So, if someone had a great political discussion forum where

[MineralMan]

Members could create screen names, but the admins required real name, address, and mailed a verification code you had to enter the first time you logged in, would you sign up? Note: ID information would never be stored on the site's server.

5 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Sure. Sounds great.
	5 (100%)
	No way!
	0 (0%)
	Maybe.
	0 (0%)
	I don't get this at all.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Kaleva]

1. A way to battle bots and trolls?

I'd be fine with it.

[MineralMan]

3. That would stop almost all of them.

It would also stop malicious threats from trolls.

[Sophia4]

6. I think it is a good idea.

[MineralMan]

7. Thanks for your reply.

I'm just curious to see what people think.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I got to think about it...

Being that id information would be somewhat protected might make a difference. One of the big big holdup in me signing up for DU for years and years was my fear of personal data being hacked. Finally took the plunge and joined DU after years and years. I guess sometimes you got to take a risk, small as it is.

[MineralMan]

4. Well, Facebook has mine. I'd worry

more about that than a private forum.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Really! I don't have a FB acct, don't plan on it either. I think DU and its administrators are ...

on the ball far more faster than FB is, in shutting down nefarious traffic. To be fair, it would probably too hard to 'police' tens of millions of data conversations, which is probably why Russia and other agents can get away w/ what they attempted to do, disrupt normal conversations and attempt to drive wedges into them. Take care.

[Takket]

5. a million times YES

This locks out the bots and no troll is mailing in his real name that can be associated with his/her racist rants. People could still have a degree of anonymity but know, just like in REAL LIFE, the things you say can have consequences.

Do that and meaningful discussion could actually exist on the internet. instead of what we have now which is basically the internet being handed over to troll because people can't avoid them and don't want to deal with them.

[leftstreet]

9. It's a discussion forum that would fail

It may or may not be a good idea, but not many people would WAIT for a snail mail letter to enter a code. Maybe a cellphone # with verification code? People are accustomed to that for various things like banking, cable tv accts, etc.

[MineralMan]

10. You could be right. Still, I'd probably sign up, if the discussions there

were good. I think we're going to see more verification of identity on some sites. For example, a lot of comment sections for publications and other things are requiring Facebook logins, based on Facebook's attempts to insist on real name sign-ups. Of course, FB isn't successful in verifying identities, but at least they tried. When I first signed up there, I had no problems with using my real name and real email address. Same thing here on DU. When I first signed up, I provided my real name and normal email address to the admins.

The trouble with email verification is that there are so many anonymous email services that there's really no verification at all through using email.

The problem is growing, or awareness of it is growing, anyhow.

[NCTraveler]

11. Since it has already been deemed to be "great"....

I say sure. Who doesn't like greatness?

[MineralMan]

12. Well, I'm assuming that someone has read some discussions

in such a forum and wants to participate, based on that. Most forums allow reading by non-members but require registration for posting privileges.

So, "great" would be in the eyes of the beholder.