I think there are quite a number of people that will agree with me that the way threads and posts are deleted from various CS groups, security is not increased in any way and in fact: it may have the opposite effect.
Deleting posts from troublesome members or even about dangerous incidents is simply ridiciulous. It only creates an illusion of safety and this is especially dangerous for new members.
But, it is also easily undone. Here is what you do:
- Create a fake profile with an new, untraceable email address. (Plenty of fake profiles anyway.)
- Register for the groups that might be interesting and check “receive all mail”.
- Register the email address on the CS-uncensored group.
- Set up the email address so it forwards ALL mail to CS-uncensored.
Extra added bonus? A fully searchable, unlimited (in time) archive of all interesting CS group posts. It would be even funnier if we could get into Private Amb somehow.
Disclaimer: Of course, this post is just an idea that I wanted to float around. I can take no responsibility for anyone actually doing this. You might be breaking some CS rule, but I didn’t check that. 
Nice idea, though I think with the current level of paranoia it might not take long before “sensitive” groups will get prefiltered prior to notifications being sent.
Before accessorizing me with a tin-foil hat, this is not actually that far-fetched. At (least on) one occasion someone posted pretty heavy accusations against one/some of the leaders on Brainstorm, and no digests for that day got out, no idea of instant notifications (and of course the original post though not the thread was deleted by the time I was able to read the group on-site).
PS. rule-breaking: fake-profiles might be, though I’m not sure if this made it to the Terms of Use after discussions in ambs groups in the past.
very very interesting. I think before it reaching the google group the headers should be removed
http://www.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/E-mail/Anonymous_Mailers/
The sad part is that the MDST could have made it much easier on themsleves by initiating a dialogue with everyone concerned.
MDST = Member Dumbing and Sensorship Team?
I do wonder if they will remove instant updates (e.g. more rules, more moderation or only subscriptions to single postings) after such a group will be set up. It might be in their interest, but this would raise other, not less important, implications an points…
@adia
First they ignore you, then they fight you, then you win.
In a weird way, more censorship on CS would be better, for the simple reason that it would open more and more eyes. Since CS is essentially a community, this will be unsustainable. What doesn’t bend at that point, breaks. (Note to the paranoïd: I personally believe CS needs a serious shift, if not a revolution in its management. This does not mean I want to see it disappear.)
I see couchsurfing at a cross roads and the road they take forward will all depend on the dominant players who would affect the outcome of group think and also caseys final decision.
The reason heather was able to send out a false letter way because she was the dominant player who was able to divert the group think to her liking at the csc mtl.
The first path is they will listen to their lawyers/buds and with follow the path i feel these players usually take.
Or they get in fresh ideas and really see the bigger picture.
Discontent is growing in couchsurfing due to the silence and the segregation of information where ambassadors get some explanation in the private ambassador group .The rest of the low lifes or normal member are not entitled to any explanation.They just have to accept the decision of the executive powers.Taking the first path will only accelerate the implosion.
A revolution in its management would entail removing the old guard (caseys buddies who have been elected by the dictator and now fair elections).The old guard would done fine,If they had talked to all the member bringing back the spirit of the one big family couchsurfing was before the crash.
Sending emails to moneypenny and skype chats with a few is like kids whipering at school.
Newly inducted ambassadors are used a attack dogs and this is a recurring theme. The new ambassadors get active and fight to defend “couchsurfing” to the end. The masterminds being this mikky mouth and the LT have the last laugh.
oh give me a break.
so i’m an attack dog, not someone who represents good hospitality when I host and am hosted?
this is insulting to all ambassadors who truly embrace the idea of promoting good hospitality in all that it means.
please don’t stain the efforts of many with your campaign. I know you want to fight the good fight, but it’s not so simple as good and evil.
If opencouchsurfing.org gives you a sense of purpose, more power to you, but reading this blog for a while now, I would have about as much confidence in those voicing dissent as I do in Casey and the collective.
adrian were you metioned?Who are you?
The examples was a new ambassador called rahul.
146 new City and Nomadic Ambassadors joined in
Location: The CouchSurfing Project >> Ambassador’s Private >> Ambassador’s Public
on the thread “Reference System Change Notification”
Honestly though I had no idea the referencing system used to lack the ‘extremely’. Why was it changed in the first place? Why is it being changed back?
These are the newbiews high on adrenalin ready to put in their 2 cents all over the place . This guy is all over the place in brainstorm and this guy is pretty clueless about the history of changes and anything else.Why was he made ambassador by mikky? huge friend list/ hugh X tremely positive refs??
What is good hospitality? What does being an ambassador have to do with it?
Good free hospitality just gets all the freeloaders on your back.
There is a small thread about deleting the thief-warnings in the Hamburg-group. Someone found something more:
oh Midsch.. wow that is a pretty horrible/meaningful set of deletions!!
Come on, surely *someone* has the ability to just go in and edit names out or whatever? Mass deletions of threads now… i wonder if the LT realizes it doesn’t have a good understanding or planning for all potential issues, and are just reacting whenever they come up.
I keep a lot of threads in the forefox extension ‘scrapbook’, simply so i can find them later… i suggest this for all trying to piece together what is happening. So far every single negative incident i know about, whether harassment or theft, disputes or whatever, have been deleted. This seems really strange to me, even legally.
Perhaps a formal request through CUQ’s on statistics about negative incidents would be helpful.
The content in quotes was posted by a newbie ambassador in the brainstorm group http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=429
And ambassador who is supposed to be the know it all .the people who are supposed to be able to answer member questions have NO IDEAS ON what has (or has not) been done to improve security.
In the Ambassador’s Public
Ive been asked by a friend (on cs and off) and have also noticed myself that we are not receiving notifications of messages sent to us in CS or in the groups even though our settings are set to instant/daily/weekly etc. Sometimes the messages sent are received but no updates on the group posts, but i have also logged in before and seen a message on my profile but not had it go into my specified email address to notify me?
Is this just a bug or due to ……