this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
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@pollodiabolo - this user is a karma whore of epic proportions and they have made a shit load (10-15+) accounts on kbin that boost and upvote each other while sometimes mass downvoting others that have posts trending towards the top - all to farm karma.

See top comment on this thread

You will continue to see me calling out this person and their alts. This can't and won't become another Reddit and karma whoring folks need to be called out and discouraged.

The following accounts are all the same person and in the very unlikely event they are not, they are still collectively vote manipulating.

@pollodiabolo @journalism_died @ishitwhite @muftiboy @kilkennygriffin @jeremyfurzen @syscollapse @riseupagainstthem @ruse-of-metacarpi @johnson_waters @cazzodicristo @at-fieldu @the-big-lie @Schluchtschiss @fuckoffyoudumbcunt @extremelybullish @cringeminge4 @NoCunteryForOldMen @yesbabyyy @kneel_pleb

A few of these accounts have since cleared their boosting history but with some common sense it should be easy to verify.

If I get mass downvoted, be sure to see the age of the accounts as well as whether they are on this list to gauge their authenticity. I am pretty sure this won't reach many but I'll spam it enough times so it eventually will.

EDIT: This is not a comprehensive list and there are obviously more alts. These are beyond a reasonable doubt involved in mass self-upvoting.

EDIT2: Almost every downvote I have on this post are by accounts that were made after I posted this. They all belong to the same user that I have called out here. This is pathetic and should be proof enough that vote manipulation is something we need to deal with.

EDIT3: More accounts to add to the list: @puny_human @latvianbloke @pedanticc @SONOFNAT

EDIT4: And now they've started to remove their downvotes from new accounts and add them from the list. Bruh I don't even get it at this point. I'm just gonna go to bed that person's a headache to figure out honestly. Night y'all.

Name and shame karma farmers.

EDIT5: This is an excellent example, you might see some familiar names

Image in case they decide to retract their votes again

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[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (3 children)

If you spend a few bucks to register a domain name?

A number only limited to your self-control (and self-respect) to rig votes that give you nothing IRL.

So, for this person, I am guessing hundreds.

[–] eltimablo@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

You don't even need to do that. There are email providers that will allow you to make an unlimited number of email aliases that all point back to the same address. Fastmail is one that comes to mind, but I'm sure there are others.

[–] CoWizard@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To say it gives you nothing IRL is ignorant of the online social engineering these platforms can do

[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

Ignorant?

This whole thread is an example of people who are very aware of what is possible with social engineering online and calling it out on a new platform in an attempt to at least slow the influx.

The person who is creating accounts like the energiser bunny hitting the skins is trying to use reddit tactics that have been well known since that crow vs corvid user was found boosting their content.

The difference here is that, since votes are public, their attempts are very transparent.

[–] 0xtero@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No need to spend money on domains. Gmail allows for endless aliases. Just one Gmail account is enough.

[–] quantum_hampster@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is already being looked into. Kbin doesn’t have to form validation in place yet, but it’s on the list to prevent spammers.
Essentially it will prevent emails with plus signs and periods in them

[–] lowdownfool@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

plus signs and periods in them

That would be a mistake, those are valid characters for an email address.

[–] quantum_hampster@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

You’re correct. I misstated.
Plus signs however are by and large used for aliases.

That being said, the elephant in the room isn’t Gmail or mail aliases.

[–] PabloDiscobar@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nice trick since you can hardly ban gmail as an admin.

[–] Pamasich@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

You can't ban gmail, but it shouldn't be too hard to add countermeasures against it.