Do you allow multiple forum accounts?

I've NEVER allowed this and I rarely see forums that do. Why create more than one account? Keeping one account keeps your reputation & post count on that account.

 

That it does. I don't understand why people do it myself except for the RP exception XD

 

Yea, why would anyone anyway want to go through the hassle of maintaining 2 or more accounts.

 

Usually multiple accounts are created to skirt bannings and the administrative headache of figuring out why a user needs to create multiple accounts is simply not worth it in my opinion.

 

People usually create another account so they can break the rules - or use another identity so nobody really knows who they are. I hate users having multiple accounts, but if there's a valid reason, then by all means allow it. If they're not breaking the rules, then why enforce the rules on them like that?

 

Interesting Topic and I can see both points of views on the Yes & No sides. Here's my personal view on duplicate accounts. First off, we have to consider that the system in place flags duplicates based on same IP, same Email, Using same Mac address, etc.. similarities. Taking that into consideration we then have to realize that Family, Friends, Co-Workers, Fellow Students, and everyone at the local free wifi spot may at one time sign-up or login and be flagged as a duplicate. Bearing that in mind and how hard it truly is to know if Joe & Jane are actually brother & sister or if its the same person trying to use 2 accounts, I've opted to take the middle ground. The middle ground is, I won't enforce the dup account rule too strictly and chance closing the door on potentially great member based on 50/50 evidence. If a member is banned for scamming / breaking rules & then dup account red flags pop up, chances are its the same person (close 2nd account & issue infraction with rule reminder on first). If 2 accounts flagged as the same are participating in the same marketplace thread where money transactions are involved and it appears one account is hyping up the other, chances are its the same person (close 2nd account & issue infraction with rule reminder on first). If they do it again, then closing the first account as well becomes a viable option.

I may have made it sound more complicated than it is, but the bottom line for me is that there are many reasons legitimately that accounts might be auto flagged as the same. last thing an Admin should want to do is start banning potential contributes based on assumption and no real evidence. Sure, it may create a little more workload, but at the end of the day, it's all worth it when you find out Dad & Son both like your community so much they both wanted their own accounts.

Eric Lyon