[LIST] USERS THAT ARE ABUSING MERIT SYSTEM

[lenovo16]

For the sake of ranking up many people are becoming cheaters, so the results instead of ranking up they will incurred of warning or if they are totally guilty they will become banned. Why don't you try to grow up and takes merit as inspiration, to improve post quality. Good job sir you caught the list of some people abusing merit system, keep it up.

[stompix]

USER PROFILE : RichDaniel
MERIT SUMMARY : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=886352
PROOF: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2857163.msg29379539#msg29379539
MISCELLANEOUS: Has received 283 merit in one hour, standing actually on the 7th place for Top-merited users

[hilariousetc]

USER PROFILE : RichDaniel
MERIT SUMMARY : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=886352
PROOF: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2857163.msg29379539#msg29379539
MISCELLANEOUS: Has received 283 merit in one hour, standing actually on the 7th place for Top-merited users

Probably farmed accounts and almost certainly belong to the same user as RichDaniel. If you look at the accounts every single one of them has the exact same activity/post count which is usually indicative of farming. I think the trouble with this merit system is people are going to probably spend more time searching and investigating people abusing the system than actually giving merit.

[Lauda]

USER PROFILE : RichDaniel
MERIT SUMMARY : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=886352
PROOF: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2857163.msg29379539#msg29379539
MISCELLANEOUS: Has received 283 merit in one hour, standing actually on the 7th place for Top-merited users

Probably farmed accounts and almost certainly belong to the same user as RichDaniel. If you look at the accounts every single one of them has the exact same activity/post count which is usually indicative of farming.

I was unable to trivially find connecting addresses, however the pattern is definitely there and that amount of merit is in no way natural. Therefore, we have one of following:

• Probable cause:  On the face of things (at first sight, “prima facie”), the accused probably did it.
• Moral certainty, beyond a reasonable doubt:  The only way he didn’t do it is if space aliens[1] did it instead.

I think the trouble with this merit system is people are going to probably spend more time searching and investigating people abusing the system than actually giving merit.

Indeed.

[Tyrantt]

Do you guys have any secret NSA, Pentagon,etc.. tactic for catching scammers or do you just go to the recent posts that have been getting high amounts of merit? Also, are there any specific local language boards that are being monitored?

[TheQuin]

Do you guys have any secret NSA, Pentagon,etc.. tactic for catching scammers or do you just go to the recent posts that have been getting high amounts of merit? Also, are there any specific local language boards that are being monitored?

The https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;stats=recent is the easiest place to catch them. Also just watch a few spam megathreads and any merit sticks out like a sore thumb.

Example this just went through on recent merits https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2770534.msg29232977#msg29232977

5 merit in a thread called "I'm gonna sell my house"

I will sell my house! !
Do you mean is sold the house to buy bitcoin, I think it is Ida money good, but too risky to sell the house to buy bitcoin, because the price bitcoin can not stable maybe you could get the advantage or you would receive a loss and you can’t buy the others, if I think better you think of another way to buy bitcoin from will do not sell the house.

I'm sure if anyone looked into that they'll find something amiss.

[Tyrantt]

Do you guys have any secret NSA, Pentagon,etc.. tactic for catching scammers or do you just go to the recent posts that have been getting high amounts of merit? Also, are there any specific local language boards that are being monitored?

The https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;stats=recent is the easiest place to catch them. Also just watch a few spam megathreads and any merit sticks out like a sore thumb.

Example this just went through on recent merits https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2770534.msg29232977#msg29232977

5 merit in a thread called "I'm gonna sell my house"

I will sell my house! !
Do you mean is sold the house to buy bitcoin, I think it is Ida money good, but too risky to sell the house to buy bitcoin, because the price bitcoin can not stable maybe you could get the advantage or you would receive a loss and you can’t buy the others, if I think better you think of another way to buy bitcoin from will do not sell the house.

I'm sure if anyone looked into that they'll find something amiss.

Ah, I see... it would be easier if there's the date that the merited reply was made. Like how in "Top-merited recent replies" there's a post from Jan 22. and it's given 50merit here (tho I see that he's been given red trust). So, pretty much, look for that, right?

[TheQuin]

Ah, I see... it would be easier if there's the date that the merited reply was made. Like how in "Top-merited recent replies" there's a post from Jan 22. and it's given 50merit here (tho I see that he's been given red trust). So, pretty much, look for that, right?

I'm not sure the date tells us anything. Again that's reply #1613 in a thread about nothing, any merit on something like that looks a bit suspicious and 50 looks ridiculous.

[TheQuin]

Apparent merit swap:



ETH Address:0xb42A0ea478d33675240CA6Fb1575d3987638EAf0 posted by Dennys52 http://archive.is/6sNUL in LUXCESS GROUP bounty.

ETH Address:0x2b74bE5Ea5026333F11Fe80436222BC8A16a3e67 miha74 http://archive.is/3L1KF in DID bounty.

Linked by transaction https://etherscan.io/tx/0xed69bbcac4cce8c3330c7b282093a5c996049df1a9f328c0556e5c562fe83e0a

There looks to be others but the ETH addresses I found were not yet used klim75, klim80
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=1159253
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=999197
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=1687943
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1687943

[FFrankie]

Today is the day I look through this and update the OP.

Gonna be a long day

[Alone055]

Exchanging Merits. Possible alt accounts. Their way of typing, and most of their posts in the Altcoin section, along with the fact of Meriting each others shit posts definitely indicate that either the accounts are being operated by the same person, or they have discussed to exchange Merits. In both ways, I believe they are abusing the system.

Accounts:
1. Miloudi0912 - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=542524
    Merit summary: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=542524

2. mekky1990 - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1301162
    Merit summary: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=merit;u=1301162

[BCTBF]

I'm glad to see this thread, those who sell merit and abusing merit will be caught and recorded its name here.
Good idea for OP. Cheers...

[pugman]

I have a question to ask to whoever who is reporting/tagging users for merit abusal.
Here's the deal. I noticed that users are spending way more time on patrolling people who are sending and receiving merits than giving merits to deserving people. Spend that time on searching for good posts, learn something new, after all we all came to learn about bitcoin, not whine about the merit system or report *users* for abusing the merit system. The system has just been introduced and users are very demotivated or are feeling degraded, and having a sense of fear in their minds, that they may receive negative feedback, even though some of them may be innocent.
Everyone has their own views and opinions, if someone finds a post worthy to receive merits and others don't, that doesn't mean abusal. Lets just wait and see how far abusal goes. I agree signature campaigns were abused way too much because of lack of corrective action but this is merit system. People shall face consequences in the long term.
Though some cases may really seem to be abusal, why not wait some more time, let the merit system be in place and intact, if any one really has to abuse it, let them do so, theymos shall take action, like he has already mentioned:

Merit sales, transfers to aliases, back-and-forth trading, etc. are not much of an issue. All illegitimate merit will decay, and will account for a tiny and very expensive fraction of the total merit economy. It's basically a rounding error; fight it where convenient, but waste no sleep over it.

So, why not let the merit system to be welcomed much, give users a chance to elaborate themselves. What say, people?

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I have a question to ask to whoever who is reporting/tagging users for merit abusal.
Here's the deal. I noticed that users are spending way more time on patrolling people who are sending and receiving merits than giving merits to deserving people.

I respect Lauda and actmyname (and anyone else who's involved) for tagging merit abusers, but I'm not going to make that my battle.  And the reason is I think that even if shitposters and account farmers abuse the system to no end, they're still going to have a hell of a hard time ranking up.  I think what's going to happen is that account sales, especially of higher-ranked ones--are going to explode.  And that is going to be my battle, and those are the ones I'm going to tag.

I also agree that merit should be handed out to good posts, and I'm trying to do that.  I have about 110 sMerit left, and I'm giving it out to decent posters and especially members below the rank of legendary.

even if their English may not be entirely good, if there's worthy content

Aye, there's the rub.

[pugman]

I have a question to ask to whoever who is reporting/tagging users for merit abusal.
Here's the deal. I noticed that users are spending way more time on patrolling people who are sending and receiving merits than giving merits to deserving people.

I respect Lauda and actmyname (and anyone else who's involved) for tagging merit abusers, but I'm not going to make that my battle.  And the reason is I think that even if shitposters and account farmers abuse the system to no end, they're still going to have a hell of a hard time ranking up.  I think what's going to happen is that account sales, especially of higher-ranked ones--are going to explode.  And that is going to be my battle, and those are the ones I'm going to tag.

I also agree that merit should be handed out to good posts, and I'm trying to do that.  I have about 110 sMerit left, and I'm giving it out to decent posters and especially members below the rank of legendary.

See. Exactly my point, you're proving. Great. Thanks.
Um.. I would suggest you to merit users who are rather new, like newbies; Jr. Members and members, even if their English may not be entirely good, if there's worthy content, do merit them. And most of the users post in main crypto related discussions and not in meta and hardly anyone our there merits such good posts, so that's the bummer there. 

[etherflip]

I have a question to ask to whoever who is reporting/tagging users for merit abusal.
Here's the deal. I noticed that users are spending way more time on patrolling people who are sending and receiving merits than giving merits to deserving people. Spend that time on searching for good posts, learn something new, after all we all came to learn about bitcoin, not whine about the merit system or report *users* for abusing the merit system. The system has just been introduced and users are very demotivated or are feeling degraded, and having a sense of fear in their minds, that they may receive negative feedback, even though some of them may be innocent.
Everyone has their own views and opinions, if someone finds a post worthy to receive merits and others don't, that doesn't mean abusal. Lets just wait and see how far abusal goes. I agree signature campaigns were abused way too much because of lack of corrective action but this is merit system. People shall face consequences in the long term.
Though some cases may really seem to be abusal, why not wait some more time, let the merit system be in place and intact, if any one really has to abuse it, let them do so, theymos shall take action, like he has already mentioned:

Merit sales, transfers to aliases, back-and-forth trading, etc. are not much of an issue. All illegitimate merit will decay, and will account for a tiny and very expensive fraction of the total merit economy. It's basically a rounding error; fight it where convenient, but waste no sleep over it.

So, why not let the merit system to be welcomed much, give users a chance to elaborate themselves. What say, people?

I think this is exactly why so many people are complaining and vehemently trying to find abusers of the system. By giving away merit you are allowing this new feature to function properly. At the same time, this witch hunt is precisely why the system is in fact broken, very few higher leveled individuals will most likely feel the need to help the greater community as a whole by giving out merit.

This in turn, creates a higher value on accounts that have more merit to give, and incentivizes those individuals to continue the witch hunt.

[FFrankie]

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2896910.0

new thread