Pointless

it's a techie world isn't it?I am in the Stone Age still.Years ago when the children were teenagers, they had this game, they assigned people 'fantasy jobs' so their Dad ( who is a slow and careful driver) became a getaway driver from a gang, and I, who was struggling to get to grips at the time on our old computer and learning to do email, became a computer hacker! this gave them great amusement.

It was common on a game site I was on, but perpetrators were soon discovered and banned for life from using the particular IP address. They may even be able to identify the MAC address which uniquely identifies every PC or internet connected device in the world. This is how the police can find stolen equipment, as soon as it is connected to the internet, it's MAC address is transmitted.

I've never been keen on AA. He always seems unbearably smug!

Getting back to the OP , at least Alex and Richard ( I am on first name terms with them !) are pleasant to the contestants even if the banter is a bit lame.I agree with the poster who said that Richard's show is better, though have forgotten what it's called.Richard is the more confident and comfortable of the two it seems to me, Alex not quite as happy in the role.

WOW, as Alex Armstrong might say, thanks Ana, so it is real after all.

From Wikipedia

'A sockpuppet is an online identity used for purposes of deception. The term, a reference to the manipulation of a simple hand puppet made from a sock, originally referred to a false identity assumed by a member of an Internet community who spoke to, or about, themselves while pretending to be another person.

The term now includes other misleading uses of online identities, such as those created to praise, defend or support a person or organization, or to circumvent a suspension or ban from a website. A significant difference between the use of a pseudonym and the creation of a sockpuppet is that the sockpuppet poses as an independent third-party unaffiliated with the puppeteer. Many online communities attempt to block sockpuppets.'

Though you didn't find that elusive pointless answer, so you don't win any money.

You have all been brilliant contestants!

I was just interested in hearing if anyone else had heard of this, or my friend was misinformed.

No, as Ana says, this is a different thing entirely to legit changing your name with HQ.

I didn't twig Pompa, in fact did not notice you had gone so didn't make any connections. we all go on holiday or are away due to illness at times.

I was just saying that it could be done, athough I don't know why anyone would want to unless it was to cause trouble!

Nothing to do with you, pompa, or others who leave and come back later with a different name.

Yes, or if you still work, from your office? anyway, don't know if it can be done or not, Pompa, you could have kept Bogoff as your sock puppet!

Yes probably, but not sure what the point would be. Dual accounts are more common on games where each character can help the other.
Several people twigged that Bogoff was Pompa, I could have been more elusive, but there are not many men on here anyway.

You could post as A. while visiting your aged parent in Town A. and also post as B. from your own address in Town B.

OK, so you could only posts from one address at a time. You could still have two or more accounts, though. Some GNetters seem to think they would be able to recognise the fact that two posters were one and the same, but I expect it depends how clever the double poster was...

HQ can see the IP address you are posting from, so could identify illegal accounts. Where say a husband/wife are using the same computer, they would need to advise the moderators to prevent problems.
Some forums will automatically delete duplicate accounts unless they are told first.

It would be possible, in theory, wouldn't it? You'd only need access to two (or more) different internet accounts, a friend or relative, for example. Then I suppose after you'd set up your IDs on here you could just use one PC or whatever for both names. Or would GNHQ be able to tell?

I must admit, I know nothing about anything remotely techie on the Internet
Didn't even know you could change your name, but a clued up friend of ours who stayed for a couple of days recently was telling me about all her Internet forums Or should I say fora.She is on about seven!One is enough for me. she mentioned a thing called ( hilariously) sock puppets, where somebody manages to have multiple accounts in order to agree with themselves.She swears it's a real thing ( after we fell about laughing) has anyone heard of this?Now we don't know who is real and who is not!Perhaps the Gnet mods are onto this and it cannot happen here?Echoes of the Queen song ' is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?'

Ah, thanks Pompa . It would be confusing if people could change their identities willy-nilly - you'd never really be sure who you were talking to

Ash tree, you are quite correct, GNHQ did it for me. You cannot do it yourself, you cannot delete your account, and it is against the Forum rules to have two identities. GNHQ were aware of the situation and history all along.

I didn't think we were able to change our user names just like that? Thought we had to delete our profile and start a new one. Or have I got that wrong?

Rosannie, please check your PM's

What, "gas", I meant has of course.

I don't know why Alexander Armstrong doesn't do more singing! He gas a lovely bass baritone voice. I heard him recently on Classic FM.
I like Pointless, I can now tell from what AA says in the pointless final, whether the contestants have won the jackpot or not. He is very predictable.