NeuroWiki:Sockpuppet Account Policy

This page “NeuroWiki:Sockpuppet Account Policy” is NeuroWiki's current policy

• Policy text is used to describe the current rules or policies of NeuroWiki;
• Users are expected to adhere to the content described on this page;
• The Site Owner of NeuroWiki reserves the final interpretation right for all provisions.

Preamble

NeuroWiki strictly prohibits the misuse of alternative accounts. Users may only create and use alternative accounts if they meet specific needs or exemptions explicitly outlined in this policy. Normal personal purposes (e.g., role-playing, separating interests) are not considered valid use cases.

Definitions

User

Refers to a single natural person who registers an account to participate in editing on NeuroWiki.

Alternative Account

Any additional account created by the same natural person aside from their primary account, regardless of purpose or duration.

Primary Account

Each user is allowed only one primary account, as detailed in the Determination of Primary Account section.

Abandoned Account

An account the user can no longer control and has declared as abandoned. It is no longer considered an alternative account of the user.

Basic Principles

1. Prohibition of misuse: Alternative accounts must not be used to evade bans, bypass rules, falsify community support, conceal disruptive behavior, or for other prohibited actions.
2. Mandatory disclosure: Alternative accounts must be reported in advance and publicly disclose their association with the primary account on their user pages.
3. No transfer or sharing: All accounts must not be transferred to others or shared between multiple natural persons.

Permitted Scenarios

The following scenarios allow users to report and use alternative accounts, provided they meet the relevant requirements:

Type	Conditions	Explanation
Inability to access the primary account	The primary account is unusable due to special circumstances (e.g., forgotten password, technical issues) and not due to a ban.	The primary account's user page must display an abandonment notice, and the alternative account must be reported as the new primary account.
Test account	Used for technical testing or feature experimentation and not for regular editing.	Test accounts must display their purpose on their user page and comply with testing scope limitations.
Bot account	Must apply for bot operation rights after reporting as an alternative account and publicly disclose ownership and purpose on the bot user page.	Bot accounts are run through automation programs and must comply with bot-related policies.
Special permission from the site owner	With written permission from the site owner, alternative accounts may be created for special needs without specific reasons.	Must be publicly disclosed.
Anti-squatting registration	Registering similar or alias accounts to prevent impersonation (e.g., "Neuro," "Vedal").	Anti-squatting accounts must not perform any actions other than anti-squatting and must be publicly marked as affiliated with the primary account.
Role separation	Administrators or bureaucrats may separate management accounts from regular editing accounts for operational needs.	The relationship between primary and alternative accounts must be disclosed on the user page.
Similar names and aliases	Users register usernames similar to their primary account for easier recognition or to prevent impersonation.	Similar or alias accounts must state their association with the primary account.
Fresh start	Users may abandon their old account and use a new account to start over, but this must not be used to evade bans or bypass rules.	The old account must be discontinued and declared abandoned. The new account must adhere to all relevant policies as the primary account.
Site owner	The site owner may create alternative accounts without restrictions or specific reasons.	Alternative accounts of the site owner are not subject to quantity limitations but must still be publicly disclosed.

General Process for Creating Alternative Accounts

Users may create alternative accounts legally by following these steps if they meet the conditions outlined in the Permitted Scenarios section:

Confirm purpose:

Ensure the creation of the alternative account meets the conditions specified in the Permitted Scenarios section, such as for testing, anti-squatting, or bot purposes.

Submit an application to the community or administrators:

Add a new section on the primary account's user talk page with the template: {{UserTalk/AltAccountRequest|AlternativeAccountName|Purpose=Description of Purpose}}, explaining the purpose and intended use of the alternative account.

Await approval:

Administrators or relevant personnel will review the application for the reasonableness of the alternative account. Approval should generally not take more than 15 days.

Complete registration:

Once approved, the user may register the alternative account and add the template {{Info/User/AltAccountDeclaration|PrimaryAccountName}} prominently on the alternative account’s user page to declare its primary account.

Disclose the association:

Update the primary account's user page with the template {{Info/User/AltAccountList}}, listing the alternative account(s) and their purposes.

Adhere to usage scope:

Use the alternative account strictly according to its approved purpose and refrain from changing its use or engaging in prohibited actions.

Disclosure Requirements

To avoid confusion, all alternative accounts must disclose their relationship with the primary account as follows:

Primary account declaration:

Add the template {{Info/User/AltAccountList}} prominently to the primary account's user page, listing all active alternative accounts.

Alternative account declaration:

Add the template {{Info/User/AltAccountDeclaration|PrimaryAccountName}} to the alternative account's user page, declaring its primary account.

Abandoned accounts:

When a primary or alternative account is abandoned, a notice of abandonment must be displayed on its user page, and the account must cease to be used.

All approved alternative accounts, except abandoned ones, will be publicly listed on NeuroWiki:Alternative Account Registry.

Determination of Primary Account

When a user's primary account cannot be determined, it will be identified in the following order:

Only one controlled account:

If the user controls only one account, that account is the primary account.

Highest user group level:

Determined based on the following priority:

Maintenance user group > Account holding the most honorary and technical user groups > Regular user.

Other user groups are not considered.

User declaration:

The user may voluntarily declare a specific account as their primary account.

Activity level:

The account most active in community and administrative discussions is prioritized.

Account with the most edits:

The account with the highest number of edits is prioritized.

Earliest registered account:

If all other criteria fail, the earliest registered account is deemed the primary account.

Additionally, bot accounts can never be designated as primary accounts.

Violation Penalties

Users who violate this policy will be penalized based on the severity of their actions:

• First offense: Freeze all accounts for 30 days and require the user to disclose the relationship between the primary and alternative accounts.
• Second offense: Permanently ban all accounts.