# A question about socks **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 22, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431 "2021-03-22T13:16:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/41 "2021-03-24T08:25:37Z")
I see absolutely no point in using “Coventry” here and then turning around and letting a few privileged people see the shadow-banned posts. The moderators really can’t allow anybody else to see those posts, because it would take iron discipline on everybody’s part to pretend they never saw them. You have to trust EVERYBODY let in not to blow the secret. Not gonna happen. Somebody will drop some hints indicating they saw that content sooner or later, and then the troll gets at least some of what they were after. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/42 "2021-03-24T09:28:27Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > You would never get enough people on this board to ignore someone enough to count. This board has a serious over supply of “I think some ones wrong on the internet” people. They just cannot stop themselves from replying over and over again to people that are just trying to get a rise. And these are the same people that will post “Where is So And So?”, letting the banished know exactly what happened. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/43 "2021-03-24T13:30:27Z")
Banning isn’t meant to be a punishment, it’s meant to be a benefit to the rest of the posters. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/44 "2021-03-24T14:35:38Z")
Can you have just a sock username but no official username? How do we know any Doper is not really a sock who hasn’t yet signed up yet with their real username? I wouldn’t expect any of them to admit to it if instant banning is the benefit to the rest of the posters. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/45 "2021-03-24T14:40:06Z")
When I first started posting here, more than twenty years ago, if I forgot my user name, or password, I would just create a new account. At some point, I realized that I seem to keep coming here, so I should probably remember my account details. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/46 "2021-03-24T15:25:22Z")
27 times is a lot of forgetting… ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/47 "2021-03-24T16:48:40Z")
I used to smoke a lot of pot ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/48 "2021-03-25T01:01:12Z")
I admit, it’s possible that someday in the future I might choose to create a “real account”, so I’ve been using this sock account (and only this sock account) for the past dozen years. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/49 "2021-03-26T10:38:43Z")
When I first signed up here, there was very quickly some open speculation that I might be a sock of a then-recently-banned poster (based on nothing more than a similarity of user-name). Hey, for all y’all know, maybe I am! But I’m using a different personna than that other guy who I may or may not be, so I’m all good, right? They haven’t caught on to me yet! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/50 "2021-03-26T10:45:36Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > …And I’m really intrigued with people who go to all the trouble of building multiple online personalities, I barely have the energy to maintain one. That’s just what a socking socker would say! (joking) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/51 "2021-03-26T11:01:22Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > But I’m using a different personna than that other guy who I may or may not be, so I’m all good, right? This reminds me, that there is myself, @TriPolar, @Trip2014, @triplea424, @tripfours, and a few others. While I don’t _think_ we’re socks of each other, my internal mental committee cannot make up their minds. Tripler I think this is a perfect opportunity to dust off the ol’ pre-written signature. **DISCLAIMER: All thoughts and ideas put forth in this communication are sole property of the voices in my head. ©1998-2021 - ‘The Voices’ ™. All rights reserved.** ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/52 "2021-03-26T11:03:26Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > This reminds me, that there is myself, @TriPolar, @Trip2014, @triplea424, @tripfours, and a few others. While I don’t _think_ we’re socks of each other, my internal mental committee cannot make up their minds BAN THEM ALL! God will know his own! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/53 "2021-03-26T11:06:31Z")
The real @Tripler will place breaching charges on The Pearly Gates. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/54 "2021-03-26T11:06:48Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > BAN THEM ALL! God will know his own! Whoa whoa whoa. . . _that_ escalated quickly! Tripler The _ **original** _ since May, 25 2000 so ban me last. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/55 "2021-03-26T11:08:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The real @Tripler will place breaching charges on The Pearly Gates. Nah, we’d go through the wall a few hundred meters down. They’d see us coming at the gates, and even I don’t wanna f\*ck with Archangel security. You ever see them flaming swords? 😲 Tripler Going to Heaven with a **bang**! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/56 "2021-03-27T15:16:24Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > This reminds me, that there is myself, @TriPolar, @Trip2014, @triplea424, @tripfours, and a few others. While I don’t _think_ we’re socks of each other, my internal mental committee cannot make up their minds. Now that we have avatars, it’s a little easier to tell similar-named posters apart (like you and @TriPolar and @Trinopus and etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/57 "2021-03-27T18:42:38Z")
Unless someone who has had an avatar for a long time switches to a new one, and a different poster uses the old poster’s avatar. That actually happens. 😔 ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/58 "2021-03-27T19:17:47Z")
Or they have the same cool hand Luke avatar, like **Lucas\_Jackson** and **Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness** did for awhile. I think **Dorkness** has changed his. Seemed pretty socky to me. I suggest the mods ban them both, just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/59 "2021-03-27T19:19:15Z")
We have at least 3 blank white squares. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431/60 "2021-03-27T19:31:12Z")
We have a _ **lot** _ of squares 'round these parts. ::rimshot:: Tripler You totally set us up for that one @What_Exit . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-socks/938431.md?page=4)