In MY Opinion

This is not original thought, it has been suggested before.

All members should have the following information contained within their profile and signature, in order of priority:

Where you are located (City or State and Country)
What USDA Hardiness zone
A name that you will use, and prefer to be called (first, last, or pseudonym)

This information should be required for membership

Disclaimer
This is my opinion, you may or may not state your opinion.  To attack my Opinion, if it is different than yours, is rude.  Argument is futile and a waste of time, you are not going to change my mind/opinion.

Danny --

I agree with your main point, so I've added some info to my signature.

That said, I disagree with your disclaimer, which I hope was meant to be ironic.  People can disagree without being rude or disrespectful.  In fact, disagreement can be a reflection of thoughtfulness and respect, i.e., I think enough of you to have considered your views and to make the effort to express my opinions about them.  And disagreement is an essential aspect of the search for truth.

This is my opinion.  You are free to disagree.  But if you do choose to disagree, you should consider yourself rude.  :)

This is my opinion. You are free to disagree. But if dyou do choose to disagree, you should consider yourself rude. ........this site is about the fig tree and the environment of growing figs. All else is extra.
Hence the name. FIGS4FUN.

I would ask that all think about my use of two words, attack and argument.  Our discourse on certain topics has become full of attacks and arguments as opposed to a statement of disagreement or support for or against the topic.

Disagreement is not rude and certainly valuable in the development of thought and disagreement should always be encouraged.  The problem is the methodology of stating an opposing view and the rhetoric applied.  Attack an issue, attack a point of view, but to attack the opposing individual or group is not called for, stay on point, work on the message, the attacking of the messenger is not conducive to good dialog.

Anyone who wants to keep their name, location, nationality or ethnicity private has a right to do that. 

Danny "The Fig Hunter", I can guess why you think it's good to have this information from all the members, but I like to ask you, why do you think is a good idea to have this information available?

If a real name is given, not a fake name or name withheld, there is a less likely chance that the member would trash or malign another member. You would have a difference of opinion but there would be a greater chance of the member acting like a mature adult. The majority of the time, the perpetrator is a nameless or fake name member causing havoc(drama) and this forum has experienced several of these members, however, there are people who are an exception to the rule. Besides when I trade or gift with members, I would like to know there name. I like to know the member when responding to their questions or just to have a forum conversation. No other information about the person is needed unless they want to tie it into their response on a thread. But of course, a member has every right to keep their name secret, no problem, as long as they are a member with the purpose of " figs 4 fun" and display mutual respect for one another.

The information in the signature is helpful because one does not have to go to the profile to find out where someone is located.  This information is good to know when addressing fig problems.  As an example if a thread is started by someone with nematodes, I want to know where they are and if I had bought trees from someone in that area the information could be critical.  As to the name, that was suggested by another member sometime back, I really don't care what you want to be called, if your screen name is what you want, so be it.  I guess I am very old fashioned in that I prefer to know someone's name as opposed to a cutesy screen name, My given name is Danny, not Daniel, not Dan, and not dkirtexas.  I always had problems with cute nicknames as well the Fig Hunter came from someone else and it stuck, but as you can see I also posted my given name.  As to the hardiness zone that is a "no brainer".

You can have totally blank fields in your profile and we can refer to you using your screen name.  If someone wants help they should at least provide the rudimentary information.

@Hoosierbanana - no one said they did not have a right to do or not do anything.  I never addressed anything related to "Rights",  and I could not care less about someones nationality or ethnicity.

Danny, names and locations reveal nationality and ethnicity, you should consider that some people might not want to share that, especially considering the growing level of xenophobia in the US.

Grant, yes please leaves the politics and insults off of the forum. 

It is amazing how a thread can develop, the tangents are amazing.  I started a very simple thread, made it clear what I thought, and somewhere along the line it became a "Political" issue, a "nationality" issue, an "ethnicity" issue, and a "rights" issue.

Let me start over.  I am suggesting that people should state where they are, what their name is, what Hardiness zone they are in.  this information would be great in your signature and profile.  This is my suggestion based on what my opinion is, no intrigue, no politics, nothing other than what I stated as my opinion.  I is not my forum, I have nothing to do with what is said or stated here, I simply stated my opinion, I really did not ask for anyone else's opinion and I certainly did not want it to deteriorate to a "Political" discussion, it was/is stated as my opinion.  KEEP IT SIMPLE! state your opinion if you want to, I stated mine, which was my prerogative.  If you want to deviate, start your own thread.

My first post was not directed at you Danny, but you responded to it so I explained further. That is all.

I was the first one to respond to Danny's message, and I objected to part of it.  But let me speak in his defense.  I don't think he meant anything dangerous or threatening.  

(1) It helps to have a name when we respond to a message.  The name can be very non-descript, like "Joe D."  It doesn't have to be any more accurate a reflection of who the author really is than the avatar.  

(2) It helps a lot to have a zone.  Much of what is discussed depends critically on the growing conditions experienced by the author.  I care deeply about advice from members growing in zones 5-7.  I don't care much about advice from members growing in zones 8-9.

(3) It helps to have a geographic location because, sad to say, Z6b in coastal RI is not the same as Z6b elsewhere (e.g., mountainous WV). So the precise location helps me interpret the message.

If you don't want to give a real name, give a fake one.  If you don't want to give a precise location, give just a zone.

If you don't want to reveal anything about your race or ethnicity or sexual preference or political persuasion or whatever, fine.  I wish we didn't have to be so paranoid, and I really doubt that 99.9% of the forum members care.  But as for me, I'm a white, male, heterosexual who is Polish (1/2), Italian (1/4), Irish (1/8), and German (1/8), with a wife who is 100% Cuban and two daughters-in-law who are respectively Jewish and Muslim.  God bless America.

@Joe- Exactly, well stated.  I am not sure how anything I stated could be construed as dangerous or threatening but I am not sure I am in the current reality, LOL

Joe, that is exactly the reason I like  information in the signature, to know who I am responding to, and if the information is relevant to my zone. 

Great point Wayne.

hoosier, point made, given the times we are living in.

Thank you all!
figs4fun