Launchpad etiquette document/code of conduct

[Jeroen Vermeulen]

HggdH wrote:

> This is, by all accepted definitions, a *virtual* community. I really do
> not see why knowing my name will make you, or anybody else, believe or
> trust me any more than right now (and, BTW, I would expect you to *not*
> trust me right now. This is OK. I also do not expect you to trust me
> just because you know my name).

Without disagreeing with you otherwise, I do think there is one good
reason why giving a name—whether real name, nick, or pseudonym—can lead
to more trustworthy behaviour.  I'll speak in very general terms, and I
apologize if some of it ends up sounding like "baby talk."  I just don't
want to skip any steps.

Not being anonymous gives you something to lose: a reputation.  I do
trust you *more* because you're a member of the community than I would
if you were an anonymous passer-by.  Community means people do things
together, and membership means you keep coming back with the same
membership card.  Add those two together and practically speaking,
you're doing business with your name.  You invest time and effort.  You
also accumulate credit that translates in people being more ready to
believe you, speak well of you, hire you, etc.

Now for abuse.  If people should come to think of your name badly enough
that an administrator could shut down your name without it reflecting
badly on himself, then the accumulated credit is at risk.  You stand to
lose a benefit of time you have invested.

That effect doesn't change when you use a pseudonym.  It doesn't depend
on someone being able to find you or call your mom, just on how much
you've invested in the name and how much credit it's accumulated.

So all other issues aside, there _is_ a name-based mechanism that has
the effect of keeping people honest.  Of course that doesn't help much
with those who are dishonest to begin with, apart from the fact that
they're still investing time just to accumulate negative credit.  No
single thing that doesn't wipe out mankind is going to stop all of
those, which is why I understand that people may not want to give their
real names.  But names do help, and your real name is just an extreme
case: it's the name you have the most invested in.


Jeroen