# Just Another Serlin? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 29, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733 "2001-04-29T16:23:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/1 "2001-04-29T16:23:34Z")
All right. Everyone’s got a Status below their username. I am a “member,” some folks are "moderator"s, some are "administrator"s, some unfortunates have been “BANNED.” Good so far. What’s up with other designations, such as the one I just saw, “Just Another Serlin”? I know who Serlin is/was. I know what a sockpuppet is. But what’s going on here - if the poster in question is, in fact, Serlin, why not ban him, instead of identifying him as “just another Serlin”? Am I correct in thinking only a mod or admin can assign these designations? Another question: A poster said “Hi Serlin” to the Serlin poster above, and was told by a Mod to take it to email. Is this a violation of the “Don’t accuse anybody of being a sockpuppet” rule? If so, didn’t the Admins do it first by assigning the designation “Just another Serlin”? What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/2 "2001-04-29T16:37:06Z")
It was a brilliant idea by Lynn. [Tell her about it here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69221). ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/3 "2001-04-29T16:39:38Z")
[emily latella]Never mind.[/emily latella] I just read the relevant [pit thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=69221). Seeing as he’s actually banned, that designation is highly informative and funny as hell! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/4 "2001-04-29T16:41:20Z")
‘Hi Serlin’ predated ‘Just Another Serlin’ (It came between his 2 posts - in other words he wasn’t banned until later.), and therefore violated the rule about outing suspected Socks - rule being do not accuse another active poster of being a Sock - they might not be, and if they’re cleared it’s best not to have the accusation out there to haunt them. ‘Just Another Serlin’ on the other hand, is just a note to indicate why Ol’ Mark was banned this time around (being a Sock.) ---
**Author:** ![Amedeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Amedeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amedeus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/5 "2001-04-29T20:13:58Z")
What is a Serlin? I did a search on it, and still haven’t figured out what it is. My guess is something like a person who has another account that uses it to stimulate the conversation. Is this correct? Where does it originate at? Does this question belong in GQ? ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/6 "2001-04-29T20:30:36Z")
Mark Serlin was an infamous troll who apparently led people down quite a few garden paths, as did his legions of sockpuppets. If you did a search on username Serlin, and nothing came up, does that mean his posts have been deleted? I put this question in ATMB because it is of specific SDMB interest, not really general interest. I figured the thread would die instantly, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/7 "2001-04-29T21:00:15Z")
I just found gobs of threads where his original moniker’s posts remain. Interestingly his user status is “Member.” ---
**Author:** ![Mu\_Mu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mu\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mu_Mu)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/8 "2001-04-29T21:29:02Z")
You should have noticed by now that lots of banned posters still have “member” as their status. Posting privileges are independent of the title, which as **masonite** guessed is just made up by the admin. Lynn has said that since there are several steps involved (there’s also the ability to update the sig) sometimes steps are missed when the system is slow. Besides “member”, you might also see some old banned posters listed as “guest”. This dates back to the UBB to vB software changeover, but old raised threads bring the term to confuse someone new. ---
**Author:** ![Amedeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Amedeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amedeus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/9 "2001-04-29T22:16:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by masonite \* > \*\*Mark Serlin was an infamous troll who apparently led people down quite a few garden paths, as did his legions of sockpuppets. If you did a search on username Serlin, and nothing came up, does that mean his posts have been deleted? > > I put this question in ATMB because it is of specific SDMB interest, not really general interest. I figured the thread would die instantly, anyway. \*\* Ahh, thanks for the info, I tried a search on him, I’ll have to give it a try again. And I was not questioning your post being in the right are, just if my inquiry should be in GQ. Sorry ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/10 "2001-04-30T07:48:24Z")
> [@](#): > > You should have noticed by now that lots of banned posters still have “member” as their status. Such as…? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/11 "2001-04-30T09:45:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amedeus \* > …I tried a search on him, I’ll have to give it a try again. \*\* The difficulty in searching for Serlin’s ‘contribution’ is that, IIRC, he’s up to about 25 different user names (over time) and a lot of the more interesting stuff isn’t easily found unless you know the name he used at any given point or the thread title. For example, I’ve looked a couple of times for what I call the ‘sex workers’ thread – it’s an absolute roller coaster of a ride with a truly sublime twist towards the end – and haven’t found it. Maybe we need a ‘Link of Links’ page to stick in the archive as we did for JDR ? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/12 "2001-04-30T09:47:30Z")
…or even JDT ! ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/13 "2001-04-30T10:52:21Z")
You’re looking for this **London\_Calling** : [Smut shop employees](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=30135). The thread takes several turns, but the one on page 3 is the one to look out for. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/14 "2001-04-30T12:11:00Z")
Beautiful, **picmr**! Thanks. Serlin (as PRISM02) and Arnold starring in one of the very best threads I’ve ever seen. Superb, brings a tear to the eye… ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/15 "2001-04-30T15:48:06Z")
“Serlin” is also quite close to the name of the person who bought [straightdope.org](http://straightdope.org) but isn’t doing anything with it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/16 "2001-05-12T22:03:45Z")
Oh, I remember that thread! LOL That was right after I joined the SDMB, and one of the very first threads I posted to-I was like, huh, this guy seems okay, but they banned him…then I heard he had other names. I NEVER KNEW IT WAS SERLIN, THOUGH!!! 😛 I love it! Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-another-serlin/63733/17 "2001-05-13T01:40:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mu Mu \* > Besides “member”, you might also see some old banned posters listed as “guest”. This dates back to the UBB to vB software changeover, but old raised threads bring the term to confuse someone new. You will notice that many of the regular non-banned posters also have “Guest” as their user status in many old threads which predate the UBB=\>vB changeover.