New sock policy

New forum policy regarding the abuse of alternate user-names

After much deliberation, the administrators of these forums have deemed it necessary to implement a new policy regarding alternate aliases, aka "socks", or "sockpuppets".

While we understand that, from time to time, the ability to post under a different name can provide such things as situational humor, irony, or an occasional anonymity as a break from your usual name, this ability also allows for the system to be abused because no limitations have been put in place.

The purpose of this new policy is to implement just such a limitation. The reasoning behind this can be seen in this thread. However, to summarize, we believe that a limitation needs to be in place to prohibit excessive abuse of this system because:

1) Having hundreds of socks serves to confuse members, dilute the community of true individuals, and can sometimes be offensive, even if no one speaks up about it.

2) Having hundreds of socks is problematic if any of those socks is ever banned, for whatever reason. It would then be necessary for the admins to search for and ban hundreds of additional names.

3) Not restriciting the number of socks a member can have gives the administration no ground to prevent everyone from doing this, which could potentially be disastrous, communally speaking (preventing members from truly getting to know one another)

Please understand, however, the purpose of this new policy is NOT to eliminate sockpuppets, or their use. The intent, rather, is to target and prohibit excessive use of socks, which can lead to the problems listed above. The administration understands that the members may enjoy being able to use one or two other aliases from time to time, thus we've taken that into consideration.

Thus, please be advised of this new policy:

As of now, any use of socks by a member that can be seen as abusive, excessive, or harmful to the community (for whatever reason: spamming, offensive, etc.) is formally against the rules.

The administration fully grants members the right to have a reasonable number of socks (any number over 3 will likely result in your being questioned about this), but we encourage everyone to post with their actual username most of the time, so that other members can get to know you.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this new rule.

 

I already have more then 3 so this means I can't make any new 1's?

oh well I already have some good 1's

 

I just edited in the link to the old thread.

I'll be fielding questions on this new policy for the next hour or so

Vertical

 

If you've already got more than three, just avoid abusing them, or excessively posting with more than three.

Vertical

 

Well let's see I have a few parody socks I don't use on regular basis and the members have never complained about them before + they know who made them...

I have a sock GrandAdmiralPellaeon (since that is the correct spelling for my username) because I wanted to avoid that some newbie took the exact same name as me only written the right way a before e not e before a.

I have a sock that's something like GAPsSock that was created for games like the Gauntlet and (if Mr.P implents it) Mafia

and I think I have some others too just for fun.

 

GAP, just use the 3 you got, and you're in great shape!

 

Try to limit your posting to just using three of them, and don't go nuts.

Vertical

 

I never went nuts with them

Oh there is 1 that I created on accident...

...

I feel it's a bit stupid to do that sock limit thing and restricting me to using 3 of all my socks

 

Bork! Bork! Bork!

(translation: The socks agree to your terms.)

 

Well the members we've talked to in the aforementioned threads feel this is an issue that had to be addressed and we all agree. We're not going to be tyrants about this, but some kind of rule had to be set to give us the leeway to stop problematic use of aliases.

If you're just a "casual user" with a few socks, you're fine. But you have to understand that something had to be done about those with upwards of 50-100 aliases.

 

sure but I've made all this socks over the course of time that I've been here and I like to create 1 now and then...few months between each at least and now I can't ever do that anymore

 

Sure, you can, just get rid of the old ones.

 

//applauds the admins

Finally, something is going to be done to clean up Community!


Mace Windy,
the windiest is now a hurricane!

 

Thanks for your support, Mace Windy.

 

Wouldn't it be something for someone to tell Chyren to drop Chjyren Der Vjiking.

 

Well if he was posting under a few other socks too, I'd be the first to do it.

 

So if you delete some of the socks I don't want anymore then I can make new 1's?

oh and how's the stance on shared socks? I gave the password of mt8118 to mt1881 cuz he wanted it too so he could confuse some people with it (in a good kind way mind you)

so how's the word on those socks do they count against my sock count or mt's

 

Could darthcleo and chums place a filter for this maybe?

 

GAP, we will get back to you. You have to take responsibilty to limit yourself. I can't watch you all the time, just use self-control.

 

I don't think you should be sharing screen names in the first place. The screen name belongs to the person who registered it and that person is responsible for everything that screen name does.

 

What will happen to fanfic writers? Don't they use multiple names in Story writing?

 

How many do they use?

 

well......... there are ways to get around the system.........

....but lets not talk about that.

 

Yes, there are ways of getting around the system, everyone is aware of that. This rule was not meant as a challenge for people to make a bunch of socks in defiance of the administration. This rule was implemented to illustrate to everyone that excess aliases are not allowed and to give administrators a "legal" justification to ban people who abuse them.

We're not going to make sweeps of the membership, banning people with too many aliases. But as they cause problems and come to our attention, they will be dealt with. That's all we're saying.

As for Fanfic, we'll probably leave that to the dedicated admin over there. From what I understand Fanfic is pretty self governing and sock usage there shouldn't cause the sort of trouble that will get the attention of the admins.

 

wasn't there always an unspoken policy of this? y'know, sock is banned you are banned?