Sock puppeting.

[ScarahStratton]

Can I ask how MNHQ are going to deal with this, given that technology now means that it is perfectly possible to post simultaneously, from 2 different devices, showing 2 different IP addresses?

Is it going to be ignored? Or do you have plans afoot to deal with this?

I can find you from your pet's names, Tee. I use the Twilight Barking.

I don't have any pets.

[hgrin]

Bugger, then it will take a little longer.

[hgrin]

Well, unless you count when my son pretends to be a puppy and asks me to rub his belly and scratch behind his ears?

His name is Adam.

Find me now...

Hey Tee, the party's started - come and have some of Brian's cake then Sue can find you in the Puddle if she wants.

Interesting challenge though, I might try it out.

I just posted Empress. [hgrin]

have we had sockpuppets again then?

And bloody good point about the names/dates threads. That has never ever occurred to me.

Crossposting, sorry [hgrin]

Sorry
Let's have a look at this.

I asked MNHQ about this earlier this year because I work in a mahoosive building that has only 4 servers for 3000 staff and I know at least half a dozen people who are members here. I don't know their user names, just that they post here sometimes because we talk about it in the smoking area. But there are probably many more than the half dozen I know about. Due to the server routing some of us will have the same IP address if we post at work.

When I asked MNHQ about it they said "Worry not, we have other investigative avenues up our sleeves", or words to that effect. I'm a mod on a small community/specialist interest website and you only have to do a quick google search to learn about how to identify trolls and track them across the websites they use before they land on yours. It's neither technologically difficult or secret and it always baffles me when people post here wanting to know how MN detect trolls. Google it!

I don't want to know how. I never asked how.

I simply want to know if there will be ways to still tell if someone is sockpuppeting, or a troll, now that it is possible to post simultaneously from 2 devices with different IP addresses.

That is entirely different. I don't need to know how, just that it is going to be possible. Because I am concerned that whilst a positive 'yes that is a troll' can be proved, it is impossible to definitively say that someone is not someone else. If it isn't impossible, I'd like to know that, not how they know that.

It must be possible. In the same day I've posted from my work PC, my home PC and my home iPad/iPhone on the work network, 3G and home network which all have different IP addresses.

I've being doing this for the last 2 years. MNHQ obviously have advanced troll/sock-puppeting detecting shit that goes well beyond IP addresses. As they should!

Ah but Buster has anyone reported you? Still, if you say it's possible, that's fine by me. It does concern me that I've seen posters banned as trolls very obviously posting, reported it, along with others, and been told it's not them, only for it to transpire that we were right.

Not that I know of Scarah, but I don't think I've ever posted anything particularly report worthy. Apart from something I posted on a Jimmy Savile thread the other day about being a Leeds bird etc which was deleted. But I have told MNHQ that it is possible to be the same OP and to post from a variety of IP addreses, which they know. I post from 3 dynamic IP addresses. I can't change them, it isn't my choice. I just don't name change so if I post anything there is no doubt that it's me.

please don't do the no nc stuff again.
people NC for a lot of reasons, for me it was nc or leave. I couldn't not stay on mn under my old much loved name.

Zombie assumes that as she has a router and wireless network at home that it is the router's IP address that shows up. She and DZoH are often on MN simultaneously using different laptops when we are at home. Other times we may be somewhere else sharing a laptop (DZoH's when we're at his mum's house as dongles don't seem to like mine) or our notebook when we're abroad. In those instances we aren't on simultaneously but we are often on consecutively with regular switches between us. Our posting styles are vastly different though.

Zombie's point is that just an IP address doesn't mean much.

Imagine the amount of undead sock puppets zombie could have!

No three I am absolutely not saying no one should nc. I know some people, yourself included from your post, have very good reasons to do so and they should do so whenever they feel the need. I don't so I don't nc very often. Apologies if that came across like a dig, it wasn't intended to be x

Erm TSSDCNOP

Oh come on Olivia we aint daft. Lots of us are active on other websites/blogs etc and act as mods/admin. We know how to identify trolls etc. It isn't a state secret.

@BustersOfDoom

Oh come on Olivia we aint daft. Lots of us are active on other websites/blogs etc and act as mods/admin. We know how to identify trolls etc. It isn't a state secret.

OMG, it isn't?!

Can I ask that mnhq please not go on threads and say things like "X is definitely not a troll/sockpuppet" because nowadays you can't (with respect) actually know they aren't.

And they can then use it to say nyer, nyer to everyone else.

Tonight there was a person who namechanged specifically to post on one thread, to call bully and troll-hunter and to be fairly critical of lots of other posters.

She name-changed to do it, it wasn't a "coincidental" name change.