Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: Mr Guest on March 01, 2004, 06:38:08 PM
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Dear Dr Grossman,
I have noticed the topics on 'Guest' are continuing to reflect and even create intolerance in many a new and old thread, with so many points of views and recommedations to 'ignore'. The responses from some 'Handled Posters' and more recently 'Handled Posters Opting To Use Guest Option' which I will call 'HPOTUGO', have in my opinion been far to childish to comment on for obvious reasons and only attempts to keep the flame burning when many seem happy to let it die out. The reasons have been made clear in ditty's and challenges. So I only wish to address one issue from my perspective. It is the issue of the validity of the 'Guest' option. I can see that the 'Guest' and 'Handled' options on this site have mainly been used responsibly. And after spending some time going back through many discourses here I have found that the some of the 'Handled' are as equally aggressive or opinionated as some 'Guests'. There seem to be a lot more 'Handled' than 'Guests'. So the ratio looks to favour the 'Handled' and the 'Guests' area the minority. No access to IP addresses so no figures here. It's interesting to find that 'HPOTUGO' who are a sub-category of the 'Handled' are far more agressive than the 'Guests' . The IP addresses would tell you how many duel identities operate here, and it seems to me that the duel identitied 'HUTUGO' are mainting the 'Guest' bashing. I have recently had to address privacy issues in the workplace and as a result read 'The Unwanted Gaze, The Destruction of Privacy In America' random House 2000, byJeffrey Rosen, American Legal Academic and Journalist.
As Rosen stated, " Privacy protects us from being misdefined and judged out of context in a world of short attention spans, a world in which information can easily be confused with knowledge."
The over-arching objective of 'privacy laws' is to help each of us assert and preserve our dignity and autonomy, by allowing us, rather than governments, corporations, or anyone else to control and define information about ourselves.
In the context of the workplace, for example, the protection of privacy is about shifting the focus of power away from employers and group pressure and back to the individual.
With all the new developments in Information technology there is a correspondingly greater risk that the information that we might be happy to share with family and friends or collegues may also be shared with what Rosen calls, "A less understanding audience."
I think what would be helpful here is not so much eliminating people's privacy as "Guest' to satisfy a 'mob' mentality. I think it is a very small group of 'Handled' posters creating issues still, where there are none. 'Guests' who on the whole are quite responsible. In creating a sense of fair-play 'Guests' should be free to post as 'Guests'. Those opposed, in a spirit of fair-play should not post as 'Guests'. This can easily be monitored by moderators and administrators. Possibly by the private message system available only to the 'Handled' . Those who vehemently oppose the 'Guest' option and denounce all 'Guests' as N's, and then when convenient, use and abuse the very option they denounce are simply creating strife and division needlessly and bringing these posts to the top 'for sport' and I feel, and if it continues should be admonished privately. I believe the 'Guest' option is a valid and reasonable option for many reasons.
Mr Guest
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Hi, Mr. Guest--
I have no plans to eliminate the Guest option because it is the least vulnerable method of posting—and some people, because of their situation or history, need anonymity or the feeling of anonymity in order to participate. I would not want to take these people’s “voice” away. However, I read all posts, and while I expect tension and disagreements from time to time, I will not allow individuals, guest or member, to threaten the overall safety of the board.
This is a board uniquely populated with sensitive, caring people, all of whom have been deeply hurt at some time in their lives—and who can talk about their pain with a high degree of openness and vulnerability. I feel lucky to be part of this Board and will do everything I can to make sure it continues to be a place of growth and healing.
Richard Grossman