Asaf Karagila
I don't have much choice...

I need your help!

There are 8 comments on this post.

The account has been suspended, I'd like to thank everyone who helped! I have removed the comments posted by "Isa Bria" after the real Isa Bria has contacted me and asked to remove them.

We have verified, in the meantime, that the same person impersonating me on Quora is the one who used Isa's name in those comments.


 

Someone has been impersonating me on Quora. They use my real name, they link to my homepage and claim to be a set theory Ph.D. student from Jerusalem.

But it's not me. Even if there was another Asaf Karagila out there in the world, I think it's pretty thin that I wouldn't have known him since we both study at the same place and the same topic. The homepage links HERE! This one!

Somehow the Quora management is convinced that the identity is real (I have reported it, but the "unverified" status was removed after a few hours).

The account is asking a lot about Iran and Nazism related questions, and politics related nonsense topics. Anyone who has ever met me knows how much I despise these topics, and those who know me will instantly recognize this is not my work. Here are a couple of screenshots, courtesy of a friend.

Screenshot from Quora

Screenshot from Quora

The last question in the second one is actually shows that this cannot possibly be me. Why would anyone who was born and raised in Israel ask where to go to vacation in Israel? Why would I need Quora to find recommendation about beaches, or hotels or cities?

Please report that account, who goes by my name. Please report every post they make, and please help Quora understand that this is not me. Please spread the word, ask your friends who have Quora accounts to join this effort, and help me restore my identity to its original owners.

If you have any additional thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them.


There are 8 comments on this post.

By Alon Amit
(May 08 2015, 18:40)

Asaf - on it, trying to help.

By Asaf Karagila
(May 08 2015, 18:46 In reply to Alon Amit)

Thank you, Alon!

Long time no see. :-)

By Alon Amit
(May 08 2015, 20:05 In reply to Asaf Karagila)

The impersonator is banned from Quora. Let me know if he pops up again, I don't know how determined he is and if he'll try again.

Sorry you had to endure this!

By Asaf Karagila
(May 08 2015, 22:28 In reply to Alon Amit)

Alon, thank you very very much.

Alon, you're awesome!

By Open minded human being
(May 09 2015, 09:39 In reply to Isa Bria)
Should I believe that someone could be Israeli and simultaneously not interested in politics and Iran particularly in this special period of time that your Prime Minister is lecturing about Iran everyday?!

Yes.

By Yemon Choi
(May 09 2015, 01:14)

I don't use Quora, but from the descriptions of what this user has been up to (both in the blog post here and even in the agitated comments above) I can say safely that this does not match at all the activity and the impression that Asaf has displayed on MathStackExchange and MathOverflow, the two sites where I have most experience of his online presence.

Thus I find Isa Bria's speculation and attempted sleuthing very far wide of the mark.

(NB I have no intention of getting into any political or cultural debates. It would be nice if people coming to this post from Quora refrained from second-guessing my own views or experiences, although I suspect this may be a wish too far.)

BTW, Asaf, very sorry to hear about this unpleasant situation. I hope it gets fixed.

Glad I was able to help.

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