Bitcoin Forum

To begin with, I understand that this forum does not moderate scams- scammers are not banned and the only recourse for doing so is through user-generated feedback. While the trust system helps a great deal in warning users about which trades should be dealt with caution, I think more can be done to warn those who aren't as savvy.

As much as I admire this laissez-faire policy when it comes to trading, I don't think it would impinge too much on users' freedom if the ability to self-moderate threads posted in the Marketplace section was removed. To me, this is the equivalent of being able to curate your feedback- something you would only want to do if you have something to hide. If you look at which threads are self-moderated, I think this trend is pretty clear. Most users' first instinct when they're scammed is to post in the scammer's thread warning others. Unless they're in other users' trust networks, this warning is usually more visible than any feedback they might leave on the offender's profile.

Hopefully the staff will consider making this change. I don't believe it would be a hard one to implement, and I can't think of any significant negative repercussions it would have.

I think this is a great idea, along with the post after it.

Restrict self moderation in certain sections and certain member ranks.

There's positives and negatives to self-modding threads. Self-modding is a good tool to keep trolls and shady competitors out of your business, but these days it's mostly being abused by scammers, sadly. With that being said, users locking threads are usually huge red flags of scammers and tell me who I need to stay away from.

I think we should probably consider restricting who can actually self-mod threads though and removing this feature from lower ranks would help. As I mentioned in another thread on the same topic, we should also maybe consider that once somebody locks a topic in the marketplace it cannot be unlocked by anyone other than staff because locking a thread to prevent warnings from even being posted is also being utilised by these scammers and is another huge red flag.

I think this is a viable solution. Generally speaking, higher ranked members who use self-moderation use it for legitimate reasons. Perhaps self-moderation could be another perk of Copper membership for new members? Those who have invested a non-trivial amount of money into their accounts probably won't abuse it either.

I've noticed the digital items section is completely overloaded with newbie accounts, and sold profiles using selly.gg links with no trust, or farmed trust.

I think self-moderation should be reserved for those with positive trust, or at least Hero members.

I usually tag any unreputable/lower ranked account if they try sell things via autobuy links. I don't understand why people keep falling for them though. If you check their feedback they've usually already had a couple of victims. I wouldn't be against prohibiting lower ranked members from posting links in the marketplace though. Maybe make the ability to do so one of the perks in the Copper rank. Doubt these two bit scammers would keep paying a fee just to try attempt to scam.

The exchange section is where I have seen the need for the complete removal of the self moderation thread and even the ability to lock thread. Over there, majority of people trading are newbies, I wonder how they did it. Again, some self moderated thread and locked thread over there have open scam accusations against them but no one can post it on their thread in other to warn other people what. The moment they bump the thread with mouth watering deals, its locked for another innocent victims to fall for the scam again.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1517847.0

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1199197.0

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2124012.0