Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Forum SOCK PUPPET ALERT: Essex, Yamaha, Charles Walter

BTW, Frank is at NAMM.

Mik is right, as is Steve. This is a no-brainer. A dealer's use of a sock to shill for their wares is, or should be, a banning event. This doesn't mean that Frank (or whoever makes the decision) must have every possible banning scenario worked out. I think some common sense would work just fine.

The fact that others in the past have used the same tactic seems like a poor defense for doing nothing now. In my view we should be more diligent in the future and reduce the incidence of this behavior.

Steve, somebody - Ken K., I suppose - should contact him.

There is a "Report" waiting for his retrieval.

Hey Guys,

I just got home from work and sat down at the computer.

A few thoughts...

Socks do get actively looked into, all the time. IP addresses help some, but the really good socks know ways around that. There are a few I suspect are socks, just can't prove it.

For example, JordanKittsGuy didn't cover his tracks too well and it was not hard to out him.

A few months ago, I got a PM from a forum member advising me that two VERY respected forum members were one and the same person. I checked IP addresses and and found that both members posted from the same address. So I confronted one of the screen names. He had a fairly reasonable explanation, so I let it ride for a bit. About a week later I noticed another indication that we did indeed have a sock on our hands. So I jumped on him and I pulled no punches.

Again he had an explanation, although it was a bit of a stretch. Was he telling the truth? I really don't know. But the end result was that he got upset and never came back. I will not identify either of these people. If I was wrong I would be publicly shaming him, not to mention the other member who is still here. I feel terrible about it because I'll never know for sure and I would never intentionally cause someone grief or harm.

The best course of action when you suspect a sock is to let me and/or Frank know and we WILL look into it. Just beware we might not find any evidence of sock puppetry. And then any action taken would depend on how disruptive the member may be.

Ken

Wow!!! sorry to be a bit negative but that sure puts the Muppets at ease.

It would be better to say we're watching you and you will be banned for puppettering without a licence.

--Fair enough, Rod. I will say, though, that the opinions I expressed are how I, Pianomadam, actually feel, and not an attempt to trash either product. I have sold Charles Walter in the distant past and am basing my impressions on such. I'm sorry for any way that I may have been perceived as trashing Charles Walter or Yamaha.

I wish it were that easy! Thanks for the thoughts, though. If I have to face expulsion...so be it. I would deserve it.

---This topic has come up before and was resolved. You'll need to reference posts from a while back. Bottom line is that you need to state your affiliation in the industry but not your exact location. For me this is important as I have been asked not to reveal such by my employer.

---Thank you, schwammerl. I will...if I am allowed to.

---Thank you, Mike. I'm open to suggestions by forum members as what else they would like to see in my signature line, without revealing my EXACT location.

quit while you're ahead

--Fair enough, Monica. I know that some may find this hard to believe but I am not L1037 and other post-ers that have come on here in the past few months talking about Essex as a viable piano choice. cklavier has been my ONLY "sock puppet".

---Yes, I have indeed moved down south.

Pianomadam : "I know that some may find this hard to believe but I am not L1037 and other post-ers that have come on here in the past few months talking about Essex as a viable piano choice. cklavier has been my ONLY "sock puppet".

Since you've been on for about 1.5 years, what about prior to the past few months ?

Rod,

True. That's why I grit my teeth when statements are made that socks are "allowed" on here. I've spent hours and hours sometimes looking at IP addresses on suspected socks. Not just one or two, but their entire posting history looking for a slip up. It is VERY tedious and VERY OFTEN fruitless.

After a while, they make mistakes, like pianomadam did, and then we know.

We do all we can, within the constraints of our time and available resources.

Banning is sometimes the answer for sock puppets. Or outing them in public forum. I'll promise you this - if I know for sure someone is a sock I'll deal with it, no matter who they are.

Ken

---Hello, PianoDad. I know emotions are running high and you may have, understandably, said something you really do not have clear evidence for. Here is my question to you (and others):
Do you have some examples of where I have trashed another piano or negatively influenced other post-ers looking for advice by trashing the competition? PLEASE, I really want to know. It shouldn't be tough, according to you. Provide evidence before you make such a damning comment. Then, you can say that my credibility has been shredded.

quit while you are ahead.

come back as another sock..


that is your only option. you've been sooooo sooooo sooo antithetical to what piano world is all about.

how can you say you are sorry after your 100s of self serving posts? you've trashed Steinway (a fine piano btw) and lost all credibility.

sorry.