Is shilling links allowed now?

[Lucius]

We have all noticed that something has changed about how plagiarism/paraphrasing is currently treated on the forum but has anything changed regarding the rules concerning shilling links? In the last few days, I have reported about a dozen such cases from two users, so although all the others are (so far) unhandled, one is marked as bad which I consider as a kind of message that such posts should not be reported.

User -> Wimex
Post history -> https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1950519;sa=showPosts (archived)

User -> Coinshots
Post history -> https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=3457469;sa=showPosts (archived)

User -> franch
Post history -> https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1054884;sa=showPosts (archived)

A topic I reported in the Bitcoin discussion and which was marked as bad -> VIETNAM AGAIN CONSIDERS LEGALIZING BITCOIN



Any comment from the moderator/staff would be welcome.

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[NeuroticFish]

As long as there's actual news with meaningful content and discussion goes on based on that, it can be debatable if it's shilling or just the source based on somebody's preference.
On the other hand, I've had not long ago a reported post where the mods took the expected action, but marked my report as bad so you should not be too concerned on that.

[PX-Z]

So far, I just see two users who are just reposting news article in the forum with the news source, much better than copying some paragraphs or texts in an article without giving the source. "Shilling links" is something base on someone's perspective or the mods who handle the report.

[Rizzrack]

In the last few days, I have reported about a dozen such cases from two users, so although all the others are (so far) unhandled, one is marked as bad which I consider as a kind of message that such posts should not be reported.

This is a very used MO to start a new thread. I bet there are tens of thousands of similar looking ones. I have mixed feelings regarding them but since some of them, at least, have 1 page of replies or more I might be inclined to also leave it alone.
The fact that this particular user, Wimex, has ALL of his posts like this is the real issue. Not a single reply in one of his started threads. Only bounty campaign and cointelegraph links. I might not like that but on the other hand he did receive 45+ merit in the last 120 days for such threads so...

And regarding Coinshots ...the fact that (s)he was not even adding links in the first few posts makes me think it's not really shilling.

We are a news aggregator and we distribute crypto news as and when it happens, earlier we were just posting the snippets but some BTCtalk users asked us to post links too hence we are adding links.
do let us know if posting links is against forum rules.
Our mission is to distribute updates as they happen.

[Lucius]

As long as there's actual news with meaningful content and discussion goes on based on that, it can be debatable if it's shilling or just the source based on somebody's preference.

Obviously you haven't looked at the post history of Wimex, that member is more than obviously a paid shill who works for a certain site, and those who are familiar with what happened in the Press Board in the past know what it looks like.

On the other hand, I've had not long ago a reported post where the mods took the expected action, but marked my report as bad so you should not be too concerned on that.

I'm not worried about the report being marked as bad, but whether we should report such things at all or listen to the advice of some prominent members of the forum who say it's a waste of time.

I might not like that but on the other hand he did receive 45+ merit in the last 120 days for such threads so...

Yes, that's what I noticed also, it's weird that someone thinks such posts are worth merit, but it is a matter of personal judgment. For me, it's just copy/paste with 0% of the effort.

[NeuroticFish]

Obviously you haven't looked at the post history of Wimex, that member is more than obviously a paid shill who works for a certain site, and those who are familiar with what happened in the Press Board in the past know what it looks like.

I actually did and I know very well what you're talking about. Still, I think that if people do talk about the news - and I've seen quite a number of answers - it find it debatable.
While I would prefer to see the discussions getting smarter than based on weak, shilled, click-bait articles, without them we may end up with virtually no new posts in Press.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

And regarding Coinshots ...the fact that (s)he was not even adding links in the first few posts makes me think it's not really shilling.

IMO, posting news articles here from a news site that you're affiliated with, work for, or own, is on the borderline of shilling at least.  Personally I don't have a problem with what Coinshots is doing, because I get most of my crypto news from bitcointalk and wouldn't have stumbled across that site if he hadn't posted here.  And we've seen much the same thing before--I can't remember the website, but it was the same deal with constantly posting news blurbs and links to the site.

I'm more curious about this:

We have all noticed that something has changed about how plagiarism/paraphrasing is currently treated on the forum

Maybe I'm a bit behind, but how has any of that changed?  Have the rules around plagiarism relaxed?  And what's the state of moderation on the forum right now?  I'm wondering if Theymos needs to hire some more mods.

[Rizzrack]

IMO, posting news articles here from a news site that you're affiliated with, work for, or own, is on the borderline of shilling at least.  Personally I don't have a problem with what Coinshots is doing, because I get most of my crypto news from bitcointalk ...

As I said before, the fact that bothers me is not participating in the discussion afterwards, in the slim chance that the article's topic generates one.
If they would be active, reply, share some additional input, some personal oppinions ... act like on a forum I would not mind at all. Let them shill all day long ! I'll even promise to merit them once in a while 

Would be harder for those who own the website. They would not have much more insight ... because it's all in the article ! IDK man... not really a YES or NO question here...

[mprep]

Duplicate report. Your initial report on the thread is still unhandled. Whether it's ad spam / low value, I'm not sure, since I don't handle a lot of these types of reports. You're going to have to wait until someone who usually handles them gets to it.

On the other hand, I've had not long ago a reported post where the mods took the expected action, but marked my report as bad so you should not be too concerned on that.

Might've been a duplicate report as well though I wasn't able to verify that that's the case.

[JeromeTash]

In this thread, such members who would make only spam posts while trying to advertise their websites eventually got banned after various reports from members.
The most notorious one was the advertiser of coinpedia

We have all noticed that something has changed about how plagiarism/paraphrasing is currently treated on the forum

Maybe I'm a bit behind, but how has any of that changed?  Have the rules around plagiarism relaxed?  And what's the state of moderation on the forum right now?  I'm wondering if Theymos needs to hire some more mods.

I don't report very often. I have about 83 reported posts, with 5 of them unhandled at the moment. The highest I have ever had, Something is definitely happening about moderation

[NeuroticFish]

Might've been a duplicate report as well though I wasn't able to verify that that's the case.

I am 99.9% sure I didn't report that twice. I've looked into my history back then too.
I have only one post reported twice, but that's in 2 different days for 2 different problems (first it was off topic and got moved correctly, second is for plagiarism and it's unhandled).

But again, I'm not worried much. I know that most () of you guys (and girls?) are human and prone to mistakes now and then.

[Pmalek]

I guess the rules are a bit different if someone is link spamming in someone else's thread. In my experience, such posts get deleted if reported. Particularly if they are off-topic shills. The admins are probably more lenient when someone starts their own thread like in the examples you shared. Those two users aren't hijacking other threads. They create their own. The lack of quality and effort is obvious though.

But I think the admins won't be deleting such topics. If given a choice to go on a deletion spree and delete dozens if not hundreds of similar threads, but also lower the forum's traffic, or not do anything, let them be, and keep the traffic higher, I think most staff members will select the second option.   

[hilariousandco]

A topic I reported in the Bitcoin discussion and which was marked as bad -> VIETNAM AGAIN CONSIDERS LEGALIZING BITCOIN



Any comment from the moderator/staff would be welcome.

I didn't handle it but it says FUENTE at the bottom with the source link so if you reported that one for just plagiarism that's probably why.

[Lucius]

Duplicate report. Your initial report on the thread is still unhandled. Whether it's ad spam / low value, I'm not sure, since I don't handle a lot of these types of reports. You're going to have to wait until someone who usually handles them gets to it.

You're right, I reported that thread twice, my mistake. I don't know who solved it before, but it seems that now he is no longer active or has changed the criteria, I see no reason why the rest of you would not handle such reports if there is a rule that gives you the right to delete such thread/post.

24. Advertisements (including signatures within the post area) in posts aren't allowed unless the post is in a thread you started and is really substantial and useful

I didn't handle it but it says FUENTE at the bottom with the source link so if you reported that one for just plagiarism that's probably why.

This whole thread has nothing to do with plagiarism but with pay shills who spam with links. Bad report is for a reason already stated by @mprep.


Another member using the same strategy was added to the OP.