Exclude few forums from main page feed to resolve fake bumps and post inflation

[Lukmat]

As many members are making fake accounts, farming accounts, trying to automate bumps in their threads.
I have a simple solution about it and moderators for sure are aware about the hydra problem. If you cut one fake bump seller, you have 10 more guys like that.

Let them bump, let them write "discount pls", "review pls", "sample pls". Cut them once and forever and increase BHW earnings from advertising same time.


Just remove:
-welcome section
-blackhat lounge
-entire marketplace
From main page feed for recent posts.

+ the quality of main page feed will increase
+ people will stop creating fake bumps
+ sticky post in section will have value again
+ people maybe interested more to paid advertising forms
+ creating fake accounts will be not profitable any more and advertising cost will be cheaper than this

 

[Diamond Damien]

The review process is already underway on this idea.
It’s a little more than a simple php edit.

Purposefully left open for further comments.

 

[Lukmat]

The review process is already underway on this idea.
It’s a little more than a simple php edit.

Purposefully left open for further comments.

Thank you for your clarification. I think the main page recents posts are the source of problem.
When you get 10% of main page, over and over, the visibility must be much bigger than any sticky posts.
That's why I just stopped buying sticky on forum. It's just useless. If this would be resolved, I start buying again.

 

[INCC]

As a seller who doesn't need to fake bump their service threads, I support this idea 100%.

But beware, now all the cockroaches are coming out to defend their position, the same individuals with hundreds of fake accounts will arrive to argue against it so I hope that the staff makes a logical decision here.

In the past, every time some anti-spam function was about to be implemented the staff was like.. okay let's see what the community thinks.. that "community" obviously arrived who were against any stricter anti-spam or anti-scam measures.

Big sellers here have their fingers in the pie, so the staff needs to do what is right and end this for once and for all.

On a side note, it's comical that members basically need to beg for a better security or system for years.

 

[Lukmat]

As a seller who doesn't need to fake bump their service threads, I support this idea 100%.

But beware, now all the cockroaches are coming out to defend their position, the same individuals with hundreds of fake accounts will arrive to argue against it so I hope that the staff makes a logical decision here.

In the past, every time some anti-spam function was about to be implemented the staff was like.. okay let's see what the community thinks.. that "community" obviously arrived who were against any stricter anti-spam or anti-scam measures.

Big sellers here have their fingers in the pie, so the staff needs to do what is right and end this for once and for all.

On a side note, it's comical that members basically need to beg for a better security or system for years.

For some periods on this forum with other products I was buying sticky post.
Then stopped and guess what, no difference.
People are entering The Markeplace from main page feed. I am waiting 24h to reply, sometimes 72h to bump. Guess what? It's visible for 5 minutes because cocroaches with hundreds of replies in sales thread turned on bots.
I was thinking about advertising on main page with banners, but it's expensive like hell and many actors have it just for free in a better form, avoiding "banner blindness" and adblocks xD

 

[MrDenz]

What if we simply "lock" new members from posting on the Marketplace?

For example: The account must be 30 days old and must have 30 (not counting Introduction & Lounge) messages, to get access to Marketplace commenting.

I think that it would be much easier to implement, but, on the other hand, I don't know how good it is to limit the other part of good new members (legit) who are interested in certain services.

Until then, they can use WTB/HAF sections, until a month has passed.

---

I have an idea that I will explain these days that might solve a lot of things, I just need time to put everything together.

 

[Diamond Damien]

What if we simply "lock" new members from posting on the Marketplace?

For example: The account must be 30 days old and must have 30 (not counting Introduction & Lounge) messages, to get access to Marketplace commenting.

I think that it would be much easier to implement, but, on the other hand, I don't know how good it is to limit the other part of good new members (legit) who are interested in certain services.

Until then, they can use WTB/HAF sections, until a month has passed.

---

I have an idea that I will explain these days that might solve a lot of things, I just need time to put everything together.

Interesting.
Question on that. Why would we assume new members wouldn’t want to connect with sellers?
We have no intention of stopping new members from being able to comment and openly liaise with merchants.

 

[Diamond Damien]

For some periods on this forum with other products I was buying sticky post.
Then stopped and guess what, no difference.
People are entering The Markeplace from main page feed. I am waiting 24h to reply, sometimes 72h to bump. Guess what? It's visible for 5 minutes because cocroaches with hundreds of replies in sales thread turned on bots.
I was thinking about advertising on main page with banners, but it's expensive like hell and many actors have it just for free in a better form, avoiding "banner blindness" and adblocks xD

Thanks for your thoughts. We have the data and don’t see that (people entering the marketplace from the homepage). However every sellers experience is different.

Not sure what you mean about the “actors” part would you care to elaborate?

 

[MrDenz]

Interesting.
Question on that. Why would we assume new members wouldn’t want to connect with sellers?
We have no intention of stopping new members from being able to comment and openly liaise with merchants.

They could, that's on them, just thinking out loud and giving my 2 cents on how we could stop fake "bumps".

New members would not be able to DM the seller either way, they could via TG or Skype, but not from BHW.

That's the point, but of course, with that, we also prohibit legitimate new members from doing what they want, so the idea is 50/50.

We have no intention of stopping new members from being able to comment and openly liaise with merchants.

This certainly answers my suggestion.

 

[Lukmat]

Not sure what you mean about the “actors” part would you care to elaborate?

By actors, I mean sellers who are bumping threads using fake accounts.
Why someone would buy a banner on main page, if his thread is visible there below banner in big frequency?
Examples? There are few of them exposed in Jr. Exec secret place. Threads bumped with big frequency from accounts with 2-3 posts and never come back. Even one of fake account used same avatar as seller

 

[Diamond Damien]

As a seller who doesn't need to fake bump their service threads, I support this idea 100%.

But beware, now all the cockroaches are coming out to defend their position, the same individuals with hundreds of fake accounts will arrive to argue against it so I hope that the staff makes a logical decision here.

In the past, every time some anti-spam function was about to be implemented the staff was like.. okay let's see what the community thinks.. that "community" obviously arrived who were against any stricter anti-spam or anti-scam measures.

Big sellers here have their fingers in the pie, so the staff needs to do what is right and end this for once and for all.

On a side note, it's comical that members basically need to beg for a better security or system for years.

Not at all true but interesting that’s your view.
We’re interested in hearing from all sides. We’re constantly improving the forum, obviously we don’t post about our anti spam measures openly for obvious reasons but needless to say we catch a huge amount of it, some will get through (it’s the nature of our forum to look for those exploits), but we’re constantly improving our measures.

“Big sellers have their fingers in the pie”.
There are no sellers on the forum that have ownership in the forum or any pies for that matter . As we’ve said many times in the past we don’t put ourselves in the position where we’re reliant on any one member and have removed those high profile members that break our terms of service. We make it very clear that advertising spend doesn’t give you any special privileges.

 

[zotix]

From Economical pov. this makes less sense; compared to your trade-off, sellers would get less attention, and the Assumptions from OP seem to be a personal experience rather than fact and evidence-based.

Never change a running system. Cleaning and Updating anything is necessary to remain in tune with the external environment and the way people promote their products.

Without any Database insights, I would be a little bit cautious about saying that people jump over to Marketplace.

And: An Account with 30 Days lifespan, well, that's not qualitative measurement, The initial issue of OP is not solved with this.

Instead, do a deep analysis (Mods and Devs) or work on your own Service to make it more attractive.

By the way, posting in each Section also pushes his Thread, which is by TOS, not the aim, but indirectly, you do the same.

If the outcome is that your Thread does not get (with your Thread = Anybodys Thread), not getting enough attention, then instead work on promoting the service in a good way instead of looking at Forum Improvements, which lowers the User to Sales Ratio, and make this Forum for those, who... well...

Better: Assumptions based on facts and figures. Otherwise its hard to follow. I guess developers have no time to do A/B testing for every idea.

Best regards
z

 

[INCC]

There are no sellers on the forum that have ownership in the forum or any pies for that matter

I meant they have their fingers in the pie (conducting spamming activities to bump their own threads)

I know they hold no ownership of any part of the community.

 

[zotix]

@Lukmat

Maybe I see a correlation between the Thread you opened once and this one?
It's all about the "filters"; there's nothing to say.

BHW 0 Marketplace-Thread Solution

 

[Diamond Damien]

Thank you for your clarification. I think the main page recents posts are the source of problem.
When you get 10% of main page, over and over, the visibility must be much bigger than any sticky posts.
That's why I just stopped buying sticky on forum. It's just useless. If this would be resolved, I start buying again.

That’s interesting you feel you’re seeing 10% of the homepage is the same threads over and over ? Definitely something we can look at the data around.
Just for clarity you’re saying you don’t want to see specific sections on the homepage? If so have you tried the custom homepage functionality outlined here?
https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/n...also-known-as-the-personal-live-feed.1278473/

 

[Diamond Damien]

I meant they have their fingers in the pie (conducting spamming activities to bump their own threads)

I know they hold no ownership of any part of the community.

Ahh that makes more sense.

 

[Diamond Damien]

By actors, I mean sellers who are bumping threads using fake accounts.
Why someone would buy a banner on main page, if his thread is visible there below banner in big frequency?
Examples? There are few of them exposed in Jr. Exec secret place. Threads bumped with big frequency from accounts with 2-3 posts and never come back. Even one of fake account used same avatar as seller

Usually they buy banners because they appreciate the benefit of seeing their banner on every page of the forum. A good percentage sit on the homepage refreshing for sure, but maybe not as many as you might expect (like single digit percentages).
Yep got my eye on that Jr. exec thread. It’s a good one.

 

[Diamond Damien]

They could, that's on them, just thinking out loud and giving my 2 cents on how we could stop fake "bumps".

New members would not be able to DM the seller either way, they could via TG or Skype, but not from BHW.

That's the point, but of course, with that, we also prohibit legitimate new members from doing what they want, so the idea is 50/50.



This certainly answers my suggestion.

Appreciate that. I think we’re on the same page here.
Newbies can’t pm so their only recourse is to post in the thread, which the op would be made aware of, but wouldn’t bump the thread until the OP responded to their questions. Which is managed as per the bump blocker we implemented back in 2020 here https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/m...hen-can-you-post-in-your-sales-thread.951776/

 

[roydan]

From Economical pov. this makes less sense; compared to your trade-off, sellers would get less attention, and the Assumptions from OP seem to be a personal experience rather than fact and evidence-based.

Never change a running system. Cleaning and Updating anything is necessary to remain in tune with the external environment and the way people promote their products.

Without any Database insights, I would be a little bit cautious about saying that people jump over to Marketplace.

And: An Account with 30 Days lifespan, well, that's not qualitative measurement, The initial issue of OP is not solved with this.

Instead, do a deep analysis (Mods and Devs) or work on your own Service to make it more attractive.

By the way, posting in each Section also pushes his Thread, which is by TOS, not the aim, but indirectly, you do the same.

If the outcome is that your Thread does not get (with your Thread = Anybodys Thread), not getting enough attention, then instead work on promoting the service in a good way instead of looking at Forum Improvements, which lowers the User to Sales Ratio, and make this Forum for those, who... well...

Better: Assumptions based on facts and figures. Otherwise its hard to follow. I guess developers have no time to do A/B testing for every idea.

Best regards
z

Actually, there's plenty of evidence and there's more added every day.
The fact that you don't see it shared openly doesn't mean that other parties of the conversation don't.
Food for thought.

 

[zotix]

Evidence per se can be something you saw, but do you monitor the Forum all day? Which scientific methodology do you use for it?
I'm talking about Fact-Based Evidence. You can go by a hypothesis and make your assumptions, but can you somehow prove it with Data? No, you can't.

Food for your thought. Reading, then writing.