Karaoke Forums

I am a registered user of Karaosofts products and experienced poor customer service from them as well. They were forcing me to use my real name after I purchased a year subscription to their online book hosting service. I asked for my real name to be removed for privacy reasons and they refused. I cancelled the account, received no refund, and they even removed my "like" on facebook, and deleted all of my posts.

And yes, I was dealing with Bob Latshaw directly.

There are plenty of examples were you have to use your "real name" to purchase something. I assume you used your credit card to purchase it ...right? Doesn't every credit card require your "real name" to use it? Why would Bob L need to keep track of who you are under 2 different names i.e.: real vs. fake!

I think 2 similar problems with licensing issues from software makers that no one else is having problems with is very odd. I can conclude nothing from this

Using my real name to purchase the software wasn't the problem. When I uploaded my songbook, my real name is displayed rather prominently. I asked them to change it to a company name or anything else, but they refused.

I even tried to reason with him, saying what if I was a female host, and there was a weird stalker in the crowd? I wouldn't want that stalker knowing my full name.

Perhaps real names being displayed publicly are not a problem for most, I just feel it should be an option for security reasons above.

He can be a real joy to communicate with.

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DJ Don

I agree. When I read this crap, I get really disgusted. There is no reason why your real name must be displayed. And there is no reason why they should not assist you with your request.

Privacy is an important issue these days. Apparently, they don't respect their customer's.

I would never use karma and recommend anyone that does to find another program. This is deplorable.

Good software means nothing without good customer service.

Not to start up the best software wars again but in the case of CompuHost, I find it is an excellent program WITH great customer service. I can't tell you how many times I've contacted them with questions or issues and they were there for me every single time, always resolving all of my issues. That is what makes a great company! I am so glad I use CompuHost.

But this is a serious issue with Latshaw. Privacy should be respected. There is no reason there can't be an option to choose the name you want to have displayed. Totally disgusts me.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

You people are KJs and work in the public spotlight. If you're trying to hide who you are, you're in the wrong business. All that someone needs to do is to go into the bar you're working at and ask anyone "Hey, what's his name?". I've seen this conversation before and the people who want to hide their real name can never seem to answer the logical question "Why don't you want people to know your name?"

If you're a convict, a pedophile, or someone hiding from the law for any other reason, AGAIN, you're in the wrong business! Get a job as a janitor

There is a HUGE difference between someone knowing your first name, and knowing what your full legal name is. I know if I was a woman in this day and age, i would not want any shlub who wanted to be able to find out where I live or a host of other problems that could arise.

Are you serious??? Because you sound like some kind of nut to me.

We are discussing, whether or not you want to display a name, and if so; given the option to choose what that name might be. What this software company is doing to it's customers is startling. Totally sucks.

And yes, in this business, the only thing people need to know is your first name and the name of your company. There are too many idiots out there. It has nothing to do with "hiding" as you put it. It has to do with privacy, which you're entitled to.

And Chris: You like that response? You're just as bad and don't get it either. I feel for the women KJ's out there and understand the situation. It's too bad that karaokeian doesn't.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

I agree with what he said.

If you choose to be part of an industry where you are public facing, then you are also choosing the risks that go along with it. A KJ can't expect to be known only as "KJ Firelight" for any period of time. Your real name will be exposed.

Personally, if Latshaw were my company, I would accommodate the request. But I am not Bob.

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-Chris

Having been involved with Microsoft and software/computers for so many years Chris, you of all people should know how EASY it is to get all sorts of information if one has a person's full name.

I went to a fraud seminar that really opened my eyes.. Just from my name alone, they were able to obtain records of my Address, Driver's License. full credit history, social insurance number the names of several of my friends and all of my relatives etc.

If the guy had guessed any of my online passwords, they could have stolen my identity and it all took less then ten minutes.

I have no problems with people knowing my first name or what my company name is.. But it's not like I go around and give everyone my full legal name

If I'm hosting a show using a stage name, does that mean I'm hiding illegal activity? If the bar requested my identity, I would have no problem supplying it. If the bar wanted to promote my show using my real name, then I WOULD have a problem with that. There is no reason why anyone or any company would need to use or display my real name publicly without my permission.

In fact, if someone insisted on knowing my real identity without supplying a valid reason, doesn't that raise a danger flag to you?

In all of the years that I've been hosting karaoke, no one has ever asked what my last name is. All my customers know me by my first name. And I know them by their first names. And that's the way it is. It's sad the world we live in today, but privacy and identity theft are big issues.

I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect myself from the derelicts out there. Nobody needs to know any more than what your name is, period!

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

Yes, and those risks can be minimized if you play it safe. We are NOT public figures. A public figure, for example, would be a politician.

As far as using your full/real name:

A radio disc jockey is more of a public figure than a KJ, yet how many of them use their real name? It's usually a stage name, right?

An actor or actress is more of a public figure than a KJ, right? Yet, how many actors and actresses use their real name? Not many, I'd say.

Madonna's real name is: Madonna Louise Ciccone.

Why doesn't she use her real name? After all, she is a public figure. Is she "hiding" something?

John Wayne's real name is: Marion Robert Morrison. Why didn't he use it?

Remember:

You are NOT a public figure. You're just some joe doing karaoke. And nobody needs to know your last name, your identity, or any personal information about you.

But, hey... that's just my personal and professional opinion. If you want to give out your real name and any personal information about yourself up to and including your social security number... then you go right ahead.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

And in the almost 20 years that I have been going out to Karaoke, I have introduced myself as Cueball. Only a few people at the Karaoke places I go to know my real name... and that is because they cared enough to ask.

Remember that SongBooksLive books can be accessed by anyone. You only have to give out your book name. There's no password or complex login. If they didn't show the book owner's name, what else would prevent any other KJ (who has a similar music collection) from simply pointing their singers to your book? ...and if they allowed nick names, again, multiple KJs could still share the same online book. Karaosoft is actually very smart for doing it that way. In a way, it forces people to get their own online book. It's the same reason they show the "licensed to..." name at the bottom of the printed books in Song List Generator.

They don't show Disc and Track IDs so karaoke vendors can't spy on you and use the info to catalog what you have. Alan, they also don't give out your social security number or enough information to steal your identity so that argument is void. Also, with a name like Alan, you surely can't pull the "I'm a scared woman" excuse.

All that being said, you still don't have any valid reason for hiding who you are. The only logical reason would be that you are indeed trying to span your books across multiple KJs, and you're just pissed off that they outsmarted you with the whole name thing. Either that, or you really are a registered sex offender or someone who has something to hide. No matter how I slice it, I can't come to any other conclusion than you're trying to hide something. ....AND, if you are trying to hide something, you just did the worst thing possible by publicly saying "I don't want people to know my real name". Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if you just flagged a computer at the NSA to start tracking your every move.

I fully understand all of this. You are naive to think that you can do much of anything these days without someone knowing your full name. Much less stand in front of a crowd of people for 4-5 hours at a time. There are things one can do to protect their from identity theft. But there is little anyone can do to hide their identity from public view.

I have managed to protect my identity though 20+ years of being in the public. My full name and phone number have been published on the Internet that entire time. My home address can be found quite easily. With that, pictures of my home can be found. I am pretty sure my social security number can be obtained quite easily.

People need to educate themselves (don't expect anyone to do it for you). Use long, complex, unique passwords. Put locks on your credit reports. Request multi-factor authentication everywhere you can.

By the way. No one needs your name to follow you home. Now they have your address. Follow you long enough and they know your routine.

Take a self-defense course, buy gun, move to a safer neighborhood, get a fence and a gate, get a dog and an alarm system.

People want privacy and security, but rarely want to accept the hassle that come with obtaining it. It isn't automatic. You have to work for it.

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-Chris

For the record, I don't agree with any of this.

Karaosoft doesn't hide DiscID's because of the manufacturers. If you want to know why they aren't displayed, shoot him an email.

There are LOTS of valid reasons for hiding who you are. There just can't be a reasonable expectation of being successful at it in today's world.

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-Chris

And this, I agree with. Some people just have no clue and let their idiocy shine through with their ridiculous comments aimed at nothing more than creating sensationalism. Then again, there's one in every crowd.

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

I'm confused now because what karaokeIan stated is what I was told by Bob, maybe stated differently...That karaoke hosts did not want that information available for manus to collect.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

I have been told by Bob that he just didn't see them as necessary since any good KJ should be able to pick on a singers behalf. I have also been told that there are costs involved. He uses Windows Azure and there is a cost for data storage/access/retrieval. This is why you have to re-enter the song list name after the webpage is idle (he disconnects the session to save money). He doesn't store the disc ID data because it decreases the size of the data set and thus decreases the cost.

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-Chris