Guests

[zazen.warrior]

Post removed.

Edited July 29, 2010 by zazen.warrior

[lickthewallfatboy]

I've always thought this

 

why hand people who you are fighting you the info on an open forum?

 

it's crazy......if people genuinely need help,then they register

 

it's not rocket science

[AngloIrishGuy]

I disagree totally.

 

Restricting access only serves to restrict information = equals less informed people = more DCA abuse and bullying.

 

I have been a member for a while but before I became a member I was a guest for a long time mainly because I don't like giving personal information out over the internet until I am very comfortable with a site. Being a guest allows one to see first hand how hopeful and valuable this site really is before they "jump in" so to speak.

 

With regards to DCA's - so what if the DCA's read our threads! I say GREAT - its time these horrid people who do nothing but bully and abuse for a living learn that some people we will not accept it anymore. We will, with the help of sites like this, stand up for our lawful rights. The more people who come to this site and become informed, the better.

[Bookworm]

I completely disagree.

 

1st of all, this site could only grow to the size it has by giving free access. If you ask people to register on an unknown website, the vast majority will move on. From the start, we made the templates restricted but the threads open, so that people could have a good nose around and then if they wanted to start fighting back, they had to register to get to the letters. That's why incidentally people are asked not to copy templates on their threads and why the team will edit them out of the posts when they find them.

 

Secondly, whilst I appreciate that a lot of people are paranoid about who's reading what, often with good reasons after suffering endlessly at the hands of the corporations, the fact is most of the "guests" on CAG are not agents for the dark side, but merely spiders, bots, and slurps and it is thanks to them that someone searching for "Howard Cohen" in a search engine will find CAG on the front page and therefore be in turn capable of gettign help here. It's called SEO (search engine optimisation) and is necessary to ensure CAG remains where it belongs, at the top of the consumer help sites.

 

Finally, the open policy sends a powerful message to those who would b observing. It is, quite simply, saying "F**k you" to those who would have us cowering in our holes. So they're reading our threads? Yeah, and...?

 

Listen, I had solicitors threatening me with all sorts because as soon as they were sending me yet another inane letter, I would copy and paste it in its entirety and CAGgers would read it and make scathing comments and laugh at their feeble attempts at intimidation. They tried to say that my posting them breached copyright, I replied: "so sue me". They tried to influence the judge by saying that I was only refusing to settle because I wanted to be able to claim a precedent on "my" website. I pointed out that no, it was because they were trying to put conditions on settlement when I was the one suing them. And they still lost. In court. Ouch.

 

"Publish and be damned". Letting "them" read our threads means that we stick 2 fingers up at their intimidation attempts and that we are done hiding with our backs curled up in fear. So let them read and see if we care.

 

*Bookie gets off Churchill speech mode and lights a cigar*

[missdpd]

If I just want to have a quick look on the site and don't plan to post owt, then I sometimes don't bother logging in. These 'guests' may also be innocent people who are looking for advice without wanting to ask anyone; they might not know if the advice they want will be found here or whether the site is for them.

I for one would not want to become a member of every single site I look at when seeking information so to impose this restriction may hinder rather than help.

[bsj]

Angloirishguy,i did the same thing,i was a guest for a while before registering,i too wanted to get the feel of the site and glean a little knowledge beforehand.

 

But i do agree with the OP,i voted agree in the poll,we can never be to careful;)

 

(No guests on this thread:-))

[nowayjose]

I have a regular 'guest' on my thread who phoned me last week threatening to use the info I have given on here against me in court...but he was being selective...He said I admitted receiving a default notice...yes I did, but the DN was cr*p, he forgot to mention that though ....

[cerberusalert]

They tried to say that my posting them breached copyright, I replied: "so sue me".

 

At least they didn't try to claim 'Intellectual Property Rights'

[bsj]

Bookie you made some very valid point's in your post,maybe it's the fear factor that makes some of us want hide.

 

Perhaps we should all grow a thicker skin and say stuff them.

 

I did agree,but then i am paranoid:eek:.

[AngloIrishGuy]

I have a regular 'guest' on my thread who phoned me last week threatening to use the info I have given on here against me in court...but he was being selective...He said I admitted receiving a default notice...yes I did, but the DN was cr*p, he forgot to mention that though ....

 

nowayjose, that must have been a very unpleasant experience however I think by the mere fact that the DCA made a harassing telephone call to you only serves to show just how scared they are of this forum and the empowerment it has brings you/us all.

[DonkeyB]

A lot of people find these forums through search engines. Given that so many people give their threads quite pointless headings (like 'Help' or 'Advice needed') there's a danger they wouldn't be able to drill down into the substance of a particular dispute. For example, if 'Lowell' isn't in the thread title, hundreds of people with Lowell problems may never find a solution.

 

If the DCAs monitor these forums so closely, then clearly they are rattled. I think it's best that posters take the utmost care in what they post or ask advice first, but it's still a simple matter for a DCA to log on as a member from home.

 

So reluctantly I would disagree with the main question, though I would agree that posters should be allowed to restrict their threads to members if they wish AND if the mods agree there is a good reason for doing so (such as compromised ID).

[DonkeyB]

Bookie you made some very valid point's in your post,maybe it's the fear factor that makes some of us want hide.

 

Perhaps we should all grow a thicker skin and say stuff them.

 

I did agree,but then i am paranoid:eek:.

 

bsj, just cos you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't waiting in the bushes outside your house with an SD or a summons!

[joemay]

I don't think it would work as has already been mentioned there is nothing stopping a dca/oc/solicitor registering.

 

This forum is open for a good reason, I for one did not register straight away, but found the information invaluable in the threads. If it had of been a site that required registration before viewing, i'm afraid I probably would still be hiding behind the sofa quivering.

 

Even if you allow restrictions to threads I think the site team would be overloaded with these requests, and how would they manage to stop any unwanted guest from registering.

Edited September 3, 2009 by joemay

[nowayjose]

nowayjose, that must have been a very unpleasant experience however I think by the mere fact that the DCA made a harassing telephone call to you only serves to show just how scared they are of this forum and the empowerment it has brings you/us all.

 

Not exactly a DCA its the MD of the Car Finance Comp taking me to court...Im sure he will fail to mention in court the number of texts/phone calls he made to us before he repo 'd the car, threatening to report the car as stolen to the police just 1 of them:-(

[zazen.warrior]

Post removed.

Edited July 29, 2010 by zazen.warrior

[ODC]

It would be pointless and a waste of time to restrict access. All a DCA threat monkey or their organ grinders have to do is register as a member and they can sit and read till their brains explode. Most of the information on here is way above the intellect of the average Threat Monkey so I wouldnt worry too much.

 

Its nice to know that we annoy them so much that they feel the need to come over to CAG to see how the real people are. Let them have their Crystal Maze and pep talks from A*** B***** and J**** C****** because we know we are slowly but surely having an effect on them whether they choose to admit it or not. Robbinscum Way, IJ and Cattles are only the start. Even their own propaganda rag Crudit Toady admits that some DCAs will inevitably fold.

 

So let the loser have free access because we dont give two flying f**** about them.

[ScarletPimpernel]

The vast majority of DCAs operate through telephone call centres and automated mailings. Most of their staff do not have the time, facilities or intellectual capacity to access CAG in any meaningful way, such as identifying users.

 

That said, there is no doubt that on occasion DCA staff (probably managers), do read the forums. I don't see it as a problem if users are reasonably circumspect and take care of PERSEC when posting scans.

 

Getting to the debt industry, by showing how they rely upon lying and bullying as standard operating procedures, is a benefit.

 

Many people come to CAG because they are desperate, having been bullied by DCAs; some are only able to deal with their situation because they've seen that CAG is open, honest and non-judgmental. I think it would be retrograde step to restrict access for the majority in order to attempt to prevent the very few interlopers.

 

For OPSEC reasons I will not go into detail, but the site team are aware when 'bandits' enter our airspace...

[bsj]

bsj, just cos you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't waiting in the bushes outside your house with an SD or a summons!

 

 

Lol,they are, really they are:lol:

[ODC]

Of course adding the odd bit of disinformation into a post really helps confuse them as well as making them look idiotic if they try to quote from threads

[Seminole]

In the early days CAG took a dim view of banks accessing the site and one of the Admin team was able to track their IP addresses. It might be possible to do something similar with the DCAs but I'm not sure there's much point as others have said.

[FlyboyAgain]

The presence of 'guests' on this forum has focussed my mind recently. Mainly because there seems to be a permanent one on my Howard Cohen thread.

 

There may be a perfectly innocent explanation for this, in which case please register and ask for help, we don't bite - unlike other forums I could mention

 

Might I politely suggest that it could be time to restrict access to these forums to registered members only, or perhaps as a compromise allow posters to elect whether or not their comments are made available to casual visitors.

 

Paranoid, moi? :idea:

 

I suggested that after the surge of 'guests' the very day after the Dispatches expose on DCAs. And I'll be there are plenty of banks and DCAs who set up teams to trawl threads on this site to try and gain ammo. It's a gateway for them.

[spamheed]

Based on my own experiences I would disagree entirely with this.

 

When I first began to address my debt issues I searched online for similar situations and found these forums.

 

I browsed thiese forums and established that it might be a place to offer me assistance, during these browsings I would have been a guest and if the idea to restrict access were to be adopted then others following what I would consider to be a common path would be disallowed from obtaining the same levels of help that i and many others have received

 

Also I think that it would be wise for individuals using these forums to use a little common sense when posting personal details online.

Edited September 3, 2009 by spamheed

[FlyboyAgain]

Yeh. The more I actually thought about it nothing could be gained: Banks?DCAs would just become members and casual sufers in search of help might be put off. Catch 22.

[Seminole]

I suggested that after the surge of 'guests' the very day after the Dispatches expose on DCAs. And I'll be there are plenty of banks and DCAs who set up teams to trawl threads on this site to try and gain ammo. It's a gateway for them.

 

That was always a risk with banks and some issues here were discussed in private forums because they were acutely sensitive.

 

Frankly it probably isn't a problem with the DCAs. Everyone is advised to keep sensitive data private and it would, in most instances, be quite difficult for a DCA to identify an individual and to prove that it was that person.

 

DCAs could trawl for ammunition that CAG encourages debt avoidance (it doesn't) but I really don't think that any DCA would try to use that. They know how poorly their sector behaves and that the lack of effective regulation of what they do is both a scandal and a source of profit. Bleating in public won't get them very far and is likely to shine a spotlight on how they operate.

[joemay]

TBH the more I think about this - I don't actually see how a DCA or anyone else could use the posts to our disadvantage. This forum is not about debt avoidance it's about letting people know their legal rights, something that the DCA's/OC's and solicitor's try to misinform us about.

 

Surely if a case went to court I would have thought that any self respecting DJ would laugh at any eveidence that was given from these forums, in fact surely it would be hightlighting their (DCA/OC/Sols) unscrupulous tactics therefore giving them enough rope to hang themselves.