How Often Are Sock Puppet Accounts Looked For?

What if the mods and staff use sock-puppets too? I wonder if they'd ever Ban themselves?

Ive seen this happen several times, some people are blatant about it ........

Other times not so much, I witnessed it from a very popular member on the board at one point, who replied to their own post, and forgot to sign into the other account.........dead give away.........yet was allowed to stay on the forum which I thought was quite interesting, because i knwo for a fact it got alerted several times lol.....

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


Why is it so wrong to question suspicious activity then?



I find it highly ironic that you guys are spending posts attacking this person for a percieved T and C violation and are infact breaking T and C in doing so , by going off topic , amongst other violations including attacking other members........let the mods handle their own job.

I mean if I question someons validity then I am violating and attacking the op...it does not make any sense to me.

reply to post by ManBehindTheMask


To me, another problem about the sock puppet problem is that we cant discuss openly what is going on. So you for instance saw something that would, if it were common knowledge, undermine the effectiveness of that sock puppet and the original member too.

Although, to be fair, I can imagine scenarios where you might want to quote yourself and accidentally hit "reply" instead. The content of the post would be the biggest clue. Obviously someone will agree with themselves, but any argument against yourself is pure sock puppet goodness.

Who do we contact if we think an alt account is being used?

Originally posted by jerryznv
reply to post by ManBehindTheMask

 

I find it highly ironic that you guys are spending posts attacking this person for a percieved T and C violation and are infact breaking T and C in doing so , by going off topic , amongst other violations including attacking other members........let the mods handle their own job.

Ah, see I am quite certain I am debating a person with at least one sock puppet right now.

I used to be pretty good at spotting them when I mod'ed another board.

I hadn't noticed an excessive number, but recently I've noticed an increase in what I suspect are sock puppets.

I find not being able to skewer them with the truth to be frustrating.

Originally posted by aivlas
Who do we contact if we think an alt account is being used?

There's an "Alert" button on every post. That is the way to go. Calling members out in thread will get your post removed. That said, it's only occasionally that it turns out to be a sock. We are a paranoid bunch here.

reply to post by intrepid


Cheers will keep that in mind for next time.

Also, for those saying it is agianst the rules to have a sock puppet, you need to read the T and C a little closer.

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

You can have multiple accounts, as long as they aren't contravening T and C or using them to keep bumping threads for the other accounts.

sock puppets are much like nuts, they always travel in packs.

i think its up to the user to steer and ignore those same accounts that post the same
styled replies in the same themed topics, all this in sequence and syncronocity.
and get the same number of stars per post.
but to actually track them, it would be pretty much a witch hunt.

i.e. i could be acused of being a sock puppet for backinblack as i share most his interests an opinio
ns.
but i prefer to just star instead of repeating stuff.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Reply to post by AnotherYOU

sock puppets though never refrain from sounding like broken records, clones and followers.

thing is some users are like that by nature.

but since i ignore posters who cant form their own opinion anyway, sock puppets can go in the same sack.

if anything they are a truth meter.

the more a topic gets routinelly attack, the more it must mean theres actually something to it.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by GAOTU789


Was it at one time against the rules to have more than one account? I was under the impression it was at one time, and that would explain a lot of the confusion about that issue.

Originally posted by cupocoffee
What if the mods and staff use sock-puppets too? I wonder if they'd ever Ban themselves?

edit on 22-5-2011 by cupocoffee because: (no reason given)

I have been suspicious of a few mods and their alter ego sock puppets steering threads in a certain direction. Syntax and favorite expressions are hard to hide but it could be coincidence I suppose; unlikely though.

reply to post by Aeons


On vBulletin forums, there's a mod that alerts all moderators either via PM or a post in the moderator section about dual accounts. ATS should have something like this scripted for the ATS forum.

Originally posted by whaaa



I have been suspicious of a few mods and their alter ego sock puppets steering threads in a certain direction. Syntax and expression are hard to hide but it could be coincidence I suppose; unlikely though.

Wow. Im not suspicious enough sometimes, and I certainly dont think dirty enough in many cases. But you have a really, really good point, which would make a lot of stuff that doesnt make sense, suddenly make perfect sense.

I think you are onto something. It would certainly explain the lack of concern over sock puppets, and multiple accounts.

I dont think the majority here read what they agree to when signing up for membership.

There are a lot of weird things that happen here that Id not dealt with on our board, but one we had a plenty : socks. Some arent so easy to spot without having access to IP logs, but some folks here make it way too obvious... even when theyre using TOR or the like. What I have seen here thats annoying is that people are accused of being a sock here when they arent. I have to look funny at the accuser from that point on... sometimes its not a matter of garden variety ATS paranoia, but an effort to discount a poster or what they are saying. To clarify the intentions of a multiple IP user, its not always a govt agent or etc. We had the same issues on eBay help boards as you do here and on our board... and I doubt the scary govt types troll the ebay purse board. Some people just fixate on things.. in this case an online community or a poster.. and get crafty ( or try) to single out/stalk that user.... or they have no life and use the community to manipulate how they are viewed. I dont understand it, but its more than a past time or game.. its damned pathological.

People on the internet do weird things, make socks, troll, threaten others, challenge them to fights, make up even more wild conspiracies concerning members on the board that rival government conspiracies etc. Sometimes I wonder if they have wifi connection at the psych wards because its not an ATS phenomenon alone. The exact things happened to our board.. and it was a large board, heavy traffic, attached to an import export business dealing with arachnids and invertebrates.. catered to field professionals and not conspiracy folks!


For my husband and I.. we have maybe 4 or 5 accounts here between us. DJ already knows about it and we spoke elsewhere concerning it a little while ago. When youre not hung up on your "old timer" or star and flag status... doesnt really matter of you make a new account when you move and settle in. We've moved several times in the last 10 yrs.. and our first accounts were in 2005. My latest was in 2007... then this one. Not all multiple accounts are nefarious and the mods/admin can see the activity. With ours, we moved from country to country and then across country here in the US with periods in between that we didnt/couldnt post. Others Ive spoken to on here have been in a similar situation given they are in the same line of work we are.

Basically, the mods have a great handle on this.. and already know most of the time when a banned member signs back up. If he or she can control themselves.. no harm- no foul. The only trouble comes with the IP masking stuff.. TOR was a thorn in my side personally.. but in the end its up to the mod observation and users reporting multiple accounts. Too bad here that the posters see socks and govt agents under every leaf. Its not nostalgia, it was NOT like this yrs ago on ATS. Lately I barely want to post due to ridiculous threads and asinine posters fighting and trolling constantly... and the socks fit right in with this nonsense.

Im not a "fan" of or "loyal" to any board.. its a message board for Gods sake. However, ATS has a nice flavor.. I prefer it over other boards Ive been involved with over the yrs and 2 that currently enjoy a more hysterical bent. Id love it if ATS could weather the changing times and the insane influx recently... its about the only place I go for conspiracy fun anymore!

One thing this place has over others : great administration and the mods seem to be held to a little higher standard than other places. So.. let them deal with the drama and trolling as they are privy to user info and we arent. We can suspect and report it/ discuss it rationally with a mod... but to make these stupid arguments in threads over who's a sock.. its just speculation on our part and makes you look like a moron. Hopefully this place will evolve with the changing times and flourish with more rational users and GOOD user generated content ( maybe after 2012 passes without a zombie apocalypse) .

reply to post by Advantage


When I joined the board, Im very sure you were not allowed to have multiple accounts.

So "know what you are signing up for when you join" is irrelevant. Things have changed a lot over the course of my time on the board, and even more over the life of the board itself from what people who have been here from the beginning say.

Originally posted by GAOTU789
Also, for those saying it is agianst the rules to have a sock puppet, you need to read the T and C a little closer.

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

You can have multiple accounts, as long as they aren't contravening T and C or using them to keep bumping threads for the other accounts.

I figure some of the confusion with this is that on ATS you dont allow one to delete their account and you all dont delete upon request. If someone decides to participate again .. they have to sign up for another account if they dont have their password or etc.. for whatever reason. If accounts arent interacting and one or more is dormant.. no t&c violation. I know of one person who made a new account because they were very young when they signed up and had matured over the yrs in their views ... yet with the trolling uptick recently, the older immature posts were constantly thrown in his face.


I wish you all would bring the block feature back Pretty please.

Originally posted by whaaa

I have been suspicious of a few mods and their alter ego sock puppets steering threads in a certain direction. Syntax and expression are hard to hide but it could be coincidence I suppose; unlikely though.

Indeed. Well it's fairly obvious to the more perceptive members that there are organized meta-conspiracies to debunk/derail certain topics, run propaganda, disinfo and mind-control on people, etc.

But who are the culprits? The CIA? The NWO? The ATS staff? The US Gov? The Jews?

It's impossible to ever know anything for certain so, really, why waste time dwelling on it?

What a coincidence. As I was reading this thread I noticed an example of members becoming suspicious of the very same thing here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm not saying it is or isn't a case of multiple ID's but members are on the lookout as well as the MODS it seems.