01-09-2011, 07:25 PM
Thanks for the response, and it would be good to have a sensible discussion.
Firstly, see those new smileys that people seem very happy with? Is there one that expresses a combination of shock, horror, bemusement, quizzicality and a touch (not too much) of amusement??
Because now would be a good time to use one....
Hugh, Brechin makes a good point. There is also the question of bias in the question asked. The question as posed only queries one aspect of the username debate, namely identifiability. Posters who use initials are easily identifiable. Posters who used puns on their names were also identifiable. Others who used slightly more obscure names could be sussed out with a little effort. It cannot be clear from the results of this poll which, if any, subset of such posters would be permitted by those who are voting "yes".
As stated in my other post, there is also the dimension of whether the "forename surname" convention should be relaxed, and if so, to what extent. The moderators appear to have conceded that the naming convention is not, as previously asserted, purely to do with a technical requirement to map names. One may conclude that the convention is there for other reasons, possibly aesthetic.
Not all of society conforms to the "forename surname" model so I don't think we should enforce this here.
Similarly, I see no harm in allowing lower cases, spaces (or not) or underscores. But then I am in favour of allowing pretty much anything.
Finally (for now, possibly), I can imagine circumstances where people are either reluctant to stick their head above the parapet and make their first post, or otherwise feel unable to post under an identifiable (whatever that may be) username. Anonymity may allow such people to post and hence broaden the appeal of this forum.
Firstly, see those new smileys that people seem very happy with? Is there one that expresses a combination of shock, horror, bemusement, quizzicality and a touch (not too much) of amusement??
Hugh Brechin Wrote:that's before you get into whether anyone would believe 'Alistair Campbell'.
Because now would be a good time to use one....
Hugh Brechin Wrote:I will say this - having this poll on a new noticeboard where the presumption is that everyone registers under their own name seems likely to lead to a fairly significant sampling bias.
Hugh, Brechin makes a good point. There is also the question of bias in the question asked. The question as posed only queries one aspect of the username debate, namely identifiability. Posters who use initials are easily identifiable. Posters who used puns on their names were also identifiable. Others who used slightly more obscure names could be sussed out with a little effort. It cannot be clear from the results of this poll which, if any, subset of such posters would be permitted by those who are voting "yes".
As stated in my other post, there is also the dimension of whether the "forename surname" convention should be relaxed, and if so, to what extent. The moderators appear to have conceded that the naming convention is not, as previously asserted, purely to do with a technical requirement to map names. One may conclude that the convention is there for other reasons, possibly aesthetic.
Not all of society conforms to the "forename surname" model so I don't think we should enforce this here.
Similarly, I see no harm in allowing lower cases, spaces (or not) or underscores. But then I am in favour of allowing pretty much anything.
Finally (for now, possibly), I can imagine circumstances where people are either reluctant to stick their head above the parapet and make their first post, or otherwise feel unable to post under an identifiable (whatever that may be) username. Anonymity may allow such people to post and hence broaden the appeal of this forum.