> Martin L. Shoemaker
>
> Hello, Registrars amd others! I have a suggestion: since part of
> registering
> a game includes providing contact information, might it be
> possible for said
> information to actually appear in the listing for a game? This can be
> particularly important for games available only as a free download (i.e.,
> mine), since it may be the only way for a casual browser to find and
> download the game.
There is, in fact, a place for a url when you add a work. That can be an
http, ftp, or even a mailto url. I can certainly make the email address
optional for authors who post works. There are three reasons I collect the
email address from a member when they register:
#1 is so they are unique in the member database. This isn't 100% reliable
but it is pretty darn close. It cuts down on people accidentally
registering themselves two, three, or more times just to post a review. I
don't use the email address as a unique key in the database, but it is
something I check when a new user signs up.
#2 is for contact. If something is going wrong with a work or a review in
the database, I need a point of contact so the problem can be addressed. It
is very shaky ground for me to edit works or reviews being posted because,
as AOL found out, if you do that you switch from being a 'library-type'
entity to a 'publisher-type' entity, which has profound repercussions for
the liability of the site. If the author makes or directs the change, then
the OGF is not taking on the responsibility for the change.
#3 is for accountability. The only way a review is meaningful is if people
are being held accountable for their words. A user is less likely to make a
malicious review if they know that their words can be traced back to them.
Sometimes a bad review is perfectly appropriate, but in such cases reviewers
ought to be willing to stand by their words, which in my mind is the
honorable thing to do if you are going to share your opinion. A determined
reviewer can hide behind anon mail services if they really want to, but by
making it take an extra step I think it will curb unscrupulous use. I
certainly don't expect the email addresses of members to become public,
because that would also compromise the ability of a poster to speak their
mind without fear of repercussion from someone who didn't like the review.
-Brad
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