We've all seen the posts. Perhaps a new member introduction or someone's cry for help.
Inevitably one of the quick responses that appear in the thread reads along the lines of "where do you live"?
Often the justification for this is something like "well, it's so we can tell him or her where to buy stuff".
Friends, in an Internet age that is a pretty barren excuse. No one directs folks to the General Store on the Main Street of their town. They are directed to links. Or Google.
I understand that there are a lot of well-meaning, friendly members on this forum that mean well. It sure is nice to know where everyone is from, and it is doubly nice to tout about one's 'friends' that are scattered across the globe.
It's kind of a HAM radio thing. But this is not HAM radio.
The purpose of this thread is to remind folks that the dynamics of this go-kart forum are a lot different than most of the other forums that are out there.
The difference is that we attract kids, and parents of kids.
Many people are very careful of relationships with imaginary Internet friends when their kids are involved. I don't think I need to elaborate.
This is a public, searchable forum that appears in Google's results. Think about the implications of that for folks cautious about creeps whose reason for living is to stalk or otherwise harm people researched on the Internet.
Someone will reply "well, there are no secrets, they can look at your IP address". No one on this forum can see a member's IP address, except for the site admins.
This poor argument is rendered even more barren by the fact that just because some information is out there on all of us does not mean that individuals are not motivated to make it harder for the miscreants.
Is there anyone here who thinks the lock on a door would keep out a determined thief? Of course not. Do we not still lock our doors? I rest my case.
My ask is that we all not be so quick on the trigger is outright asking for or attempting to shame people into disclosing their location information.
When you do, you can chase away the kids and the parents of the kids. No forum thrives that chases people away.
Inevitably one of the quick responses that appear in the thread reads along the lines of "where do you live"?
Often the justification for this is something like "well, it's so we can tell him or her where to buy stuff".
Friends, in an Internet age that is a pretty barren excuse. No one directs folks to the General Store on the Main Street of their town. They are directed to links. Or Google.
I understand that there are a lot of well-meaning, friendly members on this forum that mean well. It sure is nice to know where everyone is from, and it is doubly nice to tout about one's 'friends' that are scattered across the globe.
It's kind of a HAM radio thing. But this is not HAM radio.
The purpose of this thread is to remind folks that the dynamics of this go-kart forum are a lot different than most of the other forums that are out there.
The difference is that we attract kids, and parents of kids.
Many people are very careful of relationships with imaginary Internet friends when their kids are involved. I don't think I need to elaborate.
This is a public, searchable forum that appears in Google's results. Think about the implications of that for folks cautious about creeps whose reason for living is to stalk or otherwise harm people researched on the Internet.
Someone will reply "well, there are no secrets, they can look at your IP address". No one on this forum can see a member's IP address, except for the site admins.
This poor argument is rendered even more barren by the fact that just because some information is out there on all of us does not mean that individuals are not motivated to make it harder for the miscreants.
Is there anyone here who thinks the lock on a door would keep out a determined thief? Of course not. Do we not still lock our doors? I rest my case.
My ask is that we all not be so quick on the trigger is outright asking for or attempting to shame people into disclosing their location information.
When you do, you can chase away the kids and the parents of the kids. No forum thrives that chases people away.