Multiple ATS Accounts

I suspect a few members have 2, maybe 3 accounts and it got me thinking.
1) Is this within the TC's?
2) Can the administration tell if someone is doing this?
3) Should it be frowned upon or embraced?
How do you guys feel about it? I personally think it brings a bit of dishonesty onboard and muddies the waters. It does sound like it could be fun I guess, but moreover, it does not seem to be good or fitting for such a great website. I guess even if it were allowed, no one would ever really know?

HIGHLY against T&C If you suspect it ... report it.
The culprits will be banned.

I used to belong to this forum for a certain band, and the mods started posting ip addresses.
This was before proxys became all the rage.... And some of these people answered themselves.
They would switch from one profile to another, then attack people in tandem, with them self, while patting one another on the back, as one person.

It was like schitizophernia on crack.
.
People who need multiple profiles are not up to anything good.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


From the TOS;

16c.) Multiple Accounts: You will not create multiple user accounts and "talk to yourself."/quote]

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Thank you, but can you guys tell, so that you can do something about it, or is it more of an honor thing?
It seems like if you put "We can determine if one has multiple accounts" in the TC, it would be better prevented maybe.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


They can see IP addresses ... and they can see if people have multiple accounts.
Just send an alert to them in mod-land and tell them the names that you think
are the same person .... name of accounts ... they'll check it.

Example - If you think FlyersFan and WildTimes are the same person ...
send an alert to them and give both names and what you think.
They'll look at it.

reply to post by FlyersFan

Thanks FF, although I suspect some savvy members could create proxy IP's? I am just guessing there, I have no idea. ANyway, I am glad it is frowned upon.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist

You can't go by ip alone. Some households may have multiple accounts, because more than one member lives there.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Unless we go looking then no, there's no way for us to determine that. Mostly members who have two accounts are either members who are returning and forgot their log in information, or members who may want to post certain things from a certain account.

It's certainly frowned upon, but we take it case by case to determine the outcome.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower

members who may want to post certain things from a certain account.

So this is okay? It sounds as if it is acceptable, an although presumably innocent, this is where I see some problems. I get the gist now though and feel that you guys do try and prevent it. Thanks for the replies.

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


It's grey area.

It depends what you are doing with that account. If you talking to yourself and bumping your own threads, givning yourself stars/flags, well that's gaming the system and grounds for banning.

The ones who do that get noticed usually though.

reply to post by tothetenthpower

If you talking to yourself and bumping your own threads, givning yourself stars/flags, well that's gaming the system and grounds for banning.

That is what I was referring to, so good, I am glad you guys respond to such.
Thanks again

I have been on threads were i have seen this happen

like a member who i wont name, but posted something unbelievably ridiculous, even for this site and was met with page after page of people basically explaining why the premise of the thread was so wrong.

funny thing happened about 5 or 6 pages in, all of a sudden one or two new members popped up who all seemed to agree with everything the OP was saying.

himmmm

Its just really really annoying.

It's kind of difficult I would guess to prove unless the mod's really go digging and I think i am right in saying it would only be SO who could actually do the digging.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

It's kind of difficult I would guess to prove unless the mod's really go digging and I think i am right in saying it would only be SO who could actually do the digging.

Always file an alert if you suspect somebody of doing that.

Staff will handle it directly

~Tenth

HA,

Can't even count the times I've gone into a thread, made one post that caused the OP to have a breakdown, suddenly 3-5 fresh accounts pop up trying to rip me.

I usually ignore them though, as I find they end up getting banned without my input.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Thanks for clarifying, Tenth, on what to do. May be sending one in a bit. Have a question on it...if you just heavily suspect that it's a multiple account, should you still alert or should you look for evidence?

Thanks in advance.

reply to post by WhiteAlice


Nope, just alert and link us to both accounts.

We can handle everything from there.

~Tenth

What if a your wife is also a member of ATS and is online the same time as you? Would this also violate the ToS?

-SAP-

Isn't that what they call a sock puppet?
I think there may be a few of them floating around here.

Ahh You have to be a very special kind of crazy to have to feign support for yourself by way of multiple accounts. Especially when those special kinds of crazy often involve a special way of communicating. We can all pretty much spot a bernie on the fly. Makes no sense to me..

keeps it all fun tho!!