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Etiquette: Sockpuppetry

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    • CommentAuthorjbl
    • CommentTimeJul 14th 2010
     
    The thread
    http://mathoverflow.net/questions/31387/what-is-the-situation-with-hilberts-fifth-problem/31820#31820
    contains some sockpuppetry, now rendered very confusing because of the merging of two accounts. A short summary is that a user appears to have pretended to be soliciting information, then "discovered" the information in question in the form of some references to his or her own works. This is broadly consistent with the user's habit of posting both questions and answers that consist merely of references to the author's preprints on the arXiv, but is substantially less ethical and more irritating, at least to me. (It also comes packaged with a collection of bizarre insults.) I am curious whether there is a consensus on the appropriate way to deal with such a situation. (I note, for example, that the question has not been closed.)

    Full disclosure: the user in question and I have interacted unpleasantly on a couple of other MO threads recently.
    • CommentAuthorYemon Choi
    • CommentTimeJul 14th 2010
     

    I don't know what official policy is, but I do know that the moderators are aware of the apparent use, as you say, of two accounts for the purpose of deliberate sockpuppetry. Owing to timezone differences and the demands of life outside MO -- as if there could be such a thing! -- we may have to wait for a more official action or notice.

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    I find it rather unfortunate that the user is not suspended. Sockpuppetry is obviously something that is strictly forbidden!

    • CommentAuthorWillieWong
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2010 edited
     

    @Gretar: dedicated ones won't let suspension deter them. Think of the SPAM last week about the "balls in urn" problem. In some sense the best way to deal with sockpuppetry is to leave the evidence as is and let it speak for itself. So that future accusations of sockpuppetry have an easier way of finding evidence...

    Also, please note that the user in question posted a note asserting that the "sockpuppet" is in fact a "kind of graduate student".

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    If anyone is particularly interested in the details here they should contact me privately. I think at this point everyone is content with the outcome.

    • CommentAuthorYemon Choi
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2010
     

    While I don't want to stir things up again, just two points: 1) Willie, do you have a link to that "kind of graduate student" comment, because I can't find it at the moment? 2) the "evidence" of sockpuppetry, which is supposed to speak for itself, seems to have been deleted by the author(s).

    (Both of these could be explained by discussions I'm not privy to; so please let me know if this comment should be deleted, and I'll happily do so .)

    • CommentAuthordeane.yang
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2010
     
    Yemon, alas, both items you're looking for are in the comments of the deleted answer. But I'm happy to let Rosinger delete his misguided answers and comments and reconsider the consequences of what he did.
    • CommentAuthorYemon Choi
    • CommentTimeJul 15th 2010
     

    Deane, thanks for the information. I think on reflection I'm happy enough with how things have turned out, at least from the narrow perspective of an MO user & contributor.

    • CommentAuthorWillieWong
    • CommentTimeJul 16th 2010
     

    I feel the same as Yemon and agree with Deane. I personally feel no need to pry further.

    I also want to thank Scott for quietly and efficiently resolving this issue.

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