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No Identity, No Profile
Thread poster: Henry Hinds
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 15:52
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Identity verified should be enough Sep 25, 2014

Proz.com does have procedures for making sure you are who you say you are - which basically means they know your real name and that you have shown proof of identity to a moderator or by paying your subscription from an account with that name. That is what the little black tick means beside some people's names or nicknames.

Everything can be faked, but Writeaway at least has gone through the procedure, and I have corresponded behind the scenes with Writeaway. There is a real person t
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Proz.com does have procedures for making sure you are who you say you are - which basically means they know your real name and that you have shown proof of identity to a moderator or by paying your subscription from an account with that name. That is what the little black tick means beside some people's names or nicknames.

Everything can be faked, but Writeaway at least has gone through the procedure, and I have corresponded behind the scenes with Writeaway. There is a real person there, and I look at comments, not other irrelevant issues.

I like my name because it is so common and anonymous - you would not get me to use my maiden name for a variety of reasons. Who says I still look like my picture - or that it was ever a picture of me in the first place? (It is, if you take my word for it, but it is over ten years old.)

I sometimes prefer a good brand name. If your source or target language clients can spell it more easily than your personal name, or if it helps link you to a particular specialist area, then fine by me.
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NecdetB
NecdetB  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 17:52
German to Turkish
+ ...
CAT tools, John, Ulrike, Google, Eric Schmidt... Sep 25, 2014

When it comes to CAT tools and Co., I find you just awesome, Michael, it is hence a bit disappointing for me to see you failed in this subject!

Michael Beijer wrote:
All I'm asking is that we are at least given enough info so we can address people as a ‘he’ or a ‘she’. Is that so much to ask?


Yes! Unless you presume that everyone communicates only in sexist languages such as English and you suggest John one CAT tool and Ulrike another!

Woodstock wrote:
If Proz could provide that kind of privacy, then I would consider using my real name, but Proz doesn't.


You took the words out of my mouth!

It is worth noting this part as well:

"The website is designed in such a way that all postings made by members can only be viewed within the community and lie beyond the reach of Google and other search engines."

and then remembering Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google: "Just remember when you post something, the computers remember forever."


 
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Andrea Riffo
Andrea Riffo  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 11:52
English to Spanish
+ ...
key sentence Sep 25, 2014

Paulinho Fonseca wrote:

I have had these thoughts as well and what mostly intrigues me is why? If one wants to succeed in a career why play with names, pseudos which you clearly mentioned as '(some of which are quite infantile or silly)'.



Not everybody uses Proz to build up their career and/or find work, as Woodstock and writeaway have pointed out several times by now. Some are interested only in the site's social aspects, like the forums.

Anyhow, I don't see anything wrong with using a pseudonym and/or a cartoon/animal/take your pick avatar in a public website and can actually see several advantages to it, considering I too have come across a handful of nutcases since my profile came online.


 
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Jared Tabor
Jared Tabor
Local time: 11:52
SITE STAFF
Keep it on topic and courteous, folks Sep 25, 2014

Let's keep the discussion courteous and on topic, everyone.


http://www.proz.com/siterules/general/2#2


Jared


 
Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:52
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
In memoriam
Good Response Sep 25, 2014

There has really been a good response here, and finally we have some involvement from Proz staff through Jared. We know you are a censor, Jared, but it would be good if Proz.com could come through with a response to the subject here. After all, it would be up to you to take any action regarding it. What do you have to say?

 
Jared Tabor
Jared Tabor
Local time: 11:52
SITE STAFF
The person with the need sets the parameters Sep 25, 2014

Henry Hinds wrote:

We know you are a censor, Jared, but it would be good if Proz.com could come through with a response to the subject here.


Ouch, Henry. I do moderate this and other forums, among a few other duties, but when the words "censor" and "censorship" come up I feel compelled to point out that ProZ.com is not a "free speech zone." The site's scope and rules limit the content of the forums, and people are not allowed to use the forums as a platform to say absolutely anything they want.

As for whether those who use the site will be required to use first and last name publicly and the like, the answer is no. The site's guiding principles cover this fairly well, specifically point six, "The person with the need sets the parameters."

http://www.proz.com/about/cornerstones/

Various means and tools are available to those who wish to provide added assurance to others they meet through the site that they are who they say they are. Identity verification is one of them, for example (thanks Christine!). But ProZ.com has no intentions of forcing you to present yourself in one way or another, or of forcing you to run your business in one way or another.

Jared


 
Michael Beijer
Michael Beijer  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:52
Member (2009)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Freedom before politeness. Sep 25, 2014

Jared Tabor wrote:

Henry Hinds wrote:

We know you are a censor, Jared, but it would be good if Proz.com could come through with a response to the subject here.


Ouch, Henry. I do moderate this and other forums, among a few other duties, but when the words "censor" and "censorship" come up I feel compelled to point out that ProZ.com is not a "free speech zone." The site's scope and rules limit the content of the forums, and people are not allowed to use the forums as a platform to say absolutely anything they want.

As for whether those who use the site will be required to use first and last name publicly and the like, the answer is no. The site's guiding principles cover this fairly well, specifically point six, "The person with the need sets the parameters."

http://www.proz.com/about/cornerstones/

Various means and tools are available to those who wish to provide added assurance to others they meet through the site that they are who they say they are. Identity verification is one of them, for example (thanks Christine!). But ProZ.com has no intentions of forcing you to present yourself in one way or another, or of forcing you to run your business in one way or another.

Jared


Agree entirely. Although I don't think it's very polite, I definitely wouldn't want people to be forced to use their real name. Freedom should come before politeness. Good manners is not something that should (or even can) be forced. It has to come naturally.

Michael


 
polyglot45
polyglot45
English to French
+ ...
a little understanding wouldn't go amiss Sep 25, 2014

While there may exist private sites where you are obliged to give your real name and details, those sites are not public like this one is. They are protected sites that enable people to express themselves relatively freely, where members are usually vetted before joining/have to be sponsored and where confidence and trust are the name of the game. Those of you with personal knowledge of these sites, please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.

Proz is a site that has to be as
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While there may exist private sites where you are obliged to give your real name and details, those sites are not public like this one is. They are protected sites that enable people to express themselves relatively freely, where members are usually vetted before joining/have to be sponsored and where confidence and trust are the name of the game. Those of you with personal knowledge of these sites, please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.

Proz is a site that has to be as open as it can get, if only to enable potential clients and translators to find their match (interpret that how you will!).

As a result, some of us do not want to go public. As I said before, but with not being a member my posts take forever to appear, the last thing I want is to call attention to myself, have to answer enquiries from potential clients, etc. I value my privacy.

What I did not mention before is that my gender is irrelevant : if I answer a technical question, I do not want to be treated as a woman and therefore ignorant of such things or, alternatively if I answer a question on a so-called "feminine" subject, I do not want my reply to be dismissed as that of "an ignorant" male. In other words, I want my suggestions to be treated for their own inherent worth. Full stop.

I am a real person, I have been translating for years, I have my own circle of clients. I do not NEED this site professionally. But if it amuses me to answer the odd question, I'm doing the site owners a favour, so why should they punish me or try to force me to "go public"?
It's simple: either I use a pseudonym or you won't see me for dust. Not sure that's what the site wants but I may be wrong.

Henry: I would be happy to exchange with you privately to prove my good faith, if that's what bothers you.
As to politeness, I consider my comments to be perfectly within the limits of what constitutes proper social behaviour, so what precisely am I doing wrong? On what score do you feel the need to recriminate with me and my kind?

[Edited at 2014-09-25 19:55 GMT]
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Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:52
German to English
+ ...
@Michael & Henry: Different views on courtesy or what is right Sep 25, 2014

As I mentioned before, my sense of security and feeling safe on such a heavily visited website is important to me, whereas you think that your definition of courtesy or what is right trumps any downside. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that point, whereby I still think the majority of the people here do not have a problem with anonymity, nor does the internet at large where so much (good and bad) takes place behind avatars and fictitious user names. I think it is significant to note that... See more
As I mentioned before, my sense of security and feeling safe on such a heavily visited website is important to me, whereas you think that your definition of courtesy or what is right trumps any downside. We'll just have to agree to disagree on that point, whereby I still think the majority of the people here do not have a problem with anonymity, nor does the internet at large where so much (good and bad) takes place behind avatars and fictitious user names. I think it is significant to note that those who appear to agree with you two in this thread have never experienced stalking. You and they would probably think differently if you had. And with that, this discussion has come full circle as far as I'm concerned.

Have a nice evening!

PS: And yes, Michael, to us Americans freedom means everything. People sometimes forget that Proz is ultimately a US-based website, despite the fact that all nationalities of the world are represented here.


[Edited at 2014-09-25 20:27 GMT]
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