Why can't socks be easily detected?

[clairobscur]

@elmwood

When I check the queue, I’ll Google “[username] vbulletin” or [email prefix] vbulletin", and if there’s a bunch of hits, I delete the account.
.

I guess this must result in the ban of pretty much anybody in those countries who doesn’t use an especially uncommon username. For instance, “clairobscur vbulletin” returns 118 000 hits, and “clairobscur”, although not greatly original, isn’t the most common username I can think of.

ETA : “elmwood vbulletin” returns 1 650 000 hits.

[samclem]

@elmwood

When I check the queue, I’ll Google “[username] vbulletin” or [email prefix] vbulletin", and if there’s a bunch of hits, I delete the account.

@clairobscur

I guess this must result in the ban of pretty much anybody in those countries who doesn’t use an especially uncommon username. For instance, “clairobscur vbulletin” returns 118 000 hits, and “clairobscur”, although not greatly original, isn’t the most common username I can think of.

ETA : “elmwood vbulletin” returns 1 650 000 hits.

I’m not speaking for elmwood here, but your information is incorrect. I don’t know what he meant to post, but if you Google “clairobscur vbulletin” in quotes, you get ZERO/NADA hits.

[aNewLeaf]

You guys google stuff with quotes around it?
Isn’t that going to be looking for an exact match with no intervening words?

[clairobscur]

@samclem

I’m not speaking for elmwood here, but your information is incorrect. I don’t know what he meant to post, but if you Google “clairobscur vbulletin” in quotes, you get ZERO/NADA hits.

I didn’t use quote marks.

[Grrr]

I think this thread needs to go the way of Lamb Chop.

[Poto]

Not exactly a sock, but I did search my old name here about 10? years ago. It is not active and the e mail address associated with it is long gone. I could not use it if I wanted to.

Is someone going to bug me about this or should I just let it be?

[running_coach]

@Poto

Not exactly a sock, but I did search my old name here about 10? years ago. It is not active and the e mail address associated with it is long gone. I could not use it if I wanted to.

Is someone going to bug me about this or should I just let it be?

Now that you’ve admitted it, contact an admin. and the accounts can be merged.

[TubaDiva]

@Poto

Not exactly a sock, but I did search my old name here about 10? years ago. It is not active and the e mail address associated with it is long gone. I could not use it if I wanted to.

Is someone going to bug me about this or should I just let it be?

Come talk to me about this, please, we’ll get you straightened out. TubaDiva@aol.com

[elmwood]

@clairobscur

I guess this must result in the ban of pretty much anybody in those countries who doesn’t use an especially uncommon username. For instance, “clairobscur vbulletin” returns 118 000 hits, and “clairobscur”, although not greatly original, isn’t the most common username I can think of…

I’ll do a search like …

“clairobscur” vbulletin

Username in quotes, which Google interprets as an exact match; that way, I don’t get hits for “clarobuscar”, “Clare Bascar”, and the like.

If the results include a number of different message boards in completely unrelated topics with no evidence of active participation, member profile pages with very recent registration dates, or previews that read “Welcome to our newest member, clairobscur”, they’re probably spammers.