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 agree with tethersend.

Shit.

Olivia, dear sweet Olivia, even Zombie has been a moderator in her dim and distant past.

Shall Zombie find a nice new pic to cheer you up? Or, would you prefer a delivery of a pallet of Bombay Sapphire?

[hgrin]

Oh shit.

Teh famous birthdays one was me.

Alopogies, everyone.

Snort! If only it were! There are far too many nutters for just one web site to deal with.

I agree with tethersend too.

Probably.

Maybe.

I'm not sure.

But about name-changes - I don't think trolls/sockpuppets use simple namechanging any more (apart from the thick ones). They use different email addresses and different accounts. And different ip addresses probably from different devices.

I bet every serious troll on here has a completely different persona on their phone as they have on their computer/laptop/ipad.

Oh. Did Zombie forget to mention that it's not just Bombay Sapphire, it's Bombay Sapphire Export...

And I am also off to bed and will probably totally regret posting on this thread in the morning. Red wine is a bitch....

I think that just about sums it up Beer [hgrin]

Oh, you know what? I did do Chaos' Famous birthday one.

So you could find my full date of birth that way.

And Chaos, don't apologize! We're all adults and can answer or not as we see fit.

Well, that's done it then. I am now living in your shed and using your cheese.

Chaos, don't be silly. S'up to people, innit?

If you namechange to sockpuppet then MNHQ can see it because it's the same login.

The ability to namechange instantly does not allow you to sockpuppet in a way that isn't instantly obvious to MNHQ if someone reports you and they decide to have a look.

In order to sockpuppet in a way that MNHQ don't know about you need to have two devices, two IP addresses, and TWO SEPARATE LOGINS. Slowing down namechanging, or even banning it altogether, would have no affect on this whatsoever.

I don't have a shed, either.

I do have a very nice garage, though...

Exactly Trills.

In the old days, people would name-change to sockpuppet. Trolls are much more professional now, sadly.

I hate the "request for personal info" threads.

Makes me scratch my chinnychinchin as to why it's being asked. I mean, no-one should really give a shiny shite what pets I have or what my postcode is, for example.

But posters see threads like that, think "ooh I can join in on this one" and post.

But any weirdo can then read it, or advance search in the future, and use that info in bad ways, if they wanted to. And yes, it may be a naice poster asking but the info is available to potentially millions of faceless people.

Pinot no likey.

I dunno what pulking is, but I likes it

Can I ask about non-malicious sock-puppetting?

Sometime I'm already on a thread when something comes up where I know my personal experience could be helpful, but I don't want to out myself.

Obviously it's OK if I say, "namechanging for this", but what if the thread only has about 5 posters? It'll soon be damn obvious who I am.

Would I get my wrist slapped for namechanging for something clearly benign?

My life story is out there on MN. But nothing that relates to security questions of mine, or passwords for anything. Hence I have no concerns about answering these threads.

I am the same person in RL as I am on MN, what you see is what you get IYSWIM.

But I would no more reveal what I use as my Internet passwords and security questions on here than I would in RL.

So would I have two IP addresses if I posted one post on a thread from my iPhone, say, on the bus, and another from my iPhone at home or my laptop?

(No idea how that works as I'm technologically incompetent)

Though I would have the sane name, as you can't register on MN twice from the same email address. So you'd have to have two email addresses too.

I'm baffled as to how sick puppets manage it tbh.

And I LIKE the name change facility. I LIKE the fact that I can have a Halloween NC, a Bonfire night NC, a Christmas, an Easter, an Olympics NC.

It's fun, and it's all from the same email address, same iPhone, same login.

As folks have said up thread, we would be a bit daft to answer in any great detail about this.

IP is not our only means of identifying trolls, it is one of the means but not the only one.

As ever, if you think someone is sockpuppeting then report and we will take look.

Yes, Couthy, you would. But you also probably have a different IP address every time you login from home, as they change.

And I actually have 5 email addresses that I use for various things do could easily sick puppet.