Thread:Love Robin/@comment-29731897-20200218091049/@comment-366087-20200218111906

Haya.

There is nothing wrong with *having* more than one account. Many in Staff have alternate accounts. To help with testing various permissions, even to have an "off the clock" name.

What is *wrong* is what is done with alternate accounts. The official blocking reason is abusing multiple accounts. Usually this means evading blocks (blocks are on the USER not the account) but can also include impersonations and trying to disrupt or influence conversations and decisions in wikias by making it seem like there are different users behind the username who have different or even same opinion as their other accounts.

In short, alternate accounts are okay, sockpuppetry is not.

That is FANDOM's view of alternate accounts. The opinions at local wiki levels may be different. The Rules of local wikis can be as different as crossing borders into RL countries. Often this is due to a local wikia's past experience with Trolls and Vandals where abusing multiple accounts and socking were out of control.

The BEST WAY to avoid being seen as NOT abusing alternate usernames is to OPENLY state on your profiles that you also edit under (list of) usernames and even cross-linking between them. If you have a lot of wikis you contribute to, you can do this with the Central profile(s) and just point Admins to them.

When joining new wikias, be sure to check their rules. If there is mention of "no socking" or otherwise alternate accounts equals instant blocks, contact an Admin and explain up front how you have alternate accounts and you make no secret of having them, see [link to Central profile] and ask if there will be a problem if you never use them with that wikia. Be willing to accept their decision.

Feel free to even link local admins to this thread and or chat with me. They don't have to, but if they do, I'll do my best to explain how it is not a FANDOM-wide rule.