Would I be permitted to start a thread in MPSIMS titled “Private Message me your confessions” and with the content of the thread something along the lines of “Got something you want to share with a stranger on the internet but don’t want it posting on the board? PM me - confidnentiality assured”.
Basically I’m nosy 
Aside from being tacky, you can’t promise confidentiality, assuming you are not a lawyer, priest, doctor, or other person with a legal privilege against disclosure.
no, true that. And of course if someone confessed to murder or something I wouldn’t be keeping it confidential anyway, despite my claim.
If this is a serious question, the serious answer is – no.
Although PMs are enabled here – and I think we all enjoy the convenience of them – the emphasis at the SDMB is on community, and on conversations that we can all participate in, whether through posting or just through reading. What you’re proposing is antithetical to that.
Plus, of course, raising all kinds of sticky ethical and legal issues, as Oakminster suggests.
There’s no specific rule against it, but I’m with twickster: no, because it’s a terrible idea in general.
ok dokes - I thought that might be the answer so was best to check!
Is this what the SDMB has become? The OP is suggesting a thread that breaks convention and puts a new spin on an old idea, and you want to discourage him. It’s just this sort of wierdness, thinking outside the box and provocative posting that made this message board really great. Now you’re discouraging it because it’s tacky?
Don’t listen to them, AL. Post your thread.
NETA: the OP is under no legal obligation to guarantee the confidentiality he promises in the OP. A reasonable person knows this. Saying he can’t (promise confidentiality) is akin to pointing out that wearing a cape doesn’t enable one to fly. Rediculous.
Excellent advice, after two different mods have said not to. :rolleyes:
Are you saying the thread proposed is against the rules, then?
Probably not. But it’s a bad idea, just like telling people to start a thread after mods have told them not to is a bad idea. Angry Lurker had no complaints about our response and was very polite, so I think the matter’s closed.
I’ll be more specific: the thread isn’t against the rules. “Let’s list our PIN codes and Social Security numbers!” wouldn’t be against the rules either, but it would still get shut down on the ground that it’s a lousy idea and could cause problems for participants.
I was just expressing my opinion. Are you saying that if a topic is technically not against the rules, but offends your sensibilities, then the topic (and discussion of it) are forbidden?
Huh. I kind of liked the idea. I know it could be abused, but that’s what we have rules for. And one could ask questions one could not under their real name.
Oh well. Not like I was committed to it or something.
“Offends our sensibilities”? :rolleyes:
It’s against the ethos of community we have here. (Where would such a thread go after the OP? There’s no topic of conversation there, and conversation is what we do here.)
If he opens such a thread in MPSIMS, Marley and I will race to see who can close it first, because we’re allowed to use our judgment about what is and isn’t acceptable in that forum. This would not be acceptable.
Would a betting pool be allowed? Marley is the wiley veteran, you’re the brash young upstart. Could be a race for the ages…
You had me at eyeroll emoticon.
Knock yourselves out – but only a chump would bet on me. Marley’s honed his skills hunting spammers, and has been known to ban them before they even post. Seriously. Dude is good.
Thanks – I do pride myself on my eyerolling.
So posting something that is a “bad idea” is “unacceptable” and will be closed down, but it isn’t against the rules.
I think that sounds like a very cool thread, but only if Angry Lurker posts what people PM him without the names. It would be a kind of PostSecret, only message board style. I fail to see how this is on par with revealing Social Security Numbers.
And if Angry Lurker just wants people to PM him confessions (and not post anything after the initial plea) how exactly is locking the thread going to accomplish anything?
This kind of modding seems like bizarre paternalism to me.