There's been a mini tidal wave of multi-account/shill cases in the past few days. upwards of a half dozen accounts in one case.
A few points of discussion:
1. The mods are grateful that in all cases, the posts were flagged and we could do the IP searches and work behind the scenes, without the threads becoming a flame war. This is EXACTLY what anyone should do who suspects a shill.
2. In two of the cases, the providers/shops involved are asian micros, however that's not the only group of offenders. We have seen indys, agencies, and all sorts of situations arise, including simply just over the top ardent fans who may not realize the extent of the shilling/promotion that is going on. Suffice to say, there's no 100% consistent formula at play, which is why we ask all to leave moderation to the mods and never take matters into their own hands.
3. While we will certainly expose the offenders and put the facts out there, we do not want to see any vigilante or retribution type posts or campaigns going on. These will be deleted and infractions/bans issued as needed, especially when personal information like names/addresses are involved. This is includes time wasting and other suggestions like fake bookings etc. If you want to stop the behavior, simply stop using any provider or shop who indulges in this kind of activity. Depending on the circumstances, we will either close the thread involved or leave it open, but it will be watched closely in the latter case, to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen.
4. We have also even seen false negative reviews against competitors, aka the crabs in the bucket approach, to take down well reviewed providers/shops. It is treated exactly the same way, posts will be deleted, bans issued.
5. This type of behavior also extends to behind the scenes activity like offering discounts or free sessions for good reviews, that provider is shilling as well, just in a different way. The flip side of this one is a threat or coercion to not post negative information. I have been made aware of several potential situations involving this latter situation and we will act when people are prepared to come forward with valid information.
The purpose of me posting this is to start some discussion about this issue, and spread awareness. It is not a rogues gallery or a place to "out" anyone. Look at the review threads, and perbatory if you want to know who the offenders are. One last point. Whether or not you are a paid PERB advertiser in these types of situation is irrelevant. The rules are applied to all.
Lots to chew on here, please keep the comments on point and civil.
A few points of discussion:
1. The mods are grateful that in all cases, the posts were flagged and we could do the IP searches and work behind the scenes, without the threads becoming a flame war. This is EXACTLY what anyone should do who suspects a shill.
2. In two of the cases, the providers/shops involved are asian micros, however that's not the only group of offenders. We have seen indys, agencies, and all sorts of situations arise, including simply just over the top ardent fans who may not realize the extent of the shilling/promotion that is going on. Suffice to say, there's no 100% consistent formula at play, which is why we ask all to leave moderation to the mods and never take matters into their own hands.
3. While we will certainly expose the offenders and put the facts out there, we do not want to see any vigilante or retribution type posts or campaigns going on. These will be deleted and infractions/bans issued as needed, especially when personal information like names/addresses are involved. This is includes time wasting and other suggestions like fake bookings etc. If you want to stop the behavior, simply stop using any provider or shop who indulges in this kind of activity. Depending on the circumstances, we will either close the thread involved or leave it open, but it will be watched closely in the latter case, to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen.
4. We have also even seen false negative reviews against competitors, aka the crabs in the bucket approach, to take down well reviewed providers/shops. It is treated exactly the same way, posts will be deleted, bans issued.
5. This type of behavior also extends to behind the scenes activity like offering discounts or free sessions for good reviews, that provider is shilling as well, just in a different way. The flip side of this one is a threat or coercion to not post negative information. I have been made aware of several potential situations involving this latter situation and we will act when people are prepared to come forward with valid information.
The purpose of me posting this is to start some discussion about this issue, and spread awareness. It is not a rogues gallery or a place to "out" anyone. Look at the review threads, and perbatory if you want to know who the offenders are. One last point. Whether or not you are a paid PERB advertiser in these types of situation is irrelevant. The rules are applied to all.
Lots to chew on here, please keep the comments on point and civil.
