Is it legal to have public alt accounts?

[KingZee]

I can't help but ask myself that question. I see a lot of accounts like these :

ChipMixer : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1003345
Sportsbet : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=832366

and so on..

Yet everywhere I look, almost everyone who ever declares publicly that he owns an alt account, gets red-trusted.

That doesn't make any sense to me? Like, who do these people think owns all those "business" alts? Are all those people naive enough to think that every business that tries to deal and promote itself on btctalk is a fresh new account that has never used the forum before?

And assuming they know they're alts. What's the verdict? Once we know who owns the business we're going to red-trust him and his "business" alt? That seems really harsh and baseless for me somehow.

I just want a clear answer because it's very grey and blurry to me right now, who knows, I might need to launch a crypto business soon and I'd like to know what are the rules on that. Cheers.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Yeah, you can have multiple accounts on bitcointalk.  The problem people who have them run into is when they start cheating campaigns by enrolling their alts into the same ones to collect a fatter paycheck--but having them isn't against the rules and won't result in a red tag unless there's been some evidence of abuse or some other wrongdoing by them. 

Timelord2067 or other members might give the accounts a neutral trust simply stating the connection between the alts, but that shouldn't affect you adversely. 

Don't know if that answers your question or not.

[Gloverwrt]

Having an alt account is not a violation of forum rules, but there are guidelines surrounding the use of alt accounts, and those accounts could have been red tagged for some other form of abuse.

Bumping threads with multiple accounts in quick succession is also a violation.

Yet everywhere I look, almost everyone who ever declares publicly that he owns an alt account, gets red-trusted.

Can you point out a situation where a user was banned for having alts?

There are a number of users that are known publicly to own alts, that have not all been banned. You can only be tagged or banned if you violate forum rules and guidelines.

[TheBeardedBaby]

Yet everywhere I look, almost everyone who ever declares publicly that he owns an alt account, gets red-trusted.

Not everyone, only those who are using their alts to break the rules /forum or bounty/. For example Jet Cash have a few, LoyceV have also few alts, I don't have a need for alt but maybe one day I'll register one too.

[KingZee]

Yeah, you can have multiple accounts on bitcointalk.  The problem people who have them run into is when they start cheating campaigns by enrolling their alts into the same ones to collect a fatter paycheck--but having them isn't against the rules and won't result in a red tag unless there's been some evidence of abuse or some other wrongdoing by them.  

Timelord2067 or other members might give the accounts a neutral trust simply stating the connection between the alts, but that shouldn't affect you adversely.  

Don't know if that answers your question or not.

Thanks for your reply. I guess I see what you mean, if one of the publicly declared alts does something bad then all his alts are going to be painted red, that sounds rational to me.

But I checked the user you mentionned "Timelord2067" (thanks for giving me an example), and he seems like he doesn't know where the neutral trust button is



This is a pretty good example compilation of what I've casually seen happen from other users too. It seems to me that not everyone is on the same page as you on this matter.

Can you point out a situation where a user was banned for having alts?

There are a number of users that are known publicly to own alts, that have not all been banned. You can only be tagged or banned if you violate forum rules and guidelines.

I never said banned. I'm purely talking about red trust.

Yet everywhere I look, almost everyone who ever declares publicly that he owns an alt account, gets red-trusted.

Not everyone, only those who are using their alts to break the rules /forum or bounty/. For example Jet Cash have a few, LoyceV have also few alts, I don't have a need for alt but maybe one day I'll register one too.

Nice, I guess that's one way to do it. Confirm yourself that an account is your alt before other people do it in red for you.

[LoyceV]

Like, who do these people think owns all those "business" alts?

It doesn't matter who's behind the account. This forum believes in privacy and freedom.

Timelord2067 or other members might give the accounts a neutral trust simply stating the connection between the alts, but that shouldn't affect you adversely.

Even better, to avoid any confusion or questions later on, you can tag them by yourself. Don't use positive trust for this, some users even use negative trust for alt-accounts they use on public computers.

The main reason for getting red trust on alt accounts is to notify someone either one of them can't be trusted. See alia for example, who got red trust from theymos for being an alt of a known scammer.

For example Jet Cash have a few, LoyceV have also few alts

Even better: Global Moderator hilariousandco and Administrator theymos have an alt too.

I don't have a need for alt but maybe one day I'll register one too.

I started LoyceBot because I didn't trust the posting bot I used.

This is a pretty good example compilation of what I've casually seen happen from other users too. It seems to me that not everyone is on the same page as you on this matter.

That's what happens with a decentralized trust system. The total trust is more or less an average of opinions from many users.

Nice, I guess that's one way to do it. Confirm yourself that an account is your alt before other people do it in red for you.

When I created LoyceMobile I was afk. By the time I got back to my desk, I had a PM asking to confirm it's me. I asked Jet Cash the same when his alt claimed to be his alt.
Leaving neutral trust back and forth solves this.

[KingZee]

Even better, to avoid any confusion or questions later on, you can tag them by yourself. Don't use positive trust for this, some users even use negative trust for alt-accounts they use on public computers.

The main reason for getting red trust on alt accounts is to notify someone either one of them can't be trusted. See alia for example, who got red trust from theymos for being an alt of a known scammer.

Yes! That's what I saw from your trust page and a few other users posted here. I guess that's one way to go about it. If you confirm yourself that it's your alt, then you directly tie the link if anything bad happens later on.

That's what happens with a decentralized trust system. The total trust is more or less an average of opinions from many users.

I know but it would be nice if everyone agreed on the same stance about alt accounts. They're not always a bad thing. Especially in promoting businesses or splitting some PM load.

P.S LoyceV : I see you're also the type that edits his messages mid-typing. Gave me a headache trying to quote you

Thanks again for your answers.

[LoyceV]

I know but it would be nice if everyone agreed on the same stance about alt accounts. They're not always a bad thing. Especially in promoting businesses or splitting some PM load.

I think most people more or less agree:
-alt of a scammer is bad
-alt abuse is bad
-alt for another purpose is fine

P.S LoyceV : I see you're also the type that edits his messages mid-typing. Gave me a headache trying to quote you

Lol, it's a challenge
Real answer: I wanted to add a response to a new message, without creating another post by myself.

[TMAN]

NO it isn't - death by hanging or firing squad is the punnishment

[marlboroza]

Yet everywhere I look, almost everyone who ever declares publicly that he owns an alt account, gets red-trusted.

This is not true.
Alt accounts are mostly tagged because they cheated giveaway claiming rewards more than once or cheating signature campaigns with local rule "alt accounts are not allowed to join". Other reasons to tag alt accounts - loan scammers, ICO scammers, fake service scammers, escrow scammers, ICO bump service, trust farming, farming merits between alts. Other than this, I don't see problem in having alt accounts.

[Marshall14]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=703657.0
Rule number 18,states clearly that having multiple accounts is allowed on the forum..
But the problem has to be an abuse of those accounts which would invariably lead to a red trust..

Abuse such as posting multiple replies on a particular thread with different alts,this act is usually popular among noobs trying to promote a bounty project and the rest...
It could also be tagged for joining the same bounty with different alts,trying to cheat the system

Publicly declaring your alts is perfectly fine with the forum,users with alts most times use similar usernames with their original account,so it's quite easy to spot without an open declaration

As long as you don't break our rules we're fine with you

[hilariousetc]

Yeah, you can have multiple accounts on bitcointalk.  The problem people who have them run into is when they start cheating campaigns by enrolling their alts into the same ones to collect a fatter paycheck--but having them isn't against the rules and won't result in a red tag unless there's been some evidence of abuse or some other wrongdoing by them.  

Timelord2067 or other members might give the accounts a neutral trust simply stating the connection between the alts, but that shouldn't affect you adversely.  

Don't know if that answers your question or not.

Thanks for your reply. I guess I see what you mean, if one of the publicly declared alts does something bad then all his alts are going to be painted red, that sounds rational to me.

But I checked the user you mentionned "Timelord2067" (thanks for giving me an example), and he seems like he doesn't know where the neutral trust button is

He's probably left those negative because they're alts of someone who has already been red tagged. When your 'main' or other known accounts have been negatively trusted then it's you as a person that people don't trust. Often times people use alts to abuse things or get around their negative reputation so that's why alts are also tagged. Take a look at the Panthers52 account in the image. That's a known one of Quickseller who used it to troll and harrass people and the QS account has a lot of negative trust already so he's tagging him for that. The others will likely be similar cases. With that being said, people are free to leave negative feedback as they please so there will be some cases where people red tag others for being alts just because (and I am an example of that - see my trust).

That's what happens with a decentralized trust system. The total trust is more or less an average of opinions from many users.

I know but it would be nice if everyone agreed on the same stance about alt accounts. They're not always a bad thing. Especially in promoting businesses or splitting some PM load.

But not everyone can agree. I've seen many people say alt accounts should be banned outright, or that there's no legitimate reason to have one. Some have even said that they don't trust anyone who has 'secret' or non-publicised alt account(s), but as per the forum rules you can have as many as you want and for whatever reasons you want, it't just more often than not people have them for nefarious reasons (though obviously there are exceptions and genuine reasons for them).

[Jet Cash]

I like the idea of having "away" as the last word in an alt account name, and I wish I had registered "Jet Away" instead of "Jet Aid".

If ever Theymos wants to introduce that as a rule or guideline, I'd be happy for it to be changed, especially as it might reduce the possibility of confusion over posting.

[hilariousetc]

I like the idea of having "away" as the last word in an alt account name, and I wish I had registered "Jet Away" instead of "Jet Aid".

If ever Theymos wants to introduce that as a rule or guideline, I'd be happy for it to be changed, especially as it might reduce the possibility of confusion over posting.

Well I think all alt accounts such have 'etc' in theirs. Jetetc. or Jet Etc  . I don't think theymos would ever implement guidelines on naming rules and people should be able to name them whatever they want. hilarious2, hilarious_away, or whatever (I tied registering hilariousandcrow once but it wouldn't let me ). Also wanted just 'hilarious' but that was taken so had to go with 'hilarious*', but remember, not everyone wants their accounts publicly known. Maybe if you ask theymos he would change your name for you as they do sometimes change them in some circumstances but it's probably not a big issue.

[Jet Cash]

It's not a big issue for me, and it would only be worth spending time to change it, if it was needed to conform to community standards, It is really the neutral trust I received that made me think that there should be some standard.