Sock puppets.

[Ryal Kane]

(Homer "Where! Where?!"

No not those sock puppets. Message board puppets. Accounts that people use rather than their main account to either support thier own posts or bait and troll. How do people feel about these from an ethical standpoint.

I've only ever encountered them a few times but usually they've struck me as duplicious. Personally I don't think I'd feel comfortable using one.

How do other people, of other religions feel about this.? It's not really lying, but it is deciet by ommision. I try to be honest about everything in my life (try )

 

[invisible trousers]

I think they're stupid.

Besides, staff here doesn't have the best history regarding sock puppets...staff members having sock puppets so they can ignore the rules and bait people into getting warnings and stuff like that...

 

[Lisa0315]

(Homer "Where! Where?!"

No not those sock puppets. Message board puppets. Accounts that people use rather than their main account to either support thier own posts or bait and troll. How do people feel about these from an ethical standpoint.

I've only ever encountered them a few times but usually they've struck me as duplicious. Personally I don't think I'd feel comfortable using one.

How do other people, of other religions feel about this.? It's not really lying, but it is deciet by ommision. I try to be honest about everything in my life (try )

I think for me it would be very deceitful. I am very open and probably too honest. However, maybe people have a reason that I just do not understand. Anyone who is purposefully doing it to get around the rules or to bait others, that is deceit pure and simple in my opinion.

Lisa

 

[sister_maynard]

I can understand having an alternate account to take part in a counseling or poetry section to avoid nasty spillover from debates, but using two accounts in one thread to create false support or bait people is dishonest and rude.

 

[Pogue]

I can understand having an alternate account to take part in a counseling or poetry section to avoid nasty spillover from debates, but using two accounts in one thread to create false support or bait people is dishonest and rude.

I agree. I think that it depends what you do with a sockpuppet. If you've got a good reason, and you're honest about the fact that you've got one, that seems fine by me. But if it's being used deceitfully, that's being dishonest.

 

[DieHappy]

I think they're vile, I would never use one. The worst kind of people do that.

 

[TotallyNotDieHappy]

I think they're vile, I would never use one. The worst kind of people do that.

What he said! Right on!

 

[Merlin]

I think the issue is not having multiple accounts, but rather how the account(s) get used

 

[sister_maynard]

I think the issue is not having multiple accounts, but rather how the account(s) get used

Agreed. Multiple accounts can be very harmless or they can be used to wreak havoc in the middle of discussions. Using them to bother others and avoid punishment causes the problems.

 

[chaz345]

I agree with the thingking that multiple accounts is not in and of itself a problem. The potential problems arise in how they are used. Intentionally using them in the same thread,or using one to get someone else mad is not cool. But making a second account to ask for advice of a very personal nature, especially if there are people who know personal information linked to your first account, seems harmless enough to me.

Totally discarding one account in order to get a fresh start, like after you have been a real jerk but have decided to make an honest attempt to change your ways may be another case in which it would be harmless.

 

[TinkaBella]

What he said! Right on!

LOL

 

[sister_maynard]

I agree with the thingking that multiple accounts is not in and of itself a problem. The potential problems arise in how they are used. Intentionally using them in the same thread,or using one to get someone else mad is not cool. But making a second account to ask for advice of a very personal nature, especially if there are people who know personal information linked to your first account, seems harmless enough to me.

Totally discarding one account in order to get a fresh start, like after you have been a real jerk but have decided to make an honest attempt to change your ways may be another case in which it would be harmless.

I hadn't thought about using alt accounts to ask for very personal advice, but that may be the best use for them- it's harmless and allows people to keep their personal problems separate from their identity in other areas of the forums. The only potential ethical problem would be if someone was vocally condemning a problem on one account and asking for advice on the same problem with another.

 

[chaz345]

I hadn't thought about using alt accounts to ask for very personal advice, but that may be the best use for them- it's harmless and allows people to keep their personal problems separate from their identity in other areas of the forums. The only potential ethical problem would be if someone was vocally condemning a problem on one account and asking for advice on the same problem with another.

I agree but with one qualification. It depends greatly on HOW they are condemning the problem. If they are staying focused on the problem itself and the damage that it causes that would be an entirely different matter than if they were making value judgements about people who had that particular problem.

 

[sister_maynard]

I agree but with one qualification. It depends greatly on HOW they are condemning the problem. If they are staying focused on the problem itself and the damage that it causes that would be an entirely different matter than if they were making value judgements about people who had that particular problem.

Exactly- there's a huge difference between "try to escape alcoholism- it can really damage your life" and "you're being a terrible sinner with that drinking problem- don't you want to go to heaven?" The second is the sort of thing I was thinking about.

 

[k]

What they reveal is even when peeps try to be deceitful their lying blinds them to the fact you can't hide who you are, even on the net. Pathetic/sad people abuse them and like all of us, they need some prayers.

 

[JuJube]

I hadn't thought about using alt accounts to ask for very personal advice, but that may be the best use for them- it's harmless and allows people to keep their personal problems separate from their identity in other areas of the forums. The only potential ethical problem would be if someone was vocally condemning a problem on one account and asking for advice on the same problem with another.

But isn't this what makes people authentic...especially Christians, and that is being who we are...good and the bad...the stuff that hopefully we are allowing God to change.

 

[chaz345]

But isn't this what makes people authentic...especially Christians, and that is being who we are...good and the bad...the stuff that hopefully we are allowing God to change.

I was thinking more in terms of the case where someone from the boar might know you IRL and they are not necessariuly the type of person that you'd want to trust with the type of information that you had to share.

 

[Beanieboy]

I remember a site where someone would voice an opinion, and his wife, using the same account, would add a post and agree.

That's like a sock puppet with a hole in it.

 

[Beanieboy]

I couldn't agree with you more!
(This is Beanieboy's partner, Cecil. We share the same account. Really! We do!)

 

[Beanieboy]

Is it deceitful? Yeah.

But then again, people often pretend to be a racist conservative republican christian, when they aren't, simply to get a rise out of people.

However, if they are baiting you to get you a warning, then I think the person doing the baiting is committing a far worse offense than the person falling for it.

It would be better that they tied a millstone around their neck...