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from the See-dick-mod.-See-dick-sock-mod.-See-dick-get-banned.-Don't-be-a-dick dept.
Labor Day:
In observance of Labor Day (a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September) I am hereby inviting the SoylentNews editorial staff to enjoy a three-day weekend — Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Stories will be scheduled and released on a weekend-story-spacing schedule. The holiday marks the unofficial end of summer and it often marked by parades, sales, cookouts, and the like.
These volunteers give selflessly of their spare time to try and make sure we keep the stories coming. Please join me in thanking them for their generous sacrifice of spare time and experience to keep those stories coming!
Tor:
(short for The Onion Router) is in the process of rolling out an updated protocol. ThIs update is NOT compatible with prior versions. SoylentNews has had support from the early days of the site (thanks to NCommander, IIRC). As nobody on staff has experience in this area, our support will cease at any time - the TOR site is saying October. It was laudable at the time. Unfortunately, its more recent use seems to have been primarily by spammers. As such, we could lose access to Tor at anytime as our network "neighbors" either upgrade or find themselves no longer "adjacent" to back-level versions like ours is. You can still access this site using TOR with our normal URL.
Sock Mods
We have been methodically identifying and shutting down sockpuppet accounts. These are NOT allowed. Attempts to bypass the will of the community by controlling multiple accounts is forbidden. One user, one account. Do NOT use another account (or accounts) to upmod one-or-more accounts that you control. If you do not like getting downmods, take a look at the comments you post. Sure, occasionally, someone might mis-moderate a comment by accident (heck, *I* have done it!) In our experience, such errors are generally rare and are frequently followed at some point by others, offsetting moderations.
So: "Sock mods" are being tracked. We are methodically investigating cases. Accounts are being disabled, and never in isolation. It takes agreement by at least two admins, and usually more, for any action to be taken.
If you are generally a positive contributor to the site, such impacts to your karma are usually just "line noise" in the grand scheme of things.
Mod bombs:
In a similar vein, if you disagree with someone, do not attempt to silence them by using multiple accounts to mod their comments down.
We have seen cases of both "mod bombs" and "sock mods". We have held back on taking action until we are certain. Any action taken is first confirmed by at least one other staff member. Complaining about moderation is OFF TOPIC and tends to get moderated as such.
Limits
We've previously tried to set concrete limits. "Give them an inch and they'll take a mile." I have personally witnessed cases where one account downmodded another account 4 times in one day. For ten days in a row! That was just enough to avoid getting moderations reversed, but certainly enough to show a concerted effort to moderate the commenter rather than just the comment.
This will no longer be tolerated.
Admins can see who has moderated whom. We talk among ourselves. We discuss cases that come up. It's pretty simple, really: "Don't be a jerk!"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @11:29AM (75 children)
We are not proud of what we are having to do to prevent moderation abuse. In fact, we are all disappointed that it has even been necessary. However, why do you describe it as a 'terror'? - it actually improves the site for everybody that does not need sock-puppets to make their point of view known. (I'm not sure why you blockquoted that part - it wasn't a quotation from anything previous.)
We are aiming to bring the abuse under control so that the vast majority can continue having free and open discussions without a few idiots trying to control the direction of the conversation in some way.
(Score: 0, Troll) by weilawei on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:04PM (30 children)
I see what you're doing, and.. well it's your website. I view the changes with trepidation, because these same sorts of announcements on Slashdot preceding the removal of anonymous posting, pseudoanonymous posting, then more recently, word filters (the word "nazi" was banned, to no avail, to not stopping spam or ASCII art or anything.
Also, SN came out of that whole, "Fuck Beta", thing. Those kinds of events lead to people seeing your website as unusable for discussion. Sock puppets do suck, but the explosion of them at Slashdot was a response to anonymous posting or pseudo anonymous posting being yanked because, "were are the admins and we know better."
Fun fact? My almost 2 decades old account got banned there, without abuse on my part or warning on theirs. Is that what's going to happen here? You admins seems really excited to tell us how admin powerful you are and how you can see everything.
It's not a good look, mate.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:23PM (11 children)
What alternative do you suggest to deal with it, or just let it go and learn to live with it?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:37PM (10 children)
Don't know that I have the answer, but I won't leave you with just the problems:
One part of the original answer was more moderation options, like Disagree. That does seem to have helped. I was merely noting previously encountered issues and the results they wrought.
One part of the issue here is an information asymmetry between admins laying down the smack and people getting the smack laid down on them. Perhaps make moderations or reactions public if they're already being recorded as tied to users and IPs? Several newer platforms for discourse use this method, and then everyone can see who the jerks are.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:51PM (8 children)
We cannot compromise everyone's privacy without changing the entire feel of the site - not that we wish to do so. But dealing with moderation abuse it is fairly simple. They have to log in to moderate. They have told us who they are. There is no deduction involved in identifying the accounts responsible.
As one of the jerks in question is responsible for most of the noise on the subject, I don't think that we need to do that in this case. They were all given the opportunity to contact us directly and privately.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @01:00PM (7 children)
You say in one breath that they have to log in to moderate, but the article says they're ysing sock puppets. How do you identify sock puppets?
Also, this, "turn yourself in to us privately!", is some KGB-level stuff. No, this is why the US Constitution provides so many protections for due process in an open court, with the right to see the evidence, confront accusers, pull in experts, etc..
(Score: 2) by martyb on Sunday September 05 2021, @02:26PM (6 children)
Only logged-in users can moderate. We can see the userid of every moderation.
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @02:55PM (5 children)
Whoosh. Sock puppets don't have the same UID. Durr..
How do you identify sock puppets?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @04:01PM
I think it has been explained in rather explicit detail. Users A, B, C, D, E, F, and G all log in about the same time every day. All 7 of them mod the same posts down. All 7 of them mod the same posts up. Since there are not 750,000 users all logging in every day, this block of 7 users are quite visible. Week after week, they establish a clear pattern of log on times, week after week they mod enemies down, and mod each other up. Week after week, they establish a clear pattern of either logging out about the same time and/or simply ceasing activity on the site at the same times. And, it goes on for months. And, months. And months. Worse, some or all of those accounts share the same IP address(es).
It's not exactly rocket science. It isn't even computer science. A computer nerd could set up a program to graph and chart the stuff, to verify his suspicions, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize such glaring patterns.
I have to conclude that you are rather dense, or you are phishing for details of admin's methods so you can try to get around admin scrutiny. Dunning-Kruger, much?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @04:37PM (1 child)
The compromises were all human errors, and we have seen a whole range of them. Despite their claims, they are not always as bright as they think that they are.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @09:07AM
Oh wise and omnipotent janrinok, what claims were those? I don't think I have seen any.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @04:14PM
> How do you identify sock puppets?
AI.
(Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Monday September 06 2021, @05:44PM
Failures in basic operational security.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:40PM
Is there anyone who doesn't know who the jerks are? If not then maybe it's you. Although most of the jerks know who they are and wallow in it.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:34PM (14 children)
There is no intention to remove anonymous posting - on the whole it contributes to the site rather than detracts from it. It is unconnected from moderation abuse, which is the only thing we have tackled - as you know ACs cannot moderate.
Personally, I also tend to turn a bit of a blind eye to journal posts - I am more tolerant of minor transgressions there than I would be for a front page story. That is not to say that we would not act if something in the journals was compromising the site, but usually I don't even look at the journals. It is usually the daily submission, story, page hits and moderation statistics that bring something to our attention.
(Score: 1, Troll) by weilawei on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:39PM (13 children)
You have focused on the trees and missed the forest.
It's things *like that*. It's the mindset that, "I am admin, and I alone can fix this, fear me." C'mon, no need to be all Sauron-like, "we see all that you do!"
Let me expand on this. If the first thing you did after seeing my Disagree mod and reading my previous comment was go look at my mod and comment history, you should take a very hard look at your own expansively aggressive behavior, and the way people (such as yourself) act given the slightest shred of power.
Consider it a friendly early warning to not turn into a monster as you battle perceived monsters.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @01:02PM (3 children)
I will heed your advice in the spirit in which it was given, thank you.
I didn't even consider looking at your own, or anyone else's, moderation history, it wouldn't occur to me. In the recent past your moderations have sometimes been identified by the statistics - but for all the right reasons. There has been no reporting on any adverse moderation abuse since the bans were implemented around 21 Aug - there is no reason to do any more searches currently. But, just as we have always done, we will continue to investigate any potential problems that are flagged up to us.
I receive my fair share of moderations both good and bad - that is all part and parcel of having a site such as this. As I cannot counter them myself they might stay just the way they are, or somebody might moderate me again. It is not something that concerns me unless I feel that I ought to review my own comments.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:50PM (2 children)
On the whole, the moderation system here is fairly flawless, better than any other I've seen so far. However! When I am modded unjustly, I will complain. I can easily tell when they moderate me and not my comment, and when the "offense" they take is personal/tribal, and I want it to be known when I see through their bullshit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @04:17PM (1 child)
People who complain about moderation are like comedians who complain to the audience for not laughing. Get off the stage, you're boring.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @09:49PM
Too cool for the room.
(Score: 4, Informative) by martyb on Sunday September 05 2021, @03:32PM (7 children)
I confine my looking at moderation activity to when investigating mod bombs or sock mods. We get daily reports that we can review and investigate.
Having decades of experience testing software, I am all-too-familiar with dealing with bruised ego and hurt feelings. That is why I strive to be patient and tolerant. Slow to jump to conclusions. Persistent and patient.
When I find bugs in my code, or others point it out to me, its... ego bruising. I know the feeling all too well! I strive to extend the same kindness and courtesy to others that I would want others to extend to me.
I step back and look at the big picture? What is best for *all* parties involved? "Speak rashly and you'll make the best speech you'll every regret." I take my position as a member of staff very seriously. I strive to think things through. Consider the implications. Look at the big picture. Don't let feelings drive my thinking. Strive for patience and tolerance. Others have been patient and tolerant with me when I made mistakes. They encouraged me to look back, see what I can learn from the experience, and take that lesson forward.
I've made mistakes. Publicly admitted them here, in stories on the front page. I'm human and it happens. But I have always tried to take these lessons to heart, shared what I learned in the process, and actions taken to set things right.
That's putting words in someone's mouth, or should I say a "strawman".
I have been with the site since the beginning. Perhaps in the early days with Barabas, some might have said something like that, but I have no recollection of it.
More importantly, I do not see if happening, now either. I count myself incredibly fortunate to work with such dedicated and selfless staff. I hope I am living up to the responsibilities I've been. I do not always agree with everyone, but I do strive to listen.
It bears mentioning that since we issued mod bans on a few users (and that was back around August 21) we've seen a decided drop in such behavior. It also bears mentioning that all such activity was discussed by multiple staff before *any* action was taken. We'd like nothing better than to have the community take care of itself -- that's why there IS moderation!
I cannot speak for anyone else, but *I* focus on the *comment* -- not on the *commenter*. If the comment stands on its own, great! That's called having a conversation! And it it does not? I can reply and express my viewpoint. There's tthat conversation thing again! =)
"Friendly early warning" taken. I hope all can see from my posting history that I strive to do so, but I can certainly stand for a gentle reminder. Thanks!
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 3, Funny) by khallow on Sunday September 05 2021, @10:42PM (1 child)
I saw an admin say that, then he knocked over a skyscraper and breathed nuclear fire on a half dozen Japanese tanks. Admins were frisky that day!
(Score: 2) by martyb on Sunday September 05 2021, @11:52PM
Oh? You means like THIS: When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth [craphound.com]
=)
Actually, my skills are relatively limited. I can restart Apache or slashd. And I can code a query or some templates.
I count on mechanicjay and audioguy for the REAL sysadmin skills!
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday September 06 2021, @10:09AM (3 children)
When my code even compiles I'm happy. When it does what it's supposed to do, even happier. If someone told me about a bug in my code I would feel thankful.
Now onto the real subject (mod bullshit has been discussed to ad-nauseum), what is the deal with this new Tor Protocol? Brand news to me.
Govt conspiracy? Legit upgrades? Need someone in the know to just succinctly drop the bones.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 5, Informative) by janrinok on Monday September 06 2021, @12:38PM (2 children)
The TOR site suggests that, for now, the key length in use is sufficiently long to defeat easy decryption, but they do not think that this will remain the case in the future. They are extending the length of the key so that it remains secure for a much longer period
See also:
However, they do say "V2 onion addresses are fundamentally insecure." Read into that what you will.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday September 06 2021, @01:04PM
Thanks! Good stuff!
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @03:50AM
From their mailing list:
To very quickly summarize why we are deprecating, in one word: Safety. Onion
service v2 uses RSA1024 and 80 bit SHA1 (truncated) addresses [1]. It also
still uses the TAP [2] handshake which has been entirely removed from Tor for
many years now _except_ v2 services. Its simplistic directory system exposes
it to a variety of enumeration and location-prediction attacks that give HSDir
relays too much power to enumerate or even block v2 services. Finally, v2
services are not being developed nor maintained anymore. Only the most severe
security issues are being addressed.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PiMuNu on Monday September 06 2021, @01:19PM
Thanks for your efforts!
(Score: 3, Touché) by khallow on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:27PM
Seriously, what's up with the concern trolling about what SN admins could theoretically do? SN is just a discussion forum with a few nice security features. If you're trying to use it to coordinate the resistance to the World Order, then you're doing it wrong.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Thexalon on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:14PM
Here's the deal on bad behaviors on public forums: Like pr0n, in that devising specific rules to describe it is difficult, but everybody knows it when they see it.
And policing it is generally worth doing, because if you don't do it you turn whatever you have into a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Don't believe me? Just pop over to 8chan, where you can easily find forums devoted to such fine activities as coordinating death threat campaigns, doxxing, hatebombing, and other nastiness.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sgleysti on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:15PM
Proper anonymous posting is still alive and well on SN, very much unlike /.
At least the admins are telling us what they're doing and why. I got the sense that the admins on /. would just do stuff with no explanation.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:16PM
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:31PM (1 child)
(Score: 3, Funny) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @12:37PM
...but, Shirley, that would compromise the person behind the AC posting! We are not supposed to be able to guess.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @01:31PM (31 children)
I admit I "mod bombed" on Slashdot when some asshat kept posting the same screed over and over that had been modded down to -1 in the thread previously. Would that count for banishment too?
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Sunday September 05 2021, @02:31PM (21 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:32PM (20 children)
No. The asshat wrote at the top of each repeat post that he was repeating it specifically to evade moderation. So the question is more, could I be banned, not was I banned.
(Score: 4, Informative) by janrinok on Monday September 06 2021, @12:45PM (3 children)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @04:25PM (2 children)
I spent the weekend picking weeds. They come right back. Unless you do something about it. And I still have the muscle aches.
(Score: 2) by Acabatag on Wednesday September 08 2021, @01:57AM (1 child)
Actually, weeds don't necessarily come right back. If you pick them, or mow the pasture, before the weeds go to seed, the grass/hay will win the battle.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Wednesday September 08 2021, @02:38PM
I suppose that is covered by the "Unless you do something about it" part of his comment.
My problem is I mow my grass about once a week during the summer - and there are weeds that have gone to seed all throughout that period.
(Score: 3, Informative) by FatPhil on Monday September 06 2021, @03:39PM (1 child)
You're trying to make yourself out to be a victim here of SN policy, repeatedly - why?
What wrong has been performed against you? What supporting evidence do you have?
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @05:23PM
I am hardly trying to play victim. I am inquiring as to what are the rules that I have to play by. If I can be banned for "mod bombing" a serial spammer, I will not "mod bomb" a serial spammer. It's very simple. What can I expect from the admins?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:02PM (1 child)
Quit lying troll: Your kind did get banned on slashdot. No non-registered luser accounts anonymous coward posts are allowed there since Logan Abbott the owner there was made to look like a complete fool for years by 1 poster, APK iirc who did the same here also, easily exhausted your type of downmod points and blowing away weak "defenses" admins here tried only to fail against him also and he also easily beat bans there of his IP address easily for years laughing at him since Logan and his staff by many sockpuppets said "ban him" and all he did was show he had a better more efficient way to block threats and ads only by hosts use.
You and your type are clean evidences of the Dunning-Krueger effect (thinking you are better/smarter than you actually are, having done nothing of demonstratable worth whatsoever, merely deluding yourself as per your usual fail in life) and your "feelings get hurt" (aw, poor baby but you are the one wasting time in life being lazy after all and can only blame yourself) so you show others what you are - a waste of life troll, nothing more.
The proof is that You post here as anonymous coward and trolled others by the same method admittedly on slashdot after you logged in to downmod bomb them and most likely since the victor in your struggle which was not you truly easily got the best of you easily publicly embarrassing you under your fake name online which fits you since your life is quite fake and as your type's rather dim brain is easy to do that to.
As usual, your kind, the trolls of the world admitting modbombing and using sockpuppets also as you stated, lose. It's all your kind knows how to do.
Fine results for you, eh? Not. Especially as forums admins here stated they can identify you easily by your sheer stupidity since you try do this via many sockpuppets enmasse all at once here https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174688#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] and also here by an ac who knows how to ID patterns of scum like you https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174722#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] proving you dumb as usual for you and your kind.
My guess is that whoever you modbombed showed everyone how damn dumb you are on slashdot and you could not downmod bomb hide your fail against him no matter how many sockpuppets you used to try hide it since he would exhaust you of your finite downmod bombings and merely reposted your fail against him publicly once more.
So much for your "life's goal" (pitiful) chasing "downmod points" being a chattering FOOL on forums instead of earning a living or working to gain the skills to do so. You hate those who do manage it though. You fail to realize YOU are the FAILURE as always.
Then your tender-dick ego bruised, based no doubt on "how great of a gamer you are" (waste of life and time as your kind often evidences themselves to be in life, wasting it instead of actually accomplishing a good life), were nullified and blown away easily, proving you are a dunce of the highest order.
Now watch him throw a fit everyone after he reads this (as I do what his waste of life kind does - hide behind anonymous posts trolling others, except I merely state facts based on his loser lifestyle and tactics of a sneak bitch who will doubtless blame someone else for his fail as his type always do and the fault is their own lazy up to no good do nothing loser selves - merely a dose of his own medicine for him to choke and puke on like he did his own wasted life chattering on forums and chasing downmod points striking at his betters who put him in his place easily since he is obviously a dolt, hehe). Good luck proving me wrong with a your type's unoriginal since you can't think or create anything of worth yourself typical "you can't write" or spelling/grammar Nazi bullshit only to have egg on your face against the facts about you and your kind above.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:13PM
Exactly right. If I was the victim of downmod bombings, especially by multiple sockpuppets from the same IP address (easily addressed in forums code, hint hint moderators/admins, by recording IP and matching code) I would do the same to prove a point and to put dimwits in their place publicly embarassing them. It's not hard to change IP addresses fast to evade IP bans with. DSL does easily by the hundreds by turning off and on your modem or by VPN or even proxy use. Perfect way to embarass both sockpuppeteers and little tin plated dictator moderators or admins who think they are all powerful and truth is, the method you expose proves it. Yes I remember when APK ran both this forums sockpuppeteers and slashdot's dry of down mod points too and I cheered him for it. About time someone showed everyone how it is done and APK surely did. Hats off to him. He didn't take shit from shitheads.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:44PM (1 child)
Quit lying sockpuppeting downmod bomb using troll: Your kind did get banned on slashdot. No non-registered luser accounts anonymous coward posts are allowed there since Logan Abbott the owner there was made to look like a complete fool for years by 1 poster, APK iirc who did the same here also, easily exhausted your type of downmod points and blowing away weak "defenses" admins here tried only to fail against him also and he also easily beat bans there of his IP address easily for years laughing at him since Logan and his staff by many sockpuppets said "ban him" and all he did was show he had a better more efficient way to block threats and ads only by hosts use.
You and your type are clean evidences of the Dunning-Krueger effect (thinking you are better/smarter than you actually are, having done nothing of demonstratable worth whatsoever, merely deluding yourself as per your usual fail in life) and your "feelings get hurt" (aw, poor baby but you are the one wasting time in life being lazy after all and can only blame yourself) so you show others what you are - a waste of life troll, nothing more.
The proof is that You post here as anonymous coward and trolled others by the same method admittedly on slashdot after you logged in to downmod bomb them and most likely since the victor in your struggle which was not you truly easily got the best of you easily publicly embarrassing you under your fake name online which fits you since your life is quite fake and as your type's rather dim brain is easy to do that to.
As usual, your kind, the trolls of the world admitting modbombing and using sockpuppets also as you stated, lose. It's all your kind knows how to do.
Fine results for you, eh? Not. Especially as forums admins here stated they can identify you easily by your sheer stupidity since you try do this via many sockpuppets enmasse all at once here https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174688#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] [soylentnews.org] and also here by an ac who knows how to ID patterns of scum like you https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174722#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] [soylentnews.org] proving you dumb as usual for you and your kind.
My guess is that whoever you modbombed showed everyone how damn dumb you are on slashdot and you could not downmod bomb hide your fail against him no matter how many sockpuppets you used to try hide it since he would exhaust you of your finite downmod bombings and merely reposted your fail against him publicly once more.
So much for your "life's goal" (pitiful) chasing "downmod points" being a chattering FOOL on forums instead of earning a living or working to gain the skills to do so. You hate those who do manage it though. You fail to realize YOU are the FAILURE as always.
Then your tender-dick ego bruised, based no doubt on "how great of a gamer you are" (waste of life and time as your kind often evidences themselves to be in life, wasting it instead of actually accomplishing a good life), were nullified and blown away easily, proving you are a dunce of the highest order.
Now watch him throw a fit everyone after he reads this (as I do what his waste of life kind does - hide behind anonymous posts trolling others, except I merely state facts based on his loser lifestyle and tactics of a sneak bitch who will doubtless blame someone else for his fail as his type always do and the fault is their own lazy up to no good do nothing loser selves - merely a dose of his own medicine for him to choke and puke on like he did his own wasted life chattering on forums and chasing downmod points striking at his betters who put him in his place easily since he is obviously a dolt, hehe). Good luck proving me wrong with a your type's unoriginal since you can't think or create anything of worth yourself typical "you can't write" or spelling/grammar Nazi bullshit only to have egg on your face against the facts about you and your kind above.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:48PM
Again: Exactly right. If I was the victim of downmod bombings, especially by multiple sockpuppets from the same IP address (easily addressed in forums code, hint hint moderators/admins, by recording IP and matching code) I would do the same to prove a point and to put dimwits in their place publicly embarassing them. It's not hard to change IP addresses fast to evade IP bans with. DSL does easily by the hundreds by turning off and on your modem or by VPN or even proxy use. Perfect way to embarass both sockpuppeteers and little tin plated dictator moderators or admins who think they are all powerful and truth is, the method you expose proves it. Yes I remember when APK ran both this forums sockpuppeteers and slashdot's dry of down mod points too and I cheered him for it. About time someone showed everyone how it is done and APK surely did. Hats off to him. He didn't take shit from shitheads. All these losers can try is to hide it with downmod bombing and we just repost to blow them away embarassing them AND running the dolts out of "downmod points" for as long as we wish. Hilariously easy. I think everyone should know this stuff to defeat the cheats out there easily showing how FUCKING STUPID they really are easily. All they could do was what they are bitching about in sockpuppet downmods against facts they fear https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1175036#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] but we just post again LAUGHING at them all, as is everyone else reading.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @06:44PM (9 children)
Quit lying sockpuppeting downmod bomb using troll: Your kind did get banned on slashdot. No non-registered luser accounts anonymous coward posts are allowed there since Logan Abbott the owner there was made to look like a complete fool for years by 1 poster, APK iirc who did the same here also, easily exhausted your type of downmod points and blowing away weak "defenses" admins here tried only to fail against him also and he also easily beat bans there of his IP address easily for years laughing at him since Logan and his staff by many sockpuppets said "ban him" and all he did was show he had a better more efficient way to block threats and ads only by hosts use.
You and your type are clean evidences of the Dunning-Krueger effect (thinking you are better/smarter than you actually are, having done nothing of demonstratable worth whatsoever, merely deluding yourself as per your usual fail in life) and your "feelings get hurt" (aw, poor baby but you are the one wasting time in life being lazy after all and can only blame yourself) so you show others what you are - a waste of life troll, nothing more.
The proof is that You post here as anonymous coward and trolled others by the same method admittedly on slashdot after you logged in to downmod bomb them and most likely since the victor in your struggle which was not you truly easily got the best of you easily publicly embarrassing you under your fake name online which fits you since your life is quite fake and as your type's rather dim brain is easy to do that to.
As usual, your kind, the trolls of the world admitting modbombing and using sockpuppets also as you stated, lose. It's all your kind knows how to do.
Fine results for you, eh? Not. Especially as forums admins here stated they can identify you easily by your sheer stupidity since you try do this via many sockpuppets enmasse all at once here https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174688#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] [soylentnews.org] and also here by an ac who knows how to ID patterns of scum like you https://soylentnews.org/meta/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=44739&page=1&cid=1174722#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] [soylentnews.org] proving you dumb as usual for you and your kind.
My guess is that whoever you modbombed showed everyone how damn dumb you are on slashdot and you could not downmod bomb hide your fail against him no matter how many sockpuppets you used to try hide it since he would exhaust you of your finite downmod bombings and merely reposted your fail against him publicly once more.
So much for your "life's goal" (pitiful) chasing "downmod points" being a chattering FOOL on forums instead of earning a living or working to gain the skills to do so. You hate those who do manage it though. You fail to realize YOU are the FAILURE as always.
Then your tender-dick ego bruised, based no doubt on "how great of a gamer you are" (waste of life and time as your kind often evidences themselves to be in life, wasting it instead of actually accomplishing a good life), were nullified and blown away easily, proving you are a dunce of the highest order.
Now watch him throw a fit everyone after he reads this OR USES HIS DOWNMOD BOMBS TO HIDE IT WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THE LOSER HYPOCRITES HAVE TO RESORT TO vs. FACTS I EXTOLL (as I do what his waste of life kind does - hide behind anonymous posts trolling others, except I merely state facts based on his loser lifestyle and tactics of a sneak bitch who will doubtless blame someone else for his fail as his type always do and the fault is their own lazy up to no good do nothing loser selves - merely a dose of his own medicine for him to choke and puke on like he did his own wasted life chattering on forums and chasing downmod points striking at his betters who put him in his place easily since he is obviously a dolt, hehe). Good luck proving me wrong with a your type's unoriginal since you can't think or create anything of worth yourself typical "you can't write" or spelling/grammar Nazi bullshit only to have egg on your face against the facts about you and your kind above.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @09:25PM (5 children)
It sure looks like you're throwing another temper tantrum, APK. What's the matter? Are you still mad that your proxies got banned for spamming Ari's journal [soylentnews.org] with well over 50 comments? You are incredibly thin-skinned, throwing a fit and spamming websites whenever someone mods you down or even criticizes you. I remember you spamming Slashdot for weeks because c6gunner mocked you once. You accused many people like webmistressrachel, c6gunner, barbara hudson, ZIP, and even whipslash of impersonating you. When Slashdot shut down AC posting, you started spamming here because it was easier for you to carry out your abuse.
It is an abuse to mod someone down for weeks on end just because you dislike them. It is not an abuse to mod you down when your sole purpose here is to be disruptive. You repeatedly post the same garbage because your goal is to disrupt discussion and prevent others from being heard.
You're not here to discuss in good faith. You're here to shut down discussion by repeatedly posting garbage. It is not an abuse to mod you down so it's harder for you to disrupt and impede discussions.
I'm sure people like ZIP are laughing that you're still being a petulant crybaby about things that happened years ago on Slashdot. What's wrong, APK? Don't you have anything better to do in your $1 house than spam websites and moan when those websites stop you?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @02:31AM (3 children)
You are all cheating little dirty worms using sockpuppets and wasting your lives on forums. Big accomplishment that. At least APK does things of value in making many good programs over time. How about you? Zero. APK proved others admitted impersonating him from your list. Funny you won't post links of that, eh? Not. All you'd be able to show is that all you fake name fucks with 50 sockpuppets each are nothing but trash online and doubtless trash in life too. Pure failures the lot of you. Nice reaction there by you too. So easy to get a rise out of scum like you isn't it? Yes.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @02:49AM (2 children)
It is pitiful fact's out the real cheater trolls use sockpuppets to cheat for mod points for upmodding themself and the same for abusing downmod points for those that show us what they are (shit). I'd bet that's due to their real lives off the internet are bad if that is all they live for. They are deluding only themselves on such a waste of time. It earns you no living. APK and your moderators now exposing them is showing what ruined all forums online. APK is the only one I've seen make them eat shit for it and it is uplifting to see someone get the best of them which he did. I will never forget his autobot mass posts that literally had both slashdotters and sn users crying they were running out of modpoints (that they clearly abuse, no hiding that now, is there? Even the admins\mods admit it goes on).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @09:17PM (1 child)
Ok APK, we get it, you really want everyone to think you're super badass and awesome.
Sadly for you everyone thinks you're a spammy fucktard.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 15 2021, @08:53PM
It's fact APK did well in computers proving it in software he's wrote that gained commercial sale status for companies that bought his code out from him. Have you? No. He's also outwits moderators many times on both accounts here or on slashdot. I love seeing him make fools of you time after time easily. You wish you were him. That is something EVERYONE knows. You speaking for everyone when you are literally a do nothing nobody? Don't even try put down your superiors. Especially APK, until you prove you've exceeded his accomplishments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 15 2021, @09:21PM
c6gunner got caught impersonating APK and got shot down by him easily by facts of APK's successes with hosts files vs tons of threats online https://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12598948&cid=57292126 [slashdot.org] Same with barbarahudson the tranny freak (who is webmistressrachel also as a sockpuppet) that also admitted to impersonating him plus failed miserably on technical information in programming vs APK here https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=33430&page=1&cid=889582#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] with links from slashdot verifying it as fact that destroyed that Transtecticular Monstrosity, lol, totally. It's all there and there is no denying it. It's all there and there is no denying it. whipslash (Logan Abbott) /. owner said he'd ban APK? For what?? Stopping his main financier in Google ads, helping others go faster and safer online using hosts files AND literally for 3 yrs. straight in APK making him out a fool for saying he'd ban APK when he couldn't?? The reason ac posting got stopped on /. was APK PROVED NOBODY COULD STOP HIM POSTING FACTS that made them look like unskilled powerless fools against him. Fact. That was classic and the icing on the cake there, here and for putting you in your rightful place. The crapper where a do nothing nobody shitbag like you belongs!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @10:06PM (2 children)
Hehe lookit this ^ looser can't even keep his head on tight. Think it'll float away? Super sigma male energy!
I jest, but please everyone be best.
Namaste fellow soul travelers.
Your friend and cuddle buddy,
apk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @03:20AM
It's LOSER, not "looser", you loser from a nation that can't spell properly. It's clear you are a defective BETA male based on that much. Since you waste your life on forums at least learn to write. Good luck making a living being a cheating sockpuppeterring forums troll that has to feed his own delusions of grandeur that you have to use multiple accounts to up moderate yourself and to down moderate others who show are you pitiful. Everyone knows how it is done now and it explains a lot around here and on other forums online. Complete morons getting "insightful" when their posts are clearly from brain damaged low lifes that accomplish nothing in life. Ones just like you that can't even spell correctly! It's such productive work (sarcasm) you do. Is it feeding your 401k account or other pensions? Oh that's right! You are an unemployable no skill loser so you have no such investments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 07 2021, @03:39AM
Protip from Washington State University Prof. Paul Brians on spelling errors you loser (correct) vs. your undereducated stupid looser mistake morons like you always make proving my point:
A person who’s a failure is a loser (you), often a “real loser.” If something is loosened, it becomes looser" from https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/19/loser-looser/ [wsu.edu]
The only thing I see is you can't keep your head on RIGHT (or tight) since you really only show us your brain connections are "looser" and obviously not working right, hahahaha.
Which is probably why LOSERS like you have to bolster your faltering "self-esteem" by cheating on forums using multiple accounts to up moderate yourselves and to down moderate "hide" your fails (which is all you ever do, this is merely a case in point proof thereof).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Sunday September 05 2021, @02:33PM
I would think that a Spam mod would be looked at and approved of if appropriate.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 4, Informative) by martyb on Sunday September 05 2021, @03:49PM
See: https://soylentnews.org/meta/faq.pl?op=moderation#spam [soylentnews.org]
It's difficult to answer a general question with absolutes. The SPAM mod carries a heavier weight on the moderatee than the other moderations. If in doubt, you can always drop into IRC [soylentnews.org] and ask around there. It helps to include the CID (Comment ID) when you do. For example, I cam responding to a comment with CID 1174700 [soylentnews.org].
If it is THAT egregious, someone else usually comes along and will moderate it appropriately.
Lastly, focus more on making UP mods to call attention to the good comments. Like this one! ;)
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @05:17PM (6 children)
In the year 1999, you went to a site, clicked "register", filled in basic info, and then you had an account. No CAPTCHAs. No e-mail verification in most cases. Absolutely no "phone verification". No fake error messages based on your IP address/"reputation score". No underhanded "oh, wait, you cannot have the account after all" messages after you've already registered. No evil "shadowbans"/bubbles. No photo IDs had to be scanned in and sent to the owners of the site. Nothing like that whatsoever. Those days are long gone...
In 2021, I painstakingly filled out the massive registration form for fetster.com, probably the only non-fake (or so I thought) dating site in existence which doesn't make you pay money for nothing. The account was created, and I was logged in, but after literal seconds, after three page loads (no exaggeration), I was suddenly, inexplicably logged out again. Upon trying to enter the credentials, I just got a "no such account" error message. It's seriously scary how broken and useless websites have become. Do note that I already proved to not be a bot by solving their ridiculous CAPTCHA. Also, why auto-ban somebody after they already let you through the registration form? Insanity.
In 2021, my Twitch browser profile suddenly showed that I was logged out from Twitch for the first time. Upon attempting to re-login using the correct username and password, it harassed me about them having sent a new "security code" to the e-mail address I used when registering the account, because they are mentally ill and passwords clearly no longer mean anything. Luckily, I actually had it written down still and miracoulously still had access to it. But no e-mail was ever received. It just never arrived. So I pressed "resend e-mail". Waited for ages. Nothing. They literally lie about sending the damn e-mail. No, it is not in "the spam folder". As a result, I could never again log in to the account; I was in practice permanently locked out. Rug pulled under my feet, with nothing to do but delete my account details and forget about that entire service, and their API which I used for various things that I had invested a ton of time and effort into. Cannot renew the key which expires every month. "Bye-bye." It's the same story, over and over...
Whenever I try to register a Tutanota e-mail account using Tor: "Registration is temporarily blocked for your IP address to avoid abuse. Please try again later or use a different internet connection."
More and more companies/services are starting to force this vile, idiotic concept of "two-factor authentication", as always using "security" as a bullshit excuse to track you and prevent any kind of privacy. It actually does nothing but remove security and puts you at far worse risk, and its actual purpose is for them to get your surveillance unit number, be able to lock anyone who values their privacy out, and force you to not only own a surveillance unit in the first place (yeah, you try buying a "burner phone/SIM card" anonymously these days...) but also to constantly keep it around and ready just to be able to log in. Having the actual password to "your" account means nothing anymore in this new world of absolute stupidity and constant lies.
The entire point of reCAPTCHA is to verify that you are human, right? Well, think again! This nonsense is what I now sometimes get instead of the "human challenge": "Your computer or network may be sending automated queries. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now. For more details visit our help page"... Amazing.
After hearing about this new "Facebook killer" in 2021 called MeWe (what an idiotic name...), I registered an accou... no... wait... nevermind: "We're sorry, something seems to have gone wrong. Please try again soon." (It of course didn't matter how many times I "tried again".)
Seemingly every other webpage load these days simply says "Access denied" followed by either "This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks." or "You don't have permission to access XYZ on this server."
When logging into GitHub one day (2019), after discovering that my issues all returned "404 Not found" errors, and after being forced to enter a code sent via e-mail: "Your account has been flagged. Because of that, your profile is hidden from the public." When you see that message, nobody will ever hear or see you on that site ever again...
Upon visiting a US newspaper's website in 2021, I got this insulting message in large letters on a "lockout screen": "Our European visitors are important to us." Underneath, in smaller print, it said: "This site is currently unavailable to visitors from the European Economic Area while we work to ensure your data is protected in accordance with applicable EU laws." I'm so incredibly important to them that they will not even show me their garbage, ad-infested "content"...
I asked a series of questions on a GitHub project's "issues" section (prior to Microsoft buying it) and noticed that they were suddenly gone on all computers except my own, I was suddenly logged out, and I was unable to log in again with what I now realize was a fake error message. After weeks of experimenting, it eventually dawned upon me that a GitHub employee was the maintainer of the project/repository in question, and that he kept using some secret feature which underhandedly "stealth bans" anyone he didn't like. (I was not even being rude.)
None of the above is exaggerated or made up. In fact, if anything, it's toned down...
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by Mockingbird on Sunday September 05 2021, @06:57PM (2 children)
How about, instead of all the Iron Fist stuff, we just add a +5 Righteous mod?
(Score: 2) by sgleysti on Sunday September 05 2021, @08:13PM (1 child)
Some user keeps posting variants of that text on slashdot. They're very persistent, and I admire that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @09:10AM
And some backbirth mods the parent comment -1 Offtopic. All we AC's fart in your general direction.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Sunday September 05 2021, @09:24PM (1 child)
Are you sure you're not using the public WiFi of The Most Heinous Organization On Earth, or some sketchy VPN, or something? This much persecution targeted at one random individual who has done nothing to deserve it strains credulity.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 05 2021, @11:54PM
It's mostly TOR. I've had some of this happen while using someone else's WIFI or even a private VPN, but TOR is where the shenanigans get to ridiculous levels.
I can't speak for the GitHub issue, but I've definitely seen the registration problems on sites. You can follow all the steps, solve all the CAPTCHAs, get the confirmation code via text message, press the final button to register and... suddenly a 404 or 403 error.
On one site it did actually create the account even after the 404. However, it was only usable after logging in from a non-TOR connection. An attempt at making a second account failed about 15 times. It's a 50/50 shot whether they'll send you the SMS or the CAPTCHA will give you the middle finger. No matter what road block you hit the final result is a probably a 404 or 403.
Sometimes a site will tell you registration is complete but then tell you "the username or password is incorrect" when you go to sign in. Then registering an account will let you use the username you JUST registered was still available. Silently lying to you and wasting all your time.
At least this site allows TOR and even goes the extra step to have the onion site available. It'd be a shame to lose that accessibility.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @10:55AM
It sounds like you're holding your Internet wrong. Try turning yourself off and back on again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @12:03AM (9 children)
Strange, then, that you are banning accounts for none of what you claim?
Who has been using script-flooding, or browser-breaking? It thought it was all sockpuppetry and mod-bombing?
(Score: 4, Informative) by janrinok on Monday September 06 2021, @02:48AM (6 children)
If only site abuse took place with one type of attack at a time.... The site is under frequent attacks, particularly at weekends and on holidays. Behind the scenes the site is much busier than you might imagine.
The bans that you seem to be referring to here are issued automatically in some cases when flooding takes place from one or a small number of sources. This is a form of DoS attack. It is being generated automatically and at high speed. In common with most sites we have measures in place to prevent such attacks being successful. Others use specially crafted HTML in a submission or comment as an attempt to defeat the database (emulating, say, the Little Bobby Tables [explainxkcd.com] attack) or the display system.
If you are sharing a connection with someone who is carrying out such an attack then your account will be collateral damage as the IP address responsible is blocked for a period of time. If you want us to address this problem then we have to know your user ID so that we can separate your traffic from any other. Often the quickest solution is to log out, create a new route with TOR or a VPN, and rejoin the site again.
Those who have been banned for moderation abuse have each received an admin-to-user message telling them of the action and reason. They have also been told not to use the account again.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @05:22AM (5 children)
I have it on good authority that this is the standard sockpuppet death notice being sent out. Smell like TMB. Probably not meant for the purpose it is being used for, which only increases my suspicion of incompetence of our current admins. Get it right, for God's fucking sake! If you are banning for being a creature of a lesser god, just say so! The Nazis had no issues with sending Jews, gays, and communists to the ban camps. SN admins could have at least as much honesty.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Monday September 06 2021, @08:32AM (4 children)
Paranoid much?
Well as we are not supposed to even know who you are, how am I expected to recognise the 'good authority' that you are referring to?
Sock puppet death? - YES, sock puppets are not allowed. I don't believe that we have so far discovered even a good proportion of them but for now the abuse has stopped.
That is not the reason, the bans for moderation abuse have been explained. The notices for the server automatically blocking flood and DoS attacks have been in place for several years. I cannot say what blocks are in force at the moment as I do not have access to the servers. If this is the first time you are experiencing them you are very lucky. They do not usually affect those who are logged in. Currently, nobody else has even mentioned them today.
I dislike being likened to a Nazi - but if you have to stoop that low to compose the best argument that you can offer, then this discussion is closed.
PS. change your routing - you are leaking.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @09:13AM (3 children)
But none of the alleged account bans are for flooding or DDOS attacks, or anything like that. They are for political reasons. You ban because you do not like, and accuse modders of modding because they do not like. Such hypocrisy will doom this site.
(Score: 3, Informative) by janrinok on Monday September 06 2021, @10:05AM
Which bans are you referring to?
I would say that was very clear what the ban was for - it is not aimed at a specific user but "from your network or IP address". Perhaps someone else is sharing the same IP address, perhaps via TOR or a VPN? If you are referring to the bans for moderation abuse - each account was sent an admin-to-user message explaining the reason. I assume that you if the bans affect you then you will have read it.
Without knowing which account you are referring to then I cannot offer any further explanation. I would have to know the account ID to look at which bans are in place. If you have been unfairly banned then it can be rectified, but without knowing which account you are using I cannot help you.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday September 06 2021, @03:49PM (1 child)
Do it publicly if you want, everything you've got, because we know you've got nothing.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 08 2021, @08:12AM
Tu Quoque, FatPhil! Tu Quoque!
(Score: 5, Informative) by martyb on Monday September 06 2021, @01:11PM (1 child)
1.) The text you posted states CLEAR instructions on where to send an email and what it should contain.
2.) The UID you posted here is NOT even your own. (that one belongs to janrinok)
3.) Comments posted to the site DO NOT follow the instructions and will be ignored.
4.) We are busy yet willing to help, but need the information requested EXACTLY as stated. (Otherwise: "Garbage In, Garbage Out").
5.) Unless you are just trolling, in which case this comment and all like it are likely to get modded accordingly,
Wit is intellect, dancing.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 06 2021, @08:19PM
When even Martyb gets a bit "tetchy", you know the admins have royally messed up.