‘The Sock Puppets’ and the Endless Cycle.
I wrote part of this article in November 2018, so the first part of it pertains to something that happened 6 months ago…, let me take you back into the depths of time....
November 2018 - A History Lesson
For the past several weeks I have been flagging a gang of abusers which I will name from here forth, ‘The Sock Puppets’.
It’s not just me, but several of us from the @steemflagrewards team, namely @steevc, @themarkymark and @revisesociology more recently. @clvr is also getting in on the action.
What I don’t understand about @atempt, @stimialiti, @slowgrow and @fersher (likely all the same person), is the need for more. What I mean by this is they incite me to continue.
Let me make it very clear. I don’t want to flag people. It sucks to have your rewards removed, especially if you have put your heart and soul into writing something.
This is a comment, not a post!
The Sock Puppets like to pay bid-bots to upvote their post and comments. We at @steemflagrewards normally focus on bid bot abuse on posts, but comments, give me a break!
I would like to know who @chronoboost, @sleeplesswhale, @steemdiffuser, @whalecreator, and @kakibukit are, advocating bid bots on shit posts and comments like the ones that @atempt and his gang produces.
ANY comment they create, they pay a bid-bot to gain more rewards. I can’t say I have seen anything like this before, and so we will continue to flag them until it stops.
Today - 21st April 2019 - (approx 6 months later).
The Sock Puppets are still about and quite active, but not in the manner I would have expected.
There are no posts and no comments, so nobody can flag any of them.
They ritually flag my comments (not posts), on day 6 or 7 in a feeble attempt to lower my author rewards to below the dust threshold. Unfortunately having FOUR accounts with all less than a 1c weight vote doesn’t really work.
The flags are not just targeted to my account, but ANYONE associated with @steemflagrewards, past or present including innocuous Steemians (in the flagging sector) such as @abh12345 and @shortcut.
They are obviously manually curated flags and doing this sustained behaviour to several accounts over the period of 6 months requires a decent degree of tenacity.
As well as us ‘victims’ losing barely anything, it’s costing them quite a bit in terms of time.
The Sock Puppets are also using sniping tactics on incoming SFR rewards in an attempt to gain some curation. I feel this is where they get most of their STEEM from.
There is little we can do about this, and I suppose they have learned something about how rewards are distributed, so well done there.
The latest tactic is for one of the Sock Puppet accounts to guess if I am going to vote a comment in another attempt to gain a cut of comment curation rewards. This is sniping again but much less profitable than the above method.
If I don’t vote that comment, then they cancel the vote several days later.
TIP: You don’t get your voting power back on cancelled votes!
Honestly, guys, can you not just post something of value? I for one will not hold a grudge against any of you and will not flag you for the hell of it.
The last time I posted something like this, I got a comment from @whatsup, ‘Who are you helping with this shit-show’, so this time I’ll answer that question before she asks.
It really intrigues me that someone can go to such lengths and gain very little from it.
For the last 6 months, we have been unable to retaliate against or communicate to something that is really not worth the effort of retaliation.
'So what’s the point of this article'
There’s no doubt, ‘The Sock Puppets’ will read this. I don’t really care if they carry on flagging me until eternity as it makes zero difference, to me or to any of us.
'It gives me an excuse to write something today which is a little abnormal and could maybe be named extremism, and if you are still reading then I have obviously kept your interest. I will gain some rewards from this post and it’s all down to you heroes!'
'So thanks lads for that!'
Sometimes my ideas bank gets a little low but you have really saved the day, and you have my word that I won't flag any comments you make that are constructive on this post.
As I mentioned above, I don’t hold grudges, though I can’t speak for all the other people you ritually tickle on a daily basis.
If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, resteem, engage me or all of these things.
LOL! They are manually flagging you and others? Are you sure about that, and that it isn't automated? That is a special sort of person that spends a chunk of the day doing that....
Oh yes, its far too inconsistent for automation. Yes, this person is 'special' OK, in a kind of deranged way.
You should feel special, someone in the world thinks of you every day!
You should feel special,
Someone in the world thinks of
You every day!
- bengy
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
Wow, that is crazy that they have so much time to invest into something that really isn't gaining them anything. I think I would have given up a long time ago. Not for the cents and the grief it is causing. I guess the same could be said for Steemit in general though. I had so many articles that made pennies, but I kept going...
I was hoping they would pipe up, but nothing as yet.
Posted using Partiko iOS
I do worry about their mental health sometimes. 6 months is a long period to sustain a daily or weekly regime of logging on to try and irritate a bunch of people, especially when those people are (1) a group compared to your being a lone operator, (2) so obviously morally right, (3) wealthy enough to render your hate-interactions pointless, and (4) really don't give that much of a toss.
I had a couple of days on drug wars where I picked up an irritant and had to spend time addressing that, which wasn't pleasant, in the end I offered him a truce, and it was so much easier just letting it go!
It's just much better for you to spend time posting something positive, or just to go and focus on something in your offline life.
I suppose a lot of readers wont know what this is about. It all started so long ago, and it amazes me that they are still pissed at us, enough to carry on such a ridiculous campaign.
There are people on the' 'hit' list who don't have anything to do with SFR. The mind boggles.
I appreciate all the flagging groups you've mentioned.
What I can't stand is the way you guys talk to people.
My comment was in reference to the way some of you were talking to the person in the comments.
How about flagging and leaving a friendly comment or instructions instead of feeding your inner Walden.
Thanks for responding @whatsup, I know you don't go with the flow when it comes to SFR, and so tagged you intentionally.
Is that me or others? We are individuals and not 'The Borg'. I would much prefer abuse to be stemmed before it becomes normal behaviour, and in the case of of a lot, its new people who are copying 'Trending' but with shit-posts.
Is this in reference to the standard SFR messages? I do sometimes 'warn' people that they are walking on thin ice, and generally get some some crap thrown back at me.
Here's a recent one.. that I have NOT flagged as an example, but likely will soon as they are not responding, and the author has told me to MYOB.
We are all different, so please don't put as all in the same basket. @steemcleaners are on this ones' case.
I really don't mind people using bots.. they are a form of advertising, but I'm sure you will agree with me that some of these take the piss.
That's the same guy/his alts that get mad at people for "overbidding" in a round.
Wouldn't even take him seriously.
You reminded me about him, this one needs a flag. $40 for some old crap again.
Don't lump us all together is what I take away from this and that is fair.
The day I called it a shit show, the comments were appalling so I got triggered.
I am thankful for you work. I appreciate flagging and keeping the site clean.
I'm gonna go back and have a look. It's been months and I can barely remember. I do remember @skreza being very abusive to us, and he's left the platform now.
That was never my intention, as I always try and find the good in people. He lit my flames that day, and so the post was posted!
Thanks, we get a lot of crap from people, and so it's often natural to give it back. But I can't speak for all of us.
It's true though, I should be more careful about lumping people together. It's a pet peeve of mine when others do it to me!
They are doing a little bit more than sniping and random flagging.
But, there's no need for me to mention it here.
You will have to let me know, I don't watch their accounts like hawks. I have had the article for months and I'm using up my 'old backlog' of content, with some recent additions tagged on the back.
I can shoot you a message.
Always amazed at how people spend so much time and effort trying to scam. They must see it as a game and enjoy it.
Sorry to hear you are having all these hassle's I really do not understand why people sometimes put the effort into doing negative things
I have a feeling it's automated.
It's quite easy to check the pending payout value of a list of comments and flag the ones just above dust.
He's been on my case since I flagged him for not boosting comments at the end of the payout.
Occasionally I will vote the comments and take more than the amount before the downvote. @regularowl also combats these votes 😊
I wondered who @regularowl was, there's a lot of accounts linked around SFR I have trouble keeping up with them.
Hi, @slobberchops!
You just got a 6.95% upvote from SteemPlus!
To get higher upvotes, earn more SteemPlus Points (SPP). On your Steemit wallet, check your SPP balance and click on "How to earn SPP?" to find out all the ways to earn.
If you're not using SteemPlus yet, please check our last posts in here to see the many ways in which SteemPlus can improve your Steem experience on Steemit and Busy.
Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue 461 (04/21/19)