Simply put, a "Dual" is an extra account or accounts one
opens on a Message Board. Intrinsically, Duals are neutral.
There doesn't have to be a reason for them, anymore than one
needs a reason why s/he has more than one email account.
However, Duals have a nefarious use. They are often created
for the purpose of cyberbullying.
On Delphiforums, Duals entered their Golden Age. Users
would create dozens of Duals to give the impression the
'whole world' was against some hapless soul.
To view Diggadog and Kitty going at it is a mere "flame
war", but when there are twenty "Dogs" after one Kitty,
the only choice for the poor cat is to leave the kennel.
Innocent poster doesn't realise all those "Dogs" are just one
person, probably assuming Kitty has made such a heinous
post the "whole" Message Board has turned against her.
Innocent might join in the fray to show "solidarity".
If you find yourself the only "cat" among dogs, check syntax.
If they all "sound the same" they probably are.
Cyberbullying is a method of intimidation. It is a way to
drive someone off the Internet.
The victim is to feel overwhelmed, the focus of a lynch mob.
The lynch mob, which in real life, might be one pathetic
loser who couldn't defend him or herself against a ten year
old.
Before you allow yourself to take the attacks to heart,
consider whether or not you are being targeted by one
sicko, instead of a kennel.
Sometimes you have done nothing at all. You are just the
accidental victim of someone's sick psychodrama.
Other times, when someone is unable to best you in argument,
he or she believes if they say the same thing under ten nick
names it will have more credence.
Never assume because there are different nicknames there are
different people.
Cyber-bullying is real. You may be a victim.
Duals, however, do have a positive side.
Duals can be used to expose hypocrisy.
For example, a white straight man in his thirties is treated
with far more respect than a black woman in her fifties.
You can measure how others talk "down" to you once
they think you are black or from a third world country.
Another property of Duals is protective.
When a message board becomes heated, create another persona
who lurks.
The psychological impact of being "someone else", especially
after you've been excoriated by the hordes, allows you to
view things in a more objective manner.
Did the words you posted have the inference the others
are responding to? How would Dual feel if those words
were directed at him/her?
As you know the "history" of the MB and Dual is "new",
he or she can ask questions or open old wounds inadvertantly.
"How was I suppose to know that..." is the response from
Dual which you could never get away with.
To operate a dual successful you must use a "proxy server".
This will enable you to gain a different IP address.
Proxy servers are one of the most useful tools of the
Internet. You connect to a Proxy, then via the Proxy
to your chosen site. An I.P. catcher gains the Proxy
and can go no further.
If an enemy decides to send malware to the IP revealed in
the trace, it would hit the Proxy and never touch your
provider or account.
There are more uses for Proxy Servers
than protecting your dual.
Many people never connect to the Internet save via a Proxy
to protect their computers from malware. The Proxies are
quite strong and well protected.
Never use the same IP for yourself and your dual, this is
a give away. This screams that Bubbles and Brutus are the
same person.
By using a Proxy, Bubbles and Brutus can be on at the same
time. As Bubbles connects from 10.19.29.38 and Brutus from
34.111.43.104 they seem to be different users.
Further, change your syntax.
Have one poster write in your best language, the other,
sloppy. Write a response in Notepad, go over it to make
sure there are errors in one that are not in the syntax of
the other and don't use the same terminology.
Bubbles might express an idea as; "I was very distressed
when I heard about Jena..." where Brutus would post,
"That &^&* crap in Jenna..."
Creating a dual takes effort, especially when you do not
wish to be discovered. If you intend to create one, make
sure you are not uncovered. The embarrassment isn't worth
the momentary pleasure.
Further, don't over do it.
After all, there is a point in creating a dual, and once
the point is made, it is wise for one of you to disappear.
