Everyone keeps saying people are a "Paid Shill", is there any truth to this?

[BitWhale]

I've yet to see anyone offer mass amounts of people the opportunity to do paid shilling for them. I'd imagine even if it was done in the privacy of private messaging or some other forum unknown to us, some where there has to be proof. You guys are good at digging, I'd imagine someone has something eh?

Im being completely honest and serious here. I'd love to see proof of this happening. Can anyone supply it?

Thanks!

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[Chris!]

This should either be in Meta or off topic, I can't really decide.


Paid shill, shill, they're all the same. They have an agenda to take down a certain company/cryptocurrency and it's always obvious (because shills aren't the brightest/subtlest).

[Backside walkaround]

I have seen similar accusations bandied about on 9/11 conspiracy sites.  All the time.  It's the most convenient way for a paranoid person to explain why someone doesn't agree with him.

However, on this forum in particular there may very well be shills for altcoins.  I don't think people are actually paid to do it, but I think developers may use alts to pump their own coins.  Or bash others.  But mostly people are just passionate about one coin or another, or one conspiracy or another, and just post because of that passion.

[BitWhale]

ok cool, that's what I thought too. I agree that people tend to be biased by what ever they are holding in their wallets, but I hear people say stuff like this on nearly a daily basis:

why the fook do you bother posting on this site i just dont get it you are a complete troll like seriously wise up wasting your time  hahahaha

The answer is easy, he is a paid shill... his only goal here is to spread misinformation and to bad mouth Bitcoin. Just have a look at the post history and the whole objective of his presence here is laid

They always say "PAID shill" which gives the impression that someone is actually paying for this service. lol. It cracks me up because its about as conspiracy theory as it gets. I've seen many people use this term, typically the same three dudes always fighting in the altcoin dicussions. Spoetnik, Minecache, and that other dude lol.

So now I am curious, I want to see an instance of actual paid shills. I'm sure if people are getting paid there will be at least one instance of it on the internet somewhere, possibly a disgruntled ex-shillployee?

and to the three dudes I mentioned, please don't take this as a personal attack (even though undoubtedly you will), I am merely curious.

[DooMAD]

It's fair to assume the majority of such accusations are merely failed personal attacks.  People can't make a substantive rebuttal to an argument, so they attempt to discredit the opposition by calling them a shill.  I generally take it as a sign they've lost the debate.  It's unlikely there's much money changing hands just for someone to spout an agenda on the internet.

[Carlton Banks]

Currency is literally the most effective political tool that exists. You're trying to say that Central Bankers wouldn't be interested in either controlling or neutering Bitcoin? :\

If any internet discourse is going to attract shills, it's alternative currencies for which there is no effective reprimand based on law/force. The "paid" part is of course an assumption, but not an unreasonable one. Certain Bitcoin-coup shills were caught spending unusually long periods of time on Bitcointalk.org for an ordinary human being with an occupation, let alone a professional shill (the Franky1 account, for instance, posted continuously for 24+ hours consecutively, implying multiple persons sharing the account). That's highly organised strategy, if the Frankies aren't getting paid money, they're working pretty hard for nothing.

[Herbert2020]

one of the biggest case that comes to my mind is the altcoin and altcoin pumpers, you think ethereum got where it is right now based on being "good" no if you remember the beginning of it, there were numerous users spamming every corner of this forum and other places. and i am not surprised to find out that they were getting paid to do it.

because nobody goes around especially on reddit sending every person a personal message telling them eth is the shit and for free. they even replied you if you said something to them!!

[Lauda]

It's fair to assume the majority of such accusations are merely failed personal attacks. 

You shouldn't make such assumptions IMHO since we practically have zero data regarding this in the Bitcoin ecosystem (as far as I'm aware of). Keep in mind that "paid shills" go back to the early days of the internet (I also recall a smartphone company doing this not long ago, not sure which one it was).

You're trying to say that Central Bankers wouldn't be interested in either controlling or neutering Bitcoin? :\

They most certainly would be. The people participating in the ecosystem are the most vulnerable part.

That's highly organised strategy, if the Frankies aren't getting paid money, they're working pretty hard for nothing.

Indeed.
Generally I'd say that it isn't easy to tell who may actually be a shill, but there are definitely many spread among the community.

[dogie]

Yes. Absolutely, undoubtedly yes. Global labour is cheap enough that any westerner with any sort of vendetta can spend an inconsequential amount of money to harass people / organisations.

[Amph]

just don't confuse someone that has a different opinion on the matter with a paid shill, i see this lately

it seems like right now everyone is paying for posting even those without signature, there are other kind of signature campaign that pay you without the need to wear a signature, there are some users enrolled in them

[suchmoon]

I've yet to see anyone offer mass amounts of people the opportunity to do paid shilling for them. I'd imagine even if it was done in the privacy of private messaging or some other forum unknown to us, some where there has to be proof. You guys are good at digging, I'd imagine someone has something eh?

Im being completely honest and serious here. I'd love to see proof of this happening. Can anyone supply it?

Thanks!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1033266.0

[European Central Bank]

one of the biggest case that comes to my mind is the altcoin and altcoin pumpers, you think ethereum got where it is right now based on being "good" no if you remember the beginning of it, there were numerous users spamming every corner of this forum and other places. and i am not surprised to find out that they were getting paid to do it.

I can absolutely believe this about alts and certain companies. wasn't the gold collapsing/ bitcoin up guy paid insane amounts to hawk some mining company? a vast amount of people here are gullible, greedy and corrupt.

what I do have trouble believing is the other accusation thrown around occasionally that people on here are paid by banksters and three letter agencies to disrupt this community.

I guess it's conceivable but the level of trolling is so pathetic that I can't believe anyone would pay someone for it.

[dogie]

I've yet to see anyone offer mass amounts of people the opportunity to do paid shilling for them. I'd imagine even if it was done in the privacy of private messaging or some other forum unknown to us, some where there has to be proof. You guys are good at digging, I'd imagine someone has something eh?

Im being completely honest and serious here. I'd love to see proof of this happening. Can anyone supply it?

Thanks!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1033266.0

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=549403.0

[Quickseller]

just don't confuse someone that has a different opinion on the matter with a paid shill, i see this lately

Although there are some instances of "paid shills" I believe them to be far and few-in-between.

I think the overwhelming majority of the time, a "paid shill" or a "sockpuppet" is simply someone who does not agree with a certain viewpoint, and instead of attacking the viewpoint, someone will simply claim they are a "paid shill" or a "sockpuppet" -- this is not unlike an ad hominem attack. (there are a lot more instances of people using sockpuppets then there that of "paid shills" although not all sockpuppets will vouch or side with their "owner")

[eddie13]

What's the bounty for building a shill army?

MANI will have the biggest shill army of the crypto history. Make it happen.

Pay close attention..

[ABitNut]

just don't confuse someone that has a different opinion on the matter with a paid shill, i see this lately

Although there are some instances of "paid shills" I believe them to be far and few-in-between.

I think the overwhelming majority of the time, a "paid shill" or a "sockpuppet" is simply someone who does not agree with a certain viewpoint, and instead of attacking the viewpoint, someone will simply claim they are a "paid shill" or a "sockpuppet" -- this is not unlike an ad hominem attack. (there are a lot more instances of people using sockpuppets then there that of "paid shills" although not all sockpuppets will vouch or side with their "owner")

You heard it from the expert on sock puppets. Heed their advice.

I can understand that there are fewer "paid" shills since it's so easy to create some alt accounts and sock puppet all over the place.

[European Central Bank]

I can understand that there are fewer "paid" shills since it's so easy to create some alt accounts and sock puppet all over the place.

considering how willing people are to debase themselves for pathetic amounts of btc on here, I can well believe they'd devote 24 hours a day of stirring if some alt developer gave them 1 satoshi. this place is filled with whores.

[suchmoon]

I can understand that there are fewer "paid" shills since it's so easy to create some alt accounts and sock puppet all over the place.

considering how willing people are to debase themselves for pathetic amounts of btc on here, I can well believe they'd devote 24 hours a day of stirring if some alt developer gave them 1 satoshi. this place is filled with whores.

Proper shilling requires more skill than e.g. sig campaign spamming. Cheap ones would be worse than useless, would make a mockery of their shilling subject.

On the other hand many shitcoin shills are likely bagholders themselves, not needing any additional incentive other than their own delusion.

[ndnh]

Everything exists.

Usually when some idiot vouches for a brand new site to get activity, he becomes a paid shill to others who post that to get campaign earnings.

[Blazed]

I doubt that most shills actually get paid. It seems that a lot of people that are into crypto get very emotional about it for some strange reason. I compare it to religious people...an obsession they feel they need to push on others. I also think the term "FUD" is about as overused as "Paid Shill".