Did I read someones question correctly on here? Does fluther allow people to have more than one account?
I would like to know what the reason for this is if it is true. I find it very disheartening myself as I have been on another site and it makes you feel as though ‘you never really know’ who you are talking too!
Yes I realize this is the internet, but there are times you can actually have friends online, but when two different identities are allowed on a site it causes confusion along with ‘problems’ such as harassment or trolling possibilities which I suppose might be fewer on here since there are ‘active moderators’ but I would bet there are some things that do get through even with that on fluther.
Can anyone give me a ‘logical’ and legitimate reason as to why it is ok? Thanks
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if you read the guidelines you can have more than one, for asking ultra-personal questions or something to that effect, but if you game the system, or do it to be a smart ass, you run the risk of being banned.
so, to directly answer, yes you can. but not just for any old reason. if you suspect someone of it for unethical reasons, let the mods know.
Multiple accounts
Provided that it is not used to game the lurve system, deceive, confuse or cause trouble, we allow multiple accounts for a user. Acceptable cases for this would include a person creating an “alias” to ask a more personal or embarrassing question that they do not wish to associate with their “normal” account.
I would not go accusing people of having multiple account though. that is just rude.
@epony you beat me too it
it’s not rude to report a possible gaming of the system. it’s part of being a responsible member of the community. if there isn’t anything going on, nothing will happen. if there is, then the site is that much better for it.
But it could be construed as rude to say “Are you also WolverineFoghorn2574#1? Because you sound just like him and he’s a jerk too.”
@Jeruba: Usually people who have multiple accounts slip up, and often the ones who are doing it for trolling purposes have idiosyncrasies of style or usage or make the same grammar mistakes. It’s rude to say “Are you WolverineFoghornTroll? You sound like him, and he’s a jerk,” but it’s ruder still to be a jerk in the first place.
[mod says] The guidelines do allow it, and make it clear what the acceptable purposes are. If you suspect someone of using an alias to troll or game the lurve system, the correct thing to do is bring it to a moderator’s attention.
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I don’t mind so long as those accounts are used to ask uncomfortable personal questions that they don’t want to share with the world otherwise and not to harass people under the guise of anonymity.
Whatever, if people want to have more than one account, so be it. It’s none of my concern. I relate to most usernames here in the exact same way, so I probably wouldn’t even notice, and I certainly wouldn’t care if I did find out.
@eponymoushipster It might be a way to be a better member of the community. But some folks cry wolf all to often.
@sap82 since you haven’t been part of the community a week yet, as of this writing, i don’t think you have appropriate time spent here to make such a statement.
@eponymoushipster Again, I suggest you not make assumption about somebody you know nothing about.
People on this site seem attached to the image they build up behind their name (not without good reason). When I began using this site, I expected a level of frankness you guys seemed reluctant to engage in. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some straight-up answers to questions people yelled at me for asking, but it didn’t seem to occur to anyone to make a second account to answer. In asking this question I invited people to take advantage of the double-identity thing and I don’t think anyone did.
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