Use and misuse of Live Chat identities
 

Michael, I am really enjoying the Flyertalk live chat. At one point early Friday morning (4-21) we had 10 people on chatting and having fun.

But I am very distressed about something that I have brought up before. The lack of protection for Flyertalk I-D's

It has come to my attention from anonymous sources that there are TROLLS who have been using my name/Flyertalk i-d when talking on the Live Chat. Of course when I am NOT there.

I sincerely hope that there was nothing dirty or stupid posted under my name on Live Chat (I don't know what was posted.) And I sincerely hope my name is not being misused or used to attack people or possibly writing offensive posts are going on that Live Chat.

I ALSO DO NOT APPRECIATE ANYONE HERE USING MY NAME/FLYERTALK I-D!! IT IS *MINE* AND *MINE ALONE!!!* SO IF YOU WANT TO PLAY AROUND USE SOMEONE ELSES!!!

I would not want to get an e-mail sometime from someone blasting me for some comment on the live chat that I would never post.

THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND FLYERTALK ID'S ON HERE! GO USE THEM AND LEAVE MINE ALONE! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF I STARTED MAKING OFFENSIVE POSTS UNDER YOUR NAME!

AND THE FIRST PERSON WHO TELLS ME TO "LIGHTEN UP" WILL GET A HAIRBALL FROM ME!

Thank you for listening.

If you have any stinging comments like the last time I made a certain post about children in airline seats e-mail me privately.

I understand why CATMAN is upset. There should be a way of ensuring we are who we say we are in the Live Chat feature.

Password protection, perhaps?

We can take a lesson from the trip.com BBS which shows all too clearly what happens in a completely passwordless situation.

CATMAN brings up an outstanding point. Please could we password protect our ID's.

Thanks,
TCrazy

[This message has been edited by Travelcrazy (edited 04-21-2000).]

Ditto. Password protection is a must.

FWIW, I sent an e-mail to Michael @ Webflyer about this very subject yesterday...

Shoot, and I was having so much fun being a CatPoster. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif (Just kidding Catman, I don't want to be hairballed.)

Don't worry Catman.


We know who the real Catman is.

Impersonations on chat. Conga lines ad nauseum.

Welcome to the "new" FlyerTalk...

As disturbing as it was having a Cat imposter earlier in the evening, when the REAL Catman showed up, we spent about 5 minutes quizzing him.

"Catman, where did we have lunch last?"
"Catman, what is my favorite color?"
"Catman, if a train leaves Chicago at ..." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

For prominent posters, these questions will quickly catch an imposter. However it isn't as easy for folks who haven't PIP'd, or done the DO.

It would really be a shame that something as fun as the Chatroom where to be invaded by the trolls.

------------------
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Catman--I agree with your upset at someone using your name, but please don't invite the troll(s) to just use someone else's name in the chat. I.e.--"Go use them and leave mine alone." (Shows why we need a real LAWMAN on the job, not just a CATCOP.) Thanks.

Djlawman

Catman, not to worry. Anything not completely upstanding or without integrity would never be attributed to you. You are
the cats meow.

Ditto the requests for passwords/security. At least the CatPoster was stupid. I mean, would the Catman ever show up with a OneWorld icon?? :P

This afternoon I was signed on in the chatroom as wingless2 and wingless was also in the room.
I thought what a great idea. Two of me. Now I can get twice as much done, but when I asked for help to clean my home the clone signed off.
I knew it was to good to be true http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

[This message has been edited by wingless2 (edited 04-23-2000).]

Catman, I agree with you 100%.

I would like to strengthen some of the requests above... not only should Live Chat identitties be password protected, the identity shoud belong to the same user as on the flyertalk board.

i.e. if at all possible, the same password database should be used. What would be the point in password protecting LiveChat identities if a different CATMAN could register with that name and a new password before the real Catman?

james, great minds...and all that stuff http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

Here's a copy of the E-mail I sent to Michael yesterday:

Michael,
The Chat function seems to be working just fine.

I really feel you need to add password protection to the sign-in process. Can't we use the same password we use on FlyerTalk?

Anyone can sign on as anyone else, which bothers me. In light of some of the flame wars that have happened, it's not out of the
question that someone could sign on as another & say things that would be attributed to the other person.

Sorry for the paranoia, but I'd rather see the Chat area kept clean.

Thanks,
Pete (shadow)

Certainly in any forum where the possibility of identities theft exists, the system itself becomes less valuable and fails as a reliable source for the exchange of information or as a viable source of entertainment! I'd certainly like to see some sort of password protection implemented before I'd consider using it.

------------------
Upgrade available on that flight?

Thanks everyone and I wanted you to know that we have been listening since post one of this thread. We also aspire to identity protection on the chat solution and are holding off in making a big announcement for it until we see a solution we like. As you might guess, it ain't easy because we have a solution provider from two different companies. We do know that in the future, there will be a live chat component as part of the bulletin board area itself which will certainly be able to pull from the database of registered users, but how soon that is, is anyone's guess at this time. So, we're looking at another solution and have all the DB people we know looking at this problem. In the meanwhile, I hope you'll understand that the cart is in front of the horse for right now......but again, we are very much aware of your concerns.....they are the same concerns we have, afterall, I did hear that someone was up the other day signed on as "RandyPetersen'sEvilTwin".......

Randy, thank you for replying and everyone at WebFlyer for working on it.

And thank you everyone for not calling me an old dish rag but I love my identity and I'd like to keep it for myself (I had visions of being Sandra Bullock in "The Net" where they took away everything she had!)

I'll still visit LiveChat but my friend wanderlust brings up a good point: the reluctance of some to go on for fear of seeing someone misuisng his/her Flyertalk identity.

Thanks for listening and thank you Flyertalk brothers and sisters for your support!

Sorry, multiple post.

[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 04-24-2000).]

Good points, all. If I may, I'd like to put in my $.01 worth.

- FlyerTalk is unique. Whether we are aware of it or not, Randy Peterson and company put this BB on the very edge of--not technological innovation-- but, rather sociological innovation. WE make the board what it is. Not moderators, this *thing* we have was alowed to evolve as a result of the *people* who contribute to it. Don't think think this didn't take guts, folks.

- As a result, there are going to be, are most definitely going to be, problems when trolls, or just common ordinary buttheads violate the *spirit* of the board.

-What counts is how we handle it, and we ARE handling it pretty well, IMHO, as evidenced by the posts to this topic.

- Bottom line: The true blue *members* are what makes this place so special. As long as WE stay honest, the FT bulletin board will continue, and it will succeed. Aggravations? Yes! Pains? Yes! This is the price of being in the forefront.

YOU (and you KNOW who I mean!!) ALL ROCK!!!!!!!!!