Multiple Accounts

As everyone has probably noticed, quite a few accounts have been banned recently. This has been due to the MADS (Multiple Account Detection System) picking up players with multiple accounts.

May I just remind all our players that multiple acccounts are strictly against Che55.com rules.

Now obviously multiple accounts can never be 100% stopped. I knew that from the start. So let's step back and think about why people would have multiple accounts?

I can only think of these reasons:

1. Playing against oneself to increase score.
2. Bored of their username and want to change it.
3. Just lost lots of games and want to start fresh.

Other than that I can't think of any other reason to have more than 1 account.

Solutions:
1: Admitting that multiple accounts from a single computer are going to happen, (legal or not), can allow me to block games against each other.
2. Putting a change of username function on the site for players.
3. Can't think of anything with number 3.

Can you think of anymore? Or any other views concerning multiple accounts on che55.com? Maybe you think it is acceptable? Please post and let us all know.

Multiple usernames are completely unacceptable. It lets way to cheating, besides being completely nonsense. I could understand people cheated if there were money at stake or something really important. But in a friendly chess forum? Come on! By the way, to my knowledge, such a thing is completely forbidden everywhere (i only know of fics, but maybe someone playing on icc or elsewhere could bring more light to it). I think the admin should be able to block a game between the same player, would it be played for ELO, league points or just to see if he can win him/herself. People don't need a website for that, they can do it comfortably in their computers. If lots of players want to change their nick, i think that's the admin call. And to start over their profile, i think that's nonsense and cheating with the ELO system and league points. Your points just reflect and estimation of your strenght, not anything else.
Cheers

Alezflute

Andy/Alezflute. On your point 3, starting afresh, the person should ask Andy to delete their whole old entry before starting with a new name.

I can not think of a good reason for anyone wanting to change thier username, it will not
increase the playing strength of the individual concerned, and could cause confusion with other members, unless Andy is going to put a.k.a.
One must remember that when we all joined this site we agreed with the rules, apart from
the "naughty few" everybody seems happy. I think that we should not flinch from our present stance and remain true to the professional manner that we have become accustomed. My sympathy goes out to Andy for having to decide on banning members, but I
guess that one and all are behind him.

Here is my input for what its worth. I did spot a cheat on the site and asked him/her why they did what they did. On that occassion, the player said s/he wanted some respectability and was totally embarrassed by the league score, so rang all school mates, got them to log on and play just 3 or 4 moves and then resign. This player knocked poor old "un-beaten" curator off the No 1 spot.

Another situation that we might just need to be a bit careful about, is the whole family who play chess, mum, dad and two boys, all who have their own user name, but they only have the one computer between the 4 of them. Clearly they are not cheating but they might all fall foul of the multiple account rule as it will show as the same account address.

As for starting again and having my playing record wiped clean, I only wish I could !
Regards to all, white_pawn

Yes, it's a tricky situation if all the family play, with only one computer between them, it's
this type of scenario that Andy is trying to avoid. Nobody wants to ban innocent members as
it could do more harm than good. We don't want members going to other sites and rubbishing Che55.com, thus giving us a bad name.
Now we have MADS in place, hopefully this problem will become a thing of the passed, time will tell. I still recommend one account only.

I fully understand why you want your record wiped clean white-pawn, but remember, your
still batting on the same wicket. On the other-hand, it would let me in the top ten, GO FOR IT!!! Only joking, no malic intended.

No offence taken Woody, but one day I WILL beat you !

I have to admit I wish I'd picked a different username from the start. I'm bored of this one and want to change it. But of course I can't because everyone will get confused.

I did have a function when the site first opened that allowed username changes. I didn't think it through properly and players got confused when names changed so I removed the function.

I could add a system like Ebay uses though. Usernames can only be changed once every 30 days, and when one does occur a special icon is displayed next to the username. On here it wouldn't be a icon, just a colour change of the username would do I suppose.

After that the username would be block from being used again for say 1 year.

I would like people to be able to change their usernames, if thats their wish. However, wouldnt that mess with the stored games? Sorry for the typos, my laptop is half configured and i havent still done the keyboard part

alezflute

No, if I added the ability to change ones own username, it would change the usernames throughout the site. That includes all the archived games as well.

This still does not address multiple players in the family. We are a chess family. My husband plays on other sites while i stumbled on this one. Been hooked ever since Andy can testify that. Been trying to convince him to switch to this while also introduce my kids(of age). But we have just one good computer. How can this be helped without thinking i have multiple accounts. Maybe this was the scenario on some people already banned.

Most sites I have looked at seem to allow one account only, so I assume they must ban players that flout the rules, also on some sites their is prize money involved, so I imagine
that strict monitoring takes place.
I fully sympathize with Jayjay and family, I would imagine they feel victimized.
In Andys' statement (top of page) concerning multiple accounts (1) .
My view on this :
How do we differentiate between the genuine "family account" and the miscreants that could
"run amok" with ficticious families?.
If any member is out there that has the solution to this question, then I'm sure Andy will be
delighted, and so will Jayjay and family!!

thanks woody

Good "jayjay65" your persuading others to join our chess clan. I'm impressed.

Look, I think it's safe to say that I can never fully stop multiple accounts from happening. And neither can any other online chess site, even though some probably falsely claim they can.

I could open an account from home and open another from the work place. 2 accounts and impossible to detect. Not sure why I would want to do that, but that's another discussion.

So perhaps I should allow multiple accounts from same computers, but only if they tell me first? I would then stop these accounts from playing games against one another.

Well, i guess that's the point, Andy. For a multiple account it has to be personally asked to you and you have to give the permission. Then you add a variable to the concerned accounts to avoid them playing between them. This make sense, allowing jayjay (and others) to get a family account yet not letting space to cheating.

alezflute

PS BTW, how was my country?