/
/

Site Navigation

Your Account

Choose Language

Discussion Topic

Options

Should we create a Scarlet Letter badge.

I don’t know how many times that we have users that must think the moderators are stupid and create multiple accounts to vote themselves up.

Block Image

Should we have a badge for them that stays in their account or just have them use the the badge as their icon? The badge would stay with them says for one week for each fraudulent up vote they have given themselves.

What Red Letter should they be given?

@oldturkey03, @blakeklein, @evan, @ajcooke01

Reply to discussion Subscribe to discussion

Is this a worthwhile discussion?

Yes No
Score 2
Add a comment

3 Replies

Filter by:
Most Helpful Newest Oldest
Most Helpful Answer

Options

Block Image

Might as well use a dunce cap. If you’re stupid enough to think a mass reputation boost from a similar @ name or eMail is sufficient you honestly deserve it.

Was this reply helpful?

Yes No
Score 5
Add a comment

Options

Well, there’s one user who has created a vast voting ring of fake accounts (at least 30 by my count) who only recommend his video guides, comment amongst each other, sometimes looking knowledgeable other times appearing like noobs. Sometimes they post loaded questions linking those same guides on Youtube. Most of their answers (with relevant guides of course ;>) have unusually large and abnormal upvote counts even though in some cases, respected commenters (such as Jessa and Rany) are criticizing the answer.

I wont say who it is for now but let’s just say they have racked up over 37K points to date.

It’s disgusting and nothing has been done about it even though I brought this up back in March to the mods (no offense to the mods, I know they can’t resolve this themselves).

@oldturkey03, @jayeff @blakeklein, @evan

Was this reply helpful?

Yes No
Score 4

3 Comments:

This would still be ultra complicated the way I see it. Every time a user logs into their account on a device the IP is logged and if another account is made on an identical IP address and if that new account upvotes another account that has an identical IP to the fraudulent upvoter’s account then both the fraudulent upvoter and the upvoted account would get the dunce cap.

If that makes any sense I will be surprised lol.

However this won’t work because people can change/spoof their IP with a VPN and then the system won’t detect the fraudulent upvote.

by

@blakeklein don't forget to send me your email address so that I can send you the results of my research.

by

@refectio @blakeklein Count me in, I wanted to bring this issue up on here but I decided it wasn’t appropriate for the forums as it kind-of was “doxxing” the person of interest. My eMail is at the bottom of the about me section of my profile.

by

Add a comment

Options

Hey Meta, let’s put down the pitchforks for a second and collectively work together to solve these types of issues. There's no need for us to be calling other users names or publicly shaming them with an icon or badge. After all, badges are about praising and rewarding those who do good on iFixit (like you!).

In regards to users abusing rep and the website, if you notice this happening, please let me (or another iFixit employee) know so that way we can take care them. Just like spam. We have processes in place to revoke the rep and will reach out and encourage them to earn rep the old fashioned way.

We do our best to key an eye out for these types of situations, but our day to day can get quite busy with teardowns and Nerf battles. Please know that if reported we'll address matters in a timely manner.

If you have a hunch that someone is involved in a voting ring please shoot me an email—I'll do my best to look into it as soon as possible.

I have two questions to ask before I step off of my soapbox and turn the conversation to you all: what parts of the system can we fix to help prevent this, and what tools could we offer the moderators to help them?



Was this reply helpful?

Yes No
Score 3

11 Comments:

@blakeklein A way to associate IP addresses with user accounts. Every time a user logs into their account on a device the IP is logged and if another account is made on an identical IP address and if that new account upvotes another account that has an identical IP to the fraudulent upvoter’s account then the upvote just is simply not added.

by

@blakeklein my suggestion is to leave it alone. At least for now. You have moderators as well as iRobot and usually we'll figure it out. Until you can get some really good AI algorithms it could get really complicated. iRobot, no matter how great it is, still makes mistakes at times. I suggest we should rely on each other and our moderators. I do think someone needs to look into the issue @refectio is describing since this has been an ongoing problem.

by

@blakeklein Sometimes just asking a question like this resolves the problem, as it has this time. The perp just needs to know that they are not fooling the moderators. It was not a serious suggestion ;-)

by

@blakeklein My understanding is that @oldturkey did bring up my "discovery" with the iFixit folks back in April (not sure who) but as far as I can see, nothing of consequence has been done.

If you will truly look into this, then I will write something up and send it to you via email (I don't believe this has to be done publicly). Can you send me a note with your email address?

by

@refectio Who is this person that is mass rep boosting you are talking about, if you don’t mind sharing? (Don’t worry I will not send hate because sending hate is immature and rude...)

by

Show 6 more comments

Add a comment

Join the discussion

mayer will be eternally grateful.