Why do people create Alternative Accounts?

[The Introvert]

I knew there was a reason!

http://intpforum.com/showpost.php?p=399116&postcount=6

http://intpforum.com/showpost.php?p=414917&postcount=20

Aside from subverting bans,

H0: No reason to create alt account.
H1: Alt account is created to project an aspiration of image by the creator.
H1-1: Account is an attempt to practice this image
H1-2: Account is an attempt to discontinue urge to actually be the image (in some twisted way)?

But, the general question remains: why do people create alt accounts? We can draw further on this by asking: why do people create multiple personalities or images of themselves irl?

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

self-deception, belief that an action is worthwhile, intentional self-deception

to become:
what they wanted to be, accepted, likeable, interesting, evil, twisted, good
to escape being what they are while still displaying traits of being such a person
to do something worthwhile
to escape doing nothing worthwhile
to redefine worth
more specific actions of interest;
to see reactions of certain individuals
to experiment while retaining the masquerade

 

[Hawkeye]

An exercise in self-indulgence.

 

[Solitaire U.]

More is better.

 

[Jennywocky]

It is the purpose of life to replicate itself into extinction.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Every user except you is the same person Introvert. The alternative accounts are simply meta-duplicates.

 

[doncarlzone]

We can draw further on this by asking: why do people create multiple personalities or images of themselves irl?

Perhaps they are attempting to figure themselves out through trial and error? I know I used to. Perhaps I still am, who knows.

 

[Pizzabeak]

I might need to create an alt(delete account) because someone I know may have found out...

 

[Brontosaurie]

redbaron's diagnosis of you makes more and more sense with each post.

 

[Cherry Cola]

redbaron usually always makes sense

 

[Brontosaurie]

no he didn't in THDgate

but whatever

in this he does

 

[redbaron]

And then if banana more duck for want be decided how red because alfredo sauce?

Yes.

 

[Jennywocky]

Brilliant!

 

[Cherry Cola]

what if you found out the most dangerous man in the universe was you?

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

it is you, but you better disbelieve me or you will find it out

 

[Brontosaurie]

And then if banana more duck for want be decided how red because alfredo sauce?

Yes.

i'm sure you have some point but your wording is so dense. care to rephrase in layman's terms?

 

[The Introvert]

redbaron's diagnosis of you makes more and more sense with each post.

Is his diagnosis that I'm an attention whore?

 

[Hawkeye]

The alternative accounts are simply meta-duplicates.

It depends how far you are willing to go and how consistent you can be.

For example: a simple duplicate account could be a user that only responds using a particular syntax; something as simple as switching from American English to British English can mask a duplicate account for a short while at least.

For the more complex characters, create a back-story (this takes a hell of a lot of preparation if you want to do it well) and use it to generate a paradigm. I suppose the best way to approach this is as if you are a fictional writer writing from the perspective of the main character.

There are many reasons why a person would want to do this.

That being said, most duplicate accounts on here have been used for trolling and personal amusement; not to mention completely two-dimensional.

 

[Pyropyro]

Every user except you is the same person Introvert.

Now I'm entering a solipsistic crisis!

But seriously though, I think alt accounts are more like IRL masks; they protect the wearer from psychological harm and also project a hidden part of their psyche. For example, a medieval knight dons his helmet not only to protect himself but also to channel himself as the Church's hammer to punish the heathen.

Unfortunately, undeclared alt forum accounts are a bit too safe for my tastes. The forum account is already a rather idealized version of one's self so why waste time building more yet lesser quality ones?

 

[BigApplePi]

Perhaps to enhance a persona that has fallen into disrepute.

 

[Cherry Cola]

BAP you should make a fake Wonka duplicate account and have a conversation with yourself that would be ace and it would totally mindfuck the mods : D

 

[Jennywocky]

BAP you should make a fake Wonka duplicate account and have a conversation with yourself that would be ace and it would totally mindfuck the mods : D

... wha... WAIT, DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!

 

[Cherry Cola]

sameonne shold maek a chet dobelcunt aswlel, for stylar

 

[BigApplePi]

BAP you should make a fake Wonka duplicate account and have a conversation with yourself that would be ace

Couldn't that be done with just a single account?

BAP1: Blah Blah Blah
Wonk: Blat Blat Blat

and it would totally mindfuck the mods : D

Yeah but wouldn't that risk mods getting crazy, going haywire and screwing up the system? They would break threads in half and switch them with other threads. They would ban all the obedient posters and let violators run rampant. They might make everyone else a moderator and resign their commission. They would close threads before they were even open. They would open all the closed threads and move Siberia to the Tropics.

Holy macro. Praise the Lord that doesn't happen. We'd have to drag in wonka, beg his forgiveness, for sure just to get saved.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Yeah but wouldn't that risk mods getting crazy, going haywire and screwing up the system? They would break threads in half and switch them with other threads. They would ban all the obedient posters and let violators run rampant. They might make everyone else a moderator and resign their commission. They would close threads before they were even open. They would open all the closed threads and move Siberia to the Tropics.

Holy macro. Praise the Lord that doesn't happen. We'd have to drag in wonka, beg his forgiveness, for sure just to get saved.

This sounds like the best thing since sliced bread.