Other Accounts

It's been a matter of discussion between admins for a while and we do want people to disclose if they have alternate accounts and what those accounts are.

Would it be possible to add a designated field for this to user pages where users would be able to input (maybe with a link) what their other active user names are.

We do not require people to disclose previous user names they have used, just if they use multiple user names at the same time

To what end?

Only the people we already trust are likely to disclose their other accounts. Nefarious actors are likely to try keep them quiet.

If someone has used a name in the past, but does not want to be associated with that identity anymore (whatever their reason) then they will not --and should not be asked to-- disclose that past name. If they had a bad reputation under that past name, but are behaving under the new name, then they should not be shamed. If they are gaining a bad reputation under the new name they are not likely to admit they were also the other one.

This is a perpetual problem with the internet and anonymity. Trying to find a technical solution is probably the wrong way to go about solving it.

Sure, that's possible. I'm a little surprised that you want it, mainly because I'm not sure what it's for. Perhaps a multiline optional "about me" might be more general-purpose and the honest players can be encouraged to fill in other accounts?

But the requirement is clearly specified and I don't think it's technically challenging. I'd just need to know the name of the label and if there are any other fields you want while I'm in there.

I'll wait to see if it's the consensus of this wise council that it should be done.

We're not asking people to disclose their previous usernames. But if someone is using multiple name simultaneously, even if they are not doing it maliciously, it only seems fair to disclose that fact. There is one person on GP who is on my "do not play with them again" list. If they were using a different username, I would want to know. It's not yet an official policy but it has been suggested. No, you're not going to get people who abuse GP to disclose their alts but by making this an official policy and by providing the means for users to follow this, you allow for greater transparency.

Alternative question, if you are not abusing GP and trying to mislead other users, why would this policy be a problem to you?

Just because we can not think of reasons why people might not want to disclose their alts does not mean there are not 'good' reasons.
Unless we actually gain some concrete benefit from asking it might not be worth the risk of alienating people. The more 'rules and demands' we make upon people the less inviting this place feels.

Just something to think about.

I think I'd look at the field and wonder whether I'm supposed to have multiple accounts.

It would sorta act as permission.

Well, we have good reasons to enforce this rule. Transparency, discouraging people from abuse by making this transparency the expectation, allowing users to opt out of playing with certain other users.

If there are no reasons to not ask for this, aside from "there might be reasons we can't think of", then I think it is reasonable to add this.

In any case, this is an ongoing discussion that has been happening among mods and on the discord for a while. I'm hardly qualified to be the speaking voice for all admins here.
I would be fine with just implementing an "about me" on the user sites as most users, I assume, don't have active alts and those that do can use this field to disclose it. If you do object to the implementation of the "please disclose if you have active alts" rule, then maybe the discord or a public thread might be the right place for it. Though I can definitely copy and paste your objections into the mod discussions.

Not 'objecting' just voicing concern.

My main reason for being on GP is to have fun playing DnD 5e. But if I can help by developing GP features that I won't actively hate and don't take too much time to code, then I'm not here to be the gatekeeper.

This group is supposed to represent the community. If we need more representatives of the larger GP community then we can always invite them, right? I think we can have 99 members (which would be a bit mad).

If the consensus of the community is that this would be a good thing, then I'm not going to block something that would take literally minutes to code and test.

So what are you thinking now bowlofspinach? Something like this?

I like this suggestion

I do like the free-form 'About Me' section, that has been missing and should probably be added.

The bit about 'alts' causes me concern. It seems draconian while also being wishy-washy. "Alts are illegal! Now please register them!". This is among the first things a new player sees when registering, even before they get to interact with any of the people who make the site worth spending time on.

We've so far explicitly decided not to make them illegal, though that was what some users asked for.
Our thoughts were that not banning them but asking for them to be disclosed at least would be a reasonable compromise that would somewhat satisfy everyone.

I see your point. I have considered before to fade out this account and fade in a new one at the same time. But I also understand the concerns of some users who wish to avoid certain players and who see alts as a threat to that. It's always hard to satisfy everyone and I'm not usually a fan of going 'centrist'😅 But to me at least, asking for this seems reasonable.

I don't know the history at GP, but I've never had anything but bad experiences with people using "alt" accounts on websites of varying sorts, but especially on PbP sites. Gaslighting, harassment, stalking, avoiding being banned -- I've seen lots of gross behavior and vastly prefer it when the user agreement mandates one account per individual.

There's no way to police it though, and I agree that bad actors just won't link accounts together -- it's counter to the whole reason why they've set up multiple accounts. :|