Should individuals be required to register with Wc prior to be allowed to post a reply? Comments appreciated to help WC administrators.

[Atomic Eye]

[Golden]

Ok, so I'm in a bar, or a parking lot at the boat ramp or after a softball game.. whatever.

I'm talking to a group of guys I don't know.... happens all the time. Made some great friends that way.

Within that group there are people that offer opinions that are worth investigating, there are some that are completely off the wall and there are those that don't say a word.

In my mind each and every one of those people are allowed to do exactly that as long as they are not slamming someone that is not there to protect themselves. If that is the case I'll say it's not fair and I'll lose respect for that guy. It's easy to complain when you don't have to look the guy in the eye. But it goes on every day in every walk of life.

I get in some good conversations, have a few laughs, tell some of them they are full of it and others I agree with.

I make the choice as to what I belive and what I don't.

When I leave there I know a few of them and others I never knew their names and never will. And the next time I see them I won't even talk to them.

However, I will remember and talk to the guys I agreed with and laughed with even if I don't remember the names. I made that choice.

I prefer it that way.

I personally think that a fully registered forum would take away from that and I don't support the idea.

I know what you guys are talking about, it's the personal vendettas and bashing that goes on and quite frankly I don't know how to stop it. But I do know how to "cyberdust" it.

I hear the rhetoric at the bars, the boat ramps, the softball games and if I was a bowler I'd probably hear it there too. How do you stop that? You don't. You can't. It was that way before you were born.

I think the major difference is that here it's in print and for some reason that makes it harder to digest to some people.

To me, words are harder to digest. Again, to each their own.

I don't like and will not put up with bashing, personal vendettas or the name calling.

Can I stop it? no.

Can I cyberdust it? yes

Let's explore the registered idea for a bit.

OK, I'm going to go to yahoo.com and get an email address and I'll call myself "Fred" for arguements sake.

"Fred" does not have to offer a real address, or a real "check" to his actual identity, yet he is "Fred".

So, now that I am "Fred" I can go to Walleye Central (or any "registered" forum on the internet) and register as "Fred".

And people will believe that I am "Fred" because I am registered but my name is Scott.

What did we just accomplish?

Can't I still personally bash, call names and raise heck because I'm not really "Fred".......... give that some thought.

Registration does not stop people from hiding. Those that want to hide will always hide. I figure those guys are the ones we used to pick on in school.

Those that are willing to put their real name on a post will always put their real name on a post. Those people I respect.

Those are the guys I really like! Say your piece, be prepared to defend what you said and not be ashamed of it. Apologize when you are wrong. I do it all the time.

I don't like whispering, I don't like rumors and I don't like a lot of things but it's not my world and I don't make the people. I just live here and I have to put up with what I have.

I can control things to a certain extent. That extent is Walleye Central but I cannot do it all by myself.

That is why there are a few other moderators as shown by the little icon when we log in.

I need everyones help. But let's be subjective. Not thick skinned but not thin skinned either. A happy medium.

I was a field superintendent for a commercial drywall company for 20 years and I'd see my name written inside the toilets almost on a daily basis when I visited the jobs. And those fellas weren't telling me they wanted to come over for dinner.

Did I ever find out who they were? Did I yell fowl? Did I ask someone to wash the toilets for me? Did it affect my life? Did I get lawyers on them? Did I care?

NO

I took it with a grain of salt and considered the source. Shoot, I thought it was funny. Most of them couldn't spell. The point being, I didn't take it to heart, I didn't lose any sleep. I realized it's human nature and I probably was eating lunch with those guys, I might have even bought some of them lunch.

I cannot spend time worrying about their integrity, I barely have time to worry about mine. :-) I don't "listen" to them. They don't matter. They are invisible. They don't count in my book.

Well, that's my take on the subject, I'm interested to see the vote.

Just realize that registration is not the answer to the problem.

The solution is to "alert" me when things are out of control so I can cyberdust the problem. Even if we register everyone "Fred" will be "Frank" next week.

Give that some thought. But, make up your own minds. I'll go with the majority.

Scott

[Kevin Oyen]

Hi Scott, WELL SAID!! The Bar you were talking about in your example, was that the Minnow Bucket? Hope to see you this year, I will e-mail you soon.
Kevin

[Marble Eyes]

I agree Scott. Leave it as it is.

[AquaMan]

Should we restrict the highways to good drivers only????? Should we restrict the schools to good students only???? Should we restrict posters to registered only???? Can't! Never! Hope not!

This is a public forum designed to provide open discusions and debates, provide information and lots more. But you gotta take the good with the bad, folks. Why would any one want to close it up? If you don't like a post, IGNORE IT! Eventually the pesky poster will go away. In the mean time, enjoy it for all it's good, helpful, fun stuff. I always avoid people that complain about or slam everything anyway. They are REALLY boring.

Thanks Scott for sharing this "child" with everyone.

You da man, SG!

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just turning cash into water!

[KP]

Aquaman, I agree with everything except you need to rethink this "restricting highways to good drivers" idea :)

[AquaMan]

Wish I could, but how do you become a better driver except by driving more? (Well, typically) ;-)


AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just turning cash into water!

[ufda]

Hey Scott, this is your site. Do as you see fit, just keep the site going. I don't ever want you to get fed up and stop. Fot my two cents I say don't require people to register. We're all big people and can discern the appropriate responses from those that we can just blow by.
Thanks,

[Ginamaria]

I'll get around to registering soon. But I think we should leave it as is. I'm registered at a steelhead site that requires registration. That place is a flipping battlefield. They attack each other as a matter of course and they have people registered under several different names. Registration will not solve any problems and only make this board seem less hospitable. By the way I think this board is great, friendly and informative.

[Adman]

Howdy KP,

I like the good drivers bit too. Especially since I was just T boned last week, 5 days into the new truck, and I was listed as "At Fault" even though no ticket was issued.

The nerve of me being in such a place as to allow someone to slide into me when I was completely stopped!! LOL! :p

It's not too bad, actually only minor damage, but 5 days.......

Have fun...........R

[Silver/MI]

I've been posting here for 3 or 4 years. I've subscribed to the Mag, and purchased merchandise. I've never registered. Much of my interaction is at work at lunch and I don't what any business info in the registration. Its difficult to register, and now instead of being a charter member I'm a rookie.

[Smartypants]

Do you really think that most of the big names in fishing would dare register all their information for everyone to see?

[bob oh]

Aquaman makes a great point!! Restrict the highways to good drivers! BUT my concern is who decides who the good drivers are?? Do you want someone deciding what books you read, what movies you watch, who gets to post on WC? If you answer yes then tell me who the censor will be? Who gets to decide what is good and bad? I'd like to do it for myself, I think I can ignore what I don't like and I always learn more in a free-flow give and take. If you want a sterile, moderated forum they are available and usually not crowded at all!!
WC gets crowded at times because at the end of the day everyone knows they want to be mentally stimulated and they know that happens in our discussions here more than any other place I have visited on the Internet. Actaully WC is almost flame free; don't believe me, try some of the news groups like rec.boats and compare.

[Dummypants]

As mentioned 996,042,674,753 times before. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DIVULGE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC WHEN YOU REGISTER.

Why would the ''big names in fishing'' be any different than anyone else? Besides, if you really want the ''big names in fishing'' personal information go to the npaa web site.

[Brushpile]

I would love to register.

I have tried to register.

I can't register.

There are some people on this site that are guest users because they can't register with a free e-mail address. Their imput is as important as a registered user. Please leave it as is, or for reasons beyond my control, I'm a goner.

Brock
brockgoddard@hotmail.com