Interesting question Graham. I think at least two things would happen:

You would have far less people discussing things on it. However, you sure as hell won't have people spouting off about particular ethnic groups or cosmic conspiracies. Whether that's a good thing or not, I'm not sure yet, because at least here know who the nutbags really are when they start, and that tends to make you listen less to the other stuff they say. On a non-anon forum, it would be difficult to tell whether a particular opinion was really held by normal people or religious/vegan/white supremacist nutters as it were. Although the anon sites like this are overrun with these types, it's only because they can say stuff here with out any fear people learning who they are. Normal people with a major gripe write letters to the editor- and get them published.

At the end of the day, I don't think it would work. But it is an interesting question.

Graham Young
We would be interested and think there would be a steady flow of new members. The name and reputation would be boosted respected more IMOP
People would be on better behavior which would have to cut down some of the staff work on OLO.

We have always wanted a section on OLO seperate from people using bodgey names .
Count us in with C J Morgan

Graham Young
We would be interested and think there would be a steady flow of new members. The name and reputation would be boosted respected more IMOP
People would be on better behavior which would have to cut down some of the staff work on OLO.
Ok I will tell you our biggest problem with your forum for us Graham, in the hope, you will consider, everybody’s position.

(Including ours) and it might help sway you to opening an ID only section.
Pale is targeted by extreme groups. Because we work in conjunction with RSPCA QLD
Of course we know who these people really are but we can’t do anything because of the bogey names. If everybody had to be honest about their ID it would pretty much put a stop to it and allow us to educate him public in instead of responding to attacks unable to defend ourselves properly because we can’t accuse these extreme libbers.
Even the Federal Government is aware of this but that doesn’t solve the problem.
So Yes we would be able to allow the members to post in their real names. They would return because that’s why they stopped refusing to put up with to bogey names.

So if you are serious about making at least part of OLO ID only posters we would be delighted.

GI_Jane

I think we would all agree that freedom of speech is an important right and that we should all cherish and protect it fiercely. As with most rights however there is a concomitant responsibility and in the case of speaking freely it is that our words should not offend. Linking race and intelligence is an offensive concept as are David Irving's attempts to whitewash the Holocaust. Defending freedom of speech in order to denigrate racial groups in this way is not a defensible position.

Hadn't read to the end of the thread before my last post or I would have commented on Graham's suggestion then!

I would definitely prefer a forum without pseudonyms and have argued against them on several occasions on other threads. I don't think surnames or photos need to be included but suburbs could be.

Col (and KGB) make the very important point.. that the closer one comes to Socialism/marxism/Communism... the further one departs from true freedom of speech.

Graham asks "How many would participate" if pic and general location were manditory. I'd participate, and..I'd speak about every issue or other religion, except Islam. Why? because that is the only one I know if where some of its followers deliberately seek to murder its critics. (as their prophet did)

I've never heard of Hindus outside India doing that.. and I know of no other faith which has as fanatical followers outside Islam than Hindusim (with a strong nationalistic streak) A missionary from my own denomination was burned alive in his car with his children by radical Hindu's.

If someone ever wanted to meet me, and "have it out" one on one about Islam or PC or whatever etc.. I'm happy to accomodate. I've done this quite amicably with Fellow Human, I have the runs on the board. But I'll do it on my own terms..no one elses.

But I've been curtailed here on OLO in the past week..and I'm mystified why. I tried to do a thread

"Happy Chinese workers means miserable Australian Consumers"

and it was rejected.. amazing, yet GI Jane can get pretty close to a much more sensitive issue and here we are discussing it.

Ah well.. roll with the punches as I alway say.