Hi Sarah,
However, in this instance, how on earth would you ever know if John Jones is in real life actually Harry Smith?
And what possible difference can it make???
My only Group that its not Restricted Membership is Announcement only, so it doesn¡¯t matter.
My only other Group that I haven¡¯t personally met members before Approving them,
I have a Pending Member notice sent asking:
1) Why do you want to Join?
2) What is your real First and Last Name?
Plausible answers to both questions get Approva.
Incomplete or non-answers get at least one resend of the Pending Member notice and/or a personal inquiry from me.
Some members may be submitting a false name, but our focus isn¡¯t confidential and our Messages archive is public.
New Member Posts Require Approval, which also helps to vet new members.
I believe most people who don¡¯t conceal their identity are more likely to be courteous and respectful in discussions. I have only in a few instances put anyone temporarily back on Moderation.
I have had to announce that there is a ¡°Mute Topic¡± link on each message and there are Subscription > Settings > Advanced Preferences > Message Selection options "Following Only¡±,
"First Message Also¡±, and "Auto Follow Replies¡± options for those who aren¡¯t interested in a particular Topic and/or have complained of too many messages
-Michael
Michael Pavan