I've checked out Topix a couple times and it can get mean and rowdy.
There are some sites that allow one to pick a username (and stick with that one name) but where one must register using one's real name. Owning one's posts seems to add a bit of decorum in some places.
One site that has topics about local areas are the city data forums.

Posting as an unregistered user under several usernames is an invitation to being accused of trolling, IMHO. Any site worth posting on is worth becoming a registered user. As for being tracked, I imagine any forum moderator can track the IP address of anyone on the forum and if the site is not sufficiently secure it wouldn't surprise me if anyone hacking the forum could do the same.

Can daughter speak for herself? If she is offended, why would she want to belong to that social (dis)order. Play at the reality websites and bear the consequences. Perhaps one of her "friends" is to blame. Or -- all of the above.

Ok. Well I appreciate the help. But I would still love to know how someone located our ip address ! But maybe it is a sort of easy thing for a hacker to do. The topic she was posting under was an argument about a political candidate and yes those get pretty nasty! But this particular person really attacked her personally, using profanity and very threatening! (obviously not playing with a full deck)

I've been a member of GW for a long time and cautioned her about visiting any sight that didn't require a registered user! I wasn't too familiar with topix, and boy I got an eye opener! There are tons of lawsuits, murders, suicides, etc. all over topix!

This person is cyber-bullying her! His horrible posts were removed after I urged her to turn him in to moderators.

Also, the reason she changed names was because you post a username each posting. Like one person used "curious" so after their post she used "curious 2". And another day she posted after someone and she used the name "agree". I read the terms of service and there is nothing stating you must use the same name. Also nothing stating you must register. I believe she just didn't agree with someone's who obviously has some issues!

This post was edited by teisa on Sat, Mar 22, 14 at 18:40

Remember ANYTHING, you post on the internet can be seen for a very long time. Maybe she needs to stop posting for awhile and let things settle. As to reporting it? there are several ways to do so, even to law enforcement. This information is also on the internet. And it some areas it is against the law, but again a person must check with their own state to find out what the law is.

I've done a little reading on local Topix forums, but would never waste my time posting there. Most posters are trollish, and use profane language and just seem to be in attack mode.

Pick a thread...any thread, and you'll soon see what I mean.

Life is too short to waste it posting to forums such as Topix, or watching 'train wreck' trash TV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oak Ridge Topix Forum

Teisa,

Please reconfigure your member page so as not to show your e-mail address. There are individuals and data miners that look for things like that.

Also, take a moment and see the link below. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph.

Years ago we had a member here who initiated something like the Danasoft widget on the forum. It didn't last long.

DA

Here is a link that might be useful: Danasoft

I am surprised the lady uses her first name/last name for an email address, very unwise and more so for females I think.

Our service provider insisted my hubby use his first and last names as email. Of course he's free to set up different ones and not use that one. My sil just got an internet connection, her email is also her first and last names. I agree, not a safe idea.

This isn't cyber bullying, and frankly it trivializes actual cases of cyber bullying.

O,

My thought exactly. I just couldn't come up with the words to be delicate like you so I posted nothing.

I have considered the member has confused the terminology of bullying with flaming.

DA

I havent read topix forums for too many places, but, I guarantee you that anyone that posts on the one in my area, will be flamed immediately. I have never posted on there, but, I do read it now and then. Most of the stuff, is so far from the truth, it is ridiculous. Seems, the only reason for the forum itself, is to make trouble for someone. Topix should be banned from all internet servers.