I for one can agree with this. There are some communities where I personally want to separate my real identity from my online identity for privacy reasons. Usually its because I don't trust that particular community or that community for historical reasons knows me by my online identity instead of my real name.
On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 12:19 PM, Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> wrote: > On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 1:02 PM, Dennis E. Hamilton > <dennis.hamil...@acm.org> wrote: > > I think this thread was split off in response to Eric wanting to know > Hagar's real name. It doesn't matter what that question was about. > > > > There was, however, a nice post and new thread providing an interesting > situation with pseudonyms being used by folks who have registered iCLAs and > who might become committers, etc. It can be arranged that the real name > (required on an iCLA) need not be how a person is identified anywhere here. > No one is insisting that RGB ES (<rgb.m...@gmail.com>) go by any other > identification here. > > > > But if RGB happened to have an iCLA on file and wanted to contribute some > code, there would need to be a way to match up the persona identification in > the list post with the iCLA on file. Likewise, if RGB were a member of the > PPMC, and a vote was conducted here on this list, the PPMC would need a way > to confirm that to be a binding (and non-duplicated) vote from a PPMC > member. > > > > (Note: Committers have Apache User Name/IDs, so it works really well to > use those for "official business." But even those don't have to have > anything to do with real names. You could look up the user name on the > public list and the pseudonym could appear there. My Apache User Name/ID is > "orcmid" and I do use orc...@apache.org here from time to time. I have my > real name show on posts, too, but I don't *have* to do that.) > > > > Whether or not the use of real names, or a real name being known somehow, > improves behavior is an interesting question but the places where a real > name is *necessary* isn't related to that, it seems to me. > > > > I think the implication is this. If I use my real name, then my > behavior is public, along with what people say about me. Since I, > like most people, use my real name with my employer and on my CV, that > ties everything together. Someone who does not do that can separate > their real-world identity from their online identity. This might > allow a politically oppressed dissident to participate on the list. > But it also allows someone to flame with impunity. If they lose their > reputation, they can just come back tomorrow with another pseudonym. > > > > - Dennis > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: RGB ES [mailto:rgb.m...@gmail.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 07:11 > > To: ooo-dev@incubator.apache.org > > Subject: Re: Real names (was: What is needed for Support Forums to be > fully integrated into the Apache OpenOffice.org project) > > > > 2011/9/6 Shane Curcuru <a...@shanecurcuru.org>: > >> There are a lot of differences between how Apache projects are managed > and > >> how OOo services have been managed in the past. This is one where the > >> actual policies seem to be very similar; however the normal practice is > very > >> different. > >> > >> ---- > >> At Apache, anyone who signs an iCLA [1] must provide the ASF with their > real > >> name. This is to ensure that the ASF knows specifically who is signing > the > >> document. Signing an iCLA is a required before anyone can become a > voted in > >> as a committer. > >> > >> When you sign an iCLA, you may optionally specify a "Public name", which > is > >> what Apache displays as public information associated with your Apache > id > >> (if/when you get one). Thus by policy, Apache allows contributors to > >> maintain a public pseudonym, although officially Apache does need to > know > >> (privately) your real name. > > > > That's OK. > > > >> In terms of actual practice, please note that very few committers at > Apache > >> use a public pseudonym like this. More than 98% of our committers use > their > >> real name, and most of them sign their real names in most emails. > > > > That's maybe a cultural difference, not necessarily a need to "hide" a > > "real identity". In my case, I do not feel that my real name, selected > > by my parents forty two years ago represent me better that my (i.e., > > /selected by me/) usual pseudonym: I chose to be RGB when I put my > > signature to a drawing more than twenty five years ago for several > > reasons that identify me as an unique person. In a sense I'm more > > "RGB" than I can be "Ricardo". > > I understand that in order to be part of an organization you need to > > provide a "legal" name, but for communication I do not think it is > > important, as far as you can identify the person without doubts. When > > I write my opinions, does it matter if my surname have Latin, mid > > east, African, Saxon roots...? Does it matter my gender? I think the > > answer for both questions is no. > > > >> In terms of flames and spam, this generally works fine for Apache > >> committers. In terms of community, this allows your reputation to build > >> associated to you, as your real name, and not to an alias. > >> > >> ---- > >> I think there are several subtle differences here between the typical > Apache > >> community and what (I think) much of the OOo forum community is: > >> > >> - The OOo users are typically end-users, and not developers. Thus I can > >> imagine (but don't know; I'm just guessing) that the users more > frequently > >> resort to flames and ad hominem attacks. > > > > I think you are wrong here. In almost two years since I'm admin on the > > Spanish forums, I needed to suspend a user only once and that was for > > a month only. > > Forum users a quite calm: most of the time they ask their questions, > > get an answer and then disappear. > > > >> - OOo forum users and admins prefer forums. I'd guess (but again; I > don't > >> know) that as a whole they don't have as efficient spam traps and mail > >> filters as most Apache committers do. Thus I could see how it would be > more > >> difficult to manage flames coming to your personal account there, > whereas in > >> the majority of Apache communities it's not a significant issue (in > part, > >> because the community as a whole works to correct this kind of > behavior). > > > > You are oversimplifying here. I have very good and efficient spam > > filters and tag system working on my email account (as a matter of > > facts I use this email address for six different mailing lists without > > problems), but after several decades of using almost every > > communication technology available I still prefer forums. Why? I do > > not think that's important (I do not want just another forum vs. > > mailing list holy war). Let's say that /for me/ and for many people > > (your mileage may vary) forums are better. No more, no less. > > > >> - The OOo end-user community seems less tightly coupled with the project > >> future than a typical Apache user community is. Many Apache users could > and > >> might submit a bugzilla entry after seeking help for a while on a users@ > >> list. It seems that most OOo end-users would not do this, they really > only > >> want the answer to their question and no more. > > > > The typical OOo user is a very-very end user with normal to low (and > > even /very/ low) computer skills. I think that's very different from > > the typical user of other Apache projects: I cannot be sure but I > > think that users of other Apache products have a medium to hight > > computer level. > > > >> It would be helpful to get a better understanding here, on ooo-dev@, of > how > >> the forums really work, and how much information actually does (or > should) > >> come back from the forum to the project developers. > > > > Usually when a bug is discovered during forum interaction, if the user > > do not report the bug by itself a volunteer interested on the issue > > will report it. Afterwards the volunteer will keep an eye on the > > issue. > > Maybe an intermediate level were volunteers can talk directly with > > developers could be useful... but I'm not so sure: on the issue > > tracker it is already possible to follow a discussion. > > > > Cheers > > Ricardo > > > > > -- --Matt
