An Important Message for "Hidden Users"

[dmmb_Mandy]

I totally agree, Vic!

[newyearsday]

I admit that I was one of the people who just today wrote and asked Phillip about the hidden feature. I was curious about it, and I freely admit that I was worried a little about it.

I was freaked out! Plain and simple. I think most of us are kind of "burned" by what happened last week--and in the past few weeks--at the old stompin grounds. Before, we never knew how many people were lurking, and most of the time we sure as hell didn't think it was any trolls, cause they'da been right out in the open in the good ol' days....

Now, because of the trouble with people like iluvbbm/"Michelle,"  and because here we can SEE that there might be lurkers, we are seriously paranoid about them, when in truth we ARE a lot safer here than we ever were before.

Even though it's great to be here, we are seeing in the past day or so the effects of last week. We were in survival mode and were united against the common enemy last week, and now that we have the space to fall apart a little, there's bound to be a few waves to rock our boat. We've been through our own version of an earthquake in cyberland. Tempers and fears flare up in crisis or post-crisis. We all might need to sit back and take more of a "me-week" like Studly is trying to do, if he could lurk in peace.

So, now that I understand the "hidden" feature more, and have been reassured from reading people's reasons to use it, I agree with Victoria, Del, Studly, Surf, and everyone who is in support of NOT turning it off but allowing it to be used. I trust Phillip to know what is going on with anything here. I think we can handle that some of us would like to stay abreast of what is going on here without being pressured to play the game or contribute a post, or respond to PMs. No one has said anything to ME if I am just cruising and not sayin' much, but then again, I'm not the studly wonder that David is!!

By the way, if you can't tell, David, we love you more than all the whiskey and elk meat in the world, and we sure would hate to see you go! I also agree with you about the political thing re: wiretapping and how we are being asked to sacrifice freedom for security. I would rather have the freedom to lurk and trust that our Administrator is finally one we can trust to keep us safe from any major harm.

I don't want Phillip to feel like he needs to do anything more for us than he has already done, so I would vote to let things just stay the way they have always been. We are just getting all our kinks out from the move, from the hectic and rather sad circumstances in which we had to leave our old home. Please forgive us for our jumpiness Phillip. We're alll like horses with a low startle point right now and need a good ride or two from Jack!!!

(Did I just say that? Yep!)

 

[vkm91941]

Jenny makes a good point that I think needs to be emphasised for everyone here.  NO ONE is hidden from Phil.  He can see the name and IP address of everyone logged on to the system no matter what their settings.  And he is a vigilent webmaster.  We are in good hands here folks.

[monimm18]

Totally agree with Vic - friend, you are the voice of reason. We shouldn't impose out fears on everyone else, not to mention that the measure requested is a bit paranoid.

Phillip, you are incredibly nice and accomodating, and I am forever grateful to you for opening your "home" to us. Please don't give in to the request of removing the "hidden" feature. I have no intention of using it, but I find the principle of the whole thing wrong.

Surf, I'm with you.

Moni

[cmr107]

OK, so I realized that I thanked Phillip for doing this before I really thought about it. I just thought "wow, he got requests and is now accomodating them. That's so nice!" I had wondered about the point of the hidden feature and didn't understand why anyone would want to use it. After reading Studly's thread I now see the point. Phillip, I love you for letting us use your space and I love the way you have it now. I think you must have made the hidden feature for a reason. I don't see this as being a problem with trolls. We will not have threads getting automatically deleted here. We have an actual person who reviews the situation first. The only problem I have with the hidden feature is that I think it's fun to see who is reading the same thread as me. (Oh look, Elle is reading this funny post with me, or whatever.) I think it gives more of a feeling of closeness. But maybe that's just me....

[Phillip Dampier]

I'll keep reading your views and decide on this tomorrow based on what I see from you guys.

[Ellemeno]

I don't like the hidden feature and haven't heard a good reason (for me) to have it. 

David StudDuck, you posted a great big, "I won't be around for a week, I really am going to take a break, you won't be seeing me, I'll be off away doing my own thing, so you won't see me, i won't be here, don't look for me because I won't be around" sort of a post.  So if people are expressing surprise that you are here and posting, that seems reasonable on their part.  Just a consequence of your post, I'd say.  And that they care about you.

I do have confidence in our administrator Phillip's discernment.  But I like seeing who's in the same room with me.  Seems to me, when you don't want to be seen, don't come around.  Then when you're ready, come back.  If you don't want to answer your PMs, don't.  If you don't want to read your PMs, don't. 

[monimm18]

Clarissa, I see your point and I agree with it.

I know you don't think that because the "ignore" feature means nothing to us, it shouldn't mean anything to anyone. I know that just because we like to see who's reading the same thread we read, it doesn't mean everybody should be obligated to be visible to please us.

Yes?

I see the "ignore" featue as a mean for privacy, a thing some people care about more than others, I guess.

[fernly]

Hi Friends,
I appreciate that people are concerned about intruding on Phil's design and running of this site, but I don't think we need to worry about Phil being personally invested in the 'hidden' feature.  He posted the following when this first came up on March 31st.
Hi... I actually don't think I ever saw something like that before.  The only thing I think it *could* be is if someone has clicked off the box Show others your online status? which turned on by default under Profiles.  You guys can experiment with that and see if that is it.  I only run the forum and I don't even know what everything does. 
Let me know if that's what it is.

 My personal preference is for transparency. I remember how plesantly surprised I was, when I first saw that who's in a thread is listed here. It was like walking into a room and seeing old friends, and new people to get to know. And like any gathering, not everybody's going to be talking, some people are going to be just listening.  I've done that a lot and have never felt pressured about it.

However, I understand the points people who like the hidden feature have made.  Either way it works out, for me personally, it's finally a case of let be, let be. 

[Ellemeno]

Clarissa, I see your point and I agree with it.

I know you don't think that because the "ignore" feature means nothing to us, it shouldn't mean anything to anyone. I know that just because we like to see who's reading the same thread we read, it doesn't mean everybody should be obligated to be visible to please us.

Yes?

I see the "ignore" featue as a mean for privacy, a thing some people care about more than others, I guess.

Hi Moni, I'm not sure if you misunderstood me, or if I'm misunderstanding you.  I think you are thinking I said the opposite of what I said, which is -  I don't like the "hidden" feature.  I hope we won't use it.  (Though if it stays, I'll live with it.)  And I don't understand about coming here looking for privacy.  While you want privacy, a forum with 194 members is not the place to be, seems to me.

I'm not sure how my tone is coming across in writing - just want you all to know, I'm just expressing my opinion in a plain-spoken way.  Not upset.  In fact happy to hear all preferences.