h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just noticed another newbie get 'caught out' with the tag.

I'd imagine it can be quite 'unsettling' to see your nickname on someone else's space, not know only you could see it.

I include a brief explanation of the tag in my ACE Welcome, I think it might be a nice idea if more of us do, we maybe loosing new researchers due to the tag.

Emmily

Hi Emmily

I think that is a good point. I have to admit I have my reservations about this particular tag.

I don't mind the tag, I've come across some amusing uses for it, but I know it's just a tag, I can see the funny side, if I didn't know it was a tag, I'd see it quite differently.

Emmily

Oh I can see the funny side too, when it is used responsibly. But not all Researchers use it responsibly!

I have an explanation of the viewer tag on my New Researchers page at <./>A719840</.>

Hi Feisor

Yes, I had noticed that you did, it says more or less the same as my sentence. Great minds eh

Emmily

Yes, well ... there's not much you can say about the thing is there?? It can be quite unsettling in some cases

As I said when it was introduced, I really don't think the VIEWER tag serves any genuinely good purpose. Even the "responsible" or nice uses of it could easily be done with something like "welcome fellow researcher". I think it should be removed from GuideML because I've seen quite a lot of people get upset by its use in various places.

erm is my mind playing tricks on me, or have you changed it since I last read it, it's different now.

Emmily

Now come on SEF that's just being a spoil sport

Maybe I've got a sense of humour, I even liked HVL's one that got hidden, I was glad I saw it before it got moderated.

Emmily

Not really, I also said at the time that I didn't mind myself. I'm too much of a link checker to get caught that way (I saw HVL's page too). However, other people are not computer gurus and many of those get hurt. It's like any other sort of practical joke - ie ought to be limited to consenting loonies only. By definition, the VIEWER tag is not capable of being limited to being used by one loonie on another. Anyone can use it (not just responsible people) and anyone can see it (not just those who can figure out what it is).

I counted seven newbies caught in a viewer tag I had before (It was particularly clever) and I only had it up for about a month.

Let's see, there's a league against and for the Viewer tag. Perhaps VIEWER tag responsible use league?

How can you tell if someone's been caught by a viewer tag?

I have a nice Viewer tag on my page, and sometimes newbies say things like "how did you know it was me". I think that it's better that they find out from my page than a someone's page that is a joke.