Identifying sock puppets

[_Cylon]

I love Mormon Jesus. He's my favorite sockpuppet.

[_The Mighty Builder]

I love Mormon Jesus. He's my favorite sockpuppet.

You don't know that, you weren't there NOBODY KNOWS for SURE.

[_Cylon]

I love Mormon Jesus. He's my favorite sockpuppet.

You don't know that, you weren't there NOBODY KNOWS for SURE.

I bow to your superior wisdom.

[_LDSToronto]

I trust the admins enough to not reveal my in real life information. That's something they take seriously around here. As for sockpuppets, they are a fun way to experiment with different perspectives and I'm glad Shades is able to overcome his distaste for sockpuppetry and allow us to act.

H.

[_MCB]

@ Shades: On your next round of deleting accounts, you can just delete those with 15 or fewer old posts. No problem.

they are a fun way to experiment with different perspectives and I'm glad Shades is able to overcome his distaste for sockpuppetry and allow us to act.

[_Juggler Vain]

@ Shades: On your next round of deleting accounts, you can just delete those with 15 or fewer old posts. No problem.

they are a fun way to experiment with different perspectives and I'm glad Shades is able to overcome his distaste for sockpuppetry and allow us to act.

That would have meant deleting my account, before I started posting more frequently earlier this year.

-JV

[_Euthyphro]

Active in recent days is a thread created by a new account named Ludd asking for help collecting examples of William Schryver jackassery. But several are skeptical that the new poster is a sock puppet for a mopologist wanting them dirty apostates to do all the work for them. Interestingly as part of the request the OP explains that Schryver denies responsibility for some of the more loathsome comments in forum history claiming "forgery". Whether that means a sock puppet impersonator or a hacked account is unclear. (If Schryver had been careful about his dealings outside the forum he may have been able to repudiate that he was ever a poster on any forum anywhere. After all, one can create an account using any name one pleases. Theoretically we all really may be TBMs pretending to hone our apologetic skills by improvising convincing devil's advocates.)

It is understandable but disappointing that everyone suspects Ludd is a sock puppet. When I joined the board I wondered for several weeks whether anyone was casing me as someone else's account. On other Mormon religion-related boards new posters -- whether doubting their faith, or having questions about the Book of Abraham, or about polygamy, etc. -- have been immediately and mercilessly attacked by long-timers weary of puppet games. I suspect that makes it hard for lurkers to gather up the courage to participate.

Adopting some kind of formal understanding about sock puppets doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of the fun characters like Mormon Jesus. Maybe get special permission from Shades to have a sock puppet. Maybe stop using account A after you create account B, but you are still free to create account B. If there is an agreement not use sock puppets then it is shameful when you are caught. For most of us on either side of the Mormon belief issues I would bet that's enough.

[_Philo Sofee]

I have dynamic IP.

Doesn't matter.

The truly savy will use a different proxy for each account.

Yeah, but savvy gives way to lazy all the time.

There is no need to identify puppets when they are in fun, which most are.

So you're talking about the FAIR meltdown and suddenly everything's on hold while you all go back and forth over which accounts are sock puppets of whom? You'd really rather have it that way? I think sock puppet accusations say more about the accuser than the puppet masters. Without real evidence all you're putting out there is your hunch.

It seems to me like the prevailing attitude about sock puppets is that they are instruments of cowardice and villainy. If that's true why not make a rule about them and then back it up with the means to identify and punish account abusers? What is certainly true is the trust issues surrounding the fact that anyone can make as many accounts as they want on this board has tainted it.

What FAIR meltdown are you talking about?