NationStates Jolt Archive

Someone has created a Cindy Sheenan puppet in two threads now and in both threads threatened posters with the mods for flaming. This brings up two points.

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9704745&postcount=118
http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9677284&postcount=31

One is the obvious issue of threatening with mod action and the second is, is there any rule about creating a puppet simply for the purpose of stifling discussion by changing something unactionable into flaming. Can I create characters called, GWB, George W Bush, etc. just so people can't say bad things about him?

This person has used the entirety of their five posts to claim that statements about Cindy Sheehan amount to flaming against the poster.

It seems rather dubious to me, especially since the nation is named Cindy Sheenan when the protestor's name is Cindy Sheehan AND she was just arrested after protesting in front of the White House.

It seems rather dubious to me, especially since the nation is named Cindy Sheenan when the protestor's name is Cindy Sheehan AND she was just arrested after protesting in front of the White House.

Well, the poster has admitted to not actually being THE Cindy Sheehan. While I don't think calling CS a freak and a lunatic is necessary or productive, it certainly shouldn't become flaming just because someone decides to pretend to be here in order to make it so.

Someone has created a Cindy Sheenan puppet in two threads now and in both threads threatened posters with the mods for flaming. This brings up two points.

One is the obvious issue of threatening with mod action and the second is, is there any rule about creating a puppet simply for the purpose of stifling discussion by changing something unactionable into flaming. Can I create characters called, GWB, George W Bush, etc. just so people can't say bad things about him?

This person has used the entirety of their five posts to claim that statements about Cindy Sheehan amount to flaming against the poster.

"You may not use a false e-mail address, impersonate any person or entity..."

Unless you are in fact George W. Bush, I can't see how it would be allowed, as impersonation is explicitly prohibited. (Which, as Sarzonia points out, is almost certainly the case here.)

However, it would be interesting to hear how your answer relates to creating a nation called 'Fetuses' (lots of death threats) or, more sensibly, 'Conservatives', or something similar. I can't really see how it could be prohibited intially, given how hard it would be to judge intent, but equally such tactics hardly seem fair. I imagine it would have to be a case of mod discretion, rather than a blanket rule.

EDIT: Ok. It still verges on impersonation.

A longtime UN regular by the name of "The Tragic Kingdom of Gwenstefani" has, to my knowledge, never been mistaken for the lead singer of No Doubt. Nor have we had any complaints from or about "The Rogue Nation of Hurricane Katrina" or "The Nomadic Peoples of Hurricane Rita".

Naming nations after popular names in the news is common and permitted. Using such a popular name as an excuse to get others warned is most certainly not permitted. "Cindy Sheenan"'s puppetmaster has been so advised.

Yes, I'm sorry, I posted that before I saw the statement that it wasn't really Cindy Sheehan - uptil then, there had been first-person posts.

Thank you.