Moderator Announcement: Multiple Forum Accounts

Started by Snarky, Wed 05/09/2012 20:28:03

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Snarky

It has come to the moderators' attention that some forum members have created multiple accounts, and are posting from these aliases in order to bump their own threads and make it seem like people are more interested in them, "astroturf" the comments with praise for their own games, add apparent backup in forum discussions, or even vote multiple times in forum contests or in the games database. Others have used alternate accounts to troll and attack other members anonymously.

It should go without saying that such behavior is unacceptable.

This is not something we have paid much attention to previously, but we do have the tools to check it fairly easily. (There are ways to fool the system, of course, but you'd have to be quite careful and disciplined to make sure you don't leave any trace.) We will be keeping an eye out in the future, and we are already aware of several members who are guilty of this.

We haven't had an explicit rule against it in the past, and in some cases there may be legitimate reasons to keep multiple accounts. However, for the future, if you are going to be posting from different accounts, you will have to get permission from a moderator first, and in most cases you'll be required to publicly declare which accounts belong to you. (For convenience, the same goes if multiple people in the same household are posting to AGS: don't pretend on the forums that you don't know each other in real life.)

So if you have used several accounts in order to seem like you are multiple people, to skirt forum rules (e.g. against double-posting), to keep certain posts from being associated with your forum identity, or for any other purpose that could be considered ethically questionable, turn yourself in! PM a moderator with a list of the accounts you control. We will decide how to deal with it on a case-by-case basis depending on the apparent intent. Do NOT now go back and delete or edit old posts on your own. We'll consider this destruction of evidence and proof of dishonest intent.

Members who fail to come clean will face more severe sanctions.

Babar

The ultimate Professional Amateur

Now, with his very own game: Alien Time Zone

SSH

Sorely tempted to create some sockpuppets just to make joke replies to this thread...
12

Atelier

So one would need to get permission for every post they make from a different account, irrespective of whether the post is being used for bumping, praising, voting etc for the parent account? This must be the case because nobody is stupid enough to ask permission to post a vote for themselves.

Kweepa

Name and shame!
We're all part of this forum. It would be nice to know who we're talking to.
Still waiting for Purity of the Surf II

Calin Leafshade

#5
I have a confession to make.

I am dualnames.

Quote from: Kweepa on Thu 06/09/2012 00:47:49
Name and shame!
We're all part of this forum. It would be nice to know who we're talking to.

A cursory glance of the GiP and CG boards makes it pretty obvious. For shame.

Corby

QuoteA cursory glance of the GiP and CG boards makes it pretty obvious. For shame.

I think I've figured it out as well.   8-0

Baron

I become Ponch when the sun sets.  Hssssssssss!

monkey0506


Khris

Wow, that's quite pathetic.
Anybody got a few links maybe? Even after lots of cursory glances, I didn't really see anything that hit me. I'm really curious now though.

Oh, yeah, I used to also post as "Yahtzee" btw.

Calin Leafshade

Look for game threads with unfamiliar posters who have posted almost soley on those threads.

Chicky

heh, i think i've got it. That was fun :=

Also a bit sad.

kconan

  I second the name and shame.  Yea, there is one blatently obvious case in CG section.

Eric

Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Thu 06/09/2012 01:49:38
Look for game threads with unfamiliar posters who have posted almost soley on those threads.

Might be worth naming and shaming at this point so we don't start hunting witches.

LimpingFish

Once you know what to look for, it becomes blatantly apparent. Sad indeed.

Quote from: Eric on Thu 06/09/2012 02:43:41
Might be worth naming and shaming at this point so we don't start hunting witches.

As far as I can tell, we won't be naming and shaming. The mods are definitely going to address it, though.

In my opinion, people should NOT openly speculate usernames in public. Thanks. :)
Steam: LimpingFish
PSN: LFishRoller
XB: TheActualLimpingFish
Spotify: LimpingFish

Eric

Quote from: LimpingFish on Thu 06/09/2012 02:54:02
Once you know what to look for, it becomes blatantly apparent. Sad indeed.

I'm pretty sure I eventually, sadly, figured it out. But my first guess, based on Calin's clue, was someone who got massive press elsewhere that led one-time posters to their thread. I agree we shouldn't be speculating in public, but maybe it's best if we don't speculate in private either!

ddq

Quote from: LimpingFish on Thu 06/09/2012 02:54:02
In my opinion, people should NOT openly speculate usernames in public. Thanks. :)
IT WAS DUALNAMES DUALNAMES DID IT IN THE KITCHEN WITH THE CANDLESTICK

I will admit that I at one point considered releasing one of my particularly awful "games" (no points for guessing which) under an alias. Considering the quality of the finished product... yeesh.

Khris

Oh my, I guess I found it, too. Funny. And also sad. But still funny, in a sad way.

ThreeOhFour

I nearly considered making a second account and making different games but with my drawing style, but then icey came along and so I didn't have to :D

KodiakBehr

Quote from: Calin Leafshade on Thu 06/09/2012 01:49:38
Look for game threads with unfamiliar posters who have posted almost soley on those threads.

Okay, okay...so NOBODY wished me a happy birthday!  Are you happy now?

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