# Hombre banning question **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2009, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565 "2009-01-29T16:20:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/41 "2009-01-29T20:51:50Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > My question is “why?” Why would someone bother with this kind of sock-puppetry? I know a debunker over on the IMDb boards that does this once in a while to confuse the twoofers. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/42 "2009-01-29T20:56:52Z")
I never even noticed any of those names to be honest. Is this a record for longest unfound sock though? Seems like a long time to be running 3 accounts without being caught. -XT ---
**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:** [January 29, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/43 "2009-01-29T20:59:38Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I never even noticed any of those names to be honest. Is this a record for longest unfound sock though? Seems like a long time to be running 3 accounts without being caught. > > -XT We had a poster with socks banned last year that posted through the P2P period. Hombre did not according to **Marley23**. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/44 "2009-01-29T21:05:47Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > My question is “why?” Why would someone bother with this kind of sock-puppetry? > > Has anybody ever explained why they did it? Usually it’s for lulz or to make a point, “damn the man” style. You can’t underestimate the angsty teenage attitude some of these people have. Another motivation was cheapness, if they switched from one account to another during the PTP days. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/45 "2009-01-29T21:08:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Arguably some of those past threads could have been seen as giveaways, but they weren’t obvious errors (if this last one was an error). I know what you mean, though. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > [Can I keep my Warthin's Tumor? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504071) > > Am I reading that thread wrong or did the third poster just make a mistake? See what I mean?! The OP in that thread has had at least one account for _eight_ years! 😕 Granted, the third poster’s account has only been active for one year, but give me a break. It’d be even funnier if all 5 were actually the same person, though. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/46 "2009-01-29T21:11:35Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > See what I mean?! The OP in that thread has had at least one account for _eight_ years! 😕 We’ve worked that one out, actually. No socks involved, just a misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/47 "2009-01-29T21:17:18Z")
Ah was wondering. Thanks **Marley23**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/48 "2009-01-29T21:22:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Should’ve asked each other then. And it was actually triplets. Is the third identity classified ? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/49 "2009-01-29T21:24:25Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > My question is “why?” Why would someone bother with this kind of sock-puppetry? > > Has anybody ever explained why they did it? > [@Marley23](#): > > Usually it’s for lulz or to make a point, “damn the man” style. You can’t underestimate the angsty teenage attitude some of these people have. Another motivation was cheapness, if they switched from one account to another during the PTP days. Could’ve been as simple as not being able to stand losing an argument, so he brought in his own “reinforcements”. I believe this was the original motivation for sock puppetry and the coining of the term back on usenet, no? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/50 "2009-01-29T21:24:51Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Is the third identity classified ? Nothing classified about it, it’s used in all of the links I gave. The third account was **darkcool**. Hadn’t been used since late 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/51 "2009-01-29T21:35:07Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > I know a debunker over on the IMDb boards that does this once in a while to confuse the twoofers. What’s a twoofer. > [@Cisco](#): > > Could’ve been as simple as not being able to stand losing an argument, so he brought in his own “reinforcements”. I believe this was the original motivation for sock puppetry and the coining of the term back on usenet, no? Yeah, but this didn’t seem to be an overt case of that. And I’ve seen others over the years that really didn’t do that at all. Maybe **Marley** ’s right–it’s about stickin’ it to The Man. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/52 "2009-01-29T21:41:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Nothing classified about it, it’s used in all of the links I gave. The third account was **darkcool**. Hadn’t been used since late 2001. I thought it might be him but ruled him out because I checked the date of his last post. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/53 "2009-01-29T21:50:16Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > The OP in that thread has had at least one account for _eight_ years! 😕 That’s because Bush has not been able to play on the internet while holding the office of President. Check back again in another eight years and you will find the same thing, only with Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/54 "2009-01-29T21:59:24Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > What’s a twoofer. > \ I had to ponder it myself. I suspect that it is an alternate spelling for Truther. [Truthers](http://truther.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/55 "2009-01-29T22:00:43Z")
Why would anyone want to argue with themselves. They’d always lose the argument? This is why I don’t talk to myself! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/56 "2009-01-29T22:08:51Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > What’s a twoofer. It’s someone who doesn’t believe in 9/11. > [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Yeah, but this didn’t seem to be an overt case of that. And I’ve seen others over the years that really didn’t do that at all. > > Maybe **Marley** ’s right–it’s about stickin’ it to The Man. We’ll never really know why he originally did it. “Stickin’ it to The Man” doesn’t really make more sense to me than having backup in an argument, or ways to ask questions you wouldn’t want to ask under your main screen name, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565/57 "2009-01-29T22:45:43Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Could’ve been as simple as not being able to stand losing an argument, so he brought in his own “reinforcements”. I believe this was the original motivation for sock puppetry and the coining of the term back on usenet, no? That’s another reason. It’s largely idiosyncratic. The one universal characteristic is that these people believe they are brilliant. Convinced they’re Professor Moriarty, they post away and believe they’re pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. The truth is they lack subtlety, and act on compulsion. They can’t help themselves, and compulsive people can’t keep from tripping themselves up. Probably they want to get caught. The joke’s no good if you’re the only one laughing at it. That might work if you’re a real prankster or Andy Kaufman, but that’s not who we’re dealing with here. We’re talking about simple people who are desperate for attention. They keep pushing it, they have lots of faith in their own cleverness, but not as much as they think. Their arrogance kills them. For example they’ll start threads to inquire about the banning of their own accounts. That’s a brilliant fucking move, don’t you think? After your socks get banned, call attention to yourself by asking about it? Even when you’ve established that as your M.O.? To do something like that you’d have to be flat out arrogant. Or convinced you’re dealing with inferiors. With intellectual defectives of the lowest order! Like **Cisco** said, you wish you could see their faces when they find out they were wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hombre-banning-question/483565.md?page=2)