Peanut Gallery Commentary on the Staff Log of Bannings and such like.

[pocaracas]

Well then... you must use some other means of ascertaining sock-puppetry. Sometimes, it's easy... sometimes, not so... c'est la vie.
I'd rather live with a sock behind a proxy, than impose that everyone who chooses to use one must have a damn good reason to use it.

But no one has imposed that everyone who uses a proxy must have a damn good reason to do that.

Isn't that what this means?:

Banned Janice_Spokes for trolling and interrupting forum functionality by hiding his/her IP address by using a proxy without adequate reason.

Besides trolling, "hiding our IP addresses by using a proxy without adequate reason" seems to be a rule, now.

It's not, I know it's not. So this "rule" shouldn't be written there.

[Joods]

Well I for one, am too stupid to know what a proxy is let alone know how to use one.

[Losty]

But no one has imposed that everyone who uses a proxy must have a damn good reason to do that.

Isn't that what this means?:

Banned Janice_Spokes for trolling and interrupting forum functionality by hiding his/her IP address by using a proxy without adequate reason.

Besides trolling, "hiding our IP addresses by using a proxy without adequate reason" seems to be a rule, now.

It's not, I know it's not. So this "rule" shouldn't be written there.

It seems that it's a rule to refuse to cooperate with the staff when you're being investigated for being a sock. I also don't like the way it's worded, but I consider that half the bans on the other forum I like look like this "SoandSo banned for being a dick". And I think at least it's nice they tell us why here and have no problem with us inquiring for more information in this thread.

[Losty]

Well I for one, am too stupid to know what a proxy is let alone know how to use one.

A proxy is a thingamajig that hides your IP address. It's especially convenient for privacy reasons.

[pocaracas]

Well I for one, am too stupid to know what a proxy is let alone know how to use one.

A proxy is a computer to which you can connect and channel all your internet traffic through that.
From the point of view of the sites you access, it will seem like you are coming from that other computer and not you own.
And that other computer can be anywhere in the world.

[thesummerqueen]

Well I for one, am too stupid to know what a proxy is let alone know how to use one.

Hear hear. I'm right there with you.

[Joods]

Ahh okay. Sort of like connecting to a college computer lab via telnet?

[Angrboda]

"He asked me if I would hold his Proxy. I swore to him I'm not that kind of girl!"

[pocaracas]

Isn't that what this means?:

Besides trolling, "hiding our IP addresses by using a proxy without adequate reason" seems to be a rule, now.

It's not, I know it's not. So this "rule" shouldn't be written there.

It seems that it's a rule to refuse to cooperate with the staff when you're being investigated for being a sock. I also don't like the way it's worded, but I consider that half the bans on the other forum I like look like this "SoandSo banned for being a dick". And I think at least it's nice they tell us why here and have no problem with us inquiring for more information in this thread.

I agree!
It's the words I'm having issue with.
It would be fine if SC had written something like what you suggested: "refused to cooperate with staff in sock-related investigation".
Or just left it at "troll".

[Jenny A]

Well I for one, am too stupid to know what a proxy is let alone know how to use one.

Suppose you wanted to send a letter by snail mail without revealing the city you sent it from. You could mail the letter to a friend or agent in another city and have them post it for you. That's roughly how IP proxies work but without the bother of having to find a real person to mail the letter.

There are lots of good reasons for attempting to be anonymous on the web. You could be posting from a state where just being an atheist or just posting outside the country is illegal. You could be hiding from a determined stalker. You might just prefer to be private. And there are non legitimate reasons like disguising yourself in order to return to a site you have been banned from, or to have two accounts on the same forum.

We don't prohibit the use of proxies. However, if you behave like a sock and use a proxy, you are likely to be asked why. If, as is the case with Janice_Spokes, your answer is obviously a lie and you reveal in your answer that you were lying about where you live, yep, using a proxy can identify you as both a troll and a sock.