Help I was unfairly flagged, I'm not a "bot" I'm a manual curator!

in #steemit8 years ago (edited)

As I told already on my introduction post I AM NOT A BOT, I am a manual curator of new accounts on steemit.

My journey was just welcoming each verified new user I could MANUALLY. There is nothing wrong about that, but whale @smooth decided to flag me, destroying my reputation and so my ability to greet new steemians. Just look at the messages on my introductory post and you will see how much I was apreciated for this initiative: no one complained.

This is unfair! Flagging me as if I were a "bot" is an insult to the time I took to salute each new steemian I could.

No one complained about me and only positive reactions from new steemians is what you could read (if my reputation wasn't destroyed by @smooth). So what kind of "spam" is the one that makes people happy when they are personaly greeted when they join (and how could this be compared with an "spambot", it's my time that was there dedicated for this task). What is the problem if I found time to do this "repetitive" task?

@steemwelcome

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Looks like @smooth did reply to your intro post 5 hours ago. "Carbon-based spambot" sounds about right to me. I get that value is subjective, but when you're pasting essentially the same thing (slightly modified) to everyone, that's kind of what spam is defined as. Some may appreciate it, but it certainly looks like spam, in my opinion. If you really want to welcome people effectively, why not get to know them, ask some questions, find common ground, etc. Pasting an image on every thread in a given category doesn't (IMO) add any value at all to the network. Maybe change your goal to connect to just 5 people a day using your own voice in a genuinely real way.

Unfortunately, steemit.com won't let me see your reply, but I can see it on steemd:

Did you took the time to actually research how I interacted with people when I welcomed them? Apparently NO, because I did just this: ask some questions, find common ground, etc.

Yes, I did take the time. I looked through your comments section before I left my comment. I saw image after image. I did not see actual relationship building. I'm glad you asked some questions and found common ground at least some of the time which I missed. Most of what I saw, as I said, were images.

My advice: create a new account and try a different approach.

If you act like a bot, you'll be mistaken for a bot.

I support you. I was under the same predicament few weeks back.

For those who want to follow the conversation, you can do so here on steemd.

I'm just asking that he lets me do my thing to help build a strong social network.

I agree with his opinion that you were not building a strong social network. Posting image after image seems like spam to me, as I've already mentioned. Spam on a social network = bad.

when I humanly can't create more than 15 custom welcome signs per day

It would be very, very easy to program this process to do it nearly instantly. If you were rewarded for this, others would do it also in an automated fashion.

A welcome message that's just an image is, to me (and apparently others like Smooth), not a genuine welcome message. I get that's a subjective impression, which leads to my next point.

I played by the rules

So did Smooth or anyone else who flags your approach. Saying "no one else flagged" me isn't much an argument (IMO) because smart new users aren't about to start flagging things on their first post.

The fact the there existed welcome bots before my initiative indicates that there is a market for welcoming new users.

Take a look at their reputation scores now (@wang, for example, is a -16). That should tell you something about how this network feels about welcome bots or activity which mimics (or can easily be reproduced by) a welcome bot.

I said:

It would be very, very easy to program this process to do it nearly instantly.

You said:

That's not true. Because I actually was just saluting each individual in person, using a coustomized sign for each one, that took my own time to create. A bot can't do that. Bot's are pre-programed.

I don't care enough to write you a bot which could inject into an image the author name of an introduction post, dynamically create an image, and post it, but trust me (or do the research yourself), it is certainly true and possible.

As to your larger concerns about the network and how you were treated by Smooth as an individual, I recommend taking it up with that individual in chat.

From your perspective, you were providing a valuable service to new users. From other's perspective, you were adding spam to the network. Since we're talking about subjective value, who gets to decide who is right and what process do they use to do that?

For the record, I don't agree with the site completely hiding all comments from those negative reputations. I think there should still be an option to see them, for those who want to, much like the "show" button does for reputations between (0 and 25).

And then what?

I was only referring to the repetitive image posting. Without that, your actions would be commendable, IMO. I don't think anyone should reward repetitive behavior that is easier for bots to do than humans. If we do, bots will fill that space and provide spam because, as you said, they are not thinking humans.

It's not about just welcoming with a sign and that's it.

I already said this:

Yes, I did take the time. I looked through your comments section before I left my comment. I saw image after image. I did not see actual relationship building.

I made my judgements based on what I saw browsing briefly through your comment feed. I guess I missed your other helpful interactions. Why not just be helpful without the repetitive image?

If you think the image provides value and others don't, that's a discussion to be had. As I asked in my previous comment, what do you think is the best way to go about having that discussion?

Thanks for brining up this issue though, as I see you are clearly passionate about it, and I do think you're making some important points about how subjective value is either rewarded or punished.

Why not just be helpful without the repetitive image?

Exactly.

Repetitive posting is spamming. Don't be repetitive and add value with each post and there is no problem.

A good question to ask in assessing any behavior is, "What would happen if everyone did it?" If everyone posted a repetitive and/or meaningless (even if individually innocuous) comment or image on every new user, the system would be destroyed not only by the clutter but by the sheer volume of comments. If every user looked at each new user and made a careful decision about whether or not to engage based on common interests, etc. and then did engage in a meaningful manner, the system would be improved. Please consider the latter.

"What would happen if everyone did it?"

That's just what I put in my post on reputation. :)

Maybe these things should be discussed before a rep goes to -2 though. A flag without that discussion can be quite discouraging for someone who believes they are adding value (even if others disagree). The value is subjective and should probably be discussed, IMO.

Thank you for those examples. Those were certainly not the ones I saw. Have you contacted @smooth on chat about them and his flag?

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