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Originally Posted by deborahbroadus

We do what we can to protect ourselves.....

Why make people put themselves at risk in the first place so that they HAVE to do what they can to then protect themselves afterwards?

That's like closing the gate to keep the cow in the pasture after the cow has already bolted for the hills.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

The point of this is to give prospective buyers and sellers a reference point to go by in their dealings. If someone lists a bogus location (or full name) HERE, that doesn't correspond to the place and/or person they are asked to send funds or merchandise to, THAT should raise a red flag. But without that reference, then they have absolutely nothing to go on to help save them from a potential scam.

If someone was conducting business with a person on the classifieds then it would be perfectly reasonable for both parties to exchange personal information amongst each other in order to bring that business transaction to a close. Why should anyone be forced to provide every single person on this site with any kind of personal information they don't feel comfortable handing out willy nilly just to be able to have the pleasure of idle chit chat or discussion with someone else? The classified forums is obviously where business is conducted. The discussion forums is where the idle chit-chat occurs - not business. If business is not being conducted (buying/selling/trading/bartering/etc.) then there is no valid reason to make people provide any kind of personal information as a "reference point to go by in their dealings".

Originally Posted by Wraith

Why make people put themselves at risk in the first place so that they HAVE to do what they can to then protect themselves afterwards?

That's like closing the gate to keep the cow in the pasture after the cow has already bolted for the hills.

Like I have said in the past... I take my privacy very seriously... especially with where I work. Well that almost got put to the test tonight as I almost shot a guy for snooping around behind my house. The ONLY thing that saved him was a very valid excuse. He wasnt after the cow that had left... but his jacka$$.... and low and behold... there it stood in my side yard. He had chased it around behind my house (where I saw him) and into my side yard. Apparently he had been hearding it back down the gravel road when it took a detour behind my house. That little move almost cost him.

Once we got the "oh " out of the way.... I helped him heard the jacka$$ back onto the gravel road where he proceeded to heard him back home in his truck.

This is why I dont want my city listed. I dont need someone poking around my house... it could be very bad for their health.

Originally Posted by Wraith

So.. if we want to keep using this site in any shape/form then those of us being forced to provide personal information under duress (outside of business transactions in the classifieds) is Rich going to promise that we are NOT being put at risk? I think for legal reasons he's not going to make such a promise.

Yes, you are absolutely right about that. I'm not promising such a thing at all.

Be that as it may, the policy being discussed is now in force here, and you can choose to comply or not.

I now require those fields to be filled out during new registrations and have rejected a fair number of them. And you know what? Most sign back up the following day and provide the information requested. I am STILL processing 50 or so new registrations each night, so overall, I think this site will be gaining ground in membership and participation for the foreseeable future, regardless.

With that being said, I doubt the moderators are going to audit the location field for anyone who posts solely in the general discussion forums, so if you choose to limit your discussions there, then you will quite likely never be questioned about your compliance with this rule. But I certainly am not going to promise that neither, as this IS a sitewide policy now. But as always, I allow the moderators the flexibility to enforce the rules in the manner they deem most appropriate and reasonable, while not contradicting the intent of such rules. Unfortunately there is no way to determine the reasons for new people registering here, so I do not make any such distincion when approving or disapproving those new registrations. Compliance is mandatory at that time or the registration is simply rejected. I'm sure some people have breathed a sigh of relief that I am trying to make this a safer haven for them to transact business, and surely as the sun rose this morning, others were certain to complain about it. I really thought new registrations would taper off when I got stricter at the gate, but surprisingly enough, they are actually INCREASING in numbers. Imagine that......

So hey guys, THAT is the policy here. I seriously doubt you are going to come up with anything I haven't thought of before when considering this, and trust me, your repetition of the same old arguments, even if posted in different languages, is not going to make a difference. This was NOT a request for input and/or advice prior to deciding on a policy. It is a notice of implementation. If it is not compatible with a small subset of people here, I am truly sorry about that, but ALL things considered, I believe this is best for those people engaging in BUSINESS on this site. And THAT, my friends, is really my goal.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

With that being said, I doubt the moderators are going to audit the location field for anyone who posts solely in the general discussion forums, so if you choose to limit your discussions there, then you will quite likely never be questioned about your compliance with this rule.

Speaking for myself, I am setting aside periods of time to focus on this. During those periods, I am not considering anything other than whether people are in compliance. I have composed a brief message that I am PMing to members who are not - it includes a link to the first post of this thread & a request that they amend their profile. I can then go into my sent folder a day or so later & easily check to see who has done so. Since this is a newly revised policy, I am not issuing infractions, but I have issued a warning or two to the few people that have chosen not to make the changes.

Originally Posted by Wraith

This site started with the BOI and is/was about people providing a public service to one another in regards to outing scammers/bad guys.. it was not about the classifieds....the discussion forms, classifieds and money solicitations was a secondary development that came later..people wanted an alternative to KS and their so-called nazi-mods/censorship. If anything in some respects over the years this site has become just as censored as KS has (and people fall over themselves to thank Rich for the privilege of being censored more and more each year but cursed the hell out of jeff when he told his mods to enforce his rules). But at least jeff doesn't force people to give up their personal information unless they purchase an account service and then that information is between him and the person who purchased whatever service from him....it is not announced to the world at large UNLESS the account owner chooses to provide their personal information in their ads/posts.

Oh really? Please show me show me where and how people are "being censored more and more each year" here. Actually, since I am requiring people to provide MORE information, it seems that you are arguing against the exact opposite situation.

As for a comparison with another site, well, I guess people need to consider the tradeoff for the FREE classifieds they are allowed here. THEY have the freedom to choose whichever site they prefer based on costs and perceived liabilities.

I have decided that I really do not want to have everyone in the tri-state area know exactly in which small town my family and collection are located. Not sure how I'm going to handle this right now.

In other news....check out the goings on just a couple hours away! http://articles.lancasteronline.com/...#ixzz0x0Rp473b

Just in case anyone wondered why someone who is doing nothing wrong would object to posting his/her exact location for thousands to see.

That is one of the points I tried to make Mike..... Good luck

Originally Posted by RidgeTop Reptiles

That is one of the points I tried to make Mike..... Good luck

Thanks, Kevin. Now I just need need to weigh the cost/benefit of posting here. Rich has chosen to put himself out there, which has earned him some negative attention and threats as he mentioned. I have yet to decide if I want to make the same choice while making it easier for folks to find my exact location.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying I have the most extensive and valuable collection out there, but it's the best I've ever had. I've got plenty of guns and ammo, but I'm not home 24/7. My neighbors and I do our best to keep an eye on things, but I don't think I'd want to make my information that accessible without a good home security system.

I really think you guys are getting your panties in a twist over nothing. All of this information is public domain anyway and can be found rather easily. Despite your desire to be anonymous, once you enter something online anywhere you can be found.