Announcement

**sundance** · 07-05-2007, 10:34 PM

You all have a lot of control over anonymous posting. What I mean by this is that boards tend to go with the standards set by the majority.

If you don't like anonymous posting, post with your name all the time and that will be the norm. If you do like it, post anonymously and that will be the norm.

The same goes for an attack style board. If the majority accepts attack style posting, then that will become the norm. If the majority refrains from doing so and speaks our against it then it won't.

07-05-2007, 10:49 PM

in favor of allowing guet to post---otherwise you just hear from the same old ones. Also, some may be concerned of what could happen to their child/player

**MASoccer** · 07-06-2007, 07:59 AM

Originally posted by Anonymous

in favor of allowing guet to post---otherwise you just hear from the same old ones. Also, some may be concerned of what could happen to their child/player

I had agreed with this initially, but as of late this has become seriously abused. Not sure how to handle it, but I fail to understand what is so difficult about registering a user name. The user name helps you to still remain anonymous, the guest privilege has lost a lot of its credibility.

**JustForFun** · 07-06-2007, 08:12 AM

MASoccer writes:

The user name helps you to still remain anonymous

Or develop a split-personality

Mr. 4-Onion 2-Stats 4-Bag

**beentheredonethat** · 07-06-2007, 08:21 AM

Also, some may be concerned of what could happen to their child/player

This is part of the problem. Like my daddy always told me, "if can't say something to someones face, then it shouldn't be said". Registering a name does not expose you as an individual it just links your comments to an online personality. You can be whoever you want to be and unless you somehow give your identity away you can be absolutely anonymous.

One note I have, is there a way to have the skin change when you log in like the old touchline? That's how I used to remember that I was logged in. I bounce from several locations and use public computers that won't allow me to automatically log in and must do it consiously. I've made the mistake of not loggin in several times over the past weeks and posted as a guest. Once you hit submit, it's too late.

**MASoccer** · 02-02-2008, 10:26 AM

Time to take another look at the guest posting policy. This forum has become so tiresome to follow. The guest posting is impossible to keep track of and the cowardice behavior has really diluted any small bit of integrity this forum may have held. I am in favor of "booting" the guest option. I have stayed away from this forum for a while, now I know why.

**IFC** · 02-02-2008, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by MASoccer

Time to take another look at the guest posting policy. This forum has become so tiresome to follow. The guest posting is impossible to keep track of and the cowardice behavior has really diluted any small bit of integrity this forum may have held. I am in favor of "booting" the guest option. I have stayed away from this forum for a while, now I know why.

I agree with this. Being relatively new to this forum, I have been very disppointed with the lack of decent discussion and the prominent role of the cowardly guests. The recent thread of the Blackwatch player is just unacceptable. If these people (or person) cannot even have the balls to register a username, can you imagine what they would be like on the sidelines of the soccer field? These are the people that give youth soccer a bad name. I vote for pushing for a "no guest" option!

**onthree** · 02-02-2008, 10:39 AM

Posting under a username seems to bring the psychology of relatively decent behavior. For the reader, it's just easier to follow the flow of a conversation.

**Liverpool Coach** · 02-02-2008, 11:04 AM

I am in favor of having to use a registered name. Allowing people to post under "guest" encourages sniping and poor behavior. As in anything, if there is proper leadership then this board could be alot better. Of course I am sure the trolls will then register in manners that will still keep them as anonymous as possible such as guest, guests, guest1, guest2, etc. But atleast with that we will still have a better ID process. Think about it though....why does someone want to post anonymously? If you think about it critically should we really give any value to those posts?

**reality** · 02-02-2008, 01:10 PM

This is a great little situation. Probably 9/10s of all posts are fully anonymous. Probably most of the rest are from unknown but identified posters (like me, BTDT, Cujo, FSM) and only 1% are from people like Fred Marks or O3 who post as real people. I can tell you that I always post under my handle, but there really is no way to know whether I do or don't. Same is true for any regular "logged in" personality. There have been times that I have suspected that one or two individuals have moved segments of or entire threads with nothing but their own mutliple posts. Who really cares? First, the owners of this little shack have made it clear that they have no intention of requiring that people use screen names. My take is that you can complain and ask all you want, but the rules will stay the same. Second, except for those factual informational posts about some specific event, everything on this site is opinion and speculation. Lots of good information but plenty of absolute BS. Finally, as to the attacks, I agree that most of the individuals who do (and most are purely anonymous) would never have the guts to walk up to anybody and actually confront them about these things. But as my mommy always told me, take it from where it comes.

**FXWLD 24/7** · 02-02-2008, 02:24 PM

I joined when everyone moved from touchline. Since that time I feel like I've read 5-10 decent "guest" posts. I don't know Cujo, I may not even read what he posts, but the immediate attack of everything he posts is ridiculous! At least when MA Soccer and Zap were going at it, it was reasonably respectful and you could follow the dialogue.

I say guests (all 3 of you) get a backbone and register or maybe FSM can recommend another forum where registering is required.

**MASC** · 02-02-2008, 04:00 PM

Keeper had set-up:

http://touchline.informe.com/

The response from MA has been underwhelming.

If find that these forums, blogs, emails, etc. can be very trying vehicles for communications. It is very easy to take items out of context or read intent where none was meant. To attempt irony leads to incredible hurt/mis-interpretation.

What I find very disturbing is the amount of discussion of specific teams, players, and coaches in very competitive/combative fashion.

Being a parent of players, I appreciate the trap of youth sports. There is so much emotional involvement with the success of one's off-spring that it is hard to rationally deal with youth sport.

02-02-2008, 07:48 PM

I have read (occasionally) for months and posted a handful of time. If change to require registration, I may still read but will never post - and I'd like to think that the few times I have posted it was because I did have something useful to say. But if you just want to talk among yourselves, go ahead. I hope it's your loss, time will tell.