Historically, people have set up multiple accounts on fandom websites for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, people forget that they have registered for an account and set up a second account under a new email address, or set up a second account because they cannot remember the login information for the first. Others set up multiple "sockpuppet" accounts to promote themselves and stir up drama. Other members set up "pseud" accounts to participate in various fandom communities independently of each other.
As outlined in our Site Etiquette and Terms of Service, the SWG is a drama-free group. As such, our policy on multiple accounts must try to simultaneously disallow activity used to create drama while allowing activity that contributes positively to our community and requires a second account.
As such, members are allowed to set up a second pseud account, while sockpuppet activity is prohibited. For our purposes, we define these terms as follows:
Pseuds are additional accounts that function independently from the member's primary account. The two accounts do not interact, and their activity does not overlap.
Sockpuppets are additional accounts that are set up to advance the agenda of the primary author. This may be something relatively benign, such as using sockpuppets to review or favorite the primary author's stories to make them appear more popular, or something intended to cause harm to the site or other members, such as using sockpuppets to gang up on a particular author or story.
If the use of sockpuppet accounts is discovered by our moderation team, all accounts will be locked and contacted by our moderators. If the SWG moderators determine that the sockpuppet accounts caused direct harm to the site or its members, we will lock all accounts permanently and delete any damaging activity. Locked accounts or their content will be deleted by request of the member.
If the site moderators determine that the sockpuppet accounts did not cause any harm to the site or its members, the primary author will be permitted to choose an account to keep. All sockpuppet accounts will be removed from the site, including any activity that violates the rules above. Further attempts to establish sockpuppet accounts will result in all accounts being permanently locked; locked accounts or their contents will be deleted by request of the member. With additional attempts to create sockpuppet accounts, we will work with our webhost to block that person's access to the site.
It often happens that members accidentally register twice for an account. For example, the member might have signed up a few years prior, forgotten about the account, and signed up a second time under a new email address. Sometimes, members set up duplicate accounts because they cannot remember the login information or have trouble accessing their account.
When this happens, a moderator will contact the member and request that she or he choose which account to keep. All activity on the accounts (stories, comments, favorites, etc.) will be consolidated onto the chosen account. Additional accounts will be deleted.
Members who have trouble accessing their accounts are encouraged to contact us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org. We are happy to help.
Last updated 28 October 2013.