How to correctly report a shitposter account?

[wwzsocki]

I understand how important is for Bitcointalk to fight with forum rules abuse. Especially scam, spam, and accounts farming.

A few months ago I started to report all kind of abuse using the "report button". Until today I have reported 1124 posts with 100% accuracy (1103 good, 10 bad, 11 unhandled).

Lately, I found accounts used only for the bounty campaigns. I have reported this accounts as always using the "report button" and added in the description all needed pieces of information. Moderators deleted all reported post very fast but I still see this account up and running. Despite I asked Mod for a closer look and eventually ban.

Before the merit system was introduced such accounts were tagged red for shitposting. Now I see a debate about this and finally, nobody tags these accounts anymore (I think).

The first group of accounts I found, from junior member to senior member were used by spammers and obvious shitposters with one, two-word answers or even with series of this same answers, posted in different threads. This accounts will never rank up, thanks to merit system and should be banned if keep spamming like this, after warning.

The second group of accounts I found is different. These accounts are used only to register and report in bounty campaigns. They participate only in social media bounties (no need for them to write quality posts to fulfill signature bounty requirements). A lot of junior,  member accounts and few high-rank accounts, farmed from day one like this.

Merit system has not much effect on these accounts and I will explain why.

They join bounty campaign and start posting reports. After account achieves needed post count and activity, they write one or two posts with some text and buy merits (with money earned from bounty) to award these posts and rank higher. Later on, they continue with reports for bounties and when account finally achieve needed post count and activity they just repeat this process.

This is obvious that these members are abusing merit system, forum rules and add nothing to our forum. Sooner these accounts were red-tagged, which keeps them out from good bounty campaigns and was the best punishment back then.

Today, I don't know what to do and how to act?

I have seen lately new threads started for shitposters reporting. There were answers, that this is not the best way to do it and better to use the "report button".
Like I said before, I have used it and I still see this accounts active. That is why I opened this thread to clear things up.

How to act with these accounts? How and where report them correctly?

[Welsh]

You could archive their posts before reporting them, and then include that archive link in your next report with an explanation that they've had posts deleted before for similar things (see archive link). I've got a list of accounts which I keep archive posts, and I sometimes check if a user is within this list, and will include a archive link if they are. I tend to do this with only certain ranks though.

So, something like "Spam. This user has previously had posts deleted for spam, please see <archive link>"

It might not get you anywhere, and there might not be any other punishment except deleting the post. But, at least the moderators are aware that they have had previous posts deleted, and didn't take that as a warning, and continued to spam. I've spoken to moderators, and they accept archive links.

Alternatively, you could post in the reputation section, and see what others think. There's several threads which are listing shit posters.

[aartibtc]

I am sure that they make final decision based on a number of factors. They cannot ban an innocent person so they might have to let go away some cases.

[TheBeardedBaby]

Welsh has already answered you but just for extra info>
I started a thread how to report rule-breakers, but its still under construction so. Anyway check it out if you want
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3831432.msg37353681#msg37353681

[Jet Cash]

I wonder if the automatic generation of negative merits might help. You get one neg for 5 pooposts that are deleted in a single month, and one neg for every deleted post after the first 5.. At worst this would increase the cost of up ranking,and could result in down ranking.

Another alternative would be to introduce a 'spammer' rank. 10 pooposts in a 14 day period means you are ranked as spammer for 30 days. Spammers' posts are not counted, and sig rights are removed.

[bitart]

I wonder if the automatic generation of negative merits might help. You get one neg for 5 pooposts that are deleted in a single month, and one neg for every deleted post after the first 5.. At worst this would increase the cost of up ranking,and could result in down ranking.

Another alternative would be to introduce a 'spammer' rank. 10 pooposts in a 14 day period means you are ranked as spammer for 30 days. Spammers' posts are not counted, and sig rights are removed.

Signature spammers can be stopped with this.
Bounty spammers won't care about merit, as long as they can report their social network activity and they get their bounty. They won't care about the signature remove as well.
I won't be this nice, I would simply ban somebody who spams more than 10 posts in a two weeks period...
The question is, who will decide if a post is a spam? The mods are already overloaded, and this can't be automated easily.

[Jet Cash]

I think it could be automated fairly easily. The mod has a button which says 'delete and flag', and a flag accumulation triggers the rank change.

[shield132]

If you want to absolutely prevent spam from this forum, sorry but that's impossible and it's normal too. Some people act funny and they don't care about being a little serious.
Mods don't try to ban them but I swear they act on reports as soon as possible. Merit stops sig spammers, but not bounty ones.
To be fair prevent of shitposting as well as you want, is impossible in any way.

[mobilazy]

Great idea, JetCash! Again a clear definition needs to be made what is "shitpost". Can expressing your opinion, which probably was made several times before you in previous 20+ pages be considered as "shitpost"? Or leaving some joke which is not really directly related to the topic? Or maybe complain about creating the similar topics again and again?

[Jet Cash]

Well here is an example of a poo post propagator.
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4387782.0

The new game seems to be to start these threads, and then all your alts and poo pals can pitch in with their spam.

[Welsh]

If you want to absolutely prevent spam from this forum, sorry but that's impossible and it's normal too. Some people act funny and they don't care about being a little serious.
Mods don't try to ban them but I swear they act on reports as soon as possible. Merit stops sig spammers, but not bounty ones.
To be fair prevent of shitposting as well as you want, is impossible in any way.

We could take extreme measures, and completely ban campaigns/bounties or we could possibly add restrictions to the bounty section that only full members, and up can post there. There's also the possibility of moving bounties off forum completely or at least posting reports, and applying should be done off forum. There's a few ways of going about removing most of the spam. See hilariousandco's idea of putting signatures behind a paywall.

However, to completely stop it? Yeah, I would agree your not going to stop even if these restrictions were put in place.

[wwzsocki]

If you want to absolutely prevent spam from this forum, sorry but that's impossible and it's normal too. Some people act funny and they don't care about being a little serious.
Mods don't try to ban them but I swear they act on reports as soon as possible. Merit stops sig spammers, but not bounty ones.
To be fair prevent of shitposting as well as you want, is impossible in any way.

We could take extreme measures, and completely ban campaigns/bounties or we could possibly add restrictions to the bounty section that only full members, and up can post there. There's also the possibility of moving bounties off forum completely or at least posting reports, and applying should be done off forum. There's a few ways of going about removing most of the spam. See hilariousandco's idea of putting signatures behind a paywall.

However, to completely stop it? Yeah, I would agree your not going to stop even if these restrictions were put in place.

No, not completely stop bounties why? A solution for this problem with bounty reports is so easy.

Reports should be sent using a PM to bounty manager. Problem solved.

I wonder if the automatic generation of negative merits might help. You get one neg for 5 pooposts that are deleted in a single month, and one neg for every deleted post after the first 5.. At worst this would increase the cost of up ranking,and could result in down ranking.

Another alternative would be to introduce a 'spammer' rank. 10 pooposts in a 14 day period means you are ranked as spammer for 30 days. Spammers' posts are not counted, and sig rights are removed.

This is great idea JetCash. This is something that could be implemented, I think.

[Welsh]

No, not completely stop bounties why? A solution for this problem with bounty reports is so easy.

Reports should be sent using a PM to bounty manager. Problem solved.

Have you tried doing that? I've sent PMs to signature managers paying in BTC, and not bounties which are a little more respected for their quality wise. Yet, they didn't care. In fact they didn't even bother answering me. I linked several posts of the offenders posts that I reported at the same time. They were removed. They don't care as long as they are getting paid.

If you tried this method with all the bounty managers do you really think they will care? Especially if they are running the bounty for their company, and aren't hiring an independent bounty manager.