FYI
Actually, when this board changes, you still can remain anonymous if you like. I believe it will be just as our other site is now. That is, you may read anything at the website anonymously (i.e. with out being a member). But If you want to post at the discussion board or participate in a live chat, you must be logged in as a member.
When you initially sign up to be a member, you must give an E-Mail address that you can receive your confirmation number at, a user name, and a password. The User Name can be anything you want ("WW" for example). The E-Mail adress you enter will be available to the system administrator, but I believe it is not available to any one else.
So for example, it may be possible to sign up as a member from a friend's machine using that friend's E-Mail address and any name you want as a User Name. You will define your password, and then a few minutes later, Neighborhood Link E-mails your confirmation code to the Email address you specified. You use that confirmation code the first time you log in as a member - but never again. After that you use your User Name and Pass word to log on as a member. And I think you never need to use the E-Mail address again. You need NEVER specify your name.
The only thing that's really trackable is that E-mail address. And, if you use someone else's E-mail, you can remain essentially anonymous even to the system adminstrator.
I believe the reason Neighborhood Link wants posters to be registerd members is to prevent SPAM mail from landing on our board. That has never been a problem for us, but other bulletin board providers are moving in the same direction.
Being a member is cool. You can make a little web page for yourself, you can participate in live chats (I haven't tried that out on this system yet), etc. So I hope we won't loose any discussion board friends when the change happens. In fact, we could really be posting at that board now if you guys are up for it.
By WW
Actually, when this board changes, you still can remain anonymous if you like. I believe it will be just as our other site is now. That is, you may read anything at the website anonymously (i.e. with out being a member). But If you want to post at the discussion board or participate in a live chat, you must be logged in as a member.
When you initially sign up to be a member, you must give an E-Mail address that you can receive your confirmation number at, a user name, and a password. The User Name can be anything you want ("WW" for example). The E-Mail adress you enter will be available to the system administrator, but I believe it is not available to any one else.
So for example, it may be possible to sign up as a member from a friend's machine using that friend's E-Mail address and any name you want as a User Name. You will define your password, and then a few minutes later, Neighborhood Link E-mails your confirmation code to the Email address you specified. You use that confirmation code the first time you log in as a member - but never again. After that you use your User Name and Pass word to log on as a member. And I think you never need to use the E-Mail address again. You need NEVER specify your name.
The only thing that's really trackable is that E-mail address. And, if you use someone else's E-mail, you can remain essentially anonymous even to the system adminstrator.
I believe the reason Neighborhood Link wants posters to be registerd members is to prevent SPAM mail from landing on our board. That has never been a problem for us, but other bulletin board providers are moving in the same direction.
Being a member is cool. You can make a little web page for yourself, you can participate in live chats (I haven't tried that out on this system yet), etc. So I hope we won't loose any discussion board friends when the change happens. In fact, we could really be posting at that board now if you guys are up for it.
By WW