Should the DU forums be private?

[Gothic Sponge]

I was just thinking how any Freeper can come here and use the "AFTER THE DEBATE POLL LIST" to their advantage.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1006413&mesg_id=1006413

Should parts of the forums be private, and others open to the public to welcome new visitors? Just wondering what you think.

[MadChatter]

1. All they have to do is join

with any name, then they could use it even if it were private.
Yikes! Are they so lazy, they can't create their own list?

[Gothic Sponge]

3. True

It would be nice if there was some kind of probation period. Perhaps, anyone under 50, or 100 post cannot view all the forums........... Am i being silly?

[RebelOne]

4. No, you are not being silly.

Because that is the way it is done at another forum I visit at least once a day. There is a general forum for everyone. And when after you get over 100 posts, you graduate to the private forums. This is the 419eater.com site. It is a group of people who bait and waste the time of the Nigerian scammers. And the private forums are mainly so that the scammers cannot see what is really going on.

[lazarus]

2. doesn't matter

What we do, or the freepers, doesn't really matter. Some of those polls are receiving MILLIONS of votes. The people are pissed.

Besides, even if it just us vs them, we're stomping them badly.

[MadChatter]

6. I like the idea of the probation period.

(even tho I don't even have 100 posts yet)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

Absolutely not... in fact, the underground should ADVERTISE, tv,

billboards, radio etc.

How many people who were on the fence... who are AFRAID to speak out on these issues due to the pat-riot act.... Ashcroft, etc., who are LOOKING for truth and revelation have gone away from here KNOWING what is up with this issue or that issue... and who have decided that Kerry is the man and that shrub is a major screw up? How many people would never know that this exists? www.goingupriver.com

How many people would know that there is righteous outrage against the policies of this admin and its appointees?

I say leave it open and let the people decide...., open it up even more by publicizing it. Anyone, anyone at all who has read what has been put up in here... who has digested the deceptions that this admin has pulled upon the country will not remain undecided, there is no way.

[BeFree]

10. Write on, Medialize!!

This is about Democracy. The very idea that we should attempt to make secret any part of DU, goes against the grain of why we post here.

There can be no secrets. Infiltrators can always find a way to uncover any discussion.

It is enough that we are somewhat anonymous with our free-speech, let's keep openly sharing our free-speech and not try to hide it behind a see-thru curtain.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. Infiltrators can always find a way to uncover any discussion.<<

Let any infiltrator either download the movie at www.goingupriver.com

I strongly recommend downloading it if you have at least a 1 megabit connection... I have burned it to CD and will convert to DVD if I can get someone to do it.... I guess Apple's Quicktime Pro allows this.. but there are several commercial converters out there for 30 dollars or less.... probably some high end stuff out there as well for hundreds more.... I'll take the cheap way out for now... get a DVD burner later when they come down a bit.... I can't wait to show this to a relative who is a major freeper... heh, heh, heh.....

Have any infiltrator listen to the last two audios on this site... then ask them what they think about what we are up to on the global stage and what they think the results are going to be long term. I haven't been this moved since the first debate..... really.

http://www.bordergatewayprotocol.net/jon/media/audio/Art_Bell

[crispini]

5. I agree...

that there are certain issues we may wish to discuss amongst ourselves without benefit of prying eyes. Polls may or may not be on the list. The thing is that from a practical point of view, would probably be hard to do before the election. Why not post in AA and see what Skinner et al have to say?

[Gothic Sponge]

9. I agree crispini

I mostly hangout in the lounge, and sometimes many of us discuss some personal issues. I think sometimes we get too comfortable. Some of us probably forget that people are always lurking.

[hyphenate]

11. Don't forget one DUer was fired because

RW asswipe reported what he said to his boss. So I think perhaps an equitable arrangement would be to either watch what you're saying (unfortunately) or perhaps have one particular forum which you must have a certain number of posts to enter. Even if a freeper got into that one private forum, the list of offenders would be far more limited and the spy could be traced more easily.

On the other hand, we're also great proponents of free speech, and while it certainly sucks to think about it, we shouldn't need to censor ourselves simply because some crazed RWer is such a nasty bastard to use something we say against us.

[displacedtexan]

7. Voter registration (Green, Independent, Republican, Libertarian)...

is easily verifiable.

I'm sick and tired of dirty tricks.

Last fall, someone posted that s/he would be revealing him/herself around Nov. 2, 2004, as an infiltrator.

Won't that just be a fun filled diversion from the serious issue of the election?

[crispini]

14. Um, no it's not...

considering that in Texas (and in some other states), NOBODY registers by party. The elections offices don't do it that way.

[jdj]

17. regarding an infiltrator

wont' it be funny if on Nov. 2nd no one notices because everyone has him/her on ignore...

Unless it is Skinner that comes out, I don't think it will make that much of an impact.

[DarkPhenyx]

8. No

end of line.

[Paradise]

12. Force them to PAY for the 'private'! Any amount!

It'll kill 'em to do it, and very few, if any, will!

[davsand]

15. DU began with a private section.

It was called, the Underground, and it was limited to people with a certain number of posts.

It was closed after somebody infiltrated it and posted things publicly, as I recall. Maybe one of the other oldtimers can offer more details...


Laura

[Beam Me Up]

16. There are some Private (conference) forums already.

How is what you are considering any different?