This thing with the accounts' farming has to stop...

[BlackHatCoiner]

Is there a lot of account farming these days or is it just me? It gets annoying, because once I read the replies of a post I immediately realize that the original poster is a liar. The posts aren't off-topic, but there should be a rule to prevent this annoyance. The guy behind these accounts draws attention; it makes it pretty clear to understand that the accounts are related.

Take this for example: I bought my first 500 us dollars Bitcoin! [archive.org]. The first page is consisted of 18 alt accounts with the same activity/post count and no merits. You'll observe that the guy behind these accounts was just submitting meaningless posts and then logging out from each account to log in to the next one. Each post time difference is around 2 minutes. Then, he did it again 4 hours later.

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

[jackg]

I don't know if sales are as public/often as the used to be. They only need one merit to take part in bounties though so that might be what they're doing. The other thing I could think is that people buy and sell aged accounts so they might be waiting a while for that to be good (if the forum is still going) or they might already have a buyer to take those accounts off them once they get a certain amount of merit (if they do) .

[Little Mouse]

I don't think account farming is so popular nowadays, not at least the thread you shared is related to farming because it’s not anymore possible to farm account without contributing in the forum. They have some secret plan may be.
If you google bitcointalk account buy sell, you will get a lot of forums where accounts can be sold. I don't know how much an account can be worth but considering the current number of available signature campaign and the bull market, price should be higher.

[Charles-Tim]

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

What I just know is that if an account are just bought, you will realize that it is a bought account, if you check the date such account were registered on this forum, you will notice the day will be before when merit system was implemented, merit system do not make account sales possible unlike before.

Before, only a single member can have 5 to 10 accounts. But because such account are out of merits in the last 120 days which can not let such person to join new campaign, some will use such accounts for bounties, or the person will just sell the accounts.

[LeGaulois]

It's not always about signature campaigns so they may don't care about merits and don't need any.

Account farming can also be used to manipulate opinions, hijack a competitor's topic, create a fake interest in service...
There are a lot of shady users here, ready to do anything for some bucks. They would sell their parents if they could.
Even if the purpose is to enter campaigns, they may have an account with several merits to spare which they will later disperse as time goes on.
The good thing is it can be easy to know later who's behind.

But these fake conversations are so boring, I ignore the whole topic when it becomes obvious by the third or fourth post.


Hard to stop that, especially if each account has a unique IP. Evidence is not proof.
I can't imagine moderators checking who's the topic starter and check who is replying.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I don't think account farming is so popular nowadays, not at least the thread you shared is related to farming because it’s not anymore possible to farm account without contributing in the forum.

Account farming is definitely not as prevalent as it was before the merit system was implemented in 2018.  Though I don't regularly visit Bitcoin Discussion, I used to see crap like what OP is describing in literally every other thread.  There would be consecutive posts by legions of members with the same registration date and even very similar usernames, and it was obvious what was going on.

It got so bad that actmyname and I started giving negative feedback to account farmers (and shitposters in general), and there was a huge outcry in Meta around December 2017 because of all the negs we were leaving--it was a bad use of the trust system, but that was the only tool we had at our disposal to fight these idiots at the time.  And since then I rarely notice obvious account farmers anymore.

And why?  It's all because of the merit system.  Merit is nearly impossible for the average shitposting account farmer to get, and it would take them many years to rank up even 3 accounts to Sr. Member unless they bought merits.  So OP, I'd report garbage posts from account farmers when you see them, but other than that there's not much the community can do.

[yahoo62278]

If there is money to be made, whether it be today or years from now, then account farming will always be happening. Between bounties and sig campaigns, these farmers can make a decent weekly income with little to worry about. They get 5 accounts with neg rep it's no big deal because they have 50 others.

Report their posts wherever you can and hope the banhammer finds them. Also you can post connected accounts in the connected accts thread in the reputation section.

[lovesmayfamilis]

On the contrary, I often see farm accounts. Growing such a farm is also very popular today. See who is participating in the bounty awards? Farmers today are becoming savvy, realizing that opening accounts in one day is fraught with quick discovery detection. Therefore, they are registered on different days, but one owner can have a lot of accounts. Participation in bumping to raise interest in the project also remains popular. Then, having typed the necessary activity, they begin to send merits to each other..
How can this be prevented? Until they make a clear mistake, we cannot influence this in any way. But usually, the owner sooner or later makes a mistake, and after receiving a red trust on multi-account, he either gives up or starts all over again.

[NeuroticFish]

On the contrary, I often see farm accounts. Growing such a farm is also very popular today

I also agree to this.
I expect that certain farmed accounts can go after a while for low-requirement altcoin bounty campaigns, free raffles, probably some even buy merit (and then indeed exchange it between each other).
And as said, they can easily become an army oriented against a thread, an idea or a person/account.

I don't agree though that all account farmers are savvy. Some are really smart and the accounts will easily get pretty high ranks over time; but others are just plain shitposters.

[Lucius]

Is there a lot of account farming these days or is it just me? It gets annoying, because once I read the replies of a post I immediately realize that the original poster is a liar.

Since we have a merit system, I think that such activity has decreased, but it will never disappear - because activity + 1 merit allows everyone to be a Jr. Member, and such accounts are very popular for bounty campaigns. In a particular thread it seems as if someone has decided to activate all their alt accounts, maybe just to collect activity or catch a few merits - I think the whole thread could very easily be moved in the off-topic that someone reported it as a low value topic.

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

Of course there is, you just need to look to Invites & Accounts, and you will always find a few users selling BTT accounts, after all this is not forbidden by the forum rules. Still, I don’t think anyone sells Newbie accounts, because anyone can make them themselves as much as they want.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

On the contrary, I often see farm accounts.

I don't doubt you; I probably don't visit the sections you see most of this crap going on in.  But I do feel that the problem isn't as bad as it used to be.  By the way, can members join bounties as Junior Members?  I haven't looked at signatures or the bounty section in so long I don't even know anymore.  If that's true, then I can see how owning a bunch of Jr. Member accounts would be desirable--but back in the day, everyone wanted to rank up as high as they could because sig campaigns paid higher amounts for more signature space.  I don't even know if that's the case anymore either.

Then, having typed the necessary activity, they begin to send merits to each other..

Yeah, but how do they get those merits to send to their alt accounts in the first place?  I know merits are bought and sold, but that doesn't seem like a cost-effective way to rank up a string of accounts.  Last I heard, merits were kind of expensive.

[Upgrade00]

By the way, can members join bounties as Junior Members?

I guess they do. The forum system allows Jr members to wear signatures and most users in that rank would be willing to work in a bounty for very low pay, so I assume they still can. ICOs are no longer very popular, so the situation is very likely not as bad as it used to be.

Yeah, but how do they get those merits to send to their alt accounts in the first place?  I know merits are bought and sold, but that doesn't seem like a cost-effective way to rank up a string of accounts.  Last I heard, merits were kind of expensive.

The one merit to get to Jr member isn't that steep and those who wish to circumvent the system can either buy them or post to get merits; through giveaways or other means, if they're dedicated a string of accounts could be ranked up.

[mediaBuzz]

Is there a lot of account farming these days or is it just me? It gets annoying, because once I read the replies of a post I immediately realize that the original poster is a liar. The posts aren't off-topic, but there should be a rule to prevent this annoyance. The guy behind these accounts draws attention; it makes it pretty clear to understand that the accounts are related.

Take this for example: I bought my first 500 us dollars Bitcoin! [archive.org]. The first page is consisted of 18 alt accounts with the same activity/post count and no merits. You'll observe that the guy behind these accounts was just submitting meaningless posts and then logging out from each account to log in to the next one. Each post time difference is around 2 minutes. Then, he did it again 4 hours later.

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

Possibly these are accounts of the backlink building companies. They farm backlinks and their clients don't really like comments written by fresh new accounts. Accounts with few tens of posts would add even more credibility and value to the backlink.

[UserU]

I guess they do. The forum system allows Jr members to wear signatures and most users in that rank would be willing to work in a bounty for very low pay, so I assume they still can. ICOs are no longer very popular, so the situation is very likely not as bad as it used to be.

There are some still holding ICO campaigns (I joined one previously) that pay much higher, although it was only opened to Members and above.

It paid $60 in tokens per Member.

[FIFA worldcup]

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

I don't think anyone should buy these account with hundreds of activity but no merits. It does not matter how many posts you make in an account, it will remain as a newbie unless it gets a merit. Such accounts can only be used in bounties but then again why would anyone buy so many accounts to join bounty where the returns are also very minimal for low rank members.

[JohnBitCo]

I guess they do. The forum system allows Jr members to wear signatures and most users in that rank would be willing to work in a bounty for very low pay, so I assume they still can. ICOs are no longer very popular, so the situation is very likely not as bad as it used to be.

There are some still holding ICO campaigns (I joined one previously) that pay much higher, although it was only opened to Members and above.

It paid $60 in tokens per Member.

We are taking about here Newbies accounts, for Member you still need 10 merits. Secondly i disagree that bounties pay good amount as most of them never make it to the exchanges.
As per your experience, were the $60 per member were earned every week or it was the total reward for few months ?

[UserU]

We are taking about here Newbies accounts, for Member you still need 10 merits. Secondly i disagree that bounties pay good amount as most of them never make it to the exchanges.
As per your experience, were the $60 per member were earned every week or it was the total reward for few months ?

They were paid on a weekly basis. Here's the thread of it below:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5331069.0

[lovesmayfamilis]

Well, here you can immediately see everyone who has already outgrown the bounty reward and stopped going to the section of alternative reward altogether.
But I go there very often, and I can assure you that newcomers without merits, as well as everyone with red tags, can still be accepted into such companies. And then, of course, the question arises: why do people do this? What do they have from this? This is where their alternative accounts come to the rescue. I am more than sure that there are very few "honest" bounty hunters today. Not a single reasonable person will work for days without having anything for it. There are bounty hunters who have farms and are difficult to find, and there are those who register not for quality, but quantity. If one account goes into a ban, then another one follows, which was grown for this.
Since it is not forbidden to have alternative accounts, the farms will live. But since the topic is about how to stop all this chaos, it would be easy to limit the number of registrations of alternative accounts to 3. Everything that will be registered from one more IP should be blocked. And also block the registration of accounts, which already had a ban from the IP.
But this has already been discussed many times, and everyone is talking about the decentralization and democracy of the forum, so farms have existed and will continue to exist.

[Lucius]

I noticed another thread with the same accounts, so even though it's mostly a post that is one or two sentences - some posts are still a bit more serious (somewhat). Since we have not yet established the reason for this behavior, maybe this will be useful to someone in the future when he researches these accounts.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5340236.0 (archived)

[Smartvirus]

Take this for example: I bought my first 500 us dollars Bitcoin! [archive.org]. The first page is consisted of 18 alt accounts with the same activity/post count and no merits. You'll observe that the guy behind these accounts was just submitting meaningless posts and then logging out from each account to log in to the next one. Each post time difference is around 2 minutes. Then, he did it again 4 hours later.

You can imagine the nonsense! One thing these guys fail to understand is that, they actually live traces no matter how careful they tend to get in perpetuating this wrong against the forum. Unfortunately, for the forum not to be biased and to be fare to everyone by giving them the benefit of the doubt, the way to prosecution is very difficult. As you've got to prove beyond all reasonable doubt. Again, there would always be mistakes and when the day or reckoning actually comes around, your sure @those who farm accounts, you won't be available on the forum to tell the tale.

Is there an actual bitcointalk account marketplace? How can this be really profitable for someone? I wouldn't pay more than two cents satoshis for such account.

2 satoshi!!! Thats really poor but, it somehow makes it look like, account farming could be valued at that rate. The best thing is not to even but at all. In that way, they would understand that its meaningless to farm an account with the sole purpose of trading it off. Unfortunately,  not every user has the mind set of actually by passing these guys that farms accounts.

If I may be bold to suggest something, throwing in a bate and hope that it hooks some users would be another way to go about catching the petronizers that allows this behaviour to trend.