Topic: No more scam busting! - page 2. (Read 6458 times)

When I first registered here on bitcointalk.org I have seen Vod's posts almost everyday. He was almost everywhere for all that time. 
I guess online life is not the most important thing in life and you need vacation so 3 months are not not that long in the grand scheme of things. Happy Vacation, Vod.

Goodbye Vod. Enjoy your life, live it up and die a happy man.

Laterz buddy!

The community will miss you VOd.

All 4 of the stickied threads in lending (that all in some way say to use escrow), the stickied thread in goods and most of the non-stickied threads in service discussion are all written by escrows.

Not trying to sound like an unnamed person that often complains about a certain system on the forum, however I think to say that my thread can't or shouldn't be stickied because I escrow is somewhat of a double standard.

Having a trusted/respected person post the thread adds weight to the advice in the thread as if they are known to how to prevent scams and prevent themselves from getting scammed.

If KoS (or someone who is not simply trying to troll) wants to argue that a thread saying to use escrow written by an escrow is a conflict of interest then maybe all the escrow threads should be reposted by the staff bot.

Most (really all) of the claims of conflict of interest against me are really untrue anyway. Not only that but most respected people have similar conflicts as they engage in similar activity but just not through their main accounts.

Some will say conflict of interest since you're an escrow, but so are the other two. They just been around longer.

If a non escrower were to rewrite or repost Quickseller's thread, would it then be stickied?

https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/trade-with-caution-use-escrow-1040193

I was bumping this thread for weeks, if not longer. I ran the idea past hilariousandco prior to making it but never got a response.

I have no idea why it hasn't been stickied.

My question: Why is there a thread stickied in the loan section by TomatoCage and one by squall1066 in the goods section but nothing in the currency exchange section besides the paypal and reversible payment method thread?  Let me rephrase that, why are there warnings in most sections except the one that is used the most by scammers?

How about newbie account being able to ask for loans to begin with. I honestly can say that I have ever seen someone fund a newbie loan. I'm not gonna say that its not happened. Usually theres a reason for rules. Someone usually has been there and did that. Its not hard to become a jr. member and be a productive member of the forums, but to say that a newbie should be able to ask for a loan is another question. I don't think they should be able to. No need. Get involved with the community before asking for money at least.

I agree that users should be made more aware of the scams that happen here and how to prevent themselves from getting scammed. Unfortunately, nothing can or will be done because staff and mods simply won't (or can't in their words) moderate the scams that happen here no matter how obvious they are so people turn to trust to at least warn others.

New accounts should be redirected to a page with guidelines and warnings when trying to access the currency exchange forum. Maybe even warnings seen only by new accounts when they receive a PM (most scams are done over private message) showing the risks of trading, how to use escrow and how "Trust" should only be used only as a guideline. This trust system might look like it's working to newer member but IMO, it's only setting up long term and larger scams which we'll probably see soon, especially with bitcoin's price continuing to drop. People put way to much trust into other's trust. I always suggest escrow but get "no, it's okay you have a lot of trust" and similar messages all the time from members that have never traded with me before so have no reason to trust me besides taking the word from others who they probably never traded with either.

I agree with this point almost wholeheartedly.  Instead of teaching newbies a caveat emptor mentality, the trust rangers merely delay the inevitable lesson that everyone eventually need to learn---how to watch out for yourself.  What's more, this attitude is built into the trustlessness of the bitcoin ethos---no central authorities, just validation of known shared information.  The trust rangers brigade basically works against this ethos.  And the part you said about infighting and innocent people getting caught in the crossfire of the trustranger inquisition is particularly salient for me (having recently gone through an episode of this).

What you said is technically correct, however most new users of Bitcoin gravitate or are directed here in order to learn new information, ask questions, and get involved with the community. Bitcoin would live on if this forum was gone tomorrow, but the fact is it still represents Bitcoin for better or worse. There is such an atmosphere of abuse here that is so rampant it often turns the benevolent skepticism of new users into active rejection of the entire idea of Bitcoin, because unlike veteran users, they don't know that difference.


The primary factor in people getting scammed is THEIR OWN LACKADAISICAL ATTITUDE. People like Vod help foster that attitude by giving the impression that the community stops scammers. In reality a fool and his money will ALWAYS be parted, no matter if it is Bitcoin, cash, credit, or anything else. In stead of teaching awareness and skills to prevent being scammed, the community is hyper-focused on outing scammers, which in reality does little to them but delay their scams, and provide entertainment for rubberneckers.

Vod by no means stops scammers, he simply delays them by forcing them to start over. The fact is the scammers WILL NEVER STOP, and believing otherwise is naive. The question is, is it worth it to tear down and drive away lots of honest users in this inquisition on suspected scammers that will never stop? This is not just a Bitcoin problem, it is a global problem, and the scammers are unfortunately winning. Lets not sap our resources even further flailing aimlessly about damaging contributing members of the community over an endless war that can never be won.

congratulations on having made enough money out of btc to retire

please remove the feedback you gave me, I already asked you via message, please I beg !

Wait what? Although I never knew Vod personally, I feel emotional about this too. Vod was an Iconic user to the forum. Peter Griffin has become an iconic character to me. I can't not watch Family Guy and be like "Oh look, it's Vod". Yeah, these will be the ol' days. Vod's antics in the Off-topic was pretty amusing too. It's going to be a shame that some of the newer users might not be able to interact with him, this may feel like a good thing to the ones of a red status, but, you're going to feel a Vo(i)d.

ahh...thanks for you effort and never stop licking your boob. enjoy your boat journey.) bb

So just let the scammers do whatever they want and drive even more people away from Bitcoin, forever?

Looks like you're forgetting about the people that are also scammed and never return. I know quite a few people including family members who got scammed their first or second attempt at buying and gave up on Bitcoin.

Can't win either way.

Sorry, TECSHARE, but that's hyperbole.  I think a lot of people confuse using bitcoin with using the bitcointalk forum.  I don't think many people get into bitcoin in order to enjoy an online forum about it.  I think it's quite more likely that most of enjoy (or not) using this online forum because we're into bitcoin.  Bitcoin is useful and beautiful and interesting no matter what state of affairs exists in this forum.  This forum is not bitcoin, it's a place to chat about bitcoin.  Bitcoin exists as long as there are nodes running the protocol, not as long as there's a bitcoinforum for chatting.

Just my 2 satoshis.

I am sad to see him living too. This thread is also very sad and transparent. Vod is just making this post (like last time) to feed his ego so he can read the list of people kissing his ass and reenforcing his belief that no matter how many people he abuses he is invaluable to this community, thereby reinforcing his behavior. He did this a few months previous. He is not going anywhere. His obsessive compulsive personality will prevent that. His primary reason for doing this besides inflating his ego is so that he can lay low for a little while and escape the backlash from his abusive behavior, and so he doesn't overstay his welcome with the more influential people in this community.

He will just take up another identity but will quickly be spotted again because his behavior is very abusive, and he can't help himself. I got a message today from a company attempting to raise funds to become tax exempt status (including copies of their filing paperwork), and he is harassing them over the technicalities of their filing. Now he is messing with people ACTUALLY trying to create charities.

He is doing far more damage than he ever prevented stopping scammers. This is the kind of stuff that drives good people away from Bitcoin forever. Any scammers he "stops", however will be right back again within minutes setting up another scam. Vod is running his own little version of the drug war here on the forum, only the war is on scammers, and he doesn't care how many good people suffer in order for him to "win" this war that in reality will never end.

That is really sad to see you living but it's good to hear that you're running for your dream Boat.
i wish you a very Safe Journey and i'm sure you will have so much fun!
Be sure to add some pictures for us if possible