Board Suggestion - Trusted Certificates

Hey All,

I just had a not so quick suggestion and would like to know how the board feels.
My suggestions is that we provide a "secure" area (other than RATS which is based on ATS points) that uses client based security certificates to verify the identity of its posters. Obviously this would be by voluntary consent only.

The objective of my proposed "secure" board is to mainly

1. Be confident that we are talking to real people, who have verifyable credentials and that their interest in the subject is genuine.

2. Help to filter out crackpots and dis-info agents. This could be accomplished due to the fact that you have to put yourself (your REAL name) under scrutiny of the rest of the people that are participating in the "secure" board.

3. Will help to promote geniune topics and thoughts. Already, those who are serious about CT and the truth are leading the way such as John Lear. Adding certificates adds another dimension of authenticity and reliability.

Again let me stress that this doesn't need to be mandatory (and by all rights it SHOULD NOT BE). I am simply proposing an area of the board where those who choose to, can sign in with verified certificates to authenticate themselves to the board for maximum scrutiny and authentcity amoung their peers.

The Anonymous sections of the board are an awesome add-on. I'm aware of the dynamics the anonymous postings provide, and we should keep it. I'm asking to think of the dynamics of an authenticated forum and how much headway we could make with it.

This, in my mind, would make a 3 tier system to ATS.
The Anonymous Tier,
The Registered User Tier,
The Authenticated User Tier,
all with their own unique characteristics and additions to everything conspiracy related.
If such a system were put in place, I would be the first to provide a client certificate to prove my identity.

Thanks for the time, and look forward to other suggestions, and/or constructive criticism

ATS is open to anyone who wants to join and can abide by the terms and conditions. Just because someone can get some sort of certification does not mean they are not a crackpot.

Sorry, dividing the board is a bad idea

Thanks for the suggestion though

I don't think it is dividing the board.
Anyone WITH a trusted cert can post on any of the other forums - they can choose to post anonymously, as a registered user, or as an authenticated user.

In my opinion it would add to the board - because it makes people be accountable for what they are saying - because they're putting their name behind it. It enables people to put credence behind their posts, because they're putting a REAL name to a message - personalizing it - saying this is ME and my encounter (or situation, visitation, experience) happened to ME and this is who I am. For those don't wish to do that, very well - you don't have to.

You also might say as a counter that someone can already do that. Yes, you would be correct - but what is to say that person really is who he says he is? Trusted Certs are a good way to do that
That certain individual could also pose as someone else - trusted certs solve this issue.

Again, as for dividing the board - it isn't division at all, but unity on a personal basis, for those who wish to participate.

EDIT for grammar corrections.

[edit on 17-3-2007 by zeeon]

[edit on 17-3-2007 by zeeon]

Creating a section of the board that is off-limits to members who do not have certain "credentials" is a division of members. Here at ATS, we do not divide and conquer. Everyone, regardless of your real life credentials, should be able to discuss any subject. What I like about Above Top Secret is that the guy who cleans toilets for a living can come in and be respected as if he were a world leader. Ultimately, we stand on our own two feet here. Our posts speak for themselves, as they should.

One member of Above Top Secret, who is above and beyond the smartest person I've ever come into contact with, is a High School drop out. This member is absolutely brilliant. Are we to segregate this member from intellectual discussion on a message board because he/she did not go through more of a formal education?

Our posts speak for themselves, and each member is a judge of who is, and is not, legitimate.

I like things the way they are.

Creative and well thought out I might add though.

Just because you'd know who I 'really' am would not stop me from being a loony toons.....( some people who really know me, think that anyway! They're wrong of course!!)

And in one of the latest instances of a hoax, the member did post his supposedly real name......some people just don't care.
( even one former moderator was banned after perpetuating a hoax.)

I think it's good practice, thinking for ourselves, sorting the chaff from the actual grains of truth.......we should not blindly accept stuff, even from those we know have 'credentials'.

Thanks for the constructive criticism -

But I just have to disagree here. Maybe there is some confusion as to what exactly a trusted certificate is. If any of you use MS Outlook and digitally sign your emails - that signature is a trusted certificate.

Anyone can get a trusted cert if they want. Its easy. Its free. I still don't know how implementing this divides the board. I'm just not seeing it.
So I guess I can accept to mutually disagree.

Originally posted by zeeon
Anyone can get a trusted cert if they want. Its easy. Its free.

You have given a good reason for not doing it in your own argument.

Suppose we do have Trusted Certificates. You say anyone can get them right?
So what's to stop a 'crackpot' getting one and joining up?

And how do you define crackpot anyway? Those with absurd stories? Or those who think the government is steering us towards a NWO?

You can't define who can and can't come by just saying crackpots, and you couldn't really control who is coming in if anyone can get a Certificate.

I hate to sound contrite, but you are seriously pulling hairs here,
and I don't think you have a full understanding of trusted certificates.

Most people can use an email address (and not a free one either, most ROOT cert authorties already know this and actively block them) - along with most of their personal information including address/phone/social - whatever it may be. They give this to a company called a root certificate authority - lets say verisign - and they inturn issue you a certifice (which is digitally signed by verisign) which helps to prove your identity.

Once you get a certificate under that name (presumably your name) it can't be re-issued without knowing a username/password or some other form of protection (to stop other people from posing as you).

This is what I mean by certificates. Its not hard (hence me saying its easy), its not expensive (infact, personal certs are FREE), and it stops people from prentending to be something their not.

As for the crackpots issue - It's assumed that if you go the lengths to obtain a personal cert, you have added another aspect of credability to yourself (besides ATS points, which we ALL know constantly gets used against new members, and how if a member has alot of ATS points - god forgive a newbie saying something negative about the senior member).

You can't tell me that anonymity (or the fact your putting a madeup username) doesn't make it tempting for false posts / hoaxes / etc.
Putting your real name on the line with a personal cert helps people be accountable for what their posting. I stressed that point in my first post.
How is this a bad thing for those who wish to partcipiate? If someone logs into a cert forum and posts a sighting or visitation story I personally am more likeley to believe that person because he or she put his/her name on it. To me this makes the entire Conspiracy world more valid.

I just keep getting the feeling that most of you are mis-interpreting what I'm saying. I feel like the point i'm trying to make isn't being understood.

How closely does a company like verisign check into your background though when you apply for a certificate? You say it is easy, well what is to stop me from applying for a certificate with the name Rusty Shackleford, SSN: 666666666, and an address of 123 goofball street for example? I don't necessarily have to use fake names and info either, maybe I will use all my bosses secretaries info to get that certificate. Then after I get the certificate in that name, can I post things like "The sky is purple, and if you see it as blue then you are a victim of the matrix, hallucinating as the PTB direct it"... Would you then take that as a credible statement and re-think your entire outlook on life as it is now fact that you are hallucinating in a matrix because I am verisign certified?

I don't mean to be too cynical and critical, as I actually like the idea kinda, but I think that unless the managers of verisign come to my computer room and physically check all my id and other info, that I could still find a way to lie to them and then be a "credible" source on ATS for all my crackpot theories on the world... Also what if they did come to my computer room to check all my info, and I give them some fake ID to check out?

Admittedly I don't know a lot about verisign and their procedures for detecting fraudulent users, but I bet it isn't that hard to get by their defenses is it?

A good idea, but I don't think it is the ultimate answer for making crackpot theories more credible... May help some though...

AboveTopSecret.com is a free and open environment where anyone able to read and type is encouraged to participate. Whether or not their participation becomes valuable to the membership is based solely on the strength of their contributions.

Our privacy policy is clear and not likely to change in the near or distant future. We do not seek to know the offline identity of our members, nor confirm their veracity.

While interesting, this idea is not for ATS.