PM QUESTION!

Hi There \_(•_&bull_/

If you don't have facebook and wish to unlock DMs just email contact@broadwayworld.com w/ any form of identification - and we'll get that set for you.

As the notice says, it is not just to prevent spam, but also abuse. While the internet will always afford some level of anonymity, the more that people have to put their real name to something online, the more likely they are to think about what they are saying, and hopefully not attack others.

Now, there are two points about that that I would like to make. 1) Anyone who has high school friends that disagree on politics knows that just by having someone's real name attached to a message doesn't mean that all of their posts will be civil, but it's a start.

2) We also realize that there is a downside of this in our specific community. There are some individuals (including those that work in the industry) that enjoy posting on the board, because they can share their knowledge and opinions with similarly passionate people, without it impacting their real life friends, work, etc. We obviously hate for those people to lose the ability to post without fear of their online opinions having real-world implications. But, as I've said before today, we are trying to come up with the best resolution to an all-around difficult situation.

This is where we have arrived for now. Will it be where we land permanently? Honestly, I can't tell you. But, we are optimistic that it will help maintain a certain level of civility on the boards moving forward.

Wait, so if I don't have Facebook I have to email the website a copy of my ID? Sorry mods, but I don't trust you (or most other sites, nothing personal) enough for that. I'll pass on the PMs.

Updated On: 12/10/18 at 06:22 PM

WHAT???? RIDICULOUS. BWW already has everyone's email (from signing up) NO WAY that I'm going to give you my personal fb info.

Wait, I'm sorry, you now need a Facebook account to send and receive private messages? That seems crazy and intrusive.

I have read a few threads over the years that have included horrible verbally abusive language, death threats, homophobia, hate speech, online stalking, etc.... Last night was no where near that level, guys, figure something else out.

And what about when two users get into a harmless spat over PM and one doxxes the other? What's gonna happen, the post gets deleted? Too late, it's already been screenshotted at least a dozen times.

Updated On: 12/10/18 at 06:55 PM

The vast majority of message boards and websites do not require you to link Facebook to make comments, it might be an option but there's always an option to sign up with an email and user name.

Can we please stop being over dramatic about how the conversations here need to be fixed? This place in all my years of being here has never been as bad as people make it out to be. Are there some people who are more snarky than others? Sure, but welcome to the real world. Not everyone is going to like you and that's just fine.

Updated On: 12/10/18 at 07:19 PM

Moderator said: "I understand that this is a new step, and is off-putting to many, but we are hopeful that if – even just for the short term –people are required to put their real name on things, that it will improve the discourse. However, as I said before, this is not something that we are committed to doing forever at this point yet, but it is something that we will be doing for the short term, as we continue to evaluate the processes of the board."

In no way will forcing people to reveal their identities improve discourse. While many forum software (IPM is the primary one) allow users to register with their social media profiles, it only collects the e-mail address as a form of registration. Forums that use this software aren't using the social media accounts as a means of regulating discourse.

What you are describing here is a panopticon means of surveillance. Users aren't entirely sure how their personal information is going to be used, just that it is being collected and could be used against them as a means of punishment if they speak out of line - which isn't even being properly outlined because it sounds like this was a hasty decision without thinking of potential consequence or backlash.

And another way of treating everyone as children. If there are people that violate your rules (first, you need to be coonsistent about those) you deal with THEM, and instead of "punishig" everyone. It's not that hard.





A shame, BWW was a place I'd stop by frequently, but I'm an adult and expect to be treated as one.