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[Caz]

Go mad with power immediately, if not sooner.

Pretty much. Dominion over the internet is pretty much dominion over the world. U L T I M A T E P O W E R

[MorleyDev]

What if you had near-absolute control over websites, all with being completely anonymous? Like, the ability to ban or unban anyone, the ability to edit databases or code, edit posts, see people's IP, etc., all while maintaining complete anonymity?

Isn't this basically the plot of Deus Ex?

I mean, going full Bob Page isn't a bad idea. Manipulating world events whilst keeping governments under control via an artificial plague, and then merging with a supercomputer and becoming a god is basically how I want to spend my twilight years.

[GiglameshDespair]

I would basically act as a second admin to Bay12, except more active.

...

Then I'd offer my services to Google or the government, and then continue acting as a good admin for random forums.

Except I doubt Toady would appreciate some rando appointing themselves moderator.

Same with whatever random forums you decide to mess with.

It'd probably end up giving them more work since they'll have to deal with unbanning and sorting out your victims, and trying to find out why and who is doing it.

[KittyTac]

I would basically act as a second admin to Bay12, except more active.

...

Then I'd offer my services to Google or the government, and then continue acting as a good admin for random forums.

Except I doubt Toady would appreciate some rando appointing themselves moderator.

Same with whatever random forums you decide to mess with.

It'd probably end up giving them more work since they'll have to deal with unbanning and sorting out your victims, and trying to find out why and who is doing it.

Not if I do not announce my presence. It's as if the users just untraceably banned themselves. I mean, I could include a ban reason. Most forums support that feature.

[GiglameshDespair]

And all it takes is one person to appeal, and Toady looks and thinks: "I don't remember banning this person."

It's not like many people are banned from bay12, after all.

And then he has to try and work out what's causing random people to get banned. If it only happens after they post something you find objectionable, it wouldn't be too hard to connect the dots after a while and work out someone was doing it, even if they can't discover who.

[KittyTac]

But on other, more ban-happy forums, these bannings would get buried under actual bannings. Especially if those forums are facing a troll attack and the moderators are overloaded. THAT would be helpful.

[George_Chickens]

This sounds increasingly like an untenable power fantasy and not a what if

[KittyTac]

This sounds increasingly like an untenable power fantasy and not a what if

And what? It's not like these powers are possible in real life. But this is getting pretty prolonged for a what if, I agree.

[TD1]

I dare say I would do my best to ignore my awesome internet-powers. I'd probably cave every now and then and be petty, but for the most part I like to think that I would realise that my opinion/impression does not mean a huge amount. Who am I to be Fudge, Judy and Exchequer?* Basically; carry on as normal. I do not want to impose my subjective system of morals over such a huge body as the internet.
 
*KittyTac, I know that was you. Stop it please.

[GiglameshDespair]

But on other, more ban-happy forums, these bannings would get buried under actual bannings. Especially if those forums are facing a troll attack and the moderators are overloaded. THAT would be helpful.

I don't think there's many forums that have so many bannings that they can't keep track of them all, and even if they do... it falls down if any of those people appeal their banning, or you get the rules wrong, or over-react...

It's like you see someone committing burglary so you kidnap them and keep them in your basement for a few years. Yeah, burglary carries the penalty of imprisonment, but somehow I doubt the police would be impressed with your act of good citizenry, aye?

[Loud Whispers]

This sounds increasingly like an untenable power fantasy and not a what if

And what? It's not like these powers are possible in real life. But this is getting pretty prolonged for a what if, I agree.

We watch Superman knowing that there is no laser vision or super strength, it's all about asking what we want to will into action and why. So for example, my desire to destroy all identifiable social media information and meta-information is because I desire an anonymous arena of free ideas and content, constrained not by egos or commercial interest, as my belief believes me to believe this will usher in the golden age of information - which to me, would be a more pleasing vision for how I would see the future unfold. I am guessing you in turn would be an online content policer because you believe dicking over helpless and acceptable targets would be 1. hilarious, and 2. conducive towards a moderated internet, which in turn would be for you a more pleasing internet. This is where the "what if's" become really delicious, because it effectively asks you to define your own character motivations if you yourself was a character in fiction, then ask how the world would respond to you if you were to become unaccountably and undeservedly powerful :]
So we learn about ourselves and others, 1337 hackermans of hypothetical vision

[Dunamisdeos]

Remove consequences via anonymity
 
Trust human nature to regulate itself
 
No further action required
 
Utopia

[Hanslanda]

I'd accidentally usher in an age of oppressive communistic wealth redistribution as I tried to right what I saw as societal wrongs until eventually my lack of economic understanding destroyed the fundamentals of the world economy, bringing about a social apocalypse of unprecedented proportions.

Then I'd force some random asshole I think I could beat into sword fighting me on a rooftop during a thunderstorm while I hammed it up like a motherfucker. After my inevitable defeat (cuz fucking Chad didn't put "Took fencing classes once" on his goddamn Facebook) I would lead a monastic life of celibacy from computer use as the world slowly recovered from the terrible wounds I had inflicted on it, until the day aliens come and it is revealed I never needed access to a computer to use my power and Inexplicably Good Swordsman Chad and I team up to take down the invading aliens.

[KittyTac]

This sounds increasingly like an untenable power fantasy and not a what if

And what? It's not like these powers are possible in real life. But this is getting pretty prolonged for a what if, I agree.

We watch Superman knowing that there is no laser vision or super strength, it's all about asking what we want to will into action and why. So for example, my desire to destroy all identifiable social media information and meta-information is because I desire an anonymous arena of free ideas and content, constrained not by egos or commercial interest, as my belief believes me to believe this will usher in the golden age of information - which to me, would be a more pleasing vision for how I would see the future unfold. I am guessing you in turn would be an online content policer because you believe dicking over helpless and acceptable targets would be 1. hilarious, and 2. conducive towards a moderated internet, which in turn would be for you a more pleasing internet. This is where the "what if's" become really delicious, because it effectively asks you to define your own character motivations if you yourself was a character in fiction, then ask how the world would respond to you if you were to become unaccountably and undeservedly powerful :]
So we learn about ourselves and others, 1337 hackermans of hypothetical vision

Exactly.

Before the "KittyTac hates Roblox" jokes commence, here's a thing:
a) Go to the Roblox website.

b) Literally wipe the admins' accounts from existence with my database-editing.

c) Appoint myself sole admin.

d) Delete the Roblox download link from the main site. Remember that I am the only admin left.

e) Slamdunk the main page with porn. Because it's hilarious.

f) Leave the site in such condition.
This is potentially still fixable if someone hacks to appoint him/herself as an admin and cleans up the mess I left, but I doubt it.

[Hanslanda]

Hey KittyTac I'm legit one of the last people left on the forum that hasn't brought that up and is willing to defend you. Just fyi. You made a rude mistake and that's fine. I've done so many many times. As long as you learned literally anything from it, I support you.