Suggestion: Mule exclusion from contests

[Miles To Go]

Given that people may attempt to utilize a hoard of mules to increase their chances of winning in a way which gives them an unfair advantage...

I would hope that ~when~ the winners are selected, blatant mules will be disqualified and the winner for their slot redrawn.

I'm leaving the clues that identify what is a mule and what is not, up to staff's own determined restrictions.

Although some clues may include

- a lack of posts ( <100)
- TRENDS of gaps in their posts (1 post in 03, 4 posts in 04, 10 posts in 07, etcetc)
- outright admitting in profile or posts "mule"
- no items other than trash/bugs, or a small number of actual equips (<10)

Given that there will only be 6 winners (2 1st place, 2 2nd place, 2 3rd place) it would not be time consuming to do a quick review of the character.

[.~[Misty.Muffin]~.]

I agree. c:

[Bleeding Apocalypse]

Edit: This sounds reasonable. I have a few mule accounts and when I reported a suspected scamming a few years back, I named my mules to someone in charge. I guess the odds are still large enough that it's highly unlikely a user will win twice, but this is still a good suggestion.

[Phantom Honey]

I was kind of hoping they were already doing something like this...

[The Abuse of Love]

I would hate to see newer members get the bad of the deal with rules like these. Just saying.

[Bronia]

I agree. I doubt newer members would get screwed over by that- at least not easily. Sure, if they don't post at all and spend all their time in Rally not getting items or updating their profile, etc... they might get mistaken for a mule, but most newbies are quick to get on their feet and post and stuff.

I was thinking earlier that it wouldn't be fair if a mule won because the owner of the mule had more chances at winning than someone using strictly their main. Unfair advantages are unfair.

[maydayp_p]

they could also look for duplicate isp (or what ever it is) that tells you the location of the person in question. which they can do now.

[Miserable pile of secrets]

i hope so too. i was in towns a few months ago and i saw hundreds of mules in towns. at first i thought it was just a trick and not actual accounts

but then i searched gonk
http://www.gaiaonline.com/gsearch/users/minion+number

[Miles To Go]

The Abuse of Love

I would hate to see newer members get the bad of the deal with rules like these. Just saying.

Since the elimination would be subjective, based on a staff review, that is highly unlikely to happen.

Worst case scenario, an account raises suspicion of being mule, and they crosscheck the IP. But, there's usually enough evidence that a quick skim is enough to prove or disprove.

I do NOT think the elimination should be based on 1 factor alone, therefore newer members (as long as they've BEEN active) should be safe.

Again, as long as it is a PERSON determining whether they (the WINNERS) are mules, and not automated factors, it should be fine.

Edit: Clarification of the IP comment

"... I left any mention of IP checks from the OP for a reason. I am well aware of the issues with it. Matching IP wouldnt = auto disqualified, but if you have the same IP as someone you frequently give event items (ONLY event items), its a major HINT. I guess thats my bad for not elaborating more? Again, the overall decision would still be a group factor, based on SUBJECTIVITY of an OVERALL, OPINION based assessment. Because, as I thought I made clear in OP, humans minds can catch things a 1 or 0 system cannot.

..."

[The Amazing Arya]

while I agree that using mules to improve your odds of winning a contest is wrong,it is virtually impossible to 100% determine if an account is a mule.

Yes there are patterns in posting and login that could indicate an account is a mule.... this patterns could easily hit innocent users (it's why Gaia doesn't IP block for example, so multiple accounts from one IP could be mules, or could equally be people from the same family or same school)

Equally there are people that will have mules that are used in the same way that people use "main" accounts (it is perfectly possible for some one to have a mule that logs in daily and has lots of posts)

There are just too many ways that people can use an account.

[The Abuse of Love]

Miles To Go

The Abuse of Love

I would hate to see newer members get the bad of the deal with rules like these. Just saying.

Since the elimination would be subjective, based on a staff review, that is highly unlikely to happen.

Worst case scenario, an account raises suspicion of being mule, and they crosscheck the IP. But, there's usually enough evidence that a quick skim is enough to prove or disprove.

I do NOT think the elimination should be based on 1 factor alone, therefore newer members (as long as they've BEEN active) should be safe.

Again, as long as it is a PERSON determining whether they (the WINNERS) are mules, and not automated factors, it should be fine.

IP checks are hardly reliable seeing as sometimes a computer is used by more than one person. For example, a few years back two of my cousins came to visit and they both made Gaia accounts at the time. So they were both new accounts with few items, few posts, and from the same IP. Not to mention my sister also played, so that was 4 accounts for one IP, two of which would have looked like mules. So I don't think there is way to weed out mules without also weeding out people that have just as much right to win.

[Phouc Yuu]

Not everyone uses the forums on Gaia

Like all the Rally people.

Most Rally people have 0 posts despite being on Gaia for years.

What about them?

[Miles To Go]

The Abuse of Love

Miles To Go

The Abuse of Love

I would hate to see newer members get the bad of the deal with rules like these. Just saying.

Since the elimination would be subjective, based on a staff review, that is highly unlikely to happen.

Worst case scenario, an account raises suspicion of being mule, and they crosscheck the IP. But, there's usually enough evidence that a quick skim is enough to prove or disprove.

I do NOT think the elimination should be based on 1 factor alone, therefore newer members (as long as they've BEEN active) should be safe.

Again, as long as it is a PERSON determining whether they (the WINNERS) are mules, and not automated factors, it should be fine.

IP checks are hardly reliable seeing as sometimes a computer is used by more than one person. For example, a few years back two of my cousins came to visit and they both made Gaia accounts at the time. So they were both new accounts with few items, few posts, and from the same IP. Not to mention my sister also played, so that was 4 accounts for one IP, two of which would have looked like mules. So I don't think there is way to weed out mules without also weeding out people that have just as much right to win.

Again.. I can't help but feel you are looking at this from the perspective of 1 factor alone.
They would only be picked off if it was obvious (blatant). MULTIPLE factors would have to come to the same conclusion, for it to be positive.

And this argument is moot I suppose, since an admin publicly condoned using mules to massfarm points.

afk crai.

[Shampoo-chan]

I am someone who owns quite a few mules. Some I haven't logged into for months, maybe even years. I create them because I like a certain username & do not like changing MY username. Some represent OCs I've created. I've even created a couple for an art shop I ran a few years ago (they were "thread host" mules). They serve no purpose beyond occasional posting & sometimes I vend with them or use them as a bank. I rarely do Daily Chance in them or log in during events. (I actually rarely participate in events in my main account anyway)

I don't plan to suddenly start logging into all of them for contests, but I'm sure there are people who do that. Or even create accounts for this reason.

I agree. I would love a limitation with using more than ONE account to enter contests, because it's quite unfair for those who don't have multiple accounts.

[Esephydante]

Maybe, it should be blatant,
as in 100 mules or something;
cause sometimes several people use the same ip?

Though, I agree,
it would be really unfair if someone just won only because they had 100 mules.