Spam and Abuse Watch

12-Feb-15 3:04

OriginalGriff wrote:
but in most cases the poster is posting answers to questions with an accepted solution, and which were originally posted in 2011...who does that help?

Obviously depends on the quality of the solution and whether it's a genuine alternative.

OriginalGriff wrote:
who does that help?

'Not helping' is not a sackable offence (otherwise I'd be long gone)

OriginalGriff wrote:
and rake in points for doing it

He has 600 rep points after 2 1/2 years here, 200 of which are Authority - Not exactly raking it in, I suspect he has no interest in points and was just trying to contribute to the site. I don't answer questions but if I did I suspect I'd start with old hidden ones to build my confidence first.

OriginalGriff wrote:
rep point farming

I would argue we're seeing another version of this with the reporters - Don't you get 5 points per report? You only need to look at some peoples organiser history since the middle of 2014.

One thing I have noticed with Chris is he is very fair and only kicks people as a last resort. In the old days before this forum, this may have got posted in sugs & bugs and Chris would have maybe had a quiet word with them - not close their account.

I guess I feel report should only be used in 3 circumstances

0. Spam
1. Plagirism (articles)
2. Personel attacks/abuse

I think banning people for small transgressions such as 'answering the wrong questions' is just going to lead to this site having a worse rep. than Stackoverflow.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 3:19

12-Feb-15 3:19

P0mpey3 wrote:
look at some peoples organiser history since the middle of 2014

Look at the spam attacks since the middle of 2014.

P0mpey3 wrote:
small transgressions such as 'answering the wrong questions'

Its 'small' only if its within limits. If it goes out, it will be reported,obviously.

- If you answer 5 wrong questions, its ok
- 10, its ok. Warning would work.
- but how it can be 20 per hour?

This is not my opinion, it's how CP works.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 3:32

12-Feb-15 3:32

Rohan Leuva wrote:
Look at the spam attacks since the middle of 2014.

Exactly. Are you suggesting this guy is as harmful to the site as a spammer?

Rohan Leuva wrote:
- If you answer 5 wrong questions, its ok

- 10, its ok. Warning would work.

- but how it can be 20 per hour?

This is not my opinion, it's how CP works.

Sorry. Not sure I understand this bit. Are you saying these are the rules cP has in place? Please link to them.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 3:40

12-Feb-15 3:40

P0mpey3 wrote:
Are you saying these are the rules CP has in place?

No. I wanted to say is,if someone posts 5-10 irrelevant answers, it can be understood by the community that you don't know the rules so you are posting solutions here and there. They are advised how to post/where to post/why to post depending on the question/situation, but we have seen members in past who were posting 20-30 such solutions per hour. Such a high frequency clearly shows that you are abusing the reputation system.

Its not that we are reporting such members right away. They were warned. This guy was also warned but he didn't listen.I will especially invite you to have a look if i find such case in future.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

ZurdoDev12-Feb-15 4:12

ZurdoDev

12-Feb-15 4:12

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

OriginalGriff12-Feb-15 4:15

OriginalGriff

12-Feb-15 4:15

As I said: "I can't comment in this case, he's gone and so is the question list" - so I couldn't tell how many points he had accrued, or how he had accrued them.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...

Nelek12-Feb-15 7:36

12-Feb-15 7:36

P0mpey3 wrote:
Obviously depends on the quality of the solution and whether it's a genuine alternative.

Yes, it does

P0mpey3 wrote:
'Not helping' is not a sackable offence (otherwise I'd be long gone)

90% or more of your activity is in the lounge or not technical forums... You do help, giving others conversation and/or distraction

P0mpey3 wrote:
He has 600 rep points after 2 1/2 years here, 200 of which are Authority - Not exactly raking it in, I suspect he has no interest in points and was just trying to contribute to the site. I don't answer questions but if I did I suspect I'd start with old hidden ones to build my confidence first.

And suddenly starts answering very old questions, with similar answers within small time lapse? You have to agree that it is a bit suspicious.

P0mpey3 wrote:
I would argue we're seeing another version of this with the reporters - Don't you get 5 points per report? You only need to look at some peoples organiser history since the middle of 2014.

I feel involved in this affirmation of yours. My answer, yes you are right (partially). You can see the ones being in rep history, but you can not see how many reports are actually done. I remember many days(specially weekends) with spammers flooding CP and some members of those you mean (me included) here during hours, keeping the site clean. I would say I have reached the 500 reports mark in a day (and only 25 or so are rewarded).

P0mpey3 wrote:
One thing I have noticed with Chris is he is very fair and only kicks people as a last resort. In the old days before this forum, this may have got posted in sugs & bugs and Chris would have maybe had a quiet word with them - not close their account.

In case of doubt, we do give warnings as well (at least some of us). After more than a year being frequent in this forum, there are other cases that are so clear, that the report and ban is more than right. I am not telling anything about this particular case.

P0mpey3 wrote:
I think banning people for small transgressions such as 'answering the wrong questions' is just going to lead to this site having a worse rep. than Stackoverflow.

I partially agree with you. On the other hand... I am not so optimistic about how it would be without.

M.D.V.

If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 14:21

12-Feb-15 14:21

Hi Nelek, I see where you are coming from here, and I think you see my point is a valid one that deserves to be met with more than a "I'm right so I'm gonna carry on voting regardless".

Nelek wrote:
You have to agree that it is a bit suspicious.

Even so, doesn't warrant an account deactivation. My observation has been that the majority of people who appeal to the admins about their accounts being closed get their accounts re-activated which suggests that the admins agree that some people are being over-zealous.

My main concern is that deleting too many accounts for woolly reasons will give CP a reputation for being over-zealous.

Nelek13-Feb-15 10:27

13-Feb-15 10:27

P0mpey3 wrote:
Even so, doesn't warrant an account deactivation. My observation has been that the majority of people who appeal to the admins about their accounts being closed get their accounts re-activated which suggests that the admins agree that some people are being over-zealous.

Partially agree with you.

People being "unfairly" baned, get the account back if they ask, yes. But, on the other hand...

I have seen many members being warned more than once and nothing. Once account closed and being re-opened with a "be careful and don't waste your 2nd chance" those members have learned the lesson and changed the behaviour.

As I said, I see your point and I partially agree. But there is no 100% answer for this and other themas. Sometimes is probably overreacted, but considering the volumen of the abuse...
Don't forget we are at the end just humans and we can be wrong as well.

M.D.V.

ZurdoDev12-Feb-15 4:13

ZurdoDev

12-Feb-15 4:13

OriginalGriff wrote:
accepted solution, and which were originally posted in 2011...who does that help?

Anyone who finds that question through any searching and the solution helps them.

If it's just a repost of someone else's answer then no, clearly it does not help anyone.

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 2:36

12-Feb-15 2:36

P0mpey3 wrote:
Is this really a kickable offence?

It depends on how the solution can be helpful to someone. Sometimes you can clearly see that its nothing more than rep farming. Its totally ok to post solution to old questions if it adds value to it. e.g. i didn't report his two solutions which were really good.

But others were just a crap. Such users should be kicked.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 3:11

12-Feb-15 3:11

Rohan Leuva wrote:
Such users should be kicked.

That's your opinion. My question was is it what the site owners would want.

Rohan Leuva wrote:
i didn't report his two solutions which were really good.

So you admit he has made some really good contributions to the site - yet you still decided that his misdemeanor was so bad it required he was removed from the site immediately? Did posting an answer to an old question really outweigh the good answers he has provided?

(Please also see my reply to Griff)

Thanks787212-Feb-15 3:13

12-Feb-15 3:13

P0mpey3 wrote:
That's your opinion.

And a majority concensus till date.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 3:29

12-Feb-15 3:29

Rohan Leuva wrote:
majority concensus

No we just know the people who decided to vote the account - We don't know who decided not to vote his account.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 3:33

12-Feb-15 3:33

You misunderstood. I didn't mean that. I mean, we have reported millions of such accounts and they were closed. It happened just because majority people agreed on that,acted on that.

P0mpey3 wrote:
We don't know who decided not to vote his account

So you want that account should be closed after 11,220,707? Do you want two flags stating "Account should be closed or not-Yes/No?".

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 3:42

12-Feb-15 3:42

Rohan Leuva wrote:
So you want that account should be closed after 11,220,707? Do you want two flags stating "Account should be closed or not-Yes/No?".

Don't be stupid. You know I was responding to your majority claim and not suggesting an alternative.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 5:21

12-Feb-15 5:21

Cool down cool down. This is not your personal playground so mind your language. This is community so everyone has right to express their views. Hence, i reported his account here and enough people thought it as abuse. If you don't think so, ignore it.

If you can't control yourself,don't start discussing anything. If you want to, you have to be polite enough. Learn to debate,not to quarrel.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 5:31

12-Feb-15 5:31

You were being stupid I pointed out you were being stupid and you know you were being stupid. As you say "This is community so everyone has right to express their views"

I have a valid point that if you keep going round throwing people of the site for woolly reasons, the site or more accurately the community, will get a worse name than StackOverflow. It's you that seem to have got grumpy because I mentioned it.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 7:13

12-Feb-15 7:13

P0mpey3 wrote:
will get a worse name than StackOverflow

And reason will be people like you.

P0mpey3 wrote:
if you keep going round throwing people of the site

Its not me, its community. There is nothing wrong with it. Such people will get kicked in future also.

I don't debate with those who don't have enough sense how to behave over the internet,so this discussion ends here.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

Nelek12-Feb-15 7:22

12-Feb-15 7:22

Rohan... cool down you too please.

You have to admit that your opinions are sometimes quite "generalist" and "absolutist". Don't surprise if some people react or get mad.

M.D.V.

Thanks787212-Feb-15 8:00

12-Feb-15 8:00

Nelek wrote:
your opinions are sometimes quite "generalist" and "absolutist". Don't surprise if some people react or get mad.

Reply button is meant for such events. Hit it and discuss. But if someone gets so mad that they start using senseless statements which doesn't add much value to the conversation, better such discussion ends at that point.

It seems like you too agree with his last two messages.

"When you don't know what you're doing it's best to do it quickly"- SoMad

Nelek12-Feb-15 9:58

12-Feb-15 9:58

I am not defending him or attacking you and of course I have not insulted you.

I am just giving a extern point of view. I don't want to get mixed in your discussion, just wanted to avoid getting it worst.

I have answered him 2 times defending your point of view, just with other arguments and other words. But he has the same right to express his thoughts.

The only thing I asked you was to calm down and gave you my opinion about it, and that should not surprise you so much because it is not the first time I have told you something similar.

Once said this, I am going to follow my own words and don't mix me in your debate. Have a nice day Smile | :)

M.D.V.

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 14:21

12-Feb-15 14:21

Hi Nelek, I see where you are coming from here, and I think you see my point is a valid one that deserves to be met with more than a "I'm right so I'm gonna carry on voting regardless".

Nelek wrote:
You have to agree that it is a bit suspicious.

P0mpeyBoy12-Feb-15 14:06

12-Feb-15 14:06

Rohan Leuva wrote:
Its not me, its community

You keep implying it was a 'community' choice but the fact you titled this thread "member already on 9" exposes the truth that you were not satisfied with the community rules that 9 votes doesn't warrant account closure so therefore choose to start this thread with the sole aim of getting this account closed.

Rohan Leuva wrote:
There is nothing wrong with it.

You want his account closed for 'rep-farming'. Lets look at the facts

He had 678 rep points[^] from his 2 and a half years as a member of this site. (You get something like 500 points just for signing up to all the newsletters.)
201 points he has earned in the category you are accusing him of rep-farming from. People here, including yourself, have already said he has provided good answers in the past, so we can stipulate that a good number of the 201 points were legitimately earned. So basically you've kicked somebody who has been a member for 2 and a half years, who yourself admit has contributed in the past, for gaining a good deal less than 200 rep points? Is that the sort of site cP wants to be?

Nelek12-Feb-15 7:17