dibs
Dibs on "raving angry loony".
So long as it's impersonation you're going after, not anonymity. Anonymous speech should be a cornerstone of any free society.
We have changed the way we manage reader “handles” for story comments. Each commenter will now have a unique ID published on the site. This means that some readers — about 5000 — will see their handles change. These are people who share the same handle as others, or who have registered using more than one email address, using …
I never realised we had such impersonatory powers either. Perhaps Ms. Bee could
now inform us, how many times she has had to veto a post coming hot on the heels
of a big long meandering post by (e.g.) "John" by a completely different "John" saying
"HAHAHA disregard that , I suck cocks"
?
What if we disagree with the who got it first assessment?
What about trademark, what if my handle is a trademark or covers one?
What about handle squatters?
Good gosh man, we'll need a troika to straighten these things out!
But I bet you slick lizards at The Register have already figured out the profits to be had in graft money.
@bluegreen, #3 - I can second that. Something as simple as a thumbs up/thumbs down would work for me (I find slashdot's insightful/funny/blah a bit tedious)
@ac - erm, to be honest, black ops conspiracy fud is exactly what I don't care to read, but for the paranoid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonym. Not that it's needed - on the web, your IP == you FAR more than any first+last combo.
In the end it's moot - so long as the moderator remains constant, I'll not complain ;)
Please do not even start turning this into another MyFeceBook 2.0 wannabe friends site.
There is no glut in the market, no need to fill a void that does not exist.
Tweak the names so everyone is unique(just like everyone else) and step away from the control panel .
Mine's the one with the "Does Not Play Well With Others" patch on the back.
I fully agree, but... Remember El Reg does know who you are even when posting AC (Ms. Bee acknowledged so the other day in some thread). The questions then are: how long do they keep the information, and would they give it out if so ordered by the powers that be?
P.S.: is "tomorrow" an obscure word in the English language? I'm kinda new to it, mind you, but I have already learned it. So I would say it isn't uncommon. But who knows?
I went back and reviewed some of my comments, and realised there was another guy posting as "Trevor." Found him as "The *ORIGINAL* Trevor" in a recent article. Consider this my official apology for having userped his "handle." Which is my name and...well...actually....
Good show El Reg. :D
*NOT* The "original" Trevor. (Sorry again.)
"Of all people, you guys should know that speaking freely and having your own opinion has been thoroughly attacked in the Blair-Bush era. Freedom of speech, nay, even of personal opinion is no longer possible so without a means to go anonymous to a degree it would present too much risk to most people I know." .... By Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 9th June 2009 14:37 GMT
AC,
Whenever that is the case, does it render the Blair-Bush era and its acolytes, well ....... Certifiably Idiotic in the Extreme would be at least one badge they could wear without any fear of disagreement ..... for surely, only an Practising Idiot is fearful of Free Speech and only a Certifiable Mad Idiot would try to Restrict it [IT and Free Speech], and/or Create a Paranoid Environment which would actively entertain and promote it, to maintain a Sub Prime Exclusive Executive Administrative Control/Power ...... although both Power and Control are mere Delusional Concepts in such Chaotic Circumstances, born and borne of Hubris and Ignorant Arrogance, for neither is Achieved or Achievable.
Fortunately, the Novel SMARTer Grids and Networks InterNetworking simply Bypass and Ignore such Follies to Render them as Quarantined and Branded Bit Players, Sad Heroes in their Own Small Minds.
Please give me a way of hiding comments from people I don't want to read.
I would prefer not to read anything from AManFromMars. I think a few others here would prefer to not see anything from Anonymous Coward.
I like the idea of digg-like ratings for comments, too.
FWIW, I use Anonymous Coward because I'm at work, and it seems simpler to not have to discuss my comments or justify my time to my co-workers. AC works for me.
Use your brain then, Anonymous Coward/free-loader nitwit*, and avert your eyes to simply ignore what you don't understand. It is by far the easiest way to remain ignorant of Alien Miens and Memes...... and ITs XXXXStreams. And which will all come out to Play with a Vengeance if Gary McKinnon is extradited and/or prosecuted, meThinks.
* An admitted leap into the Relative Unknown, aided and abetted anonymously by the provided cowardly evidence of "FWIW, I use Anonymous Coward because I'm at work, and it seems simpler to not have to discuss my comments or justify my time to my co-workers. AC works for me." The post is a Gimme, Gimme, Gimme sort of rant, is it not?
I have no problem with unique handles, but I've just been into my account details and it won't let me unsubscribe from unwanted notifications (which I haven't received up to now) without demanding more personal information (real name, number of employees at my workplace for example), which you've been quite happily doing without up to now. I've just closed the page down for now: if I start getting unwanted emails from you, you will most likely lose a reader.
Anyone would think you were linked to Phorm or 118800 *spit*
OK, so the handle box is there. And it looks like I've not been allocated a numerical suffix.
Shame about the interim period over the past 24 hoursor so where El Reg published full names for comments instead of the already defined usernames. So anyone who had previously registered a correct name (in the account details form, on signing up back in the day) but used a psudonym so as not to resort to total AC status would have inadvertantly had their name published above their comments. Good job my comment was innocuous, or I'd have to cancel my subscription etc...
Guess it reminds me never to trust ~anyone~ on the intertrons. Especially disappointing/ironic, even if it is the on a website that has published so many damning reports about data security leaks.