this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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News

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The news mod team has asked to no longer be a part of the project until we have a composite tool that polls multiple sources for a more balanced view.

It will take a few hours, but FOR NOW there won't be a bot giving reviews of the source.

The goal was simple: make it easier to show biased sources. This was to give you and the mods a better view of what we were looking at.

The mod team is in agreement: one source of truth isn't enough. We are working on a tool to give a composite score, from multiple sources, all open source.

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[–] qevlarr@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Sockpuppetting? You have any indication of that?

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)
[–] Five@slrpnk.net 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Props to the LW admin who uncovered and banned the vote manipulation ring. Its existence is troubling.

I did a vote audit of the Soliciting Feedback from the Mods thread, and none of the sock accounts that were banned three days ago voted on the post or the most highly upvoted or downvoted comments. If you don't believe me, I suggest asking an admin you trust to repeat the audit.

The outrage about the bot seems extremely organic, and any sockpuppetting going on is small compared to the overwhelming number of legitimate accounts casting votes that are apparent from the logs. The uniformity of the consensus does not appear to be artificial at all.

[–] qevlarr@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

These people were specifically trying to get the bot removed? Must have hit quite a nerve. I know it was biased in favor of Israel, but it must have been even worse. That bot sucks so bad people make mass sockpuppet accounts just to tell you they want it gone

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world -3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)
[–] qevlarr@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I was joking. Just like you can't be seriously claiming there is no consensus that the bot sucks and that all the net downvotes for that bot are due to a small minority of sockpuppeteers?

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world -3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)
[–] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So based on your other comment, the "evidence" you're referring to here is merely that vote manipulation had occurred in some other community?

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world -1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)
[–] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ok, but you did claim that you had evidence that some of the downvotes were sockpuppets, contrary to the analysis discussed in this comment.

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)
[–] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Well, the point I've been trying to make is that on balance, mods have been reluctant to engage with negative feedback, and I think this is a salient example.

I think you can imagine how, from the perspective of a community member, it would feel like you've started with the belief that the bot is good, and sought feedback in that context.

The erroneous assumption you've made regarding vote manipulation is a pretty clear example of that.

This is what I mean by users feeling as though their opinions have been dismissed.

[–] Blackbeard@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Ok mate. I appreciate you taking the time.

I get that everyone on the mod team seems well intentioned, and trying to navigate this situation as best they can as volunteers, with limited resources and limited control.