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`Dre

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Post: 15810691_1 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:22:36 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:22:36 +0000

Welcome to the GGBB.

Please take a moment to at least read what we have to say. We are gaians trying to protect others like ourselves, while at the same time continuing to enjoy gaia and what it has to offer.

This thread is about botting, and how to protect yourself. But hey, we're not just here to play teacher. We want to hang out too. And Dre is nice. So play your cards right and you could score some free art.

Keep reading!

Rules:
- Obey the TOS and RAG.
- Obey Dre and the other approved mods of his thread.
- Do not beg for anything.
- You may bump.
- You may advertise.
- You may chat and RP.
- Don't say f*****t. Don't say it. Just don't.
- No flame wars; Especially no flaming any innocently banned people for their involvement in getting themselves unbanned.
(Do not tell them to stop whining, tell them it's just a game, etc.)

Important dates

7/19/06 - Thread was started!
7/20/06 - Added some banners and such.
7/25/06- Dre's birthday.
7/26/06- DJGeriGoGo announced that her account was indeed banned for eternity.
7/26/06- Admins added botting info to their annoucnements: a mere three sentances.
8/9/06- GeriGoGo's permaban was lifted!

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_2 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:25:44 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:25:44 +0000

So, why is this such a big threat? Well, several people have been banned for recieving, using, or otherwise coming into contact with botted gold. There has been a recent outbreak.

There have been several recent cases of users getting perma-banned for having botted gold. Many of which, until this day, didn't even know what botted gold was. Many have posted in the site feedback and q+a forums looking for help.

The problem is, we have no idea if we are recieving botted gold from other users. You can come into contact with botted gold by being just an everyday gaian, because botted gold is useable in trades, the marketplace, everywhere, and not even know it, because it acts no different than normal gold.

Someone suggested that we ask a Mod to look at our Gold to see if its Legit, the problem with that is, who has the time to run to the Mod each day and ask "Is my gold legit?". Its a hassle for both the User and Mod.

This thread will help you understand more about botted gold and how to avoid it, while at the same time making new friends and hanging out like in everyday life.

Cirosan

On July 19th, 2006, several users were banned from Gaia Online. People such as the heads of charities, creators of stickies, and just plain innocent people lost their accounts. The loss was tremendous -- people went from holding some of the most expensive items on Gaia and being some of the top contributors to forums to nothing. Why would the powers that be at Gaia ban so many people who didn't do anything wrong? Because they accepted... gold.

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_4 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:27:03 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:27:03 +0000

So... how can we protect ourselves and others from being banned for this fake gold? The solution is actually very simple and quite like you would treat a cold virus:

Don't aquire botted gold.

You may think this is easy... but think of all the ways that you could come into contact with this kind of gold...

- About the marketplace: The marketplace has been approved as safe by the moderators.[x]

- Hesitate before accepting trades from people you don't know, especially donations. Be cautious. If you don't know them well and they're offering you a trade of 30k for no reason, it may be kind of suspicious.

- Be careful in your charities, shops, etc. Keep screenshots of all of your trades, so that if you are paid with botted gold, you'll be able to prove that it was a fair exchange. Ask people to post their orders in your thread, so that you'll at least have some evidence.

- If you have had any recent trades, check the original owners profile. A good way to tell if the person is using botted gold is things like their post count, how much they have on their avatar in relation to how long they've been a member, etc. You can also check the memberlist, if they have a new-style profile.

- If you become highly suspicious, try to get a moderator to look at your gold and see if it is legit. PLEASE remember only to do this when you are truly in need of it. It is a hassle for the user and the moderator to have to do this very frequently.

I know this is a lot to ask of gaians and I know it will have an effect on your gaian lifestyle... but if you truly wish to be safe, these are a few simple ways to assure your account is safe.

I am NOT telling you that you MUST do this! I'm not trying to ruin your gaian life! I'm just stating that there has been a recent botting outbreak and that these are some ways to be careful, and I want to spread the word.

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_5 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:27:55 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:27:55 +0000

How does botted gold come into existance? How on earth does it come into contact with me? How do I keep it from spreading?

Rules And Guidelines

The rules and guidelines states:
- Botting. Using an automated script, macro, or refreshing feature to post or surf webpages in order to generate Gold (Botting) is forbidden. The use of any software or codes to generate gold without the need for you being in front of your computer is generally considered as botting. Anyone suspected of botting will have their account banned.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Bannings should happen to botters! But, sometimes the admins make mistakes, and innocents are banned.

Think it will not happen to you? Neither did Plexi_Lexi, the owner of a huge charity and one of the 32 gaians with a halo. Her final word is stated here.

GeriGoGo was banned for accepting gold from a stranger. Donation? Sure. One that got her banned. GeriGoGo's ban was lifted on the ninth of August.

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_6 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:28:41 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:28:41 +0000

In Other News...

Now that you know what not do do, how about spending some more time doing what is fine to do? I did say this is a hangout thread. And... it is! It is a thread I made to spread awareness and hang out. But, without access to the marketplace, donations... gaia is boring, right...?

WRONG!

Gaia is a place to have fun! You can have fun and be safe at the same time. Who knows how long the botting plague will last? I sure don't. In the mean time, why not make new friends, hang out, and enjoy the things that gaia used to be about. Think about it: before the quests, before the games, before all of that... it was a place to relax and enjoy. Lets bring that gaia back for a while.

Art

I won't be accepting items or gold in this thread. Nope. But I may be doing avvi art. Why? Well because I want to bribe you... yes, I admit it. I want you to stay and hang out. But I don't want to recieve botted gold without my knowledge, so stick around and my art is free. Some samples:

I'd like to see the thread get going a little. I'll randomly draw art for people I see here a lot, people with nice avvis, etc.

Please remember that I do commissions and may not have a lot of time for free art... I'll do my best though!

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_7 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:29:34 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:29:34 +0000

If you can't find anyone to talk to, why not take a quiz?

Gaia quiz:
1. How long have you been on Gaia?
2. What is your favorite item on Gaia?
3. Least favorite?
4. Have you ever donated to Gaia?
5. Do you know any gaian friends in real life?
6. What is your most expensive item?
7. How much time do you spend here daily, weekly, etc?
8. Do you have a gaian house?
9. What does (or would if you don't have one) it look like?
10. Do you participate in the storylines?
11. What kind of guilds are you involved in?
12. Would you trade everything you have for an angelic halo?
13. Why or why not?
14. Do you have a gaian bf/gf?
15. Do you want one?
16. Would you ever meet a gaian in real life?
17. Why or why not?
18. Do you ever spend time in Gaia Towns?
19. Will you visit Dre at his house in 6 Barton 002774?
20. Will you complain about how there isn't anything in there yet??? xd

This-or-that quiz:
1. Bunnies or turtles?
2. Kittens or puppies?
3. Chocolate or vanilla? (Or strawberry?)
4. Summer, winter, spring or fall?
5. Rap or Rock?
6. Cookies or brownies?
7. Muffins or cupcakes?
8. Bikes or skateboards?
9. Math or science?
10. Daytime or Nighttime?
11. Angelic sash or nitemare scarf?
12. Pandy pack or shell pack?
13. Nitemare parasol or angelic parasol?
14. Demonbow or angelbow?
15. Kiki or coco?
16. M+ms or skittles?
17. Snickers or Milky Way?
18. PSP or Nintendo DS?
19. Wii or PS3? (or xbox 360?)
20. Quizzes or bumping?

Sweets Quiz:
1. Chocolate or fruity?
2. Hard or soft?
3. Crunchy or chewy?
4. Lolipops or candy bars?
5. Sour or sweet?
6. Little or big?
7. Licorice: Red or Black?
8. Cherry or raspberry?
9. Strawberry or banana?
10. Lemon or lime?
11. Kiwi or watermellon?
12. Marshmallow or nutty?
13. Jawbreakers or jellybeans?
14. Packaging: bags or boxes?
15. Home-made or store-bought?
16. Candy Corn or Boston Baked Beans?
17. Halloween or Easter?
18. Icing or sprinkles?
19. Nouget or Caramel?
20. Popcorn: Candy or caramel?

Daily Life Quiz:
1. When do you wake up in the mornings?
2. What is the first think you do after waking up?
3. Do you always eat a good breakfast?
4. Do you go to school or work?
5. If not, what do you do instead? If so, how long do you spend there?
6. How do you spend a Saturday?
7. How do you spend a Sunday?
8. When do you go to bed?
9. Do you chat on the phone a lot during the day?
10. Do you prefer walking or driving to go places?
11. Have you ever gone somewhere exciting?
12. What are a few of your favorite things?
13. Do you play sports? An instrument?
14. What do you do in your spare time?
15. Do you have any pets?
16. If so, what kinds? If not, why?
17. Do you spend a lot of time with friends?
18. What are some activities you do normally?
19. Do you really brush your teeth twice a day?
20. Do you go to the doctors as regularly as you should?
21. Have you ever forgotten to lock your car/home?
22. Did you ever wish you hadn't bought something that seemed wondeful at the time?
23. Have you ever lied about something to keep from hurting somebodies feelings?
24. What do you wear normally?
25. Do you participate in "casual Friday?"
26. How much time do you spend watching TV?
27. On the internet?
28. Outside?
29. What is your favorite thing to do before going to bed?
30. Do you sleep with your window open?

Math Quiz (difficult):
1. What is the area of a circle?
2. Circumference?
3. Surface area of a sphere?
4. Volume of a sphere?
5. What does base x height equal?
6. "a" squared plus "b" squared equals "c" squared is what?
7. What is the tangent of a circle?
8. The forumla for the area of a triangle?
9. A prism has how many bases?
10. A pyramid has mow many bases?
11. A polygon with seven sides is called a what?
12. What is the sum of the interior angles of a pentagon?
13. How do you find the area of a cone?
14. Area of a pyramid?
15. Favorite shape?
16. How do you find the area of that shape?
17. What about favorite 3-D shape?
18. Volume of that shape?
19. What is the difference between mass and volume?
20. Which is bigger: A yard or a meter?

Cirosan's Quiz:
1. Would you rather sleep peacefully or rest with one eye open, terrified, and ready to spring into action?
2. Ever had your house searched by cops with a narcotics search warrant, only to have them realize they have the wrong house?
3. Create a sentence from the perspective of a magician in a roller skating championship, without using the letters r, t, or g.
4. Do you feel the urge to get up and send me 10,000 dollars?
5. Create a low-carb cure for polio and post the recipe.
6. Have you ever re-created a scene from Dragonball Z with sock puppets?
7. Have your friends ever played a prank on you that required to take psychological care to get over it?
8. Have you ever wrote a word on someone's face in magic marker, and they never realize it, and walk around with a faded word on their face for two weeks?
9. Have you ever been on security detail for someone, only to fail miserably protecting them?
10. Have you ever introduced yourself as "John Q. Public" only to have them never realize you were kidding?

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_8 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:30:42 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:30:42 +0000

These are the people that you must obey under all circumstances! They helped me out a lot and stuff kay? Kay.

Right now I'm seeing who is worthy. ninja

You hafta listen to `Dre all the time.
Cirosan is another somebody you should listen to.
murdererdelacroix is another somebody you should listen to.

What People Have Said

People have said some nice things about us.

FallingFromYou

I didn't really know what botted gold was until a few moments ago when I started reading a PM that a friend sent me, that had the link to both this thread and another one on the same issue. Thank you for helping me come more aware of what it is, and what we can do to help avoid receving botted gold. <3

HobbitAngel

First of all, I want to thank you for creating this thread. I had no idea people were being banned for coming into contact with Botted gold. And only really started hearing about it the last couple of days. Your front page is very informative and hope other Gaians will take note of your advice and information to protect themselves until this whole botted gold issue is taken care of.

What saddens me is that there are people out there who cheat the system so badly. Gaia has been such a fun site since I started nearly 3 years ago. It was sad to see that someone so prominent on the Exchange banned for coming into contact with the gold. sad Plexi will be missed. And I hope the mods can figure out whose beind the botted gold.

Anyway. People, protect yourselves. Don't sell or buy until the botted gold has been taken care of. It'd hate to see such a huge site lose tons of people because they had to be banned.

Again, thanks Dre for your uber informative thread. I think I'll stay a while and fill out some quizzes cause I've got nothing better to do at work.

It looks like the admins tried to explain a few things... but in my opinion left a few details out.

Announcements of 7/23/03

Recently, a large number of Gaia accounts were found botting. Botting is not allowed as it is unfair, slows down our system, and inflates prices for items that you want to get. sad We're doing what we can to help you and other Gaia members by trying to ban the botters and people who benefited from the cheated gold because they're also contributing to the inflation and unfairness.

`Dre

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Post: 15810691_9 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:31:53 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:31:53 +0000

There are several things you can do to support this cause. A good way would be to put a banner on your profile or in your signature. A better way would be to show your support by having your avvi stand backwards, in metaphorical fear of botting bans, or to hold a boquet of white daisies or carnations.

You can send a 0g trade to eToy (please remember to be careful when trading) if you'd like a white flower to hold.

ALSO, we are compiling a list of people who have been banned due to botted gold in their accounts that they did not previously know about. PM DJGeriGoGo with your story.

Links! Woot! Support the cause!

User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.

[url=http://tinyurl.com/oooo5][img]http://www.industrialglitter.com/gaia/unfair1.gif[/img][/url]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/oooo5][img]http://www.industrialglitter.com/gaia/unfair3.gif[/img]

[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15810691&page=1][img]http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1385/reportinjusticend3.png[/img][/url]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/oooo5][img]http://tinyurl.com/raaj3[/img][/url]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/oooo5][img]http://www.industrialglitter.com/gaia/copstyle.gif[/img][/url]

Here are some things you should see:

User Image

The thread this was based on! (link not working...?)

Cirosan

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Post: 15810691_10 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:49:55 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:49:55 +0000

Very nice, Dre.

I'll be here to help bump this and assist any way I can.

DJGeriGoGo

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Post: 15810691_11 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:50:22 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:50:22 +0000

Me too.

Droite

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Post: 15810691_12 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:51:47 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:51:47 +0000

I'll try to assist as much as I can.

Cirosan

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Post: 15810691_13 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:52:48 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:52:48 +0000

And by the way, thanks for adding my phrase to the post.

Tresa-Chan

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Post: 15810691_14 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:54:02 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:54:02 +0000

TRESA-CHAN XD

I like being literate. Do you?

NON-LITERATES SHALL DIE!
---------------
Cool, this will probably be stickied, and I'm on the front page.

Cirosan

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Post: 15810691_15 created on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:55:38 +0000
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:55:38 +0000

I'll try to come up with another phrase, if it'll help, too.

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