Originally Posted by Lucy:
I completely believe you when you say you would never reveal someone's identity. The following is not necessarily directed at Blackcat, as I can't remember who the mod was that I'm about to talk about, and it doesn't matter. Actually, I couldn't even tell you offhand who the mods even are!
Ok, while I wouldn't use the words "rude" and "condescending", necessarily, it did strike me as a tad bit cringe-worthy on a past thread (sorry, cannot for the life of me remember the topic, but it was within the last couple weeks... I think?) when a mod went on and on (in MY opinion it was on and on... I'm sure the mod didn't feel like it was) about how, with research and some sleuthing, they can figure out who an anonymous poster is.
I was almost embarrassed for "Anonymous" by it all. Who cares??!!?? Congratulations that you have that power, but it really shined a bright light in Anonymous's face and, I bet, made the majority of readers very curious as to who she was. Probably to the point of PM'ing a mod to ask if she'd spill the beans.
We shouldn't focus on trying to see behind their mask. That isn't why they asked a question or brought up a subject. If I posted something anonymously, it would really embarrass me to know that the mods were checking me out trying to discover my hidden identity. Give them the privacy they are clearly asking for.
I didn't want to say anything at the time, but since someone brought it up here, I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Off the soapbox. Just wanted to say what I felt, that's all. 
Lucy~ That WAS me you are referring to. It was NOT posted in the context in which you are referring to though. I was NOT condescending, rude or going on and on.....
I replied IN RESPONSE to another poster who asked:
Originally Posted by Greenplasticwateringcans:
I signed in just for funsies...that unreg you quoted was me...I do wonder though how it shows up to the mods...IP's wouldn't be really easy to match...neither would location...Tell us mods...how does it show for you?
My response back was this:
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Well, it isn't like a flashing neon sign or anything but when a topic is posted by an unregistered user and the topic has the potential to be controversial or dramatic, we (mods) take clues and cues from the post.
We pay attention to words they normally misspell or use incorrectly, to speech patterns and tempo as well as tone.
Those are VERY identifiable details sometimes.
9 out of 10 times we (mods) simply suspect but if the suspicion is strong enough, we can do a little cross referencing and a little more cross referencing and after a little research and a little bit of guessing, it usually becomes obvious. 
So just to clarify, that is the method in which I personally use to figure out who someone is. My point in that post was that there is no big flashing sign that just says
"Hey! this unregistered poster is so and so". It's NOT as black and white as you think.
However, YOU better than anyone knows full well that a member of this board does not have to be a moderator to do the same thing and figure out who someone is.
I also want to point out that the only reason the moderator conversation happened in that thread is because someone posted a controversial topic that had the potential to be super dramatic (prescription drug use etc) and everyone thought it was a troll. You said you were almost embarrassed for the anonymous poster.....and I would have been too, had I believed the OP of that thread was for real and NOT a troll....kwim?
We all know how trolls operate on forums..... I think that being a moderator is fun sometimes but other times, it isn't so fun because we take a lot of flack from others that don't really understand everything we do to keep things running smooth behind on the board.
Every unregistered poster is
NOT simply a member in disguise looking for privacy. A lot of times, they are simply trolls looking to stir up drama and as a moderator it is my job to intercept that so that we don't have a free for all.
I am sorry if you all feel that is unfair in some way but I can't change how public forums work/operate but I do know that all of them have moderators for similar purposes.
I hope that answers your questions.
I have always made a point of trying to be as helpful and as neutral as possible as a member and as a moderator of this board. I try to be accommodating, supportive, friendly and welcoming. I try to do what moderators are suppose to do WHILE trying to maintain a place on this board as a regular member as well.
That is why my title, doesn't say moderator under my user name. Originally, I wanted posters to know I was just like them and didn't want replies or responses to me to be different or weird just because I am a moderator. Sometimes that has a tendency to make people treat me different and not be open or forthright.
The other moderators are:
SilverSabre25
FormerTeacher
Daycare
Breezy
As far as respect to unregistered posters goes....I feel that I have always gone out of my way to be supportive of unregistered posters because most members here tend to go off on them as if they are all trolls. The only unregistered posters that are treated with immediate respect are those that say "I am a regular member but logged out for privacy". Otherwise, it seems "troll!" is immediately thrown out into the thread.
I also made some comments to the unregistered poster in the prescription drug thread within the thread because as an unregistered poster, I couldn't very well send them a PM since they are unregistered.... kwim?
Anyways.....I don't really know what else to say beside no one knows who anyone is other than their IP address, which isn't always accurate or identifiable and other than your user name.....there is NO other information about you (as a member here) that moderators have access to.
Moderators do NOT know your real name, your daycare name, address or anything similar to that. Depending on whether or not you clicked the box in your UserCP, your e-mail address and birth date MAY be available too but ONLY if
YOU put the info out there.
I really hope this clear up any confusion that has been going on.
If anyone has any other questions, I would be happy to answer them, within this thread or in a PM if you don't feel comfortable asking publically.
(Lucy~ this entire post/reply was not directed at you....I just wanted to clarify some things you mentioned)