[NSC] Using VPNs on NSC

[WATFORD zero]

Firstly, I think the owner of the Board and the mods do a magnificent job 98% of the time. And I've always been happy to highlight the 2% on the board or by PM

I think it's not an easy job and they do it very well. However, it's always been the case that there are accounts set up to troll, wind up and cause trouble on the board. These are often multiple accounts set up, one after another in order to try and disrupt what is ostensibly an honest, if often divergent, very contrary and lively board. So should the owner/mods be able to ask posters to turn off their VPN's to prove they are not bad actors.

Given what we get, for free, from these people in terms of time, effort and technology, I don't think it's unreasonable. Do you ?

 

[Sussax]

What on earth are you on about

 

[Bry Nylon]

Relax. The only person who gets wound up about it is you.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Absolutely YES, well said ZERO.

 

[StonehamPark]

In the nicest possible way meant, your join date and post count may suggest that you ought to have a thicker skin when it comes to NSC?
You've seen the lot over the past 20+ years.

 

[Chicken Run]

Firstly, I think the owner of the Board and the mods do a magnificent job 98% of the time. And I've always been happy to highlight the 2% on the board or by PM

I think it's not an easy job and they do it very well. However, it's always been the case that there are accounts set up to troll, wind up and cause trouble on the board. These are often multiple accounts set up, one after another in order to try and disrupt what is ostensibly an honest, if often divergent, very contrary and lively board. So should the owner/mods be able to ask posters to turn off their VPN's to prove they are not bad actors.

Given what we get, for free, from these people in terms of time, effort and technology, I don't think it's unreasonable. Do you ?

In the nicest possible way you need to stop worrying about stuff like that, it’s not as if this place doubles as GCHQ

<mod edit> [content removed. Or was it?]

 

[WATFORD zero]

In the nicest possible way meant, your join date and post count may suggest that you ought to have a thicker skin when it comes to NSC?
You've seen the lot over the past 20+ years.

Which is why I recognise the same banned users within the week, whilst the mods need actual proof

 

[Bozza]

In the nicest possible way you need to stop worrying about stuff like that, it’s not as if this place doubles as GCHQ

Correct, NSC is NSC...

National Security Council

The National Security Council (NSC) is the main forum for collective discussion of the government’s objectives for national security and about how best to deliver them in the current financial climate.

www.gov.uk

 

[WATFORD zero]

Relax. The only person who gets wound up about it is you.

You may well be right, but I don't think I am

 

[StonehamPark]

Which is why I recognise the same banned users within the week, whilst the mods need actual proof

I must be less active than I thought, because honestly I've not noticed anything along those lines.
Not saying at all that it doesn't happen, I'm just moreso surprised I've not even sensed a whiff of it (nor much trolling in general).

 

[Chicken Run]

You may well be right, but I don't think I am

Out of interest, when you do polls on here why do you make them public?

 

[Iggle Piggle]

That's the whole point of a VPN. Today I've been in the USA, Indonesia and of course London (physically in that case to be fair) and SPs with more resources than NSC haven't worked it out.

 

[prawnsarnies]

NSC can be extremely helpful, there is always someone that can help those in need of it, personally I miss Enrests posts one funny guy.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Which is why I recognise the same banned users within the week, whilst the mods need actual proof

I’m not sure how NSC would function without you.

Perhaps Bozza should consider setting up a mechanism whereby he and the moderators could discuss issues like this, and share views and opinions on how best to proceed, on a daily basis.

I’ll suggest it to him on our WhatsApp group.

 

[Eeyore]

No, let them use VPNs. It's funny when they forget which account they are using and even funnier when they forget to turn it on.

 

[Bozza]

For a few weeks I have been intending to write a long post about being nice to each other, and general etiquette which will make using this site nicer for all.

For various life reasons I've not done that yet, but one of the points I was going to cover is how many threads are ruined by amateur sleuths throwing around accusations about multi-accounting.

To be clear, it's the throwing around of accusations that ruin threads, not those who may or may not be multi-accounting.

NSC doesn't really have any rules other than a broad "don't be a dick". We've certainly never had a "no multiple accounts rule". I'm aware of many cases where people felt the need to have a second account, either for personal safety or anonymity reasons. Frankly, it's none of my business why, but people have told me in confidence.

That said, where we become suspicious as to the possibility of a previously permanently banned user using another account we'll check it out with the range of technical tools and logging available to us. If it's conclusive then we'll generally re-impose the ban. Sometimes, we'll still give the benefit of the doubt - if someone is demonstrating that they don't intend to re-tread the same path, we'll let it go, although the user will be on a watch list, and we'll not be so lenient about any future transgressions.

If we see that someone is using multiple accounts in a duplicitous manner - replying to themselves to try and bolster their point of view, or expressing a controversial point they seem afraid to state from their main account, we'll also step in.

Either debate in good faith or don't debate at all.

You don't have to reply to someone just because they have a different view to you.

You don't have to go all Sherlock Holmes following someone around the site ruining thread after thread with your accusations.

Please - leave it to us. If you think something untoward is going on, please report it. We will read, review and act as required.

 

[Bozza]

Turning off the headmaster mode, it's great that people care, and want to be involved in keeping the site ticking along nicely.

I'd much rather people cared than didn't.

 

[chickens]

I use a VPN frequently, and I reckon half the time I’m on here it’s on, and half the time it’s off. I don’t run multiple accounts or VMs and if the mods want me to switch off my VPN I’m more than happy to do so. It would seem a bit weird, but I’d assume there was a reason.

I have to say however, that this whole conversation feels a bit weird. If someone is trolling, engaging in hate speech, or being an edgelord for shits and giggles, I trust the mods to deal with it. VPN or no VPN.

If you believe that someone previously banned from here is back on using a VPN, then they’ll either:

a) trip themselves up spouting the same shit they did last time

Or

b) have learnt some manners and how to engage better with people who disagree with them - and they’ll be being monitored periodically anyway.

There’s clearly a backstory here that I’m missing, but frankly I’d rather not know. If somebody’s bothering you, pop them on ignore is my advice. The world instantly become pleasant again. Life’s too short to waste on the disingenuous and insincere.

 

[jcdenton08]

I simply identify the obvious troll accounts, many have been here decades, and block them. Seems to do the trick

 

[pay no mind]

I think, to help keep this fella in his lane, his smiley posting rights should be removed.