# 2 questions about Wee Bairn banning **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 17, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622 "2008-05-17T01:37:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/1 "2008-05-17T01:37:01Z")
This is not a pitting but it was asked that discussion go here, so here is where I’ll put it. First question, did we know any of the socks? Second question: > [@Marley23](#): > > Wee Bairn has been banned for having multiple sock accounts, which was implied in [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9808121&postcount=31) post and later confirmed. If you would like to discuss this move, please do so in the BBQ Pit. I made a very similar statement upthread from Wee Bairn. Did you perform whatever kind of background check on me that you did on him, and did someone tip you off to this or was it a random sighting? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/2 "2008-05-17T02:08:37Z")
I was not involved in Wee Bairn’s demise, but I note that your “similar” comment simply asked about signing up at a free site with fake info, not subscribing multiple times under different IDs. (You might want to double check your second download from last Tuesday, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/3 "2008-05-17T02:14:38Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] …subscribing multiple times under different IDs [/QUOTE] If **Wee Bairn** ’s linked post is any guide, that’s a leap of logic big enough to make Superman green with envy. Or did the SDMB buy out Hotmail when I wasn’t looking? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/4 "2008-05-17T02:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] If **Wee Bairn** ’s linked post is any guide, that’s a leap of logic big enough to make Superman green with envy. [/QUOTE] Every once in a while, you FIND the WMD’s. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/5 "2008-05-17T02:24:10Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] If **Wee Bairn** ’s linked post is any guide, that’s a leap of logic big enough to make Superman green with envy. Or did the SDMB buy out Hotmail when I wasn’t looking? [/QUOTE] You will have to explain where the leap of logic occurs in your mind. **Wee Bairn** made a point of (rather gleefully) asking if everyone had not created sock puppets for malicious purposes. This (paid) site has an explicit rule regarding multiple usernames. **Cisco** ’s post made no reference to creating sock puppets, only going to (free) sites and signing up using less than accurate information. In other words, the two posts were specifically not similar in those areas that would attract staff attention. Would it make anyone feel better if we ran a more thorough check on all their activity? If it would set anyone at ease, we can do that for them. (Please, not too many requests, it takes time away from out other duties and occasionally slows the board response time.) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/6 "2008-05-17T02:27:44Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] You will have to explain where the leap of logic occurs in your mind. [/QUOTE] It goes from his one brain cell to his other brain cell. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/7 "2008-05-17T02:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] **Wee Bairn** made a point of (rather gleefully) asking if everyone had not created sock puppets for malicious purposes. This (paid) site has an explicit rule regarding multiple usernames. [/QUOTE] Uh, no, he did not. Here’s the relevant portion of his post: > [@Wee Bairn](#): > > …who hasn’t created a fake **hotmail account** to mess with someone they know… I’ve bolded a critical phrase which seems to have escaped your notice. So, I ask again, how do you make the connection between someone admitting to creating fake Hotmail accounts and creating multiple usernames _here_? Because, I’m not seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/8 "2008-05-17T02:31:33Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] It goes from his one brain cell to his other brain cell. [/QUOTE] Great, another moron who doesn’t know the difference between the SDMB and Hotmail. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/9 "2008-05-17T02:35:12Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] I’ve bolded a critical phrase which seems to have escaped your notice. So, I ask again, how do you make the connection between someone admitting to creating fake Hotmail accounts and creating multiple usernames _here_? Because, I’m not seeing it. [/QUOTE] I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I was following his thread in GD, saw that he was banned, went to ATMB, and similar to **Q.E.D.** saw that **WB** admitted to using fake e-mail addresses. I don’t see how he revealed that he created a sock. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/10 "2008-05-17T02:40:22Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Uh, no, he did not. Here’s the relevant portion of his post: [Quote=Wee Bairn] …who hasn’t created a fake **hotmail account** to mess with someone they know… [/quote] I’ve bolded a critical phrase which seems to have escaped your notice. So, I ask again, how do you make the connection between someone admitting to creating fake Hotmail accounts and creating multiple usernames _here_? Because, I’m not seeing it. [/QUOTE] The fact that you think that the “hotmail account” is the critical point seems to be your problem and I do not recall that even being mentioned in staff discussions. Fake accounts to mess with people was the trigger for the staff discussions and (answering the OP of this thread) Cisco never mentioned the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/11 "2008-05-17T02:42:07Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] So, I ask again, how do you make the connection between someone admitting to creating fake Hotmail accounts and creating multiple usernames _here_? Because, I’m not seeing it. [/QUOTE] It’s pretty much irrelevant if you see it. For whatever reason, it made someone curious, that someone investigated, found evidence, ran it by the rest of us, and **Wee Bairn** was banned. It really doesn’t matter a bit what the reason was that spurred the investigation, only the results matter. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/12 "2008-05-17T02:42:12Z")
We don’t need probable cause to compare user profile information and IP addresses; most of the time we don’t have probable cause. We can run random checks. In this case, **Marley23** noticed \*\*Wee Bairn’s \*\* post. I don’t know if he even saw \*\*Cisco’s \*\* post. In any case, Wee Bairn’s post made him curious. He investigated. He found stuff. I’ve seen the evidence. The administrators have seen the evidence. The guy had multiple accounts here on the board. His post merely got **Marley23** interested in checking for socks. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/13 "2008-05-17T02:42:25Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I was following his thread in GD, saw that he was banned, went to ATMB, and similar to **Q.E.D.** saw that **WB** admitted to using fake e-mail addresses. I don’t see how he revealed that he created a sock. [/QUOTE] The socks were discovered by the queries that were made subsequent to his mention of “fake accounts.” No one cared whether his e-mail addy was from hotmail and that did not get him banned. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/14 "2008-05-17T02:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I was following his thread in GD, saw that he was banned, went to ATMB, and similar to **Q.E.D.** saw that **WB** admitted to using fake e-mail addresses. I don’t see how he revealed that he created a sock. [/QUOTE] He wasn’t banned for that post, which is of course not itself sufficient evidence to ban someone for sockhood. However, it did prompt questioning of whether he had created socks here. A quick check yielded concrete proof that he had in fact registered multiple usernames. Poof, no more **Wee Bairn**. Pretty dumb, overall. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/15 "2008-05-17T02:43:27Z")
Mod quad post! Sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/16 "2008-05-17T02:43:34Z")
So, **Wee Bairn** got banned for admitting to having multiple _Hotmail_ accounts? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/17 "2008-05-17T02:44:22Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] So, **Wee Bairn** got banned for admitting to having multiple _Hotmail_ accounts? [/QUOTE] No. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/18 "2008-05-17T02:45:32Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] No. [/QUOTE] Ok. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/19 "2008-05-17T02:47:15Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] Mod quad post! Sweet. [/QUOTE] Now that’s some sweet mod attention. I figured that’s what happened… thanks for clearing that up. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622/20 "2008-05-17T02:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] The socks were discovered by the queries that were made subsequent to his mention of “fake accounts.” No one cared whether his e-mail addy was from hotmail and that did not get him banned. [/QUOTE] This is very different from your initial post in this thread which was misleading, at best. You could have avoided all the subsequent confusion by simply stating the information which has since been posted. These aren’t State secrets, fer chrissakes. And, **Frank** , you’re still a tool. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-questions-about-wee-bairn-banning/449622.md?page=2)