We do err on the side of caution, so if we suspect someone of being a sock who otherwise isn’t a jerk, we’ll usually hold off on taking action. If we have strong evidence that someone is a sock, they’re likely to be banned, regardless of how nice and/or well-behaved they are. Between those two cases is an unavoidable gray area, which we handle as best we can on a case by case basis. We usually err on the side of caution.
Well, I know it’s easier to play armchair mod than to actually Moderate, but it seemed more to me like he just found an opening to drop a bomb on someone in the Pit, and less like he had an axe to grind. Upon further investigation, was there other evidence of sockery? Has he subsequently proclaimed his innocence?* Because it seemed like he was merrily posting one minute and banned the next, and it looked like “Wait, you know what we rail on Guin for? BALEETED!” to me. How would it have gone down if he had made a sheep joke about Hal Briston instead?
- I’m not asking for specific techniques to be revealed–it just seems like the bar for jerkish behavior was at a much different place for him than for everyone else, and really, he wouldn’t have had to lurk for that long to pick up on that bit about Guinastasia. Hell, somebody could’ve ragged on her in another thread recently and that inspired him to look it up, for all I know.
That’s a bit of an understatement. I’m not saying I’ve never been jerkish, but Resistance is Character-Formin’s one slam pales in comparison to the sheer jerkery you’ve brought to the Pit in your time.
fetus, I wasn’t the one who dropped the axe on Resistance, but it was far more than just one slam. Read all of his posts in the RLS thread, particularly page three. By the end, the picture of “newbie picking up on a piece of old information and making an in-joke” doesn’t really stand up.
It’s worth pointing out that Guinastasia is a frequent topic of… well, I wouldn’t quite call it “discussion”… on the snark board. In fact, as far as I can tell, “discussions” about three or four specific dopers comprise about 84% of the content.
The rest is just competition to be the first to use one of a handful of catchphrases.
Just checking in again to say that it was hilarious to read Maggy May’s heartfelt apology for her previous account’s CSS thing, apparently with no realization that she was going to get banninated fast. Of course, once she saw dmm banned, she was all “Oh, um, I MEANT to do that! HA! Last laugh is on you!”
Which is why you get paid the big bucks!
Out of curiosity, why is it a problem? I get why being a troll (or being a total asshole) is bannable…but what is the problem with socks exactly? More specifically, why bother to ban people who have guest accounts…isn’t this a self correcting problem anyway? I don’t really get why the Mods bother at all with this. So, someone who was banned comes back under a new user as a guest…unless they are doing something seriously annoying (which would get them banned for THAT), why worry? And if they pay…well, that is more money coming into the board. As long as they don’t make an ass out of themselves, I don’t see the problem, personally.
-XT
Well, for the most part, we don’t, really. It’s not like we spend vast amounts of time or energy tracking down socks and, as I said upthread, I’m certainly not losing any sleep over those that slip through.
We do have to ban them once we notice them, though. The board has always been pretty strict on the “one account per person” rule, well before I joined let alone became a mod. I can give you the reasons for the rule as I understand it, if you want, although I’m sure you’ve heard them before. My own personal philosophy is somewhere between the current rule and your post – if I were running my own board, I’d probably be a bit more lax about it. I’m not, though, so I enforce the rules as written.
Um… have some posts been deleted?
The last guy linked to a snark thread. :rolleyes:
Although I already read that the question was not addressed at me, I will respond. Reporting on ATMB? Really? Aren’t they all reading there all the time? I would feel like I then need to report that I sent a report.
I am answering yours because it is the latest one, but it goes to everyone who has asked a similar question. If the board needs subscription money to stay afloat, then letting people come back again and again as guests is an open loophole that would allow everyone to have free memberships (unless they needed the ego boost of a tall post count). I am sure this rule would go mostly unenforced if the board were free.
And thanks to all TPTB who answered my OP. In the end it boils down to “we know one when we see it”, which I agree is the only way to handle this. I was just a bit confused about the specific mention of knowledge of the board on the bannination message.
I didn’t see a link. Just a reference to the board, which we see all the time. But the post speculated that **Giraffe ** posts there and that he’s their favorite mod, which I said I didn’t believe because he is too classy. Then lo and behold, it all disappears. I’m hoping it wasn’t deleted because of the references to Giraffe, and that it might have embarrassed him. I don’t think he would do that, but someone else might have done it on his behalf. All he would need do is deny the accusation, and I (and probably everyone) would believe him. Anyway, weird.
No, there was another one with a link.
The one you mentioned was deleted because it listed specific strategies for evading detection as a sock, which came from a snark board.
Okay. I’m always slow on the uptake.
Not only from a snark board but ostensibly from a nutbag loser with a hardon for this place. I thought he would’ve given up once he spawned but I was wrong. Can’t ever underestimate the crazy.
To be fair, I spend a hell of a lot of time on here and my average day would be pretty damn different if I got banned. I can see how the temptation to sock would run high.
The difference is I don’t run around getting banned.
No, it had nothing to do with me. Once the sock posts were deleted (not by me), your follow-up post didn’t make any sense, which I’m sure is why it was also deleted (also not by me).
But thanks for saying I’m classy. Maybe now I can claim all the pee and gravy stains are a daring fashion statement. 
I hear that! If I ever got kicked of this board I’d have to get…a life! <shudder>
Luckily, I send Scotch and chocolates to TPTB regularly. 