I've noticed lately that a forum member will go AWOL, then a few days, weeks or even months later, a supposedly "new" member who just happens to have an obsession with the same topics will pop up sounding exactly like the person who supposedly isn't around anymore. Or they give away info like living in the same city, occupation, likes and dislikes etc. and it doesn't take much to put two and two together. (and I'm not talking about timo/Lord C)

What gives? I mean, if you stop using the forum, then want to start again why not just use the username you had before? Are accounts deleted after a certain period of inactivity? And if they are, again, why choose a new name? Unless your old username was taken by someone else in your absence. But why would someone want a username everyone would associate with another person? I suppose someone might have his reasons, but I just don't see the point, anyone who's halfway observant will know it's you.

;) Sierra

I think they are banned people trying to come back on the forum using a different user name. I guess the mods are pretty good and they will work it out just as you have, then they get banned again, wait a bit, create a new user name and so on.

And they'll give themselves away by posting in the same moronic way, hun.

The mods may well work it out, in time, but a little heads-up wouldn't go amiss, please.

i no wat you mean you dont know who for real on here anymore i use to enjoy coming on but now im very wary of who i talk too:thumbsup:

Im never banned and I never change my username yet I can type moronically all day and night...and often do.

My other half wants to start typing in the forum though and doesnt want to be a Jabberwock, so if she picks her user name will she/I be banned?

I've got three sons on here using the same line (Richy32, Longleyowl, and chrisjm). You can tell which one's really me though ... I'm the one who can spell. :cool:

My other half wants to start typing in the forum though and doesnt want to be a Jabberwock, so if she picks her user name will she/I be banned?

No. Just explain to Admin you are using the same IP address.............no problem.

No. Just explain to Admin you are using the same IP address.............no problem.
Ok thanks for that.

Be prepared for the rancid droolings of a southerner at any time.

I never gave it much thought because I'd never stoop so low. I still can't believe some people do this, they must have alot of time on their hands. Good lord, it's only an internet forum!

:) Sierra

i no wat you mean you dont know who for real on here anymore i use to enjoy coming on but now im very wary of who i talk too:thumbsup:

Too true. Can't believe some users are so SNEAKY that they try to re-register with new user names! surly the wud av too mak effut too change there style uv writin or the wud risk been caught tho, hun?:hihi:

I've had friends and family join the forum from my house using my laptop, so I suppose if it registers as the same line then the mod's would see it (if it was flagged up) and query it. There must be quite a few people who have more than one person in their home who are forummers. If someone is banned though and tries to get round it by re-registering then I suppose the mod's would need to consider whether to ban anyone using the same line.

Too true. Can't believe some users are so SNEAKY that they try to re-register with new user names! surly the wud av too mak effut too change there style uv writin or the wud risk been caught tho, hun?:hihi:

Dunno wot u meen hun ;)

I saw a post by one distinctive user, answered by another user, to which a brand new user quoted them and replied "thanks for that" in exactly the same voice. Not terribly bright... :rolleyes:

Im never banned and I never change my username yet I can type moronically all day and night...and often do.

My other half wants to start typing in the forum though and doesnt want to be a Jabberwock, so if she picks her user name will she/I be banned?

To echo cloudybay, Jabberwocky................

Some weeks ago, my youngest son visited here, as he does every sunday when he brings our grandson to see us. In his innocence he was about to log in with his own SF user name under my own ISP address. I managed to stop him in time. He has an ISP address of his own at his home.

I asked JoeP, in frustration about the situation......and also about the situation if my wife wanted to register here at home with her own choice of user name.

The answer was......NO PROBLEM PROVIDED THE MODS KNOW ABOUT IT IN ADVANCE.

Sierra....this particular Forum has been subjected fairly recently with "Spam" from "banned" users using multiple identities, gaining access to some extent by "hiding the ISP address" or registering via other means on a computer with a different IP Address.

Hence the tightening of security as best can be done under difficult circumstances.

If you suspect this is still being done......drop a PM to a Mod.

I am a member of other Forums. With the exception of just one of them I use my user name as it appears on here.

In the case of the outstanding one...the operator is aware of my SF user name, and no doubt some of the Moderatotrs know too.

My posts on each are very similar in style to here, and I have no need to hide my identity........I have never posted anything of which I need to be ashamed ........

I saw a post by one distinctive user, answered by another user, to which a brand new user quoted them and replied "thanks for that" in exactly the same voice. Not terribly bright... :rolleyes:

How do you know it was the same voice purdy? I've just turned the volume up on my pc and I still can't hear any posters' voices.

Hi there Sierra,

Some people do try pulling a crafty one and attempt to come back with another ID after they've been banned. Our shortest record for spotting one of these users is less than 5 minutes. Very few people can carry this off, and they usually get found out quite quickly.

A few people do get a new ID because they've been harassed on SF, or are trying to avoid someone on here, and we will issue a new ID.

Some old user accounts do get removed - typically they've not been used for 12 months or more, and we also remove accounts when asked to by users.

And if you do have more than one user using your computer to access the Forum, please contact the Helpdesk and let us know, and then we won't be surprised! :)

Thanks,

Joe

Some old user accounts do get removed - typically they've not been used for 12 months or more, and we also remove accounts when asked to by users.
Joe
Was that when Kirky's dog signed up to declare that it wasn't gay? :)

Was that when Kirky's dog signed up to declare that it wasn't gay? :)

Amongst other things.... :)

Now had it been his cat, no worries; but dog's paws are too big to properly press keys. :)

Seriously, it is something we keep an eye on, and if people are concerned that someone isn't who they seem to be, then simply drop a line to the helpdesk and we will look in to it.

...........

How do you know it was the same voice purdy? I've just turned the volume up on my pc and I still can't hear any posters' voices.

There was slightly more to the reply, I have to say. But I was using 'voice' in the way poets' trademark style is described, in written form. Certain people's syntax, diction, spelling and distinctive 'tics' means you can 'hear' them much like Professor Higgins could decipher his phonetic alphabet. :hihi:

Amongst other things.... :)

Now had it been his cat, no worries; but dog's paws are too big to properly press keys. :)

.
Apparently it wasn't using it's paws. :gag:

My other half and I use the same comp to access the forum and we have different user names! Although he doesn't get much of a look in at the comp unless i'm out :thumbsup: I do rarely post in his name by accident though when I didn't know he'd been on here and hadn't logged out :rolleyes:

I would have thought you strange, a few weeks ago, for bringing this topic up. Then, I got banned as they thought I was one of these people, of which I am not. I got reinstated. I may make stupid or stange postings, but I aint a nutter. Just a mad ozzie as my friends tell me.

I would have thought you strange, a few weeks ago, for bringing this topic up. Then, I got banned as they thought I was one of these people, of which I am not. I got reinstated. I may make stupid or stange postings, but I aint a nutter. Just a mad ozzie as my friends tell me.

Don't tell us, you got back on by giving the Mod's a crate of XXXX each. :)

Nah, that's possum **** because it's brewed here and tastes awful. Gave them the real stuff , VB. Victoria Bitter:hihi:

Well its easier to keep this jabberwock thing anyway. Youll know if its my other half who`s typing because itll be utter drivel instead of the deep and meaningful sense that i type.

Didn't realise that the word P????ISS is replaced with stars. That is not a swear word. I wonder if I put bloody in, will it be blocked out with stars?

Well its easier to keep this jabberwock thing anyway. Youll know if its my other half who`s typing because itll be utter drivel instead of the deep and meaningful sense that i type.


oh bless you chook

Nah, that's possum **** because it's brewed here and tastes awful :hihi:

Reminds me of a similar brew I consumed just outside Dudley Zoo some years ago. :hihi:

Reminds me of a similar brew I consumed just outside Dudley Zoo some years ago. :hihi:

Dudley Zoo and castle-the school trips! If you grew up in the midlands you'll understand.

My other half and I use the same comp to access the forum and we have different user names! Although he doesn't get much of a look in at the comp unless i'm out :thumbsup: I do rarely post in his name by accident though when I didn't know he'd been on here and hadn't logged out :rolleyes:

How is this allowed, you could pretend that you had ten people living in your house, and all log in on the same machine.
If I decided to create a pro Thatcher, religion loving alter ego, would that be allowed? :confused:

Ho-hummm...
Okay,I plead guilty:D
I joined this forum for the first time about three nights ago.,wanting to put in my two half-pen'orth in the conspiracy thread...then found I had to have fifteen posts before I could post any links.I tried to get around this..:D by posting "one,two, three, etc and was banned for 24 hours..quite right too!:D
But I havenot had,any other names, prior to getting thrown off,(oh the shame!)...:D

Too true. Can't believe some users are so SNEAKY that they try to re-register with new user names! surly the wud av too mak effut too change there style uv writin or the wud risk been caught tho, hun?:hihi:
thanx hun i wernt doing owt wrong it sorted now told you im a good girl:hihi: :hihi:

Thanks shoeshine and Joe. I didn't mean family members or roommates using the same computer or internet connection, I meant people deliberately trying to circumvent the rules. I didn't realize there was such a problem with spamming and fake ID's. The mind boggles. If someone were harassing me, I'd either ignore them or harass them right back. But I live far away, and the odds of an irate forum member showing up on my doorstep to even the score are pretty slim. Not impossible mind you, because if you really want to find someone I know you can, but the odds are slim. However, I can understand how someone who lives in Sheffield might feel threatened and want a new username. This is why I would never want the mods job!

:) Sierra

peterw wishes it to be known that he is (I am) peterw. I have been peterw since I joined SF in September 2005 and I will hopefully remain peterw until the day I die. PLEASE NOTE: After my death I hope to continue visiting SF when I trust JoeP will change it to peterw.deceased. My thoughts on a variety of subjects, from then, will be of a much more ‘grave’ nature and probably ‘shrouded’ in mystery.

As peterw.deceased, I will of course try my ghostly best to eliminate those God or no God postings, along with those theory and conjecture postings relating to the universe, so when you see peterw.deceased, read whatever I have to say. It will be Gospel!

I was freaked out the other day when I logged on and found I had a private message from myself! weeeeeird. Is that illegal? I'm past caring, I have beer. :D

I've noticed lately that a forum member will go AWOL, then a few days, weeks or even months later, a supposedly "new" member who just happens to have an obsession with the same topics will pop up sounding exactly like the person who supposedly isn't around anymore.

I do see what you mean. However, it could be that as a new user like myself who has recently joined, I've been trawling the forum "archives" and it makes brilliant reading. I've discovered a few topics that were argued brilliantly but felt I wanted to put my twopenneth in. Sorry if I've dug up some issues. I really can't remember what life was like before I found the Forum.:love:

I do see what you mean. However, it could be that as a new user like myself who has recently joined, I've been trawling the forum "archives" and it makes brilliant reading. I've discovered a few topics that were argued brilliantly but felt I wanted to put my twopenneth in. Sorry if I've dug up some issues. I really can't remember what life was like before I found the Forum.:love:

I can remember what life was like — I worked harder and longer!

How is this allowed, you could pretend that you had ten people living in your house, and all log in on the same machine.
If I decided to create a pro Thatcher, religion loving alter ego, would that be allowed? :confused:
No because they'd think it was me:P Sorry that ego already spoken for.

dont worry people i have and will only be mel the bell :)

and let the moronic posts continue :)