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Mule Entry Extended Wrote:

Though the term "mule account" carries a slightly more negative connotation than "alt account" (or alternate account), it is generally used to mean the same thing. Gaians generally have five different purposes for their mules:

1. "Abandoned Warehouse" Mules (AWMs): Generally considered to be the most ethical of mules, AWMs are created simply to hold excess items when one's inventory is too cluttered to keep it all on one account. Gaians with AWM accounts often use them as safe houses, storing all their unused, precious items where no one can find them. AWMs are put best to use if no one knows you have one, or at least what the account's name is, to lower the risk of the account getting hacked somehow.

2. "Bizarro User" Mules (BUMs): BUMs are mules that are used for social purposes. These are the most versatile of mule accounts, and are generally the most well-known. BUM accounts include many uses. Some BUMs are used in roleplay, allowing one person to play as multiple characters within the same story. Sometimes BUM accounts are created so that they can take advantage of a cool glitch or status change, such as zombieness of the invisibob effect. BUMs are also used when a user does not want to make his identity known, such as when a rich or reputable user goes slumming in the Chatterbox. While some BUMs are sneaky, they are generally created for users to have fun, not for malicious or dishonest intent.

3. "Bumpbot" Mules (BBMs): While not actually unethical, BBMs are created as a way to get around the rules of Gaia. BBMs are created to stump the post limit, so that a user (with a lot of concentration) can keep his thread bumped by posting constantly on multiple accounts at once. While BBMs are effective, using them can be very straining and time consuming. This editor recommends that any Gaian having trouble bumping his or her thread simply stop by the Chatterbox and wave a couple hundred gold under the nose of a spamhappy newbie. They'll be glad for the chance to work for gold, especially at doing what they do best.

4. "Second Opinion" Mules (SOMs): SOM accounts are only for those who don't mind breaking the rules to get their way. They are used to increase the scores in polls or in ratings on the Art or Avatar Arena, so as to better their own chances of winning. If used right, a vast army of SOMs can turn the tide of a poll war to the Gaian that uses them. But be warned- SOM use is considered to be cheating by most of Gaia, and only one who doesn't mind sinking to the lowest depths should bother considering them.

5. "Oliver Twist" Mules (OTMs): "Please sir, can I have some more?" OTM account use is common practice for many Gaians, especially those with a taste for investments. OTMs are used to turn holidays and plot events into limited item harvesting seasons. Whether or not OTMs are ethical is a question for the masses, but most Gaians use them, whether they admit it or not. While there's no doubt that an a army of OTMs are devastatingly effective for obtaining items, Gaians have to ask themselves... "Do I really want 50 of the same item when no one even wants one?"
(Submitted by Jerrit)