# What happens when socks go to that Great Washing Machine in the Sky? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 6, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499 "2014-10-06T00:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/1 "2014-10-06T00:38:05Z")
Do they find their mates waiting for them in Sock Heaven? Here’s what I mean: let’s say a poster named **Argyle** signs up and posts a while with no conspicuous problems - no warnings, inflammatory statements, etc. A while later, the real-life person behind **Argyle** creates the sock account **Angora** , and starts posting under both account names. The moderators figure out that **Argyle** and **Angora** are the same poster. Now, do they only ban **Angora** , or do they ban them both? Seems to me that both usernames would be in line for a ban - yet I don’t generally notice bans coming in pairs. It’s probably just because it’s not that obvious on the open board, but I’m curious. If **Argyle** isn’t banned, what’s the rationale for that? ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/2 "2014-10-06T00:43:10Z")
So you’re asking “Is Argyle a Sock?” _Loving_ your thread so far! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/3 "2014-10-06T01:23:27Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Here’s what I mean: let’s say a poster named **Argyle** signs up and posts a while with no conspicuous problems - no warnings, inflammatory statements, etc. > > A while later, the real-life person behind **Argyle** creates the sock account **Angora** , and starts posting under both account names. > > The moderators figure out that **Argyle** and **Angora** are the same poster. Now, do they only ban **Angora** , or do they ban them both? If we believe that the two accounts were deliberately created with ill intent (i.e., in order to be deceptive), then we ban both usernames. Sometimes we get people who have embarrassed themselves on the board trying to discard their previous identity, even when they don’t have warnings. Sometimes people have registered twice by mistake, or because they weren’t aware of the rules. (For example, sometimes we get people who signed up ten years ago and want to rejoin, but have forgotten their previous password or even username.) In such cases we may allow them to merge the previous username with the current one. In other words, the decision is on a case by case basis, depending on the poster’s history and apparent motive for the multiple registration. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/4 "2014-10-06T03:39:36Z")
Never mind my present experiment, this happened to me in real life. Early on, in my innocence of the Internet, I signed up here using my real name as User Name. Soon after – NOT because of any untoward incidents – I decided that probably wasn’t a good idea after all and signed up as Siam Sam, leaving my old account behind. I have no idea how Admin figured out I’d done this, but months later I received an e-mail from them saying I had two accounts and was now shut down on both. (I’d not touched the original account since signing up with the new one.) I explained the situation to them, and they merged my earlier account into Siam Sam. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/5 "2014-10-06T04:14:19Z")
If you come forward and tell us about your past screen names, it goes a lot better than if we find it on our own. \*\*In fact, if you confess we will not ban you. \*\* If we catch you on our own, could very well happen. How do we find out you’ve had more than one screen name? Well, I could tell you but then I’d have to ban you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/6 "2014-10-06T04:57:05Z")
> [@SiamSam222](#): > > …Soon after – NOT because of any untoward incidents – I decided that probably wasn’t a good idea after all and signed up as Siam Sam, leaving my old account behind… So what happened to your username now? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/7 "2014-10-06T06:14:40Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > So what happened to your username now? And why was it created in Sept 2014? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/8 "2014-10-06T06:17:30Z")
I think he’s using the 222 account as part of a mod-approved experiment to determine the cause of malicious ads or something. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/9 "2014-10-06T06:31:29Z")
From [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17755306&postcount=79). From the _New thread on board performance_ thread. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/10 "2014-10-06T07:43:19Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > So what happened to your username now? > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > And why was it created in Sept 2014? > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I think he’s using the 222 account as part of a mod-approved experiment to determine the cause of malicious ads or something. > [@jimbuff314](#): > > From [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17755306&postcount=79). From the _New thread on board performance_ thread. Yes, a short-term sanctioned experiment. See that link, plus see my signature for this account. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/11 "2014-10-06T12:27:09Z")
Thanks - I had been idly wondering why the mods had allowed a new user to sign up using a very similar name to yours (as in the past they have usually suggested a name change to avoid confusion). I hadn’t seen enough of your posts to establish you were in fact the same person. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/12 "2014-10-06T13:34:36Z")
I was kind of bummed he didn’t go for my suggestion of **Son of SiamSam**. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/13 "2014-10-06T13:42:57Z")
I was hoping for **SiamIAm**. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/14 "2014-10-06T14:40:53Z")
Thanks to the respondents, and if actual poster **Argyle** sees this, my apologies. I wasn’t thinking of real poster when I wrote the OP, I was imagining “so, what kind of genuine socks exist?” and of course thought of argyle socks (followed by different types of wool - such as angora - socks). I did not intend to implicate **Argyle** the poster, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/15 "2014-10-06T15:02:26Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I was kind of bummed he didn’t go for my suggestion of **Son of SiamSam**. > [@TubaDiva](#): > > I was hoping for **SiamIAm**. Too late to change? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/16 "2014-10-06T16:10:59Z")
> [@SiamSam222](#): > > Too late to change? A name change for a sock-_That_ would be a first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/17 "2014-10-06T16:59:48Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > - yet I don’t generally notice bans coming in pairs. we often do not announce sock bannings, so to see a pair, you would have to notice two posters simply appearing as “banned” on the same day. If the sock tended to post each sock in a different forum, (or if we caught one while the other was not currently active), you would be unlikely to see two simultaneous bannings. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/18 "2014-10-06T20:23:31Z")
> [@SiamSam222](#): > > Too late to change? 'Fraid so. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/19 "2014-10-07T00:30:32Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > I was hoping for **SiamIAm**. Or perhaps **IAmSamIAmIAm**. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499/20 "2014-10-07T02:59:15Z")
**Green Eggs and Sam**? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-socks-go-to-that-great-washing-machine-in-the-sky/700499.md?page=2)