Zok, I thought that this might belong in SB, but I decided that it was better here.

Anyway, this is regarding the infraction points for posting someone's phone number. Right now it is 2 points. I really think it should be the same amount of points as the other violation of privacy infraction.

In one day this week I had three different people posting someone else's phone number and asking people to crank call them or such. If even only a handful of people actually do it, that's still a lot of possible crank calls - or worse.

I don't think 2 points that expire in 10 days is severe enough considering the possible damage such posting could conceivably cause. I don't know if such a thing could come back to Totse or not. But even if not...You know?

Just my 2 cents...

I don't know about the US but most places in Europe 'telephone terror' ie crank calling is a criminal offence therefore I'd feel justiifed to infract for 'organising criminal activity'.

So they'd get one infraction for posting the number and one for asking people to call it.

Except, AFAIK, you can only give one infraction per thread.

So give a user infraction? Or post the details here and the Uber K3wl Mod Gang will roll up and we'll all infract the dirtbag!

Prank calls are not nice.

No, they're not.

I got a series of texts from an unknown for a while, telling me to "Meet him at the bus stop"
That was quite amusing while it lasted

The biggest reason I'd be concerned about crank calls originating from here is because of the legal aspect of it.

I don't know how many people remember, but a few months back in Tennessee, I think, two girls were making prank calls and prank texts, and ended up calling an old woman and telling her that a poisonous gas was being pumped into her house and she would be dead in a few minutes. The woman freaked out and had a stroke, and the girls are facing some sort of criminal charges.

Can you imagine the kind of trouble Totse would be in if it got mixed up in something that ended up in a hospitalization or death?

That's kinda what I was thinking too.

I agree, I value my and others' privacy. I think that the penalty for posting such personal information should be substantially higher than some of the other offenses. Maybe we could break it down into two infractions?

One for minor personal information (pictures, names, etc) and one for major personal information (phone numbers, SS#, credit card #, addresses). I see a clear cut distinction between the two. A minor violation does not identify who in the world that person might be. For instance, if someone tells us all that my name is AJ and I live in ohio, there's no way you can figure out who I am based off of that. But if someone gives you my phone number or address, you know exactly who I am (that would be a major violation). A picture would be considered minor because (unless you are famous) there is no way to identify who is in the picture or make further searches for that person.

Minor = Can help lead one to someone's identity
Major = Tells everyone the person's identity

Those are just my thoughts. I don't know of that system would work or not, but if it were my choice, I'd try it out.

How about allusions to somebodies name?

e.g. referring as "the blacksmith" to somebody called Jack Smith?

Too vague, if you ask me.