[Moelman]

So recently a member "left" the forums because they said they just needed a break. This member predominantly posted in the "serious discussion" section of this forum. At the same time a new member joined who happened to share the same IP address as the former user. When asked about this, the new user explained that they use the same computer. However, their posting habits and writing style were extremely similar. They both posted almost entirely in this serious discussion forum. Except their political and religious views were polar opposites (almost too obvious I thought). Even the regular members had started to call the new user by the other user's username they were so similar. The forum staff have had a hard time determining whether these are two separate members, or one in the same. So far nothing has been done about this issue besides discussion in the private forum.

What would you do in this situation? No real way to prove whether these members are the same person or not but there is very convincing evidence that says they are. They denied they were the same person in several PMs with various excuses. I'm curious to hear what you would do as so far this hasn't been resolved.

Note that the forum policy for having multiple accounts is an automatic ban.

[Cori]

Honestly I don't know what I would do in this situation as I have never had to deal with it. I would say just ban the ip, but I don't know if that is too extreme or not.

I am curious what others think as well, so I will watch this closely. Sorry I couldn't help

[bcmtouring]

If they are not creating a problem then just forget about it, if they are causing problems then you don't have to justify any thing, just go ahead and boot them off!

[Jolteon]

Owning a clan of 13-20 year olds who quite often rule break and end up with temp bans, I get this quite often. If posting styles vary, I usually just PM the user, and question them, if they deny it, and posting styles aren't too similar, I will usually drop it. If things seem too similar, I will usually pursue it, and watch them like a hawk.

[Flashgear]

It sounds like it is him, same ip, same writing style.

Why is having multiple accounts a banable offense because it sounds like he isn't causing any trouble and is contributing to the community.

[Moelman]

Well looks like what ended up happening is an admin banned the second account permanently and only banned the first account from posting in the serious discussion forum.

I didn't say what I would have done at the beginning because I didn't want to influence what anybody thought but if it was solely my decision I would have already banned both of them. More trouble than its worth I think. It took a 76-post thread in the mod forum to come to this decision.

[Ryan]

If it were me, I would have banned the second account and PM'ed the first account, giving him an option to have that second account merged into the first.

All signs point to this being the same person

[Flashgear]

I wouldn't ask if he wanted it merged, as he broke the rules. But banning the second account is a good idea and just leave the first account. That should teach him a lesson.

[malektaus]

This has been a major issue in the past on a site that I co-own and what we have done is warn those that have the same IP that we are watching them. When it looks like they have the same interest we ban the extra accounts from that IP and leave the main one until it becomes a prob. Seldom does it come to us having to ban the IP.

[british]

I had a guy on my forum once who registered the first time and started posting stuff like "I've heard so and so had cancer" and when nobody believed him, he registered a second time under a different username and posted "Yes, I've heard that too!" I don't know what those kind of idiots are trying to achieve by doing that... Anyways, writing style was the same, IP address was the same, e-mail provider was the same, and even the content was the same! So there was no doubt in my mind. I banned him and his other fake account, which did not stop him from registering a third time and post "Hey, what about that cancer rumor?"

However in your case, you're saying that the contents were polar opposites. How can you be sure that it wasn't two students using the same computer at their campus library? I have installed the multiple account detector after my troll experience, and I often have couples trigger the detector by posting on my forum with different accounts but on the same computer.