Sockpuppets: the forum admin's secret weapon
A member of an online economic debate community is banned after clashing with an account he suspects belongs to the admin. The multiple identities theory...
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Sockpuppet suspicions in online community moderation
In an economic debate community, a member receives a one-week ban after clashing with an account that, according to his theory, belongs to the admin himself. The suspicion spreads: the admin would be using dozens of identities to generate traffic and control the conversation.
The complaint is not an isolated one. Other members point out that half of the active profiles would be creations of the same admin, and that the antiestéticatures that allowed content filtering — such as downvoting or the option to ignore threads — have been removed, leaving members without tools against what they see as systematic manipulation. The most elaborate theory holds that the admin works in shifts, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., getting paid in 'Lidl-brand Doritos' for stirring up controversy and feeding advertising traffic. If true, moderation would not be a service, but a business model based on perpetual conflict.
In an economic debate community, a member receives a one-week ban after clashing with an account that, according to his theory, belongs to the admin himself. The suspicion spreads: the admin would be using dozens of identities to generate traffic and control the conversation.
The complaint is not an isolated one. Other members point out that half of the active profiles would be creations of the same admin, and that the antiestéticatures that allowed content filtering — such as downvoting or the option to ignore threads — have been removed, leaving members without tools against what they see as systematic manipulation. The most elaborate theory holds that the admin works in shifts, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., getting paid in 'Lidl-brand Doritos' for stirring up controversy and feeding advertising traffic. If true, moderation would not be a service, but a business model based on perpetual conflict.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (31 replies).
More summaries
-
Financial collapse rumors and key announcements loom
Rumors of a black swan event and upcoming key announcements highlight financial volatility and potential market inflection points.
-
Zapatero's daughters moved €447,095 from their agency into personal accounts
Spain's UDEF police unit found that Zapatero's daughters transferred €447,095 from their ad agency to personal accounts. Judge Calama is investigating money laundering and…
-
Orriols to skip Spain general election, participant says
According to a participant, Silvia Orriols will not run in the general election or compete in her province. Some voters would still back her.
-
Vito Quiles confronts Zapatero's daughters over Venezuelan funds in Spain
Vito Quiles confronts the daughters of former Spanish PM Zapatero and asks them about Venezuelan money; the investigation remains without any public resolution.
-
Trump vowed to tame inflation, yet intervenes more than Biden
Trump promised to end inflation and foreign interventions: a year on, prices are rising and military operations are multiplying.
-
Threats against Ayuso in Madrid and TVE's alleged silence
Reports are spreading on social media alleging death threats against Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, with claims that Spain's public broadcaster TVE failed to cover or condemn them.