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Is Photonet Username "KKK" (veiled reference to Ku Klux Klan ??)


andre_noble4

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The forum moderator email deleted this post on the

Film and Processing forum in which an individual is using

username "KKK" to post questions. So I am re-asking the question here:

 

Photonet owner and moderators, please explain his/her allowance to

use and his/her intention of using "KKK" as a username.

 

If you (moderator) feel there is no reason to explain an individual's

using a name closely linked to a White Supremist racial hatred group

please reply. Do not delete this thread again. This is a serious

matter.

 

Andre Noble

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It's quite possible that the individual's initials are "KKK", or that the first letter of his/her name is "K", prompting them to choose that user name. Also, photo.net is worldwide; it's possible that the individual was not aware of the existence of this organization. Unless the individual was posting messages with a racist undertone, in clear violation of photo.net policies, or with a blatantly objectionable user name, I would be hesitant to remove that user based solely upon his/her choice of user name. The moderators around here are well-qualified to perform their duties; warning them to not delete a thread probably won't get the results you desire.
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We have 13 users with "kkk" or "kkkk" as their name. I have no idea how many are active accounts.

 

If someone was regularly posting with the name "KKK" I would contact them and ask them if they would mind changing it, since it is offensive to many people.

 

However I've no idea which "kkk" you're refering to, so I would not know who to contact.

 

Photo.net does remove offensive and obscene user names. Since we have no check at registration, this has to be done "after the fact".

 

Most accounts registered under obscene and offensive names are dormant. The users register and never visit again. If they did, I'm pretty sure other users would let us know about it and those accounts would be taken care of.

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One of the things I really like about Photo.Net is that we use our real names. For me it is very important because I have come to know some users indirectly, their websites, their pictures and very important their camera sales. So let's say I see someone of you is selling your camera on eBay, I know I can trust this seller. And I may look at your portfolio and buy a print. Many users are famous and respected photographers who may also write articles in magazines. Acturally real community of photographers. That is why I cannot cop with users who do not use the names their mothers gave them. I only see three reasons to do it: scammers, spammers or famous convicts who would need to remain anonimous on the web. Sorry, but this is how I personally see it.
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Frenando I agree, it is sad that we even allow children or scammers, spammers or famous convicts to use fake names. :+(

 

What is even worse is when you see members with fake names (how did they pay with a fake name?), that damages the site because if they lie for a name how can you trust them with photo advice?

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To answer the original question: it is important to remember that we have many international members, some of whom may not be farmiliar with the implications of those initals.

 

As for using real names, well, as I've explained before, that is an easy thing to say if you have a relatively common name. But if you were a young woman with a name so unique that, if plugged into any directory site like whitepages.com, your phone phone number and address would be the only listing, would you always register your accounts (the plural is to indict accounts at multiple sites, not duplicate account on pnet)? Possibly so, but I am not comfortable with that and so I appriciate pnet's lack of insistance towards real names. I guess I could've used "smith" or "jones" but, to be honest, when I signed up I simply forgot that full names were displayed here and am glad that I did not plug my last name in.

 

The internet is really not an anonymous place, as anyone (especially in the USA) can be tracked through ISPs that are more than willing to help in cases of serious (sriminal) abuses.

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There are probably a few other people we might object to as well.

Here are some off the top of my head.

<p>

Ian Robert Andrews<br>

Samantha Stevens <br>

Keith Graham Barnham <br>

Peter Laurence Orwell <br>

Martin Olly Steven Sam Andrew Dennis (Bit unlikely that one though)

<br>

Edwina Tina Appleby <br>

Brian Neil Peterson <br>

Nathalie Fredricksen <br>

<p>

Though the one who really gets my goat is <br>

<p>

R. Soul

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I beg to differ - this isn't a serious matter. As a matter of fact, to jump to the conclusion that, in the absence of any supporting evidence, this person may well be some form of white supremecist is downright comical. On top of that, what if he/she is? They're a person participating in a public forum - not my day care provider... consequently I couldn't give a hoot.

 

- Al

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It's potentially very offensive to some people. If someone had burned a cross outside YOUR house, you'd probably care too! Photo.net does care.

 

If anyone wants to email me the URL of a current thread in which "KKK" is participating, I'll look into asking the user if they realize the problem with the name and offer to change it for them.

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No, but if we catch any of them, then we're ahead of the game.

 

Off hand I can't think of any set of initials likely to be more offensive or more directly tied only to an offensive organization than "KKK".

 

I don't think I'd be bothered by FBI, CIA, DHS, UPS or even KGB. I don't much like IRS though...

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Bob,

I'd disagree about UPS and add DHL too.

If you had missed being blown up by the IRA by a few hours though,

you might find that one offensive.

Having said that, even though I have the dubious honour of being in

that position, I wouldn't find it offensive but I imagine some people

would.

While the Ku Klux Klan are a dispicable organiation, the "BNP" carry

a similar message in the UK as do the "National Front".

I realise it is your site and you can do with it as you will and I

know KKK is particularly emotive in the US but in other parts of the

world other initials are much more relevant.

Not sure what I'm going on about really apart from perhaps trying to

say that censoring some poor guys name on PN might be being a bit

over sensitive.

If there is evidence of their activity on PN however, I agree with

you 100%.

 

</aimless pontificating>

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I lived in the UK during the worst of the IRA bombings, and in towns where bombings occured. I do not sympathise with them one bit. However for some reason I don't find those initials particularly offensive, but I can see how some might. They also happen to spell a reasonably common name "Ira".

 

Nothing is perfect, I don't think photo.net wants to become overly politically correct, nor does photo.net really want to micromanage user names. But "KKK" is highly offensive to many in the US, and, like it or not, most of the participants in photo.net live in the USA.

 

If we're going after TLAs (three letter acronyms), some might object to GWB...

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