Forum OpenACS Improvement Proposals (TIPs): Re: Tip # 73: Enable to Hide/Show User Email

1) The site wide admin can decide whether or not to expose the new option. Though the trend is to allow for more privacy when it doubt, the anonymity tends to weaken an online community because the members are less accountable. Better to encourage accountability, IMO. I'd even suggest putting a note on the admin page that says something along the lines of "You can allow users to hide their identities if privacy is critical, but you should be aware that this will tend to weaken your community".

2) At a minimum core should be checked for places that expose the user's email address, to make sure that the new parameter is obeyed. If this isn't done carefully it will do more harm than good, as people will now be counting on anonymity in a way that they weren't before.

3) Documentation must be written describing how to use this feature, and that documentation must be added to a list of necessary coding standards for "Mature and Standard" packages (I'll do the last part)

4) A test case is provided which sweeps code for possible violatons (ie, looks for any query of user email address and, perhaps, checks to see if the parameter is named within x lines of code.)

5) The original proposer is responsible for completing the work (this wasn't explicit in the TIP)