"Should this BLOG do away with anonymous comments? (to reduce virulence)?"
Question to moderator: Does this mean that you would require a "Blog Name" that would be attached to an email address so that you could ban blog offenders?
In other words, your post would still be "anonymous" but you could be tracked and banned if you break the blog rules?
I believe this needs to be explained before people can vote properly.
Comments
Facebook is a much better place for LLNL The True Story. The people's observations, complaints and information needed by the employees along with your political representatives will then be read by the world instead of this tiny captures LLNL / LANL audience. It will resolve any ANON post and give you more exposure.
It'd certainly give the world a forum to criticize the Labs and the work they can only assume we do.
Which, I can only assume some would want and enjoy.
Others of us would prefer that we remain a place for Lab employees to discuss the things we’re concerned about. While, of course, considering the views of the haters and the ignorant with a grain of salt.
I don't have the answer because it seems that all the options will either prevent us from being honest, encourage criticism from the world, or as we now see, encourage idiocy and personal attacks.
Then again perhaps if we had some form of ID or an avatar we'd know who to ignore.
Google Analytics and reverse ID lookup[edit]
Google Analytics (GA) is used by many bloggers to keep track of the stats of their blogs.[41] But GA is now threatening most bloggers through its Reverse ID Lookup tool which allow tracking what other sites or blogs the blogger maintains.[41] Normally bloggers use the same Google ID to track their page views for every blog or site they maintain.[41] With GA it is only a matter of minutes when a lot of information about the anonymous blogger can be retrieved.[41]
In November 2011, technologist Andy Baio used GA to trackdown an anonymous flamethrower to his self-identified blog in under a minute.[41] Shocked about how easy the task has been, Baio tried the same tactics with 50 random anonymous blogs, finding that 14 use Google Analytics, and 7 share the same ID: "In about 30 minutes of searching, using only Google and eWhois, I was able to discover the identities of seven of the anonymous or pseudonymous bloggers, and in two cases, their employers."[42] Reverse lookups are now being offered by many free analytics services, which can unmask a lot of blog’s IP addresses and domain registrations.
Either keep it ANON or OPEN it up to Facebook so only those who want to be fully identified can or will use the blog.
You also have to understand not all anon's on this blog are from LLNL and a lot of the so called troll comments are probably made by either currently employed warm bodies who see and hear things going on or are retired and know a little more than the newbee pro-llnl people think. When it comes to political views the gloves are off and it really doesn't matter if you are LLNL. LANL, ORNL, or just an outsider wanting to understand the views of the typical labbee who is viewed by a non labbee as being on the nipple sucking the tax payer dry.
Not sharing my first/last name with the world is not the same as not having a complete profile, which I do happen to have. If Scooby wishes to know my name, etc. he can request to be added to my trusted users list. Meanwhile my handle still ties my posting here to a Google ID and therefore a traceable person. Which is all Scooby is wishing for.
Not only should Scooby eliminate anonymous postings, he should boot the riff-raff from NM off the blog. If anything, as a thanks for Knapp. More so for being parasites for too long after losing their own blog and being too lazy set up another.
Whoo I suspect you're going to get some real good comments shortly from the LANL posters on this blog and then to take up for Bret Knapp. Two mistakes in one post. That's pretty good. Actually LLNL owes praise to LANL for being the first to have any balls to tell the LLNL people how they were going to get screwed by LANS and LANS. They were absolutely correct in 2006 and they are absolutely correct in 2013 so is anyone was to stay on this blog and continue the post most pro-llnl employees don't want to hear it would be any and all LANL employees. They rock.
Story Introduction
Benchrest rifle shooter. Combat simulation designer.
Bragging rights
Multiple awards in design, both professionally and as a hobbiest.
Basic Information
Gender Male
Work Occupation Retired.
Employment
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Systems administrator, systems architect, security officer, 1983 -2008
What possible interest could you have in what either lab is doing or why would you care. You're retired. maybe doing work on the side trying to find out who the ANON's are?
That's what the profile says, what of it? Anyone who knows me in real life will recognize those details. I'm not afraid of that nor ashamed. My interest in this blog is that some things posted here do affect retirees and I still have friends working at LLNL. My cards are face-up on the table, where are yours?
Either way works, but anonymity encourages much needed disclosure, insights, speculation,rumors and oversight that is useful, even wading through much of the off-topic troll B.S. (that I also post)
Question Authority.