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I have multiple SE accounts (mainly on SO, but also SF and SU), for Home, the Day Job, and for each Consulting Client. This is because I want Job and Clients to be able to see what I'm doing with their time/money, while not exposing the answers I've given under other accounts (to keep job/client work relatively private between each).

Multiple accounts do work, but it is very frustrating starting over with zero reputation with each new account (I create 3-4 each year, each with a different email).

Since it is the same "me" in all contexts, is there any way to have my Home account be a "master" for accumulating reputation/badges for "sub" Job/Client accounts?

I'd also like my employers to see my "global" reputation when seeing only "local" answers.

(And, yes, per other questions/answers, I understand the reputation/badges are separate for each SE site.)

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2 Answers 2

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I create 3-4 each year, each with a different email

Well, that's part of the problem. We have no way of telling these are all "you".

We already have the notion of a network account - you need to link up all of your different ones together. You can do this via your profile page - click the "my logins" link then "add more logins..." in the popup, then enter the email address used by you elsewhere.

This will cause the different users/accounts on the different sites to get merged into a master account, linking them together.

Additionally, if you already have over 200 rep on one site, you would get an association bonus of 100 for every such account/site (once per site) - that would take you over the minimum for many actions - certainly better than starting at 1 every time...

mainly on SO, but also SF and SU

However - we don't have the notion of a master account for multiple users on the same site - in that respect, yes, you do have to start over from 1, every time.

I understand wanting to have separate online identities - for work, home and such, but frankly, it is the same person here, doing similar things. You may be overthinking this aspect of your work (I doubt any of your clients are trawling posts here, looking to finger point at something out of place).

If you wish to keep client confidentiality, you should anonymize your posts.

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  • It sounds like he has multiple accounts on some sites (like SO) and wants to aggregate the rep somehow. That would be a bad idea (making it even easier for folks running sock rings), of course.
    – Monica Cellio
    Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 17:16
  • @Monica - yeah, on re-reading, I suppose that's right. I won't assume sock-puppeting though.
    – Oded
    Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 17:17
  • Yeah, I'm not saying this person is sock-puppeting, just that the change he requests would help puppeteers.
    – Monica Cellio
    Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 17:18
  • Possibly - I don't expect we would implement such a change to our already very complex users/accounts system.
    – Oded
    Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 17:19
  • I've worked at companies that want to support Open Source, and like to put examples in their news releases (and also in employee reviews). I want to support my employer, but not have them take credit for work I've done outside the job. So whenever I get a new work email (I bounce back and forth between consulting and "day jobs") I create new accounts for SE, GitHub and the like. So it is useful for an employer to be able to see my overall reputation and also see only the posts I've made using my work identity.
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:22
  • @Oded: The accounts are all "me" because I hold the login credentials! Is there anything else that matters when it comes to an account (or multiple accounts)? My employers/clients aren't trawling here: I'm sending them links to what I've done. Separate accounts do accomplish the fundamental need to separate work from home and employer from employer. My main gripe is, indeed, starting over again and again, giving up my God-like powers to once again be a mere mortal. Speaking of which, I probably should have posted this using my home identity, instead of my newest work identity. <sigh>
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:47
  • Combining both of these answers indicates a good path forward: Unify all identities other than my current work identity. I really only care about my current employer vs "everything else". And at some point, as I think more about these answers and comments, I may not even care about that.
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:59
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No.

Imagine you provide a client with a link to the account you created for yourself when working on their project. They see only Q&A related to their stuff, along with a high reputation.

If that was all, that might not be an issue.

But when you ask and answer questions, and people click through to your user profile there will be something huge missing - why does an account with a handful of posts and upvotes on those posts have a high reputation? What's going on here?

What you are asking is for Stack Exchange to put a one-way street between you and everyone else. You want multiple accounts, all which "pay" into your main account, and all which show the reputation of the main account, but none of which show anyone your entire works. You are able to mask your true identity, while still holding the power that your combined reputation provides you.

Unfortunately you have not shown how this would benefit the community. From my perspective, it would actually harm the community.

As such, you're going to have to argue the benefits that this brings to the Stack Exchange community. The benefits to yourself are not a compelling reason to change the site.

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  • I suppose an implicit part of my question is to tease out the actual intent and context of "reputation" on SE sites. While other sites have reputation-like systems, the one on the tech SE sites has the most relevance in the community.
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:28
  • An underlying issue is a desire to separate/unify "who I am" (identity) from "what I do" (actions under various kinds sponsorship). What I understand from what you said is that from within SE they are the same thing, and there may be little reason to tease that apart for external parties (who likely don't ask or answer questions). I certainly understand that perspective!
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:32
  • @BobC Regarding reputation, you might find some useful answers here: meta.stackexchange.com/a/7238/2915 and here: meta.stackexchange.com/a/123919/2915
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:33
  • While I can understand your desire to separate your identity from what you do. However from the community's perspective it's not fair to treat your masked persona with the respect due your unknown/hidden true identity's reputation. You can either wear the mask, and accept the low station you've donned, or you can openly embrace your true identity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_can%27t_have_your_cake_and_eat_it It goes against the open and transparent nature of the community.
    – Pollyanna
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:42
  • Agreed. I have shared my home identity (mainly during interviews) to show what "else" I've done (and my SO reputation). This question was motivated by my desire to look a bit deeper at this issue, to gain perspective. Which you have so eloquently provided!
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:52
  • So, while this answer is the most informative, I must select the other because it describes the action I'll take (unify at least some of my multiple identities).
    – BobC
    Commented Jan 6, 2015 at 14:55

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