Well said Eddie.

This thread was triggered by an attack last night by a user that has multiple screen names. He logs on under the "fake" screen name when he wants to say something particularly nasty and it's usually directed at me.

PG deleted his posts without me even notifying them.

Wars in the world places like Syria etc people families’ woman and children being butchered in their own homes,

And all we have to worry about is whether people are using a few user names on PG forums.

Kind of puts things in context I think.

As regards a second account I would have no hesitation creating one if I felt the need to do so and as long as I am nice and polite to the other people on the forum I can't see a problem.

Anyways I feel the reason some people get all upset when someone takes a shot at them is that they give too much info about themselves on the forum such as adding a pic etc, and then they feel the pain more because they associate themselves too much with their particular account.

I couldn't care a hoot and won't take it too personally if someone takes a pot shot at me because as far as I am concerned this is just a user account and I don’t feel it is part of me.

That is not saying that I am not eternally gratefull for all the advice I got on here as regards music from a great helpful bunch of people and I thank you very much for that, I am just trying to get into the psychology of why some people get so upset when someone takes a pot shot at them.


Musiclover

musiclover,

I didn’t say the fate of the world was in the balance over multiple screen names, but since you mentioned “putting things in context”, let me help you out with that one.

I hope no one ever decides to target you by gathering all the personal information they can find from the forums and then they even go the extra mile by getting information that’s not the forums, not on Facebook or any other social networking site and then use that info to compile a detailed list of reasons about why you should eat your 38 Special. Then they create a “fake” screen name and post a dedicated thread recommending suicide. Let’s also say their post happens to coincide with lowest period you’ve gone through in your entire life.

I don't think I'd classify that as a "pot shot".

I also hope that no one ever posts a comment on the forum under a “fake” screen name accusing you of pedophilia and tells you that should be on the lookout for a visit from the cops, simply because you posted some clips from XFactor of a teenager singing on national TV.

If someone wants to post nasty comments, then they should do it under their one and ONLY screen name instead of taking the cowards approach and doing it anonymously. Using multiple screen names means you have something to hide or you're afraid to take responsibility for comments.

I hope that “puts things in context”.

I have no doubt you get very upset by these things Bob, so would I, that is why I am saying for me anyway its better not to give too much info on an internet forum, for me a pic is too much info.

Its the internet after all with all the mixture of of society in it.

I have been conned on the net by some moneyback sites, had to close my checking account and get the police involved so I am no novice to that kind of thing

I have seen you post about what happened to you a few years ago, and understand why you are upset, but everyone is different for me anyways not to have to associate my username on here with my real name is a source of comfort and self protection should someone decide to target me.

Best wishes.

Musiclover

I don’t think our real names should be publicly available to other forum members unless we choose to disclose them, but I do think PG should have names, addresses and phone numbers tied to each user name.

Maybe one thing PG could do is only allow confirmed PG customers to create a screen name and have it tied to their account.

This would still allow the “curious” to browse the forums to get an idea of the content, but it wouldn’t allow people to create “fake” screen names for the purpose of causing trouble.

As far as sharing personal info, a lot of us on the forum consider some other forum members as friends, even though we’ve never met. There’s several members here that I’d gladly welcome into my home. Maybe that makes me naïve.

There’s a lot of good reasons why PG has a rule of one screen name per person. There's no good reason why someone would want multiple names.

Its a sad fact that there really isn't any privacy or anonymity on the internet. For example, whenever we use a credit card or personal check we become vulnerable to ID thieves. Yes, I'm familiar with VeriSign and similar protection plans but experts can make short work of most encryption in minutes. For every protection code there are probably 100 de-encrypting schemes and thousands of thieves perfecting them.

I was appalled by the amount of delicate, personal information that Ancestry.com has on me and I've never been a member. Those relatives working on a "Family Tree" provide everything they know about you in researching your "roots" and Ancestry.com simply compiles and accumulates the data. Eventually, they will have documented everyone on the planet with full knowledge and consent of your relatives. To prevent it we'd have to bind, gag, and blindfold every aunt, mother, and grandmother with a computer. It simply ain't happenin'.

We can try!

I totaly agree with the multiple screen names but disagree with the fake name. I apologize if what I wrote lead to misunderstanding my meaning. Multiple names are 90% of the time used by people to cause mischief & I believe that multiple account users should be banned. Fake names however are how I choose to post on this forum, I don't believe I am here to cause mischief or harm to anyone, I just like to retain my anonymity. It is within PGMusics ability to easily find out who has multiple accounts & ban them, I am wholeheartedly for this. I hope this clears up what I was trying to saw

It would be an easy thing for PG to do, in fact cubase I believe do something along these lines, the licence key has to be included in your registration in order to remain a forum poster, PG could use the sales number if they wished.

Can't tie an account to an ip address as many are dynamic there is no way PG is going to know if its a different or the same poster if the ip address changes and if the cookie is cleared within the browser, should a person decide to create a multiple account.

But I don't think its going to happen the nature of this friendly forum is that people can register and pose questions about band in a box before they buy it and I would want to be the last person to deny them that right.

Only a handful of posters (compared to the registered amount) post on the forum anyways, I can imagine a situation where someone has forgotton user name and password and its just easier to create a new one.

The biggest problem the PG forum has is spanners, 4-6 weeks ago every thred on the the whole front page was taken over by them,

Now if there was a way to stop that....



Musiclover

its pretty well proven that verified user requirements can significantly reduce participation in forums like these. sometimes the fix is worse than the problem!

if someone is hassling you or being a jerkwad the mods can quickly deal with it and if this latest problem is any example, they deal with it quickly by deleting the offending post (and curiously, even my post where I expressed disapproval to the poster).

bottom line for me is the vast majority of forums like this are run just like this one and have been for the past 25 years or so successfully! making it stricter, harder, more onerous, etc. is not a solution in my opinion! but I certainly mean no disrespect to those here with a different opinion!!

BIG DITTOs there rharv!

That's why I DO NOT have a Facebook account, a twitter account, and DO NOT post much about my true "personal" life.

1) my (now part time) employer frowns on it or the use/access to social media, 2) frankly to do so in this day and age of ID theft IS down right STUPID anyway, and 3) that info is not needed by ANYONE on the internet!

Bob,

First let me say it is too bad your being harrassed in that way by some sicko.

Having said that, I have read all your posts and my heart went/goes out to you. But I seriously questioned why you, and you are not alone here unfortunately, would even consider posting that type of info in a public forum. It would be great if everyone here were near and dear friends and family; however, the ugly reality is that is not (always) the case.

I personally assume it is NEVER the case. For all intents and purposes, you are all strangers to whom I will be polite, I will say "howdie" to, I will share tech help if/when able (in my case very seldom because I usually can’t due to lack of know how), and I might pass on some light hearted info or a friendly jibe (depending on intended poster) but that is the extent of my "caring and sharing" on the web.

I have VPN accounts (separate physical PC behind another firewall) that require "smart cards" just to get access to the "sign in" screen were another user name and VERY STRINGENT, and constantly changing, password is required. Even there I'm uncomfortable posting "personal info" when needed.


Old story and all the ex-mil types will get this (unless they are WWII/Korea only vets). At one time the uniformed services assigned service members SERVICE numbers. Then some bean counter (probably McNamara wannabe's) got the bright ID that SSNs would be universally better (for the US Gov't). So in Jul of '69 the USA and USAF changed over, with DoN to follow later (around '72'ish). We had SSN's on ID cards, on orders, on any and EVERY single piece of paperwork generated, on your "dog tags," you couldn't even cash a check at the commissary, BX, or PX without a SSN on it. Even before the age of general use PC's and the internet - we all knew this was probably NOT a good idea but the US Gov't insisted so we were stuck.


To this DAY that information, paperwork, and files are floating around out there (old farts like me would be surprised/sickened by how easy it is to get at sometimes). Not only that, but all supporting information: birth dates, birth location, full legal name (including maiden names and full "parental unit" names), spousal info, etc., were (ARE) associated with that SSN.

It was only RECENTLY that the military stopped putting SSNs on MIL ID cards (as a retiree I can FINALLY get new ID cards without a SSN prominently displayed). But I still have to redact copies of old personal paperwork - at times - if I need it for something.

Even though US Gov't stopped putting THAT info in "human readable form" ON service members ID cards - it makes me sick the amount of additional info that is now IN the ID cards (so called CAC or smart cards) but it is "encrypted" so it is safe (duh?) - I personally doubt it and suspect that's another ill conceived Gov't train wreck waiting to happen.

RANT OFF

Larry, I totally see your point but it's missplaced imo. Four years at NSA in the Air Force as a crypto analyst with a Top Secret clearance. I know quite a bit about security although a lot of it is out of date now but I still read some related articles, unclassified of course.

All the firewalls, separate PC's, mil grade 24 digit one time keyword passwords, all that stuff means squat when you hand your credit card to the waiter at a restaurant and he has one of those little scanners that are getting smaller and smaller. Or, some drone at the VA happens to take his laptop out with a couple million files on it or Citibank has an insider who decides to sell the whole database to the mob. Those examples actually happened and I'm sure there's many more. That where the risk is, not your PC or email even though sure, it can happen there too. We think it's "cyberspace", it's not. It's server farms at physical locations with real people working at them. If the CIA can't keep Aldrich Aimes, the Walkers and who knows who else from selling us out to the Russians what makes any of us think some dweeb insiders won't do the same for some cash? You think Citibank hires the FBI to spend six months on security clearances for their IT people? Background checks sure, but not at the national intel level. All the passwords in the world and all those old mil docs you spend time trying to track down mean nothing if an insider at PayPal goes bad.

Just one of the risks of modern living and I don't worry about it.

Bob

Just want to relate this story from a place I used to play. There was a waitress there that would take the credit cards to the waitress station, call her home, leave a message on her machine with name, card number and expiration date, and then go home and shop the card to death for one night and then erase the tape. (Yes, tape. It was a long time ago.) She was finally busted when a man who used his company card that he used ONLY for dining saw charges from clothing catalog stores. He traced back by the charge date to where it was last used. The owner of the place had 3 other callers complaining about the same thing. Then he invited all 4 of them to come in and had them identify the girl. He seated them and had the waitress assigned to the table. Those customers also brought back the credit card statements that put them at the restaurant on a specific day and their credit card bills that saw charges that night after the palce closed. Police took her away for questioning, obtained a search warrant, got telephone records, and were able to get a confessions from her. She was charged with grand theft (her total from the scam was well over $10,000 over several months). So diligence is required on our part, but it is safe. In fact it is safer to use a credit card online than to hand it to a stranger in a restaurant, though most people who are not involved with the technical side will never believe that.

Eddie, several credit card scams are exposed on YouTube. The waitperson will fumble and pretend to drop the card on the floor, in plain view, while actually having a card reader under his/her apron or at the ankle. While bending to pick up your card, they will quickly scan it. Even when caught on surveillance cameras it is difficult to see. They also memorize the 4-digit bank code. Several very clever scams are exposed on YT.

Bob

Correct on all points. I guess I was really talking about the OPSEC hazards of "sharing" more than the "security" aspects (which is a whole other thing - as you mentioned)

But you also correct it is almost always an "insider" (be it Ames, the Walkers, waiter at the airport bar/local watering hole, or bank employee) I just try and minimize my exposure where and when I can and I suggest others do that as well.

Larry