Birthdates not available thru Askfred?

[Nospam]

Are birthdates no longer listed in Ask Fred for youth events? (Did I miss something?)

Peet- Can you comment ?

[HDG]

Originally Posted by Nospam

Are birthdates no longer listed in Ask Fred for youth events? (Did I miss something?)

Peet- Can you comment ?

Isn't there some law about not posting children's ages on the internet?

[tdwg83]

Originally Posted by Nospam

Are birthdates no longer listed in Ask Fred for youth events? (Did I miss something?)

Peet- Can you comment ?

There has been at least one other thread that touches this subject. I believe it might be available if you are a BC member on askfred. Also the birthdates are not official and can misrepresent an individual.

[epeemike81]

just as a clarification, what's available isn't DOB, but rather just YOB.

DOB's are not stored (nor should they be).

-m

[peet]

My policy about displaying birth years on FRED has varied over the years in response to user feedback. Some have requested that FRED display it, some not, some to display it to certain users, for certain events, not for certain events, etc (ah, the complaints I got from vets who didn't want people knowing how old they are! ).

However, the most compelling arguments seems to be the ones regarding children's safety and all people's privacy.

I have been trying to get access to the USFA's fencer data for some time, and one of the main concerns there is privacy. Along those lines, I thought it best to simply not display birth years on FRED, so I'm hiding them. I still have a few things to do to make this change everywhere in the system, but it's in process.

I hope that's not inconveniencing anyone too much.

-P

[jeff]

I think hiding the dates is prudent. I received requests to hide birth years for all events in NJ division. I suppose it's futile to purge a birth year from a youth event if the intent is to deter a predator (after all, who else would be fencing in a Y10 event?), but it seemed to make the parents happier. There's enough personal information about many of us all over the Internet - no need to propagate more of it.

[Nospam]

Originally Posted by tdwg83

Also the birthdates are not official and can misrepresent an individual.

What do you mean not official ?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by Nospam

What do you mean not official ?

I can put whatever I want as my birth date into Fred.

USFA database birth dates also aren't always correct. Some number of them have been verified (especially youth birth dates, and perhaps veterans), but not all of them.

[Nospam]

Originally Posted by MyrddinsPrecint

I can put whatever I want as my birth date into Fred.

USFA database birth dates also aren't always correct. Some number of them have been verified (especially youth birth dates, and perhaps veterans), but not all of them.

If AskFRED cannot verify birthdates against USFA database then potentially it leaves the door wide open for youth fencers entering opens and senior events. I know this has been a point of contention for many. (At least if we could see the birth year on AskFred some organizers catch it and send an email that they can/cannot enter according to age restrictions for tournament.)

Peet- Any idea when the USFA will give you permission to cross-check birth years so underage fencers are not entering senior events?

[epeemike81]

Originally Posted by Nospam

If AskFRED cannot verify birthdates against USFA database then potentially it leaves the door wide open for youth fencers entering opens and senior events. I know this has been a point of contention for many. (At least if we could see the birth year on AskFred some organizers catch it and send an email that they can/cannot enter according to age restrictions for tournament.)

Peet- Any idea when the USFA will give you permission to cross-check birth years so underage fencers are not entering senior events?

Which is why tournament organizers independently verify (or at least SHOULD) against USFA data extracts.

-m

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by Nospam

If AskFRED cannot verify birthdates against USFA database then potentially it leaves the door wide open for youth fencers entering opens and senior events. I know this has been a point of contention for many. (At least if we could see the birth year on AskFred some organizers catch it and send an email that they can/cannot enter according to age restrictions for tournament.)

Peet- Any idea when the USFA will give you permission to cross-check birth years so underage fencers are not entering senior events?

It wouldn't help all that much, since the USFA data isn't always accurate either.

Some people report bad data, but sometimes errors will happen with entering that much data. The USFA has only verified data for a small population--- And I'm pretty sure it's just youth fencers who have gone to national youth tournaments or SYCs or RYCs...... Even if they verified age data for everyone who has ever gone to a NAC, it doesn't really address a main problem--- The people who too new to know the rules at all!

[peet]

Originally Posted by Nospam

Peet- Any idea when the USFA will give you permission to cross-check birth years so underage fencers are not entering senior events?

Brad Baker made a motion to the USFA board that would do exactly that, as well as take care of ratings, club affiliatons, and other stuff. For various reasons, Brad decided to table it until the next board meeting in Sept. I have a feeling that the motion will get a more receptive hearing under the new administration, so it's probably for the best.

[KD5MDK]

Not to mention the new Board membership.