Should boards.ie reinstate the rule against multiple accounts?

tuxy

It's getting a bit out of hand isn't it?

definitely

also changing username.

Calhoun

I didn't know this was no longer against the rules.

wiggle16

Don't really understand what you mean tbh. Do you mean not having two accounts at the same time? Because that's already not allowed.

Do you mean people who close their accounts and then re-register under a new username?

Ten of Swords

Running concurrent accounts is not permitted (the only exception to this is werewolf accounts and they may only be used in Other Forum Games and it's sub-fora)

If you have suspicions of an account please use the report post function to bring it to mod attention and it will be checked out. Do not call people out on thread please.

tuxy

wiggle16 wrote: »

Don't really understand what you mean tbh. Do you mean not having two accounts at the same time? Because that's already not allowed.

Do you mean people who close their accounts and then re-register under a new username?

I guess the main issue is probably people closing their accounts and creating new ones very soon after to continue arguments or troll people they dislike.
There are people with multiple accounts too and this is not monitored as much as it once was, perhaps the site is too big for that now.

MrMusician18

tuxy wrote: »

It's getting a bit out of hand isn't it?

The number of ****e threads being started by low post count/multiple account holders has definitely ticked up a notch in the past few weeks.

Maybe it should be that you can't open a new thread until you've 500 posts or something like that.

Tammy!

Yes..please

Raconteuse

Can't always be spotted.

Although posting style would give the game away I'd have thought, if technology doesn't.

tuxy

MrMusician18 wrote: »

The number of ****e threads being started by low post count/multiple account holders has definitely ticked up a notch in the past few weeks.

Maybe it should be that you can't open a new thread until you've 500 posts or something like that.

Or perhaps no new account until three months after closing your last one.

I think I was originally mistaken that these trouble makers were holding more than one account but now realise it's probably likely they are closing one account and starting another in quick succession. This would keep them on the correct side of the rules technically.

tuxy

Raconteuse wrote: »

Can't always be spotted.

Although posting style would give the game away I'd have thought, if technology doesn't.

Of course but I just feel that the moderators years ago were much better at spotting it. But as I said the site has a larger user base now so perhaps the workload would be too high to keep the same standard of moderation.

wiggle16

tuxy wrote: »

I guess the main issue is probably people closing their accounts and creating new ones very soon after to continue arguments with the same people.

Then I suppose it would be better to phrase it as "should the close account function be abolished". I think that discussion has been done to death tho.

Eejits who want to troll and avoid bans will always find a way of doing it, unfortunately.

tuxy

wiggle16 wrote: »

Then I suppose it would be better to phrase it as "should the close account function be abolished". I think that discussion has been done to death tho.

Eejits who want to troll and avoid bans will always find a way of doing it, unfortunately.

You would think that closing an account would mean you are done with boards for good, of course people should have the option to reconsider a few months down the line or maybe a reopen account option.
It just seems like the problem with people making new accounts because their old one has a bad reputation has increased. If they are using the close account option to keep their new account legal then it prevents the mods from doing anything.

Gynoid

Can people not just ignore sh1tposters and edgelords? Judge the post not the poster if in doubt.

Plus some of the biggest trolls on boards are people with accounts that have been open for years. Some of the horrible rude condescending crap long time members post day in day out would sicken yer shyte.

wiggle16

tuxy wrote: »

You would think that closing an account would mean you are done with boards for good, of course people should have the option to reconsider a few months down the line or maybe a reopen account option.
It just seems like the problem with people making new accounts because their old one has a bad reputation has increased. If they are using the close account option to keep their new account legal then it prevents the mods from doing anything.

Some people do close their accounts and open new ones because they want a fresh slate - and I don't just mean people who have poor history on the site. Some people may have overshared personal info and want to distance themselves from that account, for example. I think that's fair enough and it's a legitimate use of the close account option.
Then again, I've seen a couple of accounts of late who were long time boardsies and seemingly closed their accounts for no apparent reason, as far as I could tell. A couple of them have resurfaced (I recognised their posting style). I don't really understand it.

I really don't think there's as many trolls as it might appear - now, what I mean by that is, I think it's only a very small number of individuals out there who are actually responsible for the majority of troll/throwaway accounts on the site. Sad gits. That's just an observation of mine by the way, it's not based upon anything I'd be privy to as a mod (which is very little :rolleyes:).

But yes, there are people who use the close account option to get around accruing a history. Any "feature" can be abused I suppose.

Gynoid

wiggle16 wrote: »

Some people do close their accounts and open new ones because they want a fresh slate - and I don't just mean people who have poor history on the site. Some people may have overshared personal info and want to distance themselves from that account, for example. I think that's fair enough and it's a legitimate use of the close account option.
Then again, I've seen a couple of accounts of late who were long time boardsies and seemingly closed their accounts for no apparent reason, as far as I could tell. A couple of them have resurfaced (I recognised their posting style). I don't really understand it.

I really don't think there's as many trolls as it might appear - now, what I mean by that is, I think it's only a very small number of individuals out there who are actually responsible for the majority of troll/throwaway accounts on the site. Sad gits. That's just an observation of mine by the way, it's not based upon anything I'd be privy to as a mod.

But yes, there are people who use the close account option to get around accruing a history. Any "feature" can be abused I suppose.

Some people may use subsequent accounts in order to avoid living in the illusory skin of an internet persona. It is a valid choice not to leave an internet fingerprint or to choose not to build an imaginary atmosphere that they are then forced to inhabit. Judge the post not the poster, it is a fairly easy rule of thumb.

I have a goldfish memory and most of y'all look the same to me except for a handful of notables, them being those I admire for the genuine heat they give off and those who will never be on my Christmas card list.
Thats why I end up thanking the bold rereg trolls sometimes - they said something I agree with, partially agree with or they made me laugh. Even if they are bold I do like an oul bit of cheeky transgression now and then.

paleoperson

Gynoid
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Gynoid

paleoperson wrote: »

Gynoid
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Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 173
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And? .....

Deebles McBeebles

Couldn't give a sh*t how many accounts people have as long as they refrain from starting the same stupid threads again and again.

Raconteuse

Boards isn't able to stop people closing their accounts themselves (as opposed to being site banned) and opening new accounts. This is a right according to data protection.

super_furry

Would solve a hell of a lot of problems if they put a time delay on creating new accounts and starting threads in AH/Current Affairs.

Sleeper12

Ten of Swords wrote:

Running concurrent accounts is not permitted (the only exception to this is werewolf accounts and they may only be used in Other Forum Games and it's sub-fora)

Isn't there an exception for the LGBT forums too?

Maybe Boards could hire a team of assassins to find and kill people who close their account? Might run into a GDPR violation there though.

wiggle16

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe Boards could hire a team of assassins to find and kill people who close their account? Might run into a GDPR violation there though.

Well on the face of it that would appear to be an ideal solution.

However, the mods are volunteers so it would be difficult to coordinate this kind of systematic extermination in a consistent way. Plus you'd have the usual cries of "censorship" and "bias" :rolleyes:

wiggle16

Raconteuse wrote: »

Boards isn't able to stop people closing their accounts themselves (as opposed to being site banned) and opening new accounts. This is a right according to data protection.

That's the thing. In either case, the account is gone, and the person has moved onto a new one. The close account function is not really the problem - whether the account is closed or has been banned, the result is the same.

In principle I'd agree with a system, for the busier forums, where "new accounts" (:rolleyes:) either can't start threads until they've reached a certain post count or the thread would need to be approved by a mod until they've reached that post count, if it would starve out the most prolific trolls. I don't know how practical that would be to implement, though.

_Kaiser_

It must be just me but I never notice a re-reg unless it's pointed out by someone else. I wouldn't put it down to the site being too big to manage - hasn't the userbase been reducing for years?

Personally I couldn't care less if someone re-reg's so long as the content they post is decent and valid for the forum they're posting in.

What does get to me though is certain posters being allowed to troll others, yet when those others respond in kind they are the ones sanctioned. No point pointing it out (done it before), and I'm starting to think it's the forum equivalent of 98FM/FM104 talk shows to keep people posting/coming back!

wiggle16

.....

Edit: on second thoughts, no, not getting into this here.

Ted_YNWA

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It must be just me but I never notice a re-reg unless it's pointed out by someone else. I wouldn't put it down to the site being too big to manage - hasn't the userbase been reducing for years?

Personally I couldn't care less if someone re-reg's so long as the content they post is decent and valid for the forum they're posting in.

What does get to me though is certain posters being allowed to troll others, yet when those others respond in kind they are the ones sanctioned. No point pointing it out (done it before), and I'm starting to think it's the forum equivalent of 98FM/FM104 talk shows to keep people posting/coming back!

Just because someone may be trolling doesn't give you a carte blanche to drop to their level.


Also, just because you don't see a note on thread, doesn't mean mods haven't taken some action.

_Kaiser_

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

Just because someone may be trolling doesn't give you a carte blanche to drop to their level.


Also, just because you don't see a note on thread, doesn't mean mods haven't taken some action.

I generally don't rise to it, but I've seen threads shut down because of it.

As for your second line.. it's hard to believe when the same posters continue the same shyte regardless. As I said, I've been through the "process" and my conclusion based on these observations is that these "stirring" posters are desirable to keep others engaged and traffic flowing.

But let's agree to disagree.. no point turning this into one of those feedback threads that go nowhere.

In an ideal world, being able to tag a persistent re-reg's IP address. Freeze the serial offender out. There are threads over on CA being habitually targeted by muppets. They don't deserve oxygen.

Infernum

I deleted my old account then re-registered under a different username in 2016, but wouldn't care to do it again. I wish there was a way to at least edit your screen name since this one is of no use to me. Some sites don't allow username changes but lets users edit how their name shows up in posts.

Ten of Swords

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Isn't there an exception for the LGBT forums too?

Are you talking about anonymous posts? Several fora, including LGBT, allow this. It does not require an account and the posts are pre-moderated.

Beasty

Deleted User wrote: »

Maybe Boards could hire a team of assassins to find and kill people who close their account? Might run into a GDPR violation there though.

GDPR only becomes a problem when we get caught

We only do it though when we can track them down

Alas poor Gordon got a bit ahead of himself and took out 17 "good" users. We've had to be a bit more circumspect since then....

Beasty

Infernum wrote: »

I deleted my old account then re-registered under a different username in 2016, but wouldn't care to do it again. I wish there was a way to at least edit your screen name since this one is of no use to me. Some sites don't allow username changes but lets users edit how their name shows up in posts.

Name changes is one of the "perks" of becoming a subscriber

Sleeper12

Ten of Swords wrote:

Are you talking about anonymous posts? Several fora, including LGBT, allow this. It does not require an account and the posts are pre-moderated.

I guess this is what I was talking about. I thought they had separate accounts but it makes sense that it's actually anonymous postings

Infernum

Beasty wrote: »

Name changes is one of the "perks" of becoming a subscriber

How much is a subscription in pounds?

The Rape of Lucretia

Multiple accounts are fine as long as you stay within the spirit of the law, and dont have them crisscrossing in the same thread. Necessary even for different forums. Didnt realise they were legal now, but a blind eye has sensibly been turned to them for a long while now.

Quantum Erasure

Infernum wrote: »

How much is a subscription in pounds?

is that before or after Brexit?

Beasty

Infernum wrote: »

How much is a subscription in pounds?

4lb 7oz in old money

€50 for a year but you can subscribe for a month, get your name changed and then not renew - your new name sticks

If you look in your Control Panel their is a section for paid subs in the bottom left hand corner - €5 for a month

Alternatively if you work your way up to Admin

(well moderator will do)

you will get subscriber privileges (although some pay for it anyway)

Infernum

Beasty wrote: »

Alternatively if you work your way up to Admin

(well moderator will do)

you will get subscriber privileges (although some pay for it anyway)

Well I can't see myself ever making that far, even despite lots of previous mod experience :pac: I'll see if I can get around to getting a subscription without my credit card company telling me off for some reason or another.

ILoveYourVibes

naaah :cool:

I need like 4

Also how do you change your username?

ILoveYourVibes

I don't need to change my account. I would like to be able to change my username though whenever i like.

I would also like to be able to use pictures we upload for an avataar instead of the boards.ie ones ..which are terribly outdated by the way.

tuxy

Peak Banter wrote: »

Can you guys make it easier for us to switch between accounts?

I have like 20 of them and it's a real pain having to log in and out each time.

Use different browsers or see if chrome has an extension that enables you to do this.

tuxy

tuxy wrote: »

Use different browsers or see if chrome has an extension that enables you to do this.

He's 'aving you on...

ILoveYourVibes

Raconteuse wrote: »

Boards isn't able to stop people closing their accounts themselves (as opposed to being site banned) and opening new accounts. This is a right according to data protection.

Wrong. They stopped me. I didn't have multiple accounts at the same time ..i did close and start new accounts a lot though. That was the reason given. So obviously they can and they do.

Also the reason i kept doing it was to stop someone snooping. And yes someone was. No one to do with boards.ie.

Honestly they seemed a bit clueless in not being able to realize people can very easily find out who you are online.

Not blaming the mods or boards ...but that happened. I think they are just a bit naive.

SeanW

What I'd like to see back is the old ban list. They used to keep a public list of all the accounts recently banned, repeated trolling, signed up just to shill etc. That was fun to read sometimes.

ILoveYourVibes

SeanW wrote: »

What I'd like to see back is the old ban list. They used to keep a public list of all the accounts recently banned, repeated trolling, signed up just to shill etc. That was fun to read sometimes.

Too totalitarian.

Steve

SeanW wrote: »

What I'd like to see back is the old ban list. They used to keep a public list of all the accounts recently banned, repeated trolling, signed up just to shill etc. That was fun to read sometimes.

You mean this one?

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/banlist.php

ILoveYourVibes

Steve wrote: »

You mean this one?

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/banlist.php

I guess this is something only mods can see.

Steve

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I guess this is something only mods can see.

Yeah, just tried it logged out. It used to be public.

wakka12

How does a mod know if an account is somebody with multiple or just severeal people in the same house with different boards accounts?