AOL Profiles (from FauxHack)
IJBall
> bee...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu wrote:
> : 4] If a User Profile doesn't exist for said screen name there's a very
> : good chance that it's an extra. Most AOL users create a profile for
> : themselves (their primary screen name) and do not for their additional
> : names. Although, you do get the occassional silly, and clearly insane,
> : person that creates a fraudulent profile for each additional screen
> : name. (This usually if they want to *really* get into the chats that
> : happen in the "Oldr Men 4 Ygnr Boys" private chat room.)
>
> I don't think this is accurate. Believe it or not many members
> are not even aware that Profiles exist or that they must create
> one to appear in the Member Directory.
>
> Deborah
> loo...@netcom.com/faux...@aol.com
Yeah, why is this? It seems to me that a user should *have* to create a
profile when they create a screen name. Even a truncated profile would be
preferable to my many searches for profiles only to get the dreaded "There
is no profile for that name" message.
IJBall
dgl
: > bee...@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu wrote:
: > : 4] If a User Profile doesn't exist for said screen name there's a very
: > : good chance that it's an extra. Most AOL users create a profile for
: > : themselves (their primary screen name) and do not for their additional
: > : names. Although, you do get the occassional silly, and clearly insane,
: > : person that creates a fraudulent profile for each additional screen
: > : name. (This usually if they want to *really* get into the chats that
: > : happen in the "Oldr Men 4 Ygnr Boys" private chat room.)
: >
: > I don't think this is accurate. Believe it or not many members
: > are not even aware that Profiles exist or that they must create
: > one to appear in the Member Directory.
: Yeah, why is this? It seems to me that a user should *have* to create a
: profile when they create a screen name. Even a truncated profile would be
: preferable to my many searches for profiles only to get the dreaded "There
: is no profile for that name" message.
My understanding, and while in my copious spare time I do
some remote slaving for AOL this is absolutely not a definitive
nor official answer is...
In the old days <grin> MacMembers with no profile would still
show something like FauxHack is from Los Angeles, California.
If MacMembers created a profile, there was no manner in which
to avoid the inclusion of the entire real name.
The PC users on the other hand would not show the City, State -
and could delte the Name information when creating a profile.
Members speak to each other and then spoke to AOL and the
consensus was that the Membership (you know, the folks
AOL has to please to stay in business?) preferred the method
afforded the PC Members. As AOL upgraded, the entire system
was changed to the method preferred by the consuming public.
As has been pointed out, there are sickos out there.
Somebody looking for me, a female attorney in Los Angeles
was going to be out of luck (had I been on a Mac). Somebody
looking for a Chiropractor in Podunk, Nowhere could find
them.
The ability to NOT have profiles is an aid, not a hinderence,
to personal security.
At least in the judgment of those whose opinions count the
most - those using and paying for the service.
--
Deborah
loo...@netcom.com/faux...@aol.com
"To love another person is to see the face of God..."
--- Herbert Kretzmer, "Les Miserables"
Gene Gotimer
>It seems to me that a user should *have* to create a
>profile when they create a screen name.
I'm curious. Why should a user *have* to create a profile? What if
they don't want people to know their real name, etc. There are no such
requirements for "real" internet/Usenet users (to fill out a .plan
for example).
--
****************************************************************
** Gene Gotimer got...@oasys.dt.navy.mil **
****************************************************************
IJBall
(Gene Gotimer) wrote:
> I'm curious. Why should a user *have* to create a profile? What if
> they don't want people to know their real name, etc. There are no such
> requirements for "real" internet/Usenet users (to fill out a .plan
> for example).
>
> --
> ****************************************************************
> ** Gene Gotimer got...@oasys.dt.navy.mil **
> ****************************************************************
I was only thinking about internally, inside AOL. I never said that someone
should have to fill out *all* of the profile fields. I just thought the
ability to look up somebody's profile and *always* get an answer back would
be nice. I guess it's not necessary.
IJBall