Clean Up the ANN Altcoins Section

[tk808]

The ANN altcoin section has increasingly become a cesspool of useless shitcoins and scams (more than ever, it's more problematic now then it was 2-6 years ago). Mods are virtually inactive there, only reliant on users to report to the admins themselves. Many users are reposting notable coin ANNs in hopes of scamming/luring the naive and unsuspecting user.


Break up the ANN Altcoin section into 3 categories:

1) POW/POS/100% Airdrop distributed coins and all distributions that have nothing to do with sales.

2) ICO/IEO/STO section (Blockchain Mainnets) - pertaining to any crypto/blockchain that has a sale associated with it. These are mainnet blockchains.

3) ICO/IEO/STO (Smart Contracts/DApps) (Tokens section enforcing). Therefore any coins getting posted to ICO/IEO/STO section, that are not mainnet launching or swapping to native chain, get placed in tokens section. Any type of smart contract, from ERC to NEP, DAPP or w/e. Tokens/Dapps and etc.


4) Hire more mods and enforce sectional divide, include more rules and restrictions. For example, ICO/IEO/STO section rule for displaying who's behind the project/conducting the sale. The POW/Mining/POS/100% free distributed coins don't need this enforcement, but will require heavier user intervention.

5) Users who are newbie or even JR. rank should not be allowed to post in ICO/IEO/STO threads/Forums. This will hurt some, but will prevent the majority of botted/puppet accounts bumping threads, creating mass spam.



This is a really simple framework, but the problem is that ANN section leads to the large portion of the altcoin section. Token section is used, but highly avoided. Bring back dignity to ANN Altcoins, all it takes is some mod intervention, a few new rules and willingness for the community to help.


Add anything else you'd like to see, or how you'd organize it. I quickly put this thread together to begin the discussion.

[Vod]

The ANN altcoin section has increasingly become a cesspool of useless shitcoins and scams (more than ever, it's more problematic now then it was 2-6 years ago).

So, you have been around a while and know more than the newbies, right?

Do something like this.  Make a useful post, outlining guidelines that people should follow.  That will make it easier to reference the guidelines and silence scams.  Clear it with a mod first so it can be stickied.    Soon you find other users referencing your post and the community will start to police itself. 

[cabalism13]

Cleaning would be necessary but I don't think giving it another 3 sections would minimize the spam. We might just forbid newbies (Unless they're a Copper Member) from hanging around, not to mention those Thread Starters of shitty alts. I've been visiting that Board to find a Legit Alt,but unluckily I haven't found any. And I do have to agree with you that the majority of these shits are just scams, so a Mod would be likely needed.

@hilariousetc can you stick your nose to that section for a while?

B&H is looking good compared to the times back then, and I hope it will be the same for the Altcoin Section.

Make a useful post, outlining guidelines that people should follow.  That will make it easier to reference the guidelines and silence scams.  Clear it with a mod first so it can be stickied.    Soon you find other users referencing your post and the community will start to police itself. 

I still doubt that it can minimize the number of scam attempts.

[Vod]

I still doubt that it can minimize the number of scam attempts.

It has in the lending section.  Each time I visit there now, any newb asking for a no collateral loan has already been tagged. 

[LogitechMouse]

I think the best idea to clean up the ANN Altcoin section is to require a minimum rank to post on that section. Maybe a minimum of Jr. Member or Member will do and if the OP of the ANN is a newbie, he can get a copper membership. I think this can reduce the spam on that section since most of the posters there are newbies.

Just a suggestion for me

[Bitlover10]

With some changes of point number 5 I am agree with you . Users who have newbies, junior member or copper members should not be allowed to create new topics in that sections. They could reply on that topic but not able to create new topics in those sections. I included copper members too because if anyone wants to scam people they easily can pay few dollars for buying copper membership and able to create new scam thread. Even if their account get tag from scammy behavior they again can buy and start doing same. So I think only member or above rank members could be allowed to create new topic their.

[bigatenz]

Add anything else you'd like to see, or how you'd organize it. I quickly put this thread together to begin the discussion.

And also all of us (concerned members ) can click the report to moderator function (with well explained report comment) it will be a great help to help moderators and staff to manage things.

[jademaxsuy]

Yes, It was happening a couple of years already and no one does really care in that section. There too many good lies that could get more investors and then scam the project. I have seen good project at start like promoting it for the best but later the project is not really worth and will definitely get to fail after listing it on exchanges.

[CryptoReggae]

The Spam in the ALTCOIN section is a real problem. One way to solve it is definitely to limit the new posts and answers to those who have a minimum of messages. 10 messages be a minimum number.

There are automatic bots that change nicknames to each post, and are exploited by posting spam or viruses, I think there is urgency to intervene as soon as possible.

[Csmiami]

The Spam in the ALTCOIN section is a real problem. One way to solve it is definitely to limit the new posts and answers to those who have a minimum of messages. 10 messages be a minimum number.

There are automatic bots that change nicknames to each post, and are exploited by posting spam or viruses, I think there is urgency to intervene as soon as possible.

That said spam wouldn't be a problem if people stopped creating shitcoins out of the blue with no porpuse other than speculation and scam, and people joining the forum read about bitcoin a bit rather than going for a quick buck.

The best way to stopp ANN spamming is just ignoring new ANNs

[CryptoReggae]

That said spam wouldn't be a problem if people stopped creating shitcoins out of the blue with no porpuse other than speculation and scam, and people joining the forum read about bitcoin a bit rather than going for a quick buck.

The best way to stopp ANN spamming is just ignoring new ANNs

I disagree. I personally find it really annoying and especially counterproductive to the "less experienced" and beginners; If these scammers continue to post scam ads they probably have major revenues.

I personally report every single post (I have over 1900 reports to 97% positive) but this is not enough because often the admins intervene after hours

To be honest the admin in recent months are very fast in the interventions, much more than in the past, but limiting the publication of new messages and answers would eliminate much of the problem and greatly improve the work of the admin reducing the Work.

After all, if you are a legitimate project, it would be enough to pay a copper account, it costs little and allows you to publish professionally. This obviously does not warrant the legitimacy of a product/project but would help to greatly improve to reduce spam.

If you have good intentions pay and publish immediately, otherwise no one will restrict you to publish as long as they have a minimum of post before posting answers and new announcements. I think it's pretty balanced as a solution.

That said, you have to say thanks to the admin for the good work they are doing.

[Stratobitz]

Do something like this[/url].  Make a useful post, outlining guidelines that people should follow.  That will make it easier to reference the guidelines and silence scams.  Clear it with a mod first so it can be stickied.    Soon you find other users referencing your post and the community will start to police itself.  

I agree with the OP's sentiment about the Altcoin: Announcements section here on the forum.

But Vod has a valid point. Cleaning up that thread will not only be a massive undertaking, but establishing the standards of etiquette and procedures for ANN Posts would be an undertaking in and of itself.

Personally- I think a very straight forward, reasonably easy to implement the solution. Moderating this solution (unless Simple Machines Forum can auto-moderate posts as done on Reddit) would be another story.

The ANN Section is challenging to read; it's challenging to find the information one is searching for. It's filled with a lot of bumped up dead threads. Posts that seem to come out of nowhere, and you have to filter through these on top of everything else.

I'd like to see:

A Standardized Subject Format.

As on Reddit, (Known as Reddiquitte) and other forums, the post must meet strict requirements, or it is typically auto-flagged and never gets posted at all.

A SIMPLE SUBJECT FORMAT OF:    [Post Type] | [Proper Name of Project] - [TICKER]: 80 Character Description [ALGO][POS/POW]

That's a very rudimentary markup I just did. But that alone would make reading that section world's easier.

Secondly, I'd only say if a Thread within the ANN section hasn't been active or replied to within X days (60 perhaps):  Auto Archive it out. . If active again, the OP would have to contact a Moderator for review.

Policing the forums with human moderators or auto-moderating (if possible) or a combination of both would make the Bitcointalk forum - specifically the Altcoin Announcement Section, a much better community for users to post their projects.

Cheers!

Strato

[mikeywith]

4) Hire more mods

I can only think that it will take a fortune to be actually able to fund such an operation, that board will need at least a few tens of mods , even small boards are hard to keep "clean" , the problem with that board is that people don't use the "report to moderator" quite often, simply because the majority are there to gain some worthless tokens here and there.

it is safe to say that with the current "freedom" this forum offers to it's members, there is nothing much that can be done , if you really care about that board (most members don't ) then simply start reporting spam/off-topic posts.

[CryptoReggae]

it is safe to say that with the current "freedom" this forum offers to it's members, there is nothing much that can be done , if you really care about that board (most members don't ) then simply start reporting spam/off-topic posts.

It would be useful to give an incentive to those who make a report (positive),certainly this would increase the reports.
I do my possible, surely others might help, but an incentive could be a further boost.

[Csmiami]

It would be useful to give an incentive to those who make a report (positive),certainly this would increase the reports.
I do my possible, surely others might help, but an incentive could be a further boost.

Theymos is already thinking about something similar to that here , but if any other kind of "incentive" is given, report-spamming could increase very much

4) Hire more mods

I can only think that it will take a fortune to be actually able to fund such an operation, that board will need at least a few tens of mods , even small boards are hard to keep "clean" , the problem with that board is that people don't use the "report to moderator" quite often, simply because the majority are there to gain some worthless tokens here and there.

it is safe to say that with the current "freedom" this forum offers to it's members, there is nothing much that can be done , if you really care about that board (most members don't ) then simply start reporting spam/off-topic posts.

Couldn't agree more

[Lafu]

Break up the ANN Altcoin section into 3 categories:

1) POW/POS/100% Airdrop distributed coins and all distributions that have nothing to do with sales.

2) ICO/IEO/STO section (Blockchain Mainnets) - pertaining to any crypto/blockchain that has a sale associated with it. These are mainnet blockchains.

3) ICO/IEO/STO (Smart Contracts/DApps) (Tokens section enforcing). Therefore any coins getting posted to ICO/IEO/STO section, that are not mainnet launching or swapping to native chain, get placed in tokens section. Any type of smart contract, from ERC to NEP, DAPP or w/e. Tokens/Dapps and etc.

Dosnt bring much because there are still some freaky Users that posts everywhere there ANNs , there are already some who post there ANNs in the Mining section too. And that Users not Newbies !

4) Hire more mods and enforce sectional divide, include more rules and restrictions. For example, ICO/IEO/STO section rule for displaying who's behind the project/conducting the sale. The POW/Mining/POS/100% free distributed coins don't need this enforcement, but will require heavier user intervention.

5) Users who are newbie or even JR. rank should not be allowed to post in ICO/IEO/STO threads/Forums. This will hurt some, but will prevent the majority of botted/puppet accounts bumping threads, creating mass spam.

If they not be allowed to post with that ranks they buy some Accounts and doing that , also if there are some real Users that want to make posts and they cant isnt helping the Forum

[tk808]

Dosnt bring much because there are still some freaky Users that posts everywhere there ANNs , there are already some who post there ANNs in the Mining section too. And that Users not Newbies !

If they not be allowed to post with that ranks they buy some Accounts and doing that , also if there are some real Users that want to make posts and they cant isnt helping the Forum

1) That's entirely up to Mods, but having more coherent and organized sections will reduce overall spam and thus users will be less inclined to market their coins elsewhere on the forums. But yeah, admins moderating wrong posts in incorrect sections

2) They already do this in mass quantity, most ANNs are made up of 10-100s of fake accounts bumping the thread and further exacerbating spam throughout the entire section (you have to utilize puppets to have any effect).

3) If you're posting a Sale, then you should have some sort of forum reputation. Restricting 1-3 projects from posting because they don't have rank will still be insignfcant in comparison to the hundreds of other projects posting scams, pure shitcoins and spamming their threads with puppets. I mean we're talking about money here, if a person is seeking investments then devoting a small bit of time to prove you're not a scammer on BTT isn't that difficult (ofc this is not fullproof, but will reduce the ease of scamming). Creating that barrier will greatly increase quality of threads and all projects. Again, this is for only the supposed "ICO/Sale" type ANN subsection. Mining/no-cost coins will not have to have these types if restrictions.

Restricting new account from posting in sales is perfectly fine, or account that have not received 1 merit.


Whatever system gets implemented will have repercussions and unforeseen consequences, but if forum mods/admins and etc want to do something to correct the problem, any solution will be better than the current.

I bring this all up because scammers are reposting notable ANN threads, from Nem, DASH and etc, coins in existence and trying to capture unknowing users into their chirade of bad links. What's occurring now is getting out of hand.  

Aside from all that, BTT is losing traffic to other sources. I know altcoins is not a focus, but it once was a leader for all altcoins, with a little bit of effort you can reclaim that title and create a semi-safe and clean environment for users.

[Csmiami]

1) That's entirely up to Mods, but having more coherent and organized sections will reduce overall spam and thus users will be less inclined to market their coins elsewhere on the forums. But yeah, admins moderating wrong posts in incorrect sections

Disagree, that will just bury the spam deeper into the forum, not prevent it from happening