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From Staff Real People

FollowingHim

FollowingHim

Administrator
Staff member
Real Person
Male
You will have noticed a lot of green and orange "Real Person" labels popping up under people's usernames recently. There are two types of labels:

"Real Person": We have actually met this person in real life, and know they are real.

"Real Person*": We have communicated with this person sufficiently in a range of different ways to be comfortable that they are a real individual and not a bot or scammer, but have not yet had the opportunity to meet them in person.

This forum is a community of real people, many of whom know each other in person. The heart of this ministry is real-world retreats and other in-person get-togethers, the forum works in parallel to this. We know who each other are, and we know we are discussing matters here seriously with real people. I hope these labels will help to illustrate that, as well as providing another tool to inform the discernment of anybody who is unsure of the veracity of an individual.

These labels are not an endorsement of the person involved, just a confirmation that they're not just a random internet troll / bot / scammer.

Also, the fact that someone does not have a "Real Person" label does not necessarily mean they are not genuine. It just means we have not yet met them.

To discuss adding or removing those labels from anybody, contact me by private conversation.
 
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I have now added a second set of labels, "Real Person*", for people we have interacted with sufficiently in a range of ways to be comfortable that they are a real individual and not a troll / bot / scammer etc, but have not yet had the opportunity to meet in person. Full details in the above post, which has been edited to explain this. Once again, to suggest adding or removing these labels from anybody, contact me by private conversation.
 
Please consider ditching the gender labels in favor of a similar system.

When the gender labels and gender-exclusive forums were introduced here, I didn't think they made any sense since anyone could create a fake account with the gender they wanted to infiltrate. I thought a better solution was to make any sensitive forum invite-only, but for something like gender I think the system outlined above to identify real people is ideal (and presents no additional work).
 
Jeff Ray said:
Please consider ditching the gender labels in favor of a similar system.

When the gender labels and gender-exclusive forums were introduced here, I didn't think they made any sense since anyone could create a fake account with the gender they wanted to infiltrate. I thought a better solution was to make any sensitive forum invite-only, but for something like gender I think the system outlined above to identify real people is ideal (and presents no additional work).
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The gender-only forums have existed for many years. They are not secretive, not intended to be secretive, but are a place for people to talk with their gender without being interrupted by the other. Many people do appreciate these forum areas, especially the ladies, they are good to have (I appreciate you don't like them, but must stress that is a minority opinion, most people do like them and those who don't are free to not use them, just as you choose not to).

For years they were available to anybody to post in and run on a trust basis - we just asked men to please not post in the ladies area etc. This became very frustrating and difficult to administer for all involved, because it was too easy to accidentally post in the wrong area. All of us inevitably posted in the wrong place by mistake at some point. So the gender labels were introduced to simplify management - pick a gender, and you can only post there and physically cannot accidentally post in the other. Certainly the odd person might lie and pick the wrong gender, but that's unavoidable. The entire point of those is to simplify forum management and make life easier for all involved. It doesn't show whether someone is genuinely that gender, we don't know that.
 
You misunderstand me. I'm not objecting to gendered forums, I've become convinced of their utility here. My objection was to allowing people to just pick their gender, because I assumed the purpose was to keep people who deliberately lie about their gender out of the forums, the same sort of person who would create a fake account just to argue against PM.

Since you've explained the actual intent, I stand corrected.
 
Joleneakamama said:
I justed noticed the Skull and crossbones on the "banned" label. Nice touch! Lol
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I haven't been on much this week what did I miss? Somebody get banned?
 
I'll have to take the time to read what's going on that particular thread, thanks for the link.
 
I would love a real person label. I was met one year at a retreat. It was quite a while, and I'm wholely forgettable, but perhaps there's a record somewhere.
 
NeoPatriarch said:
I would love a real person label. I was met one year at a retreat. It was quite a while, and I'm wholely forgettable, but perhaps there's a record somewhere.
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We live nearby. And I do get up your way for work sometimes. Maybe we can meet up sometime?
 
Great question. It's been near a decade. I think it was in Tennessee. I saw Micheal Windham (Apostle Mike) Is he still active here? I met Todd Webb but wasn't able to spend the time I would have liked too with him. I met a guy that used to play football, but I'm not a sports guy. He had two wives that I recall.

I met a number of others there names elude me now.

I don't know if those are sufficient hints. I can't probably sort through my records and nail it down more precisely. If you need.

BTW can my button say "Real Man"? That would be tight.
 
NeoPatriarch said:
BTW can my button say "Real Man"? That would be tight.
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I love how you think, but that could be quite the mess.
How do we handle the inevitability of someone getting downvoted? Or does it just become a participation label?
1 Samuel 25:22 (KJV)
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that [pertain] to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

Maybe anyone that can hit the wall from three feet away without surgical enhancement gets the title?
 
steve said:
I love how you think, but that could be quite the mess.
How do we handle the inevitability of someone getting downvoted? Or does it just become a participation label?
1 Samuel 25:22 (KJV)
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that [pertain] to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

Maybe anyone that can hit the wall from three feet away without surgical enhancement gets the title?
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Roflmbo
 
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