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[Andy in Vermont]

I have participated in a number of forums where it is a policy that participants be identified as being "in the business" in some way.
This can be done in signature lines or below the avatar in an ID line identifying where the person works or what accordion-related business the person runs.
The policy doesn't have to be strict, but could be considered a matter of good-faith participation -- when a participant's posts reveal that he or she is engaged in accordion-related business, a nudge from forum regulars to alter the profile.
It is useful for the forum to foster "professional" participation --- I can't even begin to quantify how much I have benefited from the generous participation of Rees, Theo, Peter, and other "pros" -- but I find it bizarre when someone hints at his/her vast experience in professional accordion building or repairing, yet hides behind an anonymous ID.  I wholeheartedly support some degree of anonymity for forum participants who are not in accordion-related business, but I believe it is detrimental (for various reasons) when an anonymous pro engages in threads in which the quality of a product is discussed.

[Andy Simpson]

Has it occurred to you that they might have their own perfectly valid reasons for wishing to keep a low profile?.

Even if it's not a strict, having a policy in "good faith" implies that a professional who wishes to be anonymous is doing something wrong by doing so and I think all users, professional or not, should be allowed to decide how much personal information they want to disclose.

[Andy in Vermont]

Has it occurred to you that they might have their own perfectly valid reasons for wishing to keep a low profile?.

Even if it's not a strict, having a policy in "good faith" implies that a professional who wishes to be anonymous is doing something wrong by doing so and I think all users, professional or not, should be allowed to decide how much personal information they want to disclose.

I understand your point, and I also understand that there are good arguments that a professional would be "doing something wrong" is he/she posts anonymously and the content of the post is an opinion about the workmanship of another builder/repairer etc.  I do know of one person in the business who "keeps a low profile" and does so predominantly by reading, rather than posting (which is actually a shame, but it is his choice), and whose posts are objective rather than evaluative. That's not a problem as far as I am concerned.

I know that it is common policy on forums related to other specific instruments or specific products that the builders/dealers/repairers disclose their identity. 

[Alan Morley]

I have been open about very recent developments in my musical life - don't want to bore people even more....

[Andy in Vermont]

I have been open about very recent developments in my musical life - don't want to bore people even more....

Ha!!!

[Simon]

There's a risk in posting too much personal info. Ever tried the Norton test to estimate the value of your online identity? For most people it's a couple of hundred pounds.

[Jon Loomes]

The Norton Test is skewed by definition!

Cheers,
Jon

[Earbrass]

There's a risk in posting too much personal info. Ever tried the Norton test to estimate the value of your online identity? For most people it's a couple of hundred pounds.

So, I went and did the test...

You believe your online value is $0.00, and you guessed a cybercriminal could buy you for $0.00. In the underground economy, you're really worth about $50.00. And that's on a good day.

Your entire digital life could go on the auction block for as little as $0.10, whether you like it or not.

 

[Gary P Chapin]

What's strange is that you get to the end of the test and it gives you a choice of "allow" or "deny."

I'm not sure what it is I'm allowing or denying.

To get to Andy's point, I agree I like knowing where people are coming from on message boards like this.  I also agree that each person has a right to anonymity and that there are good reasons to be anonymous.  I don't think those two statements are incompatible.

[melodeon]

Andy..
 
As an example, do you mean makers who post and refer to themselves in the third person and anonymously take shots at other mel net members?

[Andy in Vermont]

For example, I think a lot of members would have specific questions to ask a builder who uses CNC to build his boxes -- questions about whether certain customizations are possible.  Or, when opinions about repair and tuning, etc., are offered, it is helpful to know if the person posting is an amateur (like me) or someone who repairs or tunes a lot of boxes, in which case, one can look up the business and see the kind of work the person does.

[Roger Howard]

Forgive my ignorance - what does "CNC" mean?

[Andy in Vermont]

But most likely this.

Yep.

[Lester]

Forgive my ignorance - what does "CNC" mean?

Here is Olav's video of his CNC laser in action creating reed blocks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qAaNlVZHnw&feature=share

I want one  

[Roger Howard]

Thanks - ignorance removed!