Fake Profiles In On-line Forum Groups?
 

I follow a weirdly wide set of interests on line and have been in many forums. It seems that every one of them has some sort of troublemaker/ show off that rarely gets punished or banned. Most of the time the things they say are the exact opposite of what the majority of other members agree with. They become some sort of forum heroes and others even post threads about them.

But they're just TOO good at being bad.

These forums are alll ad driven to pay for their server space and make a profit. I think these clowns are actually fake profiles run by either Mods or forum owners to stir up trouble and get members to click repeatedly on things to build traffic numbers.

Usually, after a number of years somebody finally bans them and everybody laughs about them long term. Yet more posts and traffic for the site. But soon after yet another Bozo shows up bragging, posting charts and links, making wild claims and otherwise stirring up the same place that just calmed down.

What do the rest of you think????

Sounds like you’re trying to over complicate things, you’re just talking about the internet here, not serious stuff.

Sounds exactly like over there.

Maybe? Probably lots of fakery going on for various reasons but not sure it’s worth worrying about?

Just seems weird is all. I have watched the way Google took over the internet and manipulated it, wondered if it was happening elsewhere also. No telling with as much money as many on line things can generate.

:yesnod:

I ended up in FB jail from just such a person. Specifically infiltrated a group and started posting contrary information. I'm also in CFOT jail for a post that is nearly a duplicate of a moderator's post. "Fair" is non-existant.

Been slowly dropping away from the car forums. I now spend a lot of time in a serious gun forum.


Here is what that Forum has to say about Profiles.

" Personal Profile Information
Any Fraud or Impersonations in any of the User Profile fields is grounds for Permanent Banning. We take this very seriously."

How would anyone prove the Mods themselves are the fake profiles? I'm not talking about changing names after a ban to regain access, I'm talking about on-going posting to drive numbers higher and make a profit. Why woud any Mod ban more money?

Just a member there not a mod or owner. They run a very tight ship. I very seriously doubt they would pull shit like that race, queer stuff, politics is a no no and very strictly and fairly enforced. I do pay in excess of a $100 a year as a supporting member. It is a totally voluntary donation, not donating would not effect my standings there. Many of the more serious gun people donate, it is well worth it, the information you can get is unbelievable.

I can't take any of this stuff seriously, these forums to me are just a fill in the down time form of entertainment. I've almost weened myself off of TV/cable and spend that time on the webs.

I try to avoid the troll's comments, none of them are funny and just show's how inconsiderate one can be.

Remember when CF had a few profiles at the top of the posting leaderboard with MILLIONS of posts?
I do.

I'm sure that had nothing to do with IB maximizing ad revenue.

I'm not in any gun forums, was long ago. I remember them shutting BS people down as soon as they saw them. So none of the BS I notice elsewhere.....not in one now to even look.


I can't keep up over there to be honest. I see something I know I see and when I go back to look at it the thing is gone. Sometimes any response is also gone. There are posters whose names I can't quite remember and now they don't show up at all in the member list either. Can't find any trace of them even in threads I know they posted in. I dropped out of most of the forums owned by IB over the last few years because of the weeirdness I perceived. The only thing CF has going for it is such a backlog of threads from people sorting out issues on their cars. Have you noticed that when searching for a certain issue browsers now send you to CF as almost the first hit? Uh-huh, I'm sure they don't notice their placement in browsers.....

Care to say which one?

http://smith-wessonforum.com/

Been on there a long time but under a different screen name!

I'm a member there too, but don't go on very often. Very good and informative forum :cert:

Just joined! Thanks!! :cert: