General Do You Allow Multiple Accounts

[Nomad]

Well, I don't allow multiple accounts on my forums and as far as I know a lot of forum owners also do not allow multiple accounts. However, sometimes I am specifically hired to create and post through multiple accounts, therefore, I have multiple accounts on a couple of forums. When I try to post through multiple accounts, I try to create different persona for different accounts (I am not always successful though). Sometimes when these forums where I have multiple accounts are merged with another forum, I end up having multiple accounts on the forum where I never created multiple accounts.

Sometimes I use different emails to create accounts on forums and when these forums merge, I again have multiple accounts. I never had any issues with this until recently. I am a staff member on a certain forum and when this forum acquired another forum, I ended up having multiple accounts. Now, my secondary account (imported account) has more posts than my primary account; my secondary account has a different name but it is using the avatar that I sometimes use. When ever I come across this account, it feels like someone is staring at me deep inside.

Have you ever been in a situation like this?

 

[fdk]

I've never allowed multiple accounts on any of my forums, simply put because from all of my experience of being an admin/mod multiple accounts are generally only used to either break rules or circumnavigate some restriction(s) placed on accounts. There's no other real legitimate reason to use a multiple account as a normal member, for most forums.

Of course, there are some exceptions. If you're being paid to post, then multiple accounts might be required. Also, some niches of forum (I'm thinking like old roleplay-style forums) actually encourage multiple accounts as they want more "characters" to interact with. I'm sure there's also some other niche exceptions that I can't think of off the top of my head.

As for owning multiple accounts myself, I don't really do it. On a couple of forums I deliver content for I have a couple of accounts, but this is relatively rare for me. On my old football forum, I eventually decided to setup an admin and a "regular" account, just so that my regular posts as an admin didn't distract (and the posts I made as an admin were more noticed). This worked well for me at the time.

 

[InMyOpinion]

I would not allow multiple accounts on the forum. There is no need, and I find it doesn't look honest statistically. There is no need to create multiple accounts in my opinion there is no benefit to it and it just confuses everything. So no, I do not allow multiple accounts.

 

[Matthew]

There are very few circumstances where I would allow a secondary account. One would be for posting packages during early stages of a forum. The other would be in situations where a staff member wants peace while posting without the constant barrage of being a staff member. I’ve seen this second example a lot on RuneScape forums where mod accounts were separated from personal accounts to allow for some enjoyment. Overall, I’m not super sold on either scenario but can see its uses.

 

[Cedric]

The only niche that I could see this work is for RPG forums. Anything else is bound to be abused. So personally, I see a red flag raising when I see multiple accounts.

 

[Cory]

I try my best to prevent multiple accounts. I can understand creating a duplicate account if you were somehow locked out of your original account, but even then you can contact the administrator to help you get back into your account. Creating multiple accounts always seems like someone may be up to the suspicious activity, and statistically speaking, I'd rather see more unique members than duplicate members.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I typically don't but sometimes if notified, I'll allow two accounts using the same IP address for like spouses and what not.

 

[Cpvr]

No, I don’t allow multiple accounts.

If I see a user using another account, I’ll typically dm them and ask them which one they’d like to use & merge them together.

There’s no point of using multiple accounts unless you’re trying to be devious.