truth.

I found it was better for me to keep my virtual mouth shut here in this community, in order to preserve one "place" where I could still be normal, and it worked very nicely for a crucial couple of months. As I went through diagnosis, biopsies, and the beginning of treatment, I could distract myself here, exercising my right to be my own regular completely-OK self. When I eventually became too sick to sit at the computer, I disappeared for a while.

After completing a successful round of radiation and chemotherapy -- all the cancer is completely gone now -- but while still slowly recovering from radiation sickness (which is still with me, but slowly, finally, fading away), I returned here after an absense of about three months. It was like I was never gone. I was briefly hurt that no one seemed to have missed me, but all in all, I was glad to be getting back to one aspect of my everyday life.

So: who the hell am I, anyway?

I'll reveal this much: I spent about three years of my young adulthood in a full-time effort to "make it" as a musician and singer. I wasn't all that bad -- at least, I'm certain that I grew and improved immensely during that period of obsessive, full-time commitment -- but, for a number of reasons, I eventually quit back in the mid-1970s.

More recently, I've enjoyed a few isolated opportunities to perform again, and gotten plenty of positive feedback -- enough, at least, to feel confident that I hadn't made a fool of myself. However, as yet I have not taken any serious steps to restart a musical "career," even on a part-time basis. But I still might do so -- in fact, my recent brush with mortality may prompt me to move more decisively in that direction.

If I *were* actually functioning as a working musician, I would definitely post a profile, and would switch to my real name (or, in the unlikely event that I would have adopted a "stage name," I suppose I'd use that.) All in the service of self-promotion, of course.

In the meanwhile, I'll reserve the right to reveal only as much of myself as is unavoidable or as I wish, no more, no less. I'm not trying to hoodwink anyone, not intentionally trolling or starting trouble: I only use this one identity, and any opinions I offer are genuinely my own, at least at the moment. I reserve the right to be wrong, or even stupid, on occasion; in fact, since none of you *really* know me, I feel more free to risk embarrassing myself here than I do in real life. It's a good deal, and I recommend it highly to anyone.

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18 Aug 04 - 09:47 PM (#1250986)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: GUEST

Both home and work computers are set up to erase cookies and that's how I like it for maintenance and security reasons.

I post very seldom, and it's not worth the hassle of resetting the cookie most times I log on.

I also don't really like being required to identify. I always liked the old ideal that on the internet people didn't know or care how important you were or what you looked like or how old you were, and it saddens me when I am required me to back up any freely offered idea with 'who are you' info.

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18 Aug 04 - 10:17 PM (#1251014)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: khandu

Yes! There are advantages! Just shortly after joining, I met & married my lucky wife, Cheryl! My dogs nose grew back & my cat ran permanently off! How's that for an impetus!
I only wish I had joined years earlier!!

Seriously, the PM feature is One good reason to join, it it far more useful than I had supposed!

Ken

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18 Aug 04 - 10:45 PM (#1251037)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: dick greenhaus

To GUEST-
Nobody has a problem with GUEST status; we'd just like you to identify which GUEST you are so that responses can be appropriate. GUEST X is fine, as long is it's unique to you.

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19 Aug 04 - 02:29 PM (#1251066)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: wysiwyg

Guests and others--

Regarding GUEST X is fine, as long is it's unique to you ...

I've noticed that when some folks read this sort of sentence (a lot of the Brits in particular), they tend to hear that a rule has been laid out to them, and when other folks read this sort of sentence (especially USers), they hear an encouragement, an exhortation, perhaps a practical reality. It's a difference in cultural expression, of the sort members have freely discussed here for years.

So I don't think Dick means to make a requirement. It's just a distillation of the friendly advice many, many Catters have offered. It's purely practical-- rather than quoting long passages from someone else's post, as many message boards do automatically these days-- we prefer to just address the person whose post we're responding to, around here, and maybe italicize a brief passage that sparked our response, because that's how the forum's technical design works.

~Susan

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19 Aug 04 - 02:34 PM (#1251074)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: PoppaGator

Especially in a long thread, containing multiple "GUEST" postings, we can't always tell how many different guests are participating. It can get confusing trying to keep track of who is responding to whom, etc.

That's my *only* objection to fully-anonymous messages. I don't need to know your age, gender, etc. I'm generally much more interested in the content of these messages than in the personalities generating them -- unless, of course, a message is itself personal in some sense.

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19 Aug 04 - 02:50 PM (#1251092)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: clansfolk

Quite happy for anyone to know who I am (I have a bodyguard ;0)

Clansfolk

and like PoppaGator above no objections to the "GUEST" tag, other than the same confusion - so please suffix a name tag for reference.

The handle came about when I was playing in a band with my wife and son when we chose "Clansfolk" for our name and it just stuck, unfortunately we rarely have chance for the three of us to play together nowadays.

Pete

"clansfolk"

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19 Aug 04 - 04:17 PM (#1251239)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Bill D

to 'guest'....I don't give a hoot if you accept a cookie or not, even though there is no 'security' problem with cookies at Mudcat...but like Dick and several others have said, I MUCH prefer some identifying name when you post. You can be Rumplestiltskin or Ethelbert and no one will ever know where or who you are...but if I read a post from *guest* Ethelbert 4 days later, it HELPS to connect it in my mind.

Please think: it would be total chaos if many tried to do it the way you are!

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19 Aug 04 - 11:52 PM (#1251609)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme

I have been trying to re-join for about 4 months. Every time I do that I am told I'm already a member and that I have a bunch of personal messages for me that are waiting to be read. But, still, I remain a guest and I'm not allowed to read those P.M.s. I've followed what Joe has told me to do to make things right, but some time in July I just quit trying to re-join. No big deal, but that's why I'm a GUEST.

Art Thieme

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I have been known to make house calls, Art. Keep a light on.
-Joe Offer-

...better make it a long-burning light. But I DO hope to see you when I visit my sister in Oshkosh.

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20 Aug 04 - 01:55 AM (#1251647)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: dick greenhaus

For relative newcomers, the GUEST ID was adopted when it was found that some non-members were posting things signed with members' names (or handles.)

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20 Aug 04 - 02:42 AM (#1251656)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Doug Chadwick

..........WYSIWYG -- responded within a thread, urging me to join and suggesting that I send her a PM to discuss it further. She not only persuaded me to join, but strongly encouraged me *not* to use my real name (as was my first impulse) but to adopt a "handle."


WYSIWYG, can you explain the problem with using a real name? What dangers have I been opening myself to over the last few years?

Doug C

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20 Aug 04 - 03:10 AM (#1251665)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: Joe Offer

Hey, I use my real name, and it works for me. Dogs, women, and children love me. But generally, I'm not completely sure it's completely safe for anyone, especially a woman or child, to use a complete name on the Internet - even though I do it myself.

I know there's a belief that many regular Mudcatters log out and use false identities when they want to cause problems. I've watched that with my Magic eye for quite some time, and I can tell you that doesn't happen very often. Most people who post anonymously, always post anonymously. Regular Mudcatters who aren't logged in, usually type in their usual name in the "from" box - they rarely use names other than their usual names.

-Joe Offer-

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20 Aug 04 - 07:21 AM (#1251825)
Subject: RE: Why not join- it has it advantages!
From: The Shambles

Please think: it would be total chaos if many tried to do it the way you are!

Yes think - -it would simply mean that folk would have to concentrate on what is being said - rather than who MAY be saying it.

Bottom line is that Max has invited us all (including named or unnamed guests), to contribute and has given us all the choice to post as we wish. Those who do not like everyone being given this choice and wish their preference to be imposed on other posters and maintain this year after year, can always choose to contribute somewhere else.

If they do choose to remain - perhaps they can finally accept the reality? That they are as welcome by Max (the site owner) to express their views and to their free choice as everyone else is and using their own name or the same handle does not make anyone's views more important or valid (no matter how many fellow members may agree).

However, becoming a member does enable posters to use the Personal Messages fuction to comunicate off of the forum(s). That is a practical advantage - it is not however, an indication of rank.

Freedom of choice is usually thought to be good thing.

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