How about using real name on bbs?

[quiet sunshine]

From now on, all members must use their real name on campus bbs of China's universities and IP from outside the campus are not permitted to log in or post. What's your opinion about this idea? Using real name or not, would your posts be a little different?

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Sorry this is a Chinese news, those who can read Chinese may take a look.

[Mal]

Being from the United States the concept is pretty alien to me. Generally speaking, it would be unlikely that a University would set up a message board like this at all, usually they would leave such an activity to the Student organization or to a specific club.

For instance, at my University we had several campus BBS's, but they were all run by the students. This situtation was seen to be preferable because it kept the University Officials out of the students business.

Here in the USA it is perfectly legal for a University to set up such a system, however they probably would not bother because it would be very unpopular with the students. Also we have alot of completely free avenues for public discourse that fall completely outside of the domain of the University.

My personal opinion is, I would probably not use such a system because I would be more worried about fellow students seeing my name and being able to identify me. Still, with my personality it would probably not matter that much - Like all Americans I am an opinionated jerk

I wouldn't be worried about the University taking any action on anything I said unless it was obviously criminal (That would have to be direct threats of violence, since that constitutes "battery" under US law and is a misdemeanor). The University has no ability to censor me (nor would they likely desire to, Universitys here are generally speaking paragons of free-speech and activism). I could preface every one of my posts with "The Dean of the University is a donkey raping pedophile" and while its possible the Dean could take me to court over libel charges, the University as an entity could not do anything to me unless I somehow violated a conduct rule that I had freely submitted to.

It's quite a complicated system actually

Anyway, I suppose the definite answer is that I would not worry so much about it. Some people I think would, but most people would not. We are conditioned quite early on in our society that we have certain "rights" and the one that we most often enjoy exercising is the one to make an ass out of ourselves in public. This generally entails proclaiming to all people within earshot your opinions on matters that they probably could care less about, and doing it often and loudly.

[Keiichi]

Having a "campus BBS" is quite alien to me also for the same reasons. But as a University student in a University with a unique username, some classes do have course BBS that display each student's real name. But of course these are classmates you're going to be "talking" to as oppose to the whole school.
I think it depends on the purpose of the BBS. Perhaps something happened on the BBS when the system had screennames and people abused it. I've been hearing China having a lot of internet/computer related restrictions lately...

Keiichi

[quiet sunshine]

Being from the United States the concept is pretty alien to me. Generally speaking, it would be unlikely that a University would set up a message board like this at all, usually they would leave such an activity to the Student organization or to a specific club.

For instance, at my University we had several campus BBS's, but they were all run by the students.

Almost each university in China has its own BBS which is run by students. Those campus bbs are very popular and famous even for people outside the university.
Do your campus bbs open to all people or just open to students in the campus?

[Mal]

Almost each university in China has its own BBS which is run by students. Those campus bbs are very popular and famous even for people outside the university.
Do your campus bbs open to all people or just open to students in the campus?

Usually yes. It's not uncommon for ex-alumni to continue to access the board since there are no restrictions to keep them from doing so. Before we had web style BBS's we used to use usenet style newsgroups and anyone could subscribe to our newsgroup through our news server. It is usually however pretty rare for someone outside the University to express interest in a board however, unless there is a specific topic or forum that refers to some specialized piece of information, most commonly research materials.

[digicross]

Make sense, it's after all an intranet, a local network intended for students and other people in the university. And of course, it's the university network, so they get to set up the rules, real names only and no outside person.

Problems would arise though if somebody (who probably even could be an outsider) using your User I.D. to do things without your permission. Ah... I smell a detective story in it. How about a case of mistaken identity and a murderous revenge for an uncommited mistake? But then again, even THAT could happen with using a nickname.



As for using real name in post would affect the post.

Heck, if the person wanted to have a separate identity, you bet that the post would be different than if it was posted under a nickname.

But if the person don't want a separate identity, the post wouldn't be so different even if it was posted under a nickname.

Personally, I don't mind at all (I once used a real name in a forum). Heck, it would made things much nicer and easier (people would know who I am and can get to know me in real life in an instant), granted though I probably would be much careful with what I post and also guard my User I.D. much careful.

Though by tracing one's I.P. address, connecting a few dots here and there, a lot of people in the Internet can actually know on who is who. And really, the Internet is an open space, everything actually are recorded somewhere and someone can profile you using the information you voluntary provide (that you think that you're doing things private but actually are disclose wide open), there's no such thing as privacy in the Internet, what you said in the Internet pretty much the equivalent of shouting at a public area.


Frankly, I think that the people who are affraid of using real names in an university network probably those who want to speak nasty things but are affraid of the consequences, being so close of with the other people in the network (you can go to a particular class and meet them in person) and that sort of thing.

And personally, with the lack of venting, it's no doubt that some people will then tend to do payback in secret and perharps also drastically.

One should be worry more about potential unknown threats from other students than University officials and their superiors, University officials and some of their officials have something to lose and have more self control, but students don't have much too lose and don't have much self control.

Frankly, by making people knowing who else they are talking with and who is talking what, they would at least put some self control in students that they wouldn't be so volatile with the words to begin with. Of course, using real life names wouldn't put so much control if the students are already quite volatile to begin with in real life.



As for free speech.

There's no such thing, people are fooled into thinking that it's okay to say nasty things or even maybe good things and don't expect the consequences.

Good people usually will restrain themself, but some people have limits, and when they snap, the result could be murderous.

There's no but or if, that's why in the past there's a saying, "if you couldn't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

It's not just a saying, it's a hint of survival.

If you want to survive, you got to know on saying all of the right things at all the right times. It's just plain basic social knowledge.

Of course these days when people said nice things they are labeled as butt lickers, while those who said nasty things are regarded as 'the champions of the freedom of speech'. Of course, these same people would get mad when someone exercised his or her freedom of opinion by maligning them physically and/or mentallity in retaliation against the nasty things.

People these days are lured in the false sense of security with the so called 'freedom of speech'.



As for U.S.A. citizens.

It's okay to be opiniated, being a potty mouth is another.

But personally, I think that deep inside, most U.S.A. citizens probably are quite careful and polite with what they did and said, one of the reasons that they are still alive and live happily.

It's only the mass media that gives the impression and trying to make the U.S.A. citizens become a bunch of potty talking people.



As for B.B.S. runned by students.

Well... Considering that it's probably students that have the time to do it, it's quite logical that most of the B.B.S. probably are runned by students.

It's no doubt that the B.B.S. would at least had someone there that kept track on what is happening in the B.B.S., this happened everywhere.

Other than fellow colleagues, one should be also more worried by an entity that is neither the school or the government.

[Mike Cash]

Using real name or not, would your posts be a little different?

I've never understood people posting under anything other than their real names.

[No-name]

This is my real name.

[RockLee]

It's because it's property of the school, and it's intended for the students...so I think it's kinda normal that non-students can log in :) -> Remember my article about internetsecurity in China ? They don't want that people start petitions,posts etc. with hatred against the government..it's all very strict