I wish user profiles were mandatory containing accurate mandatory info therein, such as:
[li]date of birth[/li][li]actual first name only[/li][li]city/state[/li][li]actual marital status[/li][li]photograph[/li]
The process would be a lot like getting your driver’s license, so faking info would be very difficult.
Other info would be private, i.e. middle&last name, address, phone, place of employment, etc
I know I am going to get a lot of disagreement, and people will say it is a horrible idea, but I don’t care.
I’d be happy to put my stuff up. If some wacko decided to track me down, well they’d be screwed, because HIS/HER profile would identify them.
I know you don’t care, but it’s a horrible idea. Why should I have to tell you anything about myself? Hell, if I could get away with it, I’d tell the government nothing about myself.
Also, from the information you suggest as required, it’d be possible track down someone in person, without that person ever knowing anyone was searching … until it’s too late.
Now that I reread your question, I need to ask, are you referring to the SDMB profiles or something maintained by your ISP? If you’re referring to your ISP, don’t many of them already ask for a credit card? And if you’re referring to the SDMB, where the heck would our authority to require this info come from? And just think what our liability could be, if someone were to access that info. Like I said, bad idea.
I’d go with year of birth, nickname, whatever you felt comfortable divulging wrt location, singleness (or lack thereof), and a pic if one were available.
But I wouldn’t suggest those be mandatory. I would just LIKE to know some of these things as they pertain to certain dopers who shall remain nameles mostly b/c I don’t knwo their names.
It’s already there optionally. They’re called homepages.
But I’m with UncleBeer. If I didn’t have to, I wouldn’t reveal much of anything.
On the other hand, you all can find out quite a bit about me, from looking up my past posts and profile.
But so what, I’ve got dozens of other identities online.
First of all, I would NEVER want that to be a reality.
I don’t go into a grocery store and have to fill out a verification of who I am. I drive in my car and the car next to me doesn’t know who I am.
#2. Who would regulate this? This would only be another anti-privacy worm waiting to wiggle in your home.
#3. What about households with 2 or more people using the same connection. What about places, like an office, where people share the same internet connection (aka T1 connection) and the only information you see is the IP address of the router.
#4. What about people like me that have and have use to more than one internet connection?
If a user/computer is creating problems violating a TOS policy, the ISP already can track it down to who is the account owner.
I was strictly referring to ISP, such as America Online. My reasoning for the mandatory profile are well intended. However, as anything in existence may be, this may be abused by malignant a-holes.
My intention of the mandatory profile is:
[li]to discourage and/or eradicate false identity and all other related deception.[/li]
If I decide I want to contact someone by the current form of profiling, it’s all specualtive. JaneDoe2247 can claim she is 32, but she is really 15. Why would I want to talk to a 15 yr old? and so on. Maybe JaneDoe2247 is a guy IRL, eeew!
Even if my proposal were to be reality, even it would still have it’s flaws. If someone shares a screename, the ID is rendered useless.
Hmm, I think I am beginning to understand why internet socializing is so “stigmatized” now. There really is no way to stop the loonies and liars. About the ONLY way to even come close to my concept, would be the transition of all ISP instant messages, into video conferencing. Then you could always see who you’re talking to, unless of course they black out the camera. Damn. The more I try to “police” it, the more futile I see it becomes.
FWIW, I know the two are quite dissimilar, but what’s the big deal with privacy? Any NUTBALL can open up a telephone book, pick someone at random, and start stalking, spamming with telemarketing, and so on. The phone book doesn’t have pictures and ages listed, but is not all too terribly far off from what I am suggesting. Marital status, is often revealed in some phone books. e.g. Mr & Mrs John Doe, 1414 Elm St, 555-5555.
I realize now why everyone is so adamant about going out IRL to meet new people, instead of online. I have to say though, that neither one of them are easy. At least, online, you can usually “get a feel” of what someone is like before meeting them, whereas meeting non-www strangers IRL it’s like jumping out a plane and not knowing whether or not your chute is going to open. I guess it’s a gamble no matter how one tries to meet people.
I admit my OP is a horrible idea full of holes, but my intentions were good. ::::Sigh::::
Or the other way around: Cybersex gone horribly wrong. These guys have AIM profiles saying they’re sex-obsessed 12-year olds, and when the pedos IM them, they mess with their minds. Very Wally-esque.
Personally, I think the SDMB should take blood and DNA samples of every one of the members, do several psyche evaluations on everyone, dig through every single official (and some unofficial) documents on that person, and implant tracking and recording devices into each members’ neck, eyes, and ears. On top of all that, there should be 24-hour surveillance teams tracking every single board member, with each team assigned a sniper in case that particular member becomes a bit too antsy.
Oh, and the SDMB should pay us to use their board, too. 'Cuz it’s my unalienable right to use this message board. The Constitution, the Bible, and the 7th edition of Webster’s Dictionary all say as much.
How would you enforce the accuracy of the profiles?
Say Mr X subscribes to a particular ISP, and dutifully completes his profile. Then his 13-year-old son goes surfing – does he use his father’s profile, or does he get one of his own? If it’s the former, he could conceivably get into all sorts of underage shenanigans; if it’s the latter, how do you make sure he sticks to the facts?
