wikidoc:Sock puppet

A sock puppet is an additional username used by a Wiki Doc who edits under more than one name. The Wiki Doc who uses a sock puppet may be called a sock puppeteer. Use of sock puppets is discouraged in most cases; Wikipedia user Jimbo Wales has said, "There's no specific policy against it, but it's generally considered uncool unless you have a good reason."

The reason for discouraging sock puppets is to prevent abuses such as a person voting more than once in a poll, or using multiple accounts to circumvent Wiki Doc policies. Some people feel that second accounts should not be used at all; others feel it is harmless if the accounts are all behaving acceptably.

Multiple accounts have legitimate uses. But you must refrain from using them in any way prohibited to sock puppets and from using one account to support the position of another, the standard definition of sock puppetry. If someone uses multiple accounts, it is recommended that he or she provides links between the accounts, so it is easy to determine that they are shared by one individual.

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