Caution: The Online Conversation
 

My copy of the June issue of "Referee Magazine" arrived yesteday. An article entitled - Caution: The Online Conversation - begins on page 44. It raises topics and issues that affect all of us who read and post here and on other boards. The one stich mentioned heavily in the article was taken from the the officials discussion group on the NFHS website. Has anyone here received any feedback - negative, positive, or otherwise - from online posts? I haven't, but I don't post a lot.

There was a fairly accomplished official who used to post here frequently, but who doesn't anymore because some of his comments were sent to one of his assignors, and I guess he caught a lot of grief for it.

In the two areas I've worked since joining the board, I've never had any "powers-that-be" indicate they frequent this site. I'll be setting up shop in my third association soon, so we'll find out.

Scrappy, I know Dan's been in a funk lately with the Yankees, but did you have to throw him this hanging curve just to cheer him up?

I don't know what you're referring to, but I was talking about a poster named Drake who did some D1 (and above) but was taken to task for his posts here.

I'm sure it's in reference to a diminuitive BoSox fan.

Local Board ...
 

The interpreter of my local board suggested that I not use my real name, not indicate my local association's name, not indicate my hometown, and not use the name of any of the "higher ups" on my local board when citing their interpretations, on this Forum, or any other similar forum . His suggestion seemed fair, and not a big deal, so I made these changes about 18 months ago.

He mentioned this to me after a friend of his, like my interpreter, an NCAA Division I official, who actually went so far as to change his Forum name, his original Forum name pretty much gave away all his personal information, to a new "vague" Forum name. I figured that if this was a good idea for a well respected Forum member, who officiates Division I basketball, as well as high school basketball, then it was probably a good idea for me to follow suit.

I guess if you are engaged in activity that you would not be proud of in the public eye, then I guess you have something to worry about. I have always felt using my real name allows my words to stand by who I am. If I make a claim it is a lot easier to verify that claim because this is who I am. And as time has gone on I have realized what conversations I should have in public and which I should have in private. Since this is a public site, I use similar standards as to what I would say here as I would off this site.

It has not been a problem yet.

Peace

So here I am all this time thinking your real name is BillyMac:confused: . Shoot, well blow me over:) .

I, too, use a pseudonym. My real name is Skippy Weaselpants. OOPS! Shouldn't have revealed that! :eek:

I am with Rut on this one. I have nothing to hide (my wife thinks otherwise, :D ). I have never thought it a problem to put my money (or my foot, for that matter, :D ) where my mouth, so to speak. I know a number of IAABO officials, including interpreters, from Connecticut and I am suprised at BillyMac being told not to use his real name.

MTD, Sr.

Same here....absolutely 100% willing to stand behind my words.

Goodbye Chuck, Again ...
 

I give a lot of credit to those Forum members, like JRutledge, Mark T. DeNucci, Sr., Camron Rust, and others, who use their real name on this Forum. It certainly gives them a degree of credibility that anonymous posters, like myself, have to work a lot harder to achieve.

Regarding MTD, Sr.'s statement, "I am surprised at BillyMac being told not to use his real name". I was not told. It was only suggested to me, and since I have a lot of respect for the person who made this suggestion, I decided to do what was suggested.

Regarding JRutledge's statement, "As time has gone on I have realized what conversations I should have in public and which I should have in private. Since this is a public site, I use similar standards as to what I would say here as I would off this site". I had problems distinguishing between public and private. I made a few posts giving an interpretation by my interpreter, I believe involving advantage-disadvantage, mentioning him by name. Even though the information that I posted, attributed to him, was an accurate description of what he stated at our local meetings, he told me that he did not appreciate his name appearing all over the internet. Even if I hadn't used his name, and just referred to him as "my interpreter", if my real name were part of the post, it wouldn't have been too difficult to find out who "my interpreter" is, because his name, and title, is published all over the place, both in written publications, as well as our local board's website. So, at his suggestion, my real name, exact location, and local board affiliation, simply became BillyMac, an IAABO official, from Connecticut.

Another reason that I followed his suggestion, was that he pointed out to me that his friend, ChuckElias, had also decided to stop posting under his real name. At the time, I had a lot of respect for ChuckElias. I looked forward to his posts because they had a lot to offer, good solid advice, offered in an educational, not condescending, tone. For those of you who only know of ChuckElias as the "annual baseball guy", or don't remember why he left the Forum, let's go down memory lane:

http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=29315

I figured that if leaving the Forum, or being vague about who you are, was good enough for ChuckElias, one of the most respected officials on the Forum, at the time, then it was good enough for me.

Hopefully, since becoming IAABO Connecticut BillyMac, I have gained some credibility as a Forum poster. I have always tried to be polite to those who disagree with me, have been open to constructive criticism, and have tried to post information that is helpful to all officials, as a retired teacher, and a member of my local board's training committee, especially to new officials. As JRutledge brought up, I don't believe that I have posted anything that I was not be proud of in the public eye. As Camron Rust pointed out, I am willing to stand behind my words, but not up to the 100% level that he does. Unfortunately, as MTD, Sr. stated, I do have something to hide, for the reasons outlined above.

Boolsh!t!!

What they post gives people their credibility.

Didya ever hear the old saying about not judging a book by it's cover?

Saying that somebody is automatically more credible than some one else just because of the name that they are using might just be the dumbest premise I've ever heard. What you are saying is that if Chuck Elias is now posting here again under an anonymous <i>nom de net</i>, he doesn't have the same credibility as when he posted under his real name. That's stoopid! Chuck's posts gave him his credibility, not his freaking name.

Lah me.......too bad.....Mick, NevadaRef, Dan_ref, M&Mguy, Snaqwells, Scrapper1, BktBallRef, BadNewsRef, Tomegun, RookieDude, etc., etc., freaking etc.....these guys just aren't as credible as the others using their real names.

If OldSchool hadda used his real name, would that have applied to him too, Billy?

Credit Where Credit Is Due ...
 

You make a good point. The posters you've mentioned have certainly earned their credibility, as you have certainly earned yours.

Are you saying that OldSchool wasn't credible?

And he would be just as annoying. You mispelled my name.

And I can think of dozens more that I failed to mention too, Billy. That group might even include an anonymous poster called BillyMac.:)

Fixed it. Wouldn't want you to lose any more credibility than you have now(if that's possible).

Btw, you misspelled "mispelled". Just saying.

I may not be credible but I think making this list makes me "esteemed", or does it mean I have an esteemed member? I'm always confused about that. :confused:

Ahem? AHEM?? AHEM????

I think maybe JR's been talking to my supervisor again.:mad:

Separated At Birth ...
 

Thanks. I think. I just hope that you're not confusing me with the Billy Mac (note the space between the two words) who occasionally posts on the NFHS basketball forum. We share similar philosophies when it comes to basketball officiating, so it's easy to confuse us. Here's a photograph to help tell us apart. I'm the one in the striped shirt.

http://www.brewertwins.com/membership/images/dog.jpg

I thought that was his real name - Percival Jaques OldSchool.

You see where he says "etc., etc., freaking etc"?

That 3rd one would be you.

I think it makes you a valued member. You can use that membership for discounts, you know.

I agree with your point here...not using a name doesn't mean a person is not credible. There may be many reasons a person doesn't use their real name....most of them legit. However, you do have to admit that most of the "idiots" who show up here don't use their real name.

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Lah me.......too bad.....Mick, NevadaRef, DanRef, M&Mguy, Snaqwells, Scrapper1, BktBallRef, BadNewsRef, Tomegun, RookieDude, etc., etc., freaking etc.....you guys just aren't as credible as the others using their real names.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

No he didn't. He was talking about someone else! :D

True enough, but there's nothing that says if they use a "name" that it has to be theirs. There's no accountability.

Mr. Snaqwells, I Presume ...
 

There can't be too many Snaqwells that live in the Mountain Time Zone, a low population density area. We'll track you down. You can run, but you can't hide.

I think BillyMac makes a good point. It's not just about identifying ourselves. It can also be about identifying people who work with, above, and for us when those people may not appreciate it. Some handle this differently, by carefully not making statements that can identify anyone else. Others choose to post under aliases.

Hell, your supervisor probably doesn't even know your real name. She calls you "that short, crabby l'il jerk that pisses off my coaches". I heard that she said if you didn't have that amazing ability to stick your tongue out and lick your eyebrows, you'd never get another game from her.

That oughta do it for this thread......:D

True dat.

The main reason I have always liked to use my real name is because I wanted anything I said about my experience, my philosophies, my accomplishments and the organizations and people I know can be verified. I have been on other boards where my name was not listed and I feel it is always harder to verify things because people come to you as if you have something to hide. I have been on association boards, I am a clinician in basketball for my state and I have worked D1 baseball. I have had people question those things because I might say something they disagree with. I want people to know I did not just pull it out of the air or I have had experiences in which I am speaking from. And when I have met people off this site or met people that read this site, they already know something about me and can easily figure out where I am coming from. That is not for everyone to do and I would not advocate it, but you are right that when someone uses their real name it does add a certain level of credibility to them at first. But they can quickly lose it or gain it under the right reasons. And many of the "vets" that are on this board have also been around that most of the people like myself know something about them and have know those things for years.

Now if I ever get to the point where Chuck is I might have to reconsider the actual using of my name, but I am not at that point yet. It did not affect me when I was working D1 Baseball, but D1 basketball is a little different level of scrutiny. As a matter of fact I had a person claim I would never do a lot of things in baseball only to be a step away from the State Finals in that sport this year. Using my name does not bother me, but I can see why it does other people. I just like having to be accountable for what I say.

Peace

Credibility isn't something I come here for. I came here, originally, on the recommendation of a JV partner in Iowa, simply to dig into rules discussions and enhance my own rules knowledge. My reasons were purely selfish in that regard. Having or not having credibility here doesn't help me in any way whatsoever, it only would help others decide whether or not to believe what I say. And, frankly, from what I've seen, that only goes so far.

The most credible posters here, from my pespective, are a pretty solid mix of those who use their name and those who use a handle. If anyone wants to judge my credibility, this site has a terrific search feature that allows people to go back and read a bunch of my posts and find out just how many times I've made mistakes on here. Knowing my name and location would only aid my credility if I was staking it on specific officiating accomplishments. I'm not. I stake it on what I've posted here and that alone; an admittedly mixed record, but one that shows a willingness to admit mistakes.

Any credibility that matters would be local and face to face, IMO. No one here has any affect on my career, but if I needed to, and if it would help, I could easily tell a local power-that-is what my handle is and he could judge me accordingly.

What am I, chopped liver? :eek:

I've removed my last name in the past year and the main reason was it was simply to easy to Google me. I tend to shoot my mouth off once in a while around here and I don't need to make it THAT easy for people to find me.

Then again, I don't fear any repercussions anyway. This isn't the biggest thing in my life and while I enjoy officiating, I am not about to change who I am or how I post just to make people happy. I'd rather pack it in first.

Since my name has come up in this thread, I guess I'll give my two cents. The possibility of "repercussions" is definitely the reason that I stopped posting. Like Jeff and some others, I want to be able to stand by my words. But the fact that at least one person has lost D1 assignments because of posts on this forum makes me uneasy about even the possibility of being misunderstood or misrepresented, even tho I know that possibility is very remote.

And while officiating is not the biggest thing in my life, if you forced me to choose between my officiating schedule and posting here, it's not really much of a contest.

I talked to several officials about my decision to stop posting here, including Dan, Tony, JR and DJ; as well as BillyMac's interpreter. It just seemed like, in this case, prudence was the better part of valor.

Ok, I'm off to the baseball thread.

I was not aware that someone lost assignments because of what they said here. That is very interesting. I will say that if I had a choice of a bigger schedule and talking here that choice is also very easy. I have also learned to stay away from certain topics or to stay away from certain people. And that is no different if I am off the site. I just had to implement the same things I do in real life. In my many roles in officiating I know who I can say things to and who I cannot say things to. I respect the personal decisions we all have to make.

Peace

"Dawn Of The Dead"
 

James Agee is often quoted as saying, "You can never go home again." Boy, does this prove that he was wrong.

Aren't the federal marshals in charge of the witness protection program going to upset about this?

Or, maybe because the movie "Dawn of the Dead" was on cable last night, ChuckElias had come back from the dead?

Or, are you the real ChuckElias? If not, what have you done with the real ChuckElias?

Or...Never mind, I'm sure that Mark Padgett will come up with something funnier anyway, so why should I even try?

Color me confused.

Can you be identified by "mick"? How many "Mick's, Dan's etc. are there officiating basketball in the USA?

Oh!
I git it.
Just one in Houghton, though. :)

Éirinn go Brách ...
 

Mick: Derogatory term for person of Irish descent.

http://re3.yt-thm-a03.yimg.com/image/25/f10/326001340

Hey. Watch it. And by the way, Póg mo thóin!

BillyMac,
I will choose to believe that your post is only meant to be informative and not patronizing, and that your rear end kissing comment is only adolescent humor.
But, having a genealogy of Scotch and of Irish, having married a Mc, having been a lifelong fan of Michael Charles Mantle and of Mickey Mouse, your comments still ring with a touch of prejudicial ignorance.
Perhaps another choice of words, or no words, would be better recieved.

I don't think that the world is ready for two Micks from Houghton.:D

Bród ...
 

Here's another choice of words. It's from my family history, that I've been working on for the past month:

The Great Potato Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1850, resulted in a great exodus of Irish refugees fleeing to Australia, and North America, one of the most dramatic waves of Irish migration in history. The failure of the vital staple crop was caused by a mold, and the disease it causes is commonly known as late blight of potato. Starvation and disease became common as many farmers were driven penniless from their homes. The reality of life during the famine times was emigrate or starve. From 1845 to 1851, Ireland lost almost a quarter of its population. Of these, half emigrated to North America, and Australia. The other half perished. The Great Irish Potato Famine brought unprecedented elements to Irish migration because most of the migrants were unfortunate refugees, rather than voluntary emigrants. They were more likely to be diseased and destitute.

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. They were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, discriminated against. Many business owners put up "No Irish Need Apply" signs, because of the reputation they had as drinking loud mouths. Irish were also seen as dirty and disease ridden. However, these same Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories, or agricultural projects, that were so essential to the development of the United States of America.

From 1892 to 1924, more than 22 million immigrants came through Ellis Island, and the Port of New York. The ship companies that transported these passengers kept detailed passenger lists, called ship manifests. These manifests have revealed a number of people bearing my family surname, including my great grandfather, who sailing from Londonderry, County Derry, on the SS Furnessia, and arrived at Ellis Island, New York City, on October 24, 1898.

Here's a template for a tattoo that I'll be getting later this week:

http://re3.yt-thm-a01.yimg.com/image/25/m6/3671955801

Slán agus beannacht leat.

I still think this is someone who stole Chuck's password.

Thanks, and with you.

Agent 000
 

Where's Morocco Mole?

In the chatroom during March Madness. Other than that, I have no clue where he is.

M-i-c K-e-y M-o-u-s-e ...
 

I didn't realize Mickey Mouse was Irish. It's amazing that you can find reliable, factual information on the internet so quickly:

http://www.treasurekingdom.com/miva/...keyplushbl.jpg

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling ...
 

Go raibh maith agat.

I think that's Irish for "Coach, you're a twit". :rolleyes:

http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/images/twit3_1.gif

Upper class, too.

There's a lot of that going around, apparently.

Just for the record, every single post of mine that Mick and Bob have had to delete was written by someone else.

It's true, it's true.......

Found Him ...
 

I would have thought you would have been most proud of those and taken full credit while blaming your usual bool shyt on our forum hacker.

I see Dan is putting himself at the top of Jurassic's list of suspected hackers.

Watch it there, intern.

That is absolutely disgusting!! Hilarious, but disgusting.