Alts vs farm.

[uchegod-21]

For some days or weeks now, there's a thread in reputation board - PytagoraZ & komisariatku are alts. I followed up the thread to the extent that I believed that PytagoraZ is a different person from Komisariatku, but I didn't air my opinion. But on visiting the thread again, I discovered that everything was bursted.

What prompted this thread is this;

Just for a quick recap, if all the names of the associated accounts are compiled then this is what the complete list should appear as:

akbarharyadi8
asrinur
coklat gurih
cyberdg
Hagz
havi agasa
komisariatku
Maftukh
nyupangcoin
pentol86
PytagoraZ
razor92
tu_kang

Personally, I would not limit the total to the names mentioned above because once the can of worms is opened, it usually leads to surprises.

• It is allowed to own alts.
• How many alts will one own and it will become a farm?
• Is farm accounts without merit sharing, cheating campaigns or contests allowed?

I will need some experience users to give an answer.
  

[1714243008]

1714243008

[1714243008]

1714243008

[Nwada001]

In as much as you said you need experience users to explain to you, I will give my one scent to how I understand the whole alt and account farming of a thing and how it could lead to being seen as something bad. 
 
As far as I know, the forum permits alt accounts, but having too many accounts does not do the forum any good, and where the accounts can be classified as account farming is if you are sharing merit between the alt accounts, like sending from account A to account B and down to how many alts you have and also reverse, and also using all the accounts to fish for merit on threads where you see that easy merits are coming out, like some of the big art, baking, and caving contests in the forum. 
 
Another one is also using accounts against campaign rules, like participating in the same contest or campaign where other accounts are not allowed.

[acroman08]

• It is allowed to own alts.

Yes, as many as you want

• How many alts will one own and it will become a farm?

This is just enirely my opinion. I think more than two but it's not just about how many accounts will one own but its also about how the accounts is going to be used. I mean, If the accounts is going to be used for nefarious reason like cheating campaigns, giveaways, bounties, etc... then people will consider it as account farming and if not, then I don't think they will.

• Is farm accounts without cheating campaigns or contests allowed?

Yeah, that is basically just owning alt accounts, it can only become a problem if you use your alt accounts to abuse signature campaign, contests, giveaways, etc...

[decodx]

According to my understanding, having alt accounts for your personal use is allowed. And this is acceptable by the community as long as there is no form of abuse, such as merit abuse, bounty or contest cheating, and so on.

Alt account farming is a process of creating and using multiple accounts in a forum to gain an advantage that wouldn't be possible with a single account. This advantage can come in many forms, like using them in forum contests, manipulating polls, or cheating in bounties. Account farming was likely more popular before the merit system, as forum ranks were solely based on activity back then. This ultimately led to the reselling of alt accounts to third parties for participation in signature campaigns.

[SatoPrincess]

It is allowed to own alts.

Yes alt accounts are allowed as long as they are not used to cheat the merit system, signature campaigns and contests.

• How many alts will one own and it will become a farm?

This is subjective. For me, having three or more accounts is too much and can be considered a farm because it’s obvious you’re creating these accounts for financial gain either to join signature campaigns, collect loans or just good old fashion account selling business.

• Is farm accounts without merit sharing, cheating campaigns or contests allowed?

Technically, they would be allowed and will be only be given a neutral tag to show that the accounts are connected. But in my experience, account farms usually do something stupid that will cost them their reputation like using AI to make posts, plagiarism or replying themselves in a thread.

[komisariatku]

Do you really not know about something like that? You are a hero. Having an alt is something that is allowed and loycev also has an alt. If you want to discuss my past mistakes, you can post them on the reputation board. I've also explained a lot of things there.

If you're posting this for merit or to chase your weekly posting target, then keep going, it's a good effort and good luck

[mindrust]

Cheating contests, sig camps and merit sharing are obviously no good practices but there is one more thing:

People with many alts can create fake discussions, fake debates, support each other’s opinions and affect other people’s opinions that way. This is way worse than abusing sig camps imo.

You don’t have to declare your alts publicly and you can have as many alts as you want. You won’t get into trouble unless you do the unethical stuff I mentioned above.

Sometimes people create alts just to voice their unpopular opinion but they don’t want their main account to be labeled with any negative/neutral trust ratings. That’s a good and ethical reason to create an anonymous alt account.

[uchegod-21]

Do you really not know about something like that? You are a hero. Having an alt is something that is allowed and loycev also has an alt. If you want to discuss my past mistakes, you can post them on the reputation board. I've also explained a lot of things there.

If you're posting this for merit or to chase your weekly posting target, then keep going, it's a good effort and good luck

Dude, if you read Op well, you will discover that this post is not about you. I'm sorry about your fate, I don't have the power to save you, I would have.

Cheating contests, sig camps and merit sharing are obviously no good practices but there is one more thing:

People with many alts can create fake discussions, fake debates, support each other’s opinions and affect other people’s opinions that way. This is way worse than abusing sig camps imo.

Wow!
I haven't thought of it from this angle. So, one with alts can create a poll and use their alts to influence the poll result. It is a bad thing and as you mentioned can in some cases be worse than cheating signature campaigns.

[Timelord2067]

If you're farming alts don't be surprised if you start getting negative trust feed-backs and negative DT trusts from numerous other users.

[lovesmayfamilis]

Why are so many alternative accounts created? There will be no questions about two or three accounts. Work, home, mobile. And often, such accounts do not hide themselves. But it is very, very rare that more than four alternative accounts will be created without participating in the same bounty or signature companies and without sending merits to each other. Even if such a thing exists, such a number of posts is simply incredible work, and it is doubtful that a person will create good posts.
Therefore, it is correct what Timelord2067 says: the greed of people raising farms on the forum leads to a bad ending.

[LoyceV]

loycev also has an alt.

Why me? A much better example would be a Global Moderator and Administrator with alts.

[uchegod-21]

According to my understanding, having alt accounts for your personal use is allowed.

What is meant by having alt accounts for personal use. Do people have alt accounts for general or public use? Please clarify...

But it is very, very rare that more than four alternative accounts will be created without participating in the same bounty or signature companies and without sending merits to each other. Even if such a thing exists, such a number of posts is simply incredible work, and it is doubtful that a person will create good posts.

Yea, I have read somewhere that a reputable member of this forum said that, if the energy people use to create alts is channelled to one account, the account could be exceptional, can join any signature campaign with high pay.

[Plaguedeath]

According to my understanding, having alt accounts for your personal use is allowed.

What is meant by having alt accounts for personal use. Do people have alt accounts for general or public use? Please clarify...

I think he meant to someone who want to create alt accounts, but he claimed his alts to be a different person e.g. project. Unfortunately I can't find the thread even though I already search the user topics history.

It's basically like this, I want to create a new account for my project named Bitcointalk. If Bitcointalk fails and the project can't repay the investors money, this will make the account received negative feedback. Then the next question will my personal account i.e. Plaguedeath receive a same punishment too? Most users say yes, so if you want to create an alt account regardless with any reason, it's belong to same person and risking the same reputation.

[Betwrong]

~

• It is allowed to own alts.
• How many alts will one own and it will become a farm?
• Is farm accounts without merit sharing, cheating campaigns or contests allowed?

I will need some experience users to give an answer.
  

I think there's nothing wrong with having different accounts. People may have them for various reasons, and those reasons may be pretty legit. But, of course, participating in contests/challenges with several of your alts at the same time is unfair. Merit sharing between your alts is also a shameful practice.

[EarnOnVictor]

It's heroic of you to speak up in my opinion and I won't pretend that I never saw that accusing thread but I just skipped it because it is none of my business and having alts can't be an automatic sin for breaking the rules of the forum. But let those who have the alts limit it and I do not know the reason why anyone would have more than one alt for crying out loud, if they ever had, it could be annoying and suspicious.

I've seen a reputable member of the forum having an alt and even joined campaigns with both accounts without anyone saying a word. "What is good for the goose is good for the gander," everyone is bound under the forum rules.

As for the case of @komisariatku and @PytagoraZ, it was never proven beyond a reasonable doubt as far as I am concerned, and if it is still within the limit of the two, it doesn't call for any attention.

[Amphenomenon]

loycev also has an alt.

Why me? A much better example would be a Global Moderator and Administrator with alts.

I guessed because of your high standing on the forum especially with your many tools set and guide While many don't know or remember Theymos has an alt especially since he last use it December 2021 while Hilarious is not well known to some members of the forum especially those who might have little or no knowledge about the forum or haven't noticed it on his profile/forum position.

[Alone055]

• It is allowed to own alts.

Yes, it is. Many reputable forum members have alternative accounts for different purposes. So as long as you are not using them for bad practices, you should be good. It's even better if you declare that you have an alt account so that everyone can see how you use the other account.

• How many alts will one own and it will become a farm?

The term "farming accounts" refers to the act of creating and growing multiple accounts preferably for the purpose of joining multiple signature or bounty campaigns to earn more money than you can earn while having just one account enrolled. So it doesn't refer to the amount but the act being done. You are farming accounts even if you have just one alt that you are growing with your main account and will get it enrolled in a signature campaign later when it's ready.

• Are farm accounts without merit sharing, cheating campaigns or contests allowed?

You mean alt accounts, right? Yes, you are allowed to have alt accounts if you are not farming them to cheat campaigns or contests making them have different identities and hiding from the community that it is you behind those alt.

[philipma1957]

loycev also has an alt.

Why me? A much better example would be a Global Moderator and Administrator with alts.

I have 3 or 4 alts

I do not post with them or do signatures with them.

[uchegod-21]

• It is allowed to own alts.

Yes, it is. Many reputable forum members have alternative accounts for different purposes. So as long as you are not using them for bad practices, you should be good. It's even better if you declare that you have an alt account so that everyone can see how you use the other account.

I don't know why people keep answering the one when it wasn't a question. It was just a statement while the other two are questions. Yet they are scared of giving explicit answers for number 2 and 3.

making them have different identities and hiding from the community that it is you behind those alt.

This is not a crime. In some cases, making the community know you are the person behind the account defeats the purpose of having the alt account.

[mindrust]

loycev also has an alt.

Why me? A much better example would be a Global Moderator and Administrator with alts.

I have 3 or 4 alts

I do not post with them or do signatures with them.

I am not really sure about this but you can probably join signature campaigns with them. If you inform the manager about that alt account which belongs to you, he still may let you join. I don't think there is any rule against this. Or is there?

It is unethical when you don't inform the manager about your alts and join the same campaign with multiple accounts.

Let's say your main is posting in sig camp x.
You go to camp y with your alt and got accepted. (because you won't get accepted in the same campaign with 2 accs)

Then you can post both with your main and your alt and get paid twice. As long as people know what you are doing, there shouldn't be any problems.