voting abuse

[Nightmare87]

Simple question. Is it possible for a person to just vote over and over again on a story? I think i have someone who is going to my stories and voting poorly on it over and over. My stories have always been higher than a four and now are dropping dangerously down to a 2. All the stories not just one of them. Any help is welcome.

 

[TxRad]

Simple question. Is it possible for a person to just vote over and over again on a story? I think i have someone who is going to my stories and voting poorly on it over and over. My stories have always been higher than a four and now are dropping dangerously down to a 2. All the stories not just one of them. Any help is welcome.

Sounds like you've picked up your very own personal troll. It happens, you just have to wait and see if the sweeps clean up the mess.

Welcome to the AH

 

[Darkniciad]

Simple question. Is it possible for a person to just vote over and over again on a story? I think i have someone who is going to my stories and voting poorly on it over and over. My stories have always been higher than a four and now are dropping dangerously down to a 2. All the stories not just one of them. Any help is welcome.

It happens all the time. Congratulations, because having a personal troll means you've attained a level of ability that frightens someone

One thing you can hope for, which usually happens, is that one of Lit's periodic housekeeping sweeps will detect the malicious voting pattern and remove those troll votes. Someone just did the same thing to me, and about half of those 1 bombs have now vanished. Every couple of days, I see a few more drop off.

Of course, my troll buddy is coming along futilely re-bombing them, but oh well *laugh*

 

[Guest]

Simple question. Is it possible for a person to just vote over and over again on a story? I think i have someone who is going to my stories and voting poorly on it over and over. My stories have always been higher than a four and now are dropping dangerously down to a 2. All the stories not just one of them. Any help is welcome.

This is a never-ending question on Lit, and the consensus seems to be that only one vote can be cast for a particular story from the same IP (Internet Provider) address. However, that doesn't stop someone with access to other computers--work, library, whatever--from casting additional votes.

In fact, there's speculation--and it's only that--that some authors have a host of 'secret" identities with which to artificially inflate their scores.

Lit has what appears to be an automated "sweeps" program that looks for illicit votes and voting patterns and removes those votes when found. No one--and I repeat, no one--outside of Laurel and Manu know how the program determines a vote should be removed.

However, that means there's some hope for your stories--someone "1" bombing ALL your stories will probably trigger a sweep of your votes. Doesn't mean it won't happen again, though.

For the most recent thread about votes, go here.

 

[jeninflorida]

hum...I thought that if a 2 or more votes came from the sampe IP address that only 1 vote would count? if you write a "loving wife" story get ready for some low votes and nasty emails.

Simple question. Is it possible for a person to just vote over and over again on a story? I think i have someone who is going to my stories and voting poorly on it over and over. My stories have always been higher than a four and now are dropping dangerously down to a 2. All the stories not just one of them. Any help is welcome.

 

[jomar]

Don't give up on the GB so fast, Nightmare87.

 

[Darkniciad]

hum...I thought that if a 2 or more votes came from the sampe IP address that only 1 vote would count? if you write a "loving wife" story get ready for some low votes and nasty emails.

Overcoming the protections that prevent multi-voting isn't all that difficult. For the average person, the current code will stop them from voting a second time, instead displaying the previous vote and making the stars unclickable.

For those determined to bomb, it's not much trouble to overcome the protections and strafe.

Getting past the Hoover isn't quite so easy. It seems to eventually get them all, even though I've had some 1 bombs sit on a story for more than a year, only to fall off and put it at a perfect 5 score, resulting in a flurry of new 1s and 2s, and near daily sweeps. *laugh*

Eventually, someone voted a 4 before the troll army could notice the perfect score, dropping it off the radar.

 

[Nightmare87]

Thanks for the help. Its very new to me i didn't even know the lingo for this kinda stuff. Trolls. haha

 

[Darkniciad]

Thanks for the help. Its very new to me i didn't even know the lingo for this kinda stuff. Trolls. haha

No problem

Just remember that the scores on Lit are really questionable. When you post, what category you post in, and any number of other factors have as much ( or more ) to do with the score you end up with than the content of the story.

It's one indication you can use to determine whether the readers like your work, but you can't take it at face value without weighing any comments you've picked up, the number of views, relation to other works of yours and others, etc.

 

[Nightmare87]

GB? sorry i have no clue. again im new. be easy on me

 

[jomar]

GB? sorry i have no clue. again im new. be easy on me

Sorry, the General Board...where you first asked your question. Some of the residents do tend to be a bit snarkier over there.

 

[Nightmare87]

yeah i noticed. "nobody cares" thats the first answer i got. Nice people.

 

[sr71plt]

yeah i noticed. "nobody cares" thats the first answer i got. Nice people.

That's mostly because the General Board discussion usually doesn't connect with the story portion of this Web site at all. Feel free to bring up discussions like this in the Authors' Hangout, though.

 

[Nightmare87]

so how would a person go on about voting mulitple times on a story. can they do it from their own computer?

 

[sr71plt]

so how would a person go on about voting mulitple times on a story. can they do it from their own computer?

I think the point is not giving a formula for that here--sort of like pasting instructions for making a bomb on the Internet. Not the brightest idea if you don't want to get bombed.

 

[Darkniciad]

so how would a person go on about voting mulitple times on a story. can they do it from their own computer?

They could do it with multiple computers, or some other tricks. I honestly don't want to reveal any details, because we don't need any more trolls than we already have. I'm sure there are a lot out there who would be more than happy to join the ranks of the strafing 1 bombers, but just don't know how to do it

 

[glynndah]

A welcome for the little newbie from the good little witch.

 

[Nightmare87]

Im not looking for detailed step by step instructions. I guess im just asking if its possible

 

[sr71plt]

I'm sure there are a lot out there who would be more than happy to join the ranks of the strafing 1 bombers, but just don't know how to do it

Yeah, after a visitation at precisely midnight last night, I'd like to do a little judicious bombing too.

 

[Darkniciad]

Im not looking for detailed step by step instructions. I guess im just asking if its possible

Absolutely. It only takes a few seconds to wipe away the traces keeping track of your votes. Doesn't take much longer to go another step that can fool the Hoover ( what I call the vote sweeping code ) to some extent.

A determined person with a little knowledge of how internet sites store data could add dozens of 1 votes to your story in nothing flat.

( Or 5s, let us not forget cheerleaders as well, the troll's equally morals-challenged opposite )