I feel the need to reiterate this point, because it appears that some people are looking over the major reason for this change. By requiring people to have a 250 post count, it will help to develop a better understanding about who the person is, and if they are trustworthy. Somebody would have to spend a fair deal of time editing their posts and being extremely careful as to what they say if they were to be an untrustworthy person, and attempt to pass off the point that they were not so. By having 250 posts, if somebody were planning on making a large financial transaction, then they would have a larger amount of posts to read over to understand as to who they are dealing with. I understand how people are complaining that they are being prevented from a right on the forum, but it is not a right, but rather a privilege. You might be a trustworthy person with only 30 posts, but somebody planning on making a $1500 transaction with you wants to have a little bit more proof than 30 posts from somebody. Even if you have been a long time member here, but are more of a lurker than a poster, than you probably haven't developed much for a name for yourself, and there won't be as much of a spool of posts for somebody to read over.
Quite valid and agreeable points.
I don't have an issue with the new rules. But, I do see how it would be inconvenient to some.
Perhaps the new users mostly. I suppose what might actually be useful to new users would be a place where you could go for honest transactions and reasonable prices with Mac stuff.
I used to frequent a mailing list LEM Swap Group
http://groups.google.com/group/lemswap
And, that worked really well. It's a group of pretty established users, and is fairly safe. I've done a lot of trades there.
But, they instituted a new rule that required you to publicly provide your full name, address, and other such details in the public space.
And, to be honest, I'm not comfortable doing so. Not because of anything to hide. Just that I am a rather private person. I do not wish for everything I do online to be coupled with my personal life.
There is so much tying of the Internet with real information that people are using that to create a full profile of every individual out there. And, I've been burned quite badly before.
So, like everyone else here, I use the alias / username to talk back and forth. And, give my full legal name and address and other relevant information to a person which I actually enter into a transaction with.
The problem, is that there are so many people using online resources to compile a full identity profile of individuals for dishonest reasons. And, I do not wish to contribute to that by having my legal name tied to everything I do online.
You'll get my name and address when we are in personal transactions or personal conversations. That information is not going to be provided in a permanent and freely available web space.
I dropped my membership with LEM right after that requirement was added (They may have altered terms some since then).
But, it is a good place to meet honest people, and has great deals. But, the terms as they were when I left wasn't worth the risk / breach of my personal privacy.
I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I've been bitten hard by a previous deal with an entity on the Internet. I was scammed hard. And, I had to change a lot of personal information to recover (and secure my financial situation again). So, you'll get my name and address and such only when I personally give it to you (not as part of my public profile).
If that risk isn't a concern for you, then perhaps people only interested in trading should consider the LEM Swap group.
If they dropped the requirement for a public profile with my name (well, actually just having said info in the post), then I would rejoin.
For some, that requirement wouldn't be an issue. But, I now only give personal details to those I've spoken with. I don't put them where you can get them with a simple search.
But, as for Mac Rumors, I do agree with the idea behind the changes. It makes sense. And, while you may not get my name from my posts, you will see my personality. And, that can be used to decide whether you wish to deal with me.
From my posts, you'll see that I like to have a bit of fun once in a while. I'll give someone a hard time for a bit of a joke. It's all light hearted. You'll also see that I have a serious side, and that I'll help out when I can.
And, if you look at my previous sales transactions, you'll also see that I'm a very detailed person who will provide you with as much detail and information as possible to insure that you know what you're looking at.
So, it's not a bad idea to require more interaction to draw out a persons personality.
