This is to notify all those skittish players on the list that I,
myself, am a potentially dangerous individual to play PBEM games
with. An explanation follows...
I am a computer professional. As such, I have the skill and
experience to determine the real-world, physical location of the
computer you are using to send email to this mailing list. I could
be looking over your shoulder RIGHT NOW. Scared yet?
I beat on people with sticks on a regular basis. Every weekend, I
freely admit. My friends and I engage in live action mideval combat
once or twice a week, and I have been practicing dilligently for
twelve years and am quite good. Hence, I am a violent and skilled
combatant. Scared yet?
I have no criminal record. Why? Because I have never done anything
illegal. In fact, I'm an Eagle Scout, have a Good Citizenship
Citation, and hold a US security clearance. Is that because I am a
good person? Maybe, maybe not. But they would never suspect me of
any illegal activity that I might wish to engage in, and my
fingerprints are not on file. Scared yet?
Maybe, for your safety, I should be restricted from playing certain
game positions. Perhaps you should all be warned of my
capabilities. The fact that I havent done anything YET is no
indication that you have nothing to worry about, is it?
As a potentially dangerous person, should I be allowed to attend the
Face To Face games? Should you? Should we conduct background checks
and make sure anyone who has ever committed ANY crime not be allowed
to attend? (I'm sorry sir, but you had a parking ticket last year.
You can't come. And you, who owe the back taxes... sorry. You're
out too.)
In all seriousness...
This is the internet, folks. Never give out any information you
don't want known. You must also live with the fact that a determined
criminal CAN find out many things about you from your correspondance,
no matter what you do. Harlequin already gives the option of
withholding most of your personal information on the turnsheet and
resultsheet, so not even your teammates know anything more than your
email address... unless they dig. That, I think, is sufficient
precaution in both the eyes of the law, and in common sense and
decency.
If the law determines that prisoners, ex-prisoners, those aquitted of
crimes, etc are allowed the right to communicate over email without
giant warning banners, then so be it. It is not our place to try and
coerce a PBEM company to make up for any perceived lapse in personal
security based on those laws. If you really feel insecure, work to
get those laws changed (since most of us live in places where such
legisaltion is possible).
Thank you for your time.
Sarcasticly,
- Glenn R Bundy