Sunday, September 13, 2009

The Forum

Yesterday, after noticing that the last post has generated 34 comments, I decided that maybe we need to have a better way to discuss things than on the back pages of a blog, so I've set up a forum, the OSHA Above Forum. The web site is http://oshaabove.freeforums.org/.

There are a couple of downsides to this new forum, first, because it's free, there will be ads. If enough people use the forum I'll pay for the premium package and get rid of them, but until I know how much it's going to be used, the ads will have to remain.

The other problem is that in order to post comments or start new threads, you have to register. I hate this, but that's the way the hosting site has things set up. You do not have to be registered to read the threads, just to start new topics or leave comments.

Since I know individual anonymity is what most of us are striving for, my suggestion is to set up a new e-mail account at Gmail or Yahoo, or the free webmail hosting site of your choice. This way when you register on the OSHA Above Forum, I can't identify you. Just remember for both the e-mail and the forum to use your pseudonym.

We'll see how this works, but I think it's a better way for the kinds of discussions we're starting to have.

By the way, this blog is not going away, I still have opinions, and your comments to those opinions are still welcome.

8 comments:

  1. The new site is fail.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Major Thumbs Down!

    ReplyDelete
  3. OK, the new site is fail, and it gets a thumbs down, but WHY! I can't fix it if I don't know what's wrong with it. Is it technical? Don't like the idea? Poorly executed? Help me here.

    My problem is that the last post has so many comments with good thoughts and ideas that need to be captured and discussed but discussing them there doesn't work well.

    Give me some ideas on where/how we can continue the discussions!

    ReplyDelete
  4. OK, but sorry you cannot fix it with your current forum setup rules. Total anonymity is desired and that would be compromised with a pseudonym. We in OSHA (at least some of us) are highly experienced investigators and by your comments and using the same pseudonym over and over then a profile can be developed on you either consciously or unconsciously. An amateur Sherlock Holmes can begin to figure out who is who if they happen to know you. You asked.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh c'mon now, really? Kane and Abel have posted under their pseudonyms for a while, and no one's figured out who they are.

    Speaking of Kane, where the heck is he?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh yeah! Someone figured how who Kane was and Kane had to disappear in a Witness Relocation Program. Kane started a new life with a new name and a great new credit rating.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I get the anonymity, unfortunately those forum rules aren't mine, they are the hosts, and I can't seem to be able to change them. I assume to prevent the spammers.

    So does anyone have any ideas on how we can do this?

    ReplyDelete