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How To Handle Multiple Screen Names: Discussion

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Jnyusa
Post subject: How To Handle Multiple Screen Names: Discussion
Posted: Thu 03 Nov , 2005 9:09 pm
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Prologue: For the Members reading this and having an opinion.

We've been discussing IP numbers in the Sensitive Info forum and the discussion has moved on to the general topic of what to do if we discover multiple screen names. Rangers are not in complete agreement whether this requires a thread in the Business Forum or not, so I'm posting my recommendation here where the members can see it. If Members have comments, please make them in the "Need to Talk to a Ranger" thread in the Business Room, and if that turns into a full-blown discussion I'll split it off into its own topic.

_____________________________________

As of last week, phpbb allows us to see how many posters are posting from a particular IP with the touch of a button. This means that we no longer have to maintain IP lists, and that's good news for us and all future rangers. :)

Although we have not had any confirmed problems with multiple screen names so far, while we were on this topic I offered to the other Rangers a recommendation as to what we should do if the problem does arise.

The Charter allows one screen name per poster, but does not say anything about what to do if a poster registers more than once. Rather than waiting until this happens and debating what to do, or having one batch of Rangers handle it leisurely while another batch handles it harshly, I thought it would be a good idea to decide on a policy now while the topic is neutral and write it into the Ranger Handbook.

My recommendation is that we make it as little a deal as possible. If Rangers discover a second screen name they would contact the poster by PM or email, confirm that this is really a second screen name and not a friend or family member using the same computer, inform the poster that only one screen name is allowed and ask them which one they want.

Whichever one they don't want would have its permissions disabled but would not be deleted so that the identity of any posts would not be altered.

I don't think this requires us to do anything Charterward. If a rash of multiple screen names breaks out in the future we can reconsider the procedure at that time. But for now I would like to (1) have a policy, and (2) have it be as mild as possible.

Comments are welcome from other Rangers and from members. Thanks!

Jn

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Holbytla
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Posted: Thu 03 Nov , 2005 9:17 pm
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I agree.

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MariaHobbit
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Posted: Thu 03 Nov , 2005 10:09 pm
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I like Jny's suggestion, but:

What about screen names with a different IP for almost every post? That would be caused by an anonymizer site, I would think. How do we deal with that? There's no way to check and see if they are actually posting from the same IP as another screenname or not. :scratch:


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Holbytla
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Posted: Thu 03 Nov , 2005 10:20 pm
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As long as they are registered and have a screen name, and post only with that screen name then the IP is insignificant.

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MariaHobbit
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Posted: Fri 04 Nov , 2005 3:26 pm
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But you can't tell if that's someone's duplicate screen name or not if an anonymizer is used.


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Jnyusa
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Posted: Fri 04 Nov , 2005 6:15 pm
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So far we've only had one case where a poster was using an anonymizer to do something they probably should not have been doing. And it was a one-shot deal, not a pattern of behavior (as far as I know).

The a's are very slow if they're free servers. If a person is willing to pay for an anonymizing server to protect their IP identity routinely, well ... there's probably nothing we can do about it.

But meanwhile neither multiple screen names nor anonymous servers seem to be a problem requiring much attention.

Jn

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MariaHobbit
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Posted: Fri 04 Nov , 2005 7:13 pm
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It's voting time that concerns me.

If someone is running 2 or 3 alternate personalities using an anonymiser, then they get 3 or 4 votes whenever we vote on something. :(

I don't like the anonymisers for that reason.


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Jnyusa
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Posted: Fri 04 Nov , 2005 8:02 pm
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I don't see, though, how having a different protocol for multiple screen names (when discovered) would solve that problem.

Basically there's nothing we can do about that except rely on people's honesty.

Jn

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Jnyusa
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Posted: Sun 13 Nov , 2005 11:18 pm
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There doesn't seem to be disagreement about what to do if a second screen name is discovered, so I've gone ahead and added this to the Ranger Handbook.

I also updated the Handbook for the fact that the Mayor is presently doing welcome and eligibility letters via PM.

Jn

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