I have been dismayed to see how in the past few months longtime slick dealers have begun to freely joke about how they lied to get a freebie they weren't entitled to and how gleefully people post instructions for how to scam your way into a high value sample not intended for the general public. if you look in the mail thread, users who wouldn't dare post jokes in the thread think nothing of bragging about their "score" in there, I guess assuming the mods don't go in there much. it's like Slick Deals is becoming Fat Wallet-ized.

I know the Mods are generally responsive about deleting posts that joke about fraud such as "oh no, I can't remember what I called my fictitious convenience store! What will say on the $20 survey they send?" and "Wow, I just aged 20 years in 15 seconds" with regard to an offer for people 50 and over. However, is that really enough? Clearly not since the same folks keep on with their posting of how you can just do this or that to get a freebie 3 or 4 times or describing how they scammed a high-value goodie with other users chiming in their congrats.

Slick Deals has a strict policy about fraud but when you view the warnings schedule, it's not worded in such a way as to make people understand that posting jokes and wink-winks and high-5 type posts to others who acknowledge engaging in freebie fraud is just as bad as posting instructions on how to do it. It IS just as bad because it fosters an environment that leads users both new and old to believe that Slick Deals has relaxed its standards on this issue.

I know we can't prevent people from abusing offers and making up elaborate lies to qualify for a high value freebie. The people who are willing to pretend to be an organ-transplant patient just to get a CD-Player are beyond our influence. We can't worry about them nor should we.

However, the users who are just looking to the group's behavior to give themselves permission to cross that line can be influenced by us as a community. If we all Mod alert every post that makes light of fraud, jokes about it, alludes to it as being OK, advocates it, makes fun of others asking people not to abuse and so on, we can help keep Slick Deals as freebie board with higher values than most.

I would like to ask the Mods to consider giving points warning to people who get caught posting these kinds of things more than once and that the mods adopt a Zero-Tolerance policy towards posts advocating fraud or making light of it. First offense should get a zero-point warning and explanation of why Slick Deals doesn't permit posts that advocate fraud. 2nd offense deserves points. That would put a big halt to such posts.

We can't do anything about what people do in private but posting on Slick Deals is public behavior and I encourage the Mods to do everything in their power to curb this nasty trend.

That is all and this is all just my opinion. You are all welcome to your own.

:iagree:
It is a constant battle trying to maintain any sense of integrity for SD as a legitimate law-abiding site.
There are rules here but they are not very clear and ignored by some.

Many of your possible solutions seem warranted, Nuala'sMom.


.

I agree, to abuse these freebies is to ruin it for the rest of us. Soon there won't be any. I am a great lover of a deal, but I do not give up my morals to get one.

It's something I'm not proud of either. I try to remove any posts where fraud /lying is taking place or being encouraged.

But most of the times, the Mods don't know about it until someone MA's it. So if you see it, please MA it asap!

However, the users who are just looking to the group's behavior to give themselves permission to cross that line can be influenced by us as a community. If we all Mod alert every post that makes light of fraud, jokes about it, alludes to it as being OK, advocates it, makes fun of others asking people not to abuse and so on, we can help keep Slick Deals as freebie board with higher values than most.



this brings up the problem of evidence...just cos someone says "oh i just aged 15 years in 10 seconds" or whatever...how do you/or anyone for that matter, know that they are indulging in fraudelnt activity...on top of that who decides what is a joke and what isnt? what one might find to be a joke another might find to be something that pokes fun at others. some get it, some dont.

unless there is explicit evidence of fraud or instructions to commit fraud, unfortunately nothing can be done about it. i just think this would start some kind of vigilante justice.

Sadly, I think it's sometimes the nature of "getting good deal" sites (this one included) where a few people blur the lines (lie, cheat, and steal) to make their deal work for them. It's not just in the Freebie section this happens.

Some people do kid around and push the limits of good taste. This does happen quite a bit. I try to take it with a pinch of salt and let it go. It can be tasteless at times but they aren't committing a crime. Just looking for a laugh.

Then there's blantant fraud. I do think it's incredibly rude/nasty/evil when you lie and say you have cancer/horrible disease/etc. to get free stuff. Hoping karma/God/higher power will eventually bite these people in the behind.

If it's blantant fraud, I think the Mods will eventually find out about it. If it's assumed or hinted at (maybe even joked about) then it's a tough call for the Mods.

Wish it were different, screws over the honest people. Eventually you lie, cheat, steal enough you may get caught.

Most folks on SD are just looking for a good deal; however, you're going to get the jerks who are greedy and will lie to get what they want. They will do this on SD, on their taxes, and in the real world.

this brings up the problem of evidence...just cos someone says "oh i just aged 15 years in 10 seconds" or whatever...how do you/or anyone for that matter, know that they are indulging in fraudelnt activity...on top of that who decides what is a joke and what isnt? what one might find to be a joke another might find to be something that pokes fun at others. some get it, some dont.

unless there is explicit evidence of fraud or instructions to commit fraud, unfortunately nothing can be done about it. i just think this would start some kind of vigilante justice.

if the threads are supposed to stay on topic and have no chatter...

then the kind of post you are talking about could be removed based solely on that, imo.

If a post is not helpful to the thread (beyond thanks) then it can be deleted based on that and questionable taste. (again, imo)
OBVIOUS fraud, or coaching to commit fraud should be MAd as kel_be says....that will be removed.
imo, posts mentioning fraud that seems wrong to you can also be MAd too, Mods can decide (though different mods have different opionions)

this brings up the problem of evidence...just cos someone says "oh i just aged 15 years in 10 seconds" or whatever...how do you/or anyone for that matter, know that they are indulging in fraudelnt activity...on top of that who decides what is a joke and what isnt? what one might find to be a joke another might find to be something that pokes fun at others. some get it, some dont.

unless there is explicit evidence of fraud or instructions to commit fraud, unfortunately nothing can be done about it. i just think this would start some kind of vigilante justice.

I agree completely. I make jokes that, to me, are clearly JOKES, however sometimes they get taken seriously and a mod deletes them ( or perhaps just is not amused ) or someone will PM me or answer back in the thread as if I'm serious. I made fun of the freebie for convenience store owners and said I had a farm in Africa ( the first line of 'Out of Africa') and likewise said I thought seriously about joining the Hot Wheels Club..... for little Montgomery Clothos, III ....heehee. Many times funny remarks are taken the wrong way and people either think you're making fun of them for cheating ( I am ) or they thinking you ARE really cheating ( I'm not ).

If I remark seriously about someone cheating in a thread and it's clearly a serious comment and brings up moral issues, I get deleted, too.....I've seen things that were clearly unethical and have posted myself questioning whether that was accepted behavior on this site and by the members in general, and I have had my post deleted within five minutes..........so I think it has more to do with with who is posting, than the real question of ethical behavior.

I posted this because I was hoping to start a dialog and I'm gald that folks are using the thread for that.

My own opinion, and it is just my opinion, about joking about fraud is that it simply isn't funny in the least, doesn't belong on SD and can be taken as encouragement by others to jump in an abuse an offer. How are they to know you are only kidding and not gloating or bragging when so many people DO gloat and brag with teehee's and hehe's about suddenly owning a fictious convenience store or suddenly discovering you had a child the exact right age for the offer? Answer is : they don't, so why do it? Those comments may be amusing to you but they serve to give others the permission they were looking for to cross a line. And be assured, new users are looking to what others say and do for clues about what is acceptible because the whole freebie phenom is new to them and it is hard at first to believe you can legitimately get all this for free. They look around and if they don't have a strong personal ethic of their own, they look to the group for clues.

I would ask Kel Be to watch the Mail thread if she can - there's an awful lot of brag posting in there about how users scammed multiple freebies or four or five huge boxes of yoga samples with "Teehee" and LOL type comments. These are longtime users who ought to know better but I guess they just really need to brag about their score.

Slick Deals has managed for a long time to stay above the Fat Wallet type fray nand I hope we always do. For now, Posts that suggest fraud, instrcut on fraud and make open jokes about comitting fraud are merely deleted. I'd like to see those Users held accountible with points warnings. That would put a stop to it real fast and communicate clearly to users who are woindering what is funny and what is not.

If a post is mod alerted and a mod finds it hasn't crossed the line - Ok then - no prob. In time people will figure out by what stays and what doesn't what is considred Ok - or better yet, perhaps a Mod could type up a n alert at the top of the freebies board and give concrete examples of what's unnacceptible and what is OK. I would welcome that.

I can't imagine how anyone other than a group of mods, has the free time to police the site, watch for "trends", check out posts that may advocate or even brag about cheating, check individual profiles and their thumbs down ratio, mod alert reposts, mod alert objectionale posts, read and mod alert posts that are chatting, read and mod alert posts they do not find amusing, while at the same time posting detailed "instructional" threads, and above all, mod alerting everything they personally object to. The additional time taken to then discuss with mods by PM any infarctions by other users, watch or list users you think are giving out instructions on how to cheat, or abusing some function or privilege, and then also post threads about the problem of cheating, along with all the other problems one could object to...... it all just seems to spell "way too much free time." Frankly, I work ouside the home, but usually only part time, but still can only allocate so much of my free time to getting freebies, answering PM's and email, and other internet interests. I don't understand how one has the free time to watch everybody else and constantly mod alert.

You can't legislate other people's morals, frankly, at least not on a public site. And it's very clear by now that the site is only really concerned with the outright instructions for fraud against companies or the government, as they may later need to gain advertising revenues from said companies or face legal ramifications if they let the instructions remain posted. They are clearly not really all that concerned with ALL cheating, especially if it envolves cheating other people on the site or minor snickering or bragging about getting multiples. It's left up to the mods, who obviously all have different agendas and different morals, what gets excused and what doesn't, what gets deleted and what ( or who ) gets excused and ignored. I agree that ignoring it doesn't seem to help, and I don't advocate that, but I also don't think becoming the unofficial site PO-lice is a good way to gain anything or change anything whatever. It just garners more enemies than one already has. And sadly, may even make enemies of people who agree with you but don't agree with how you are going about trying to change people's attitudes and the way in which you articulate how people should react or behave.

Members trying to exercise control of other users on a public site eventually comes off as bossiness and is merely a waste of your time. Not meaning to be rude, but have you thought about starting a site or forum of your own?? This would seem like a more constructive way in which you could freely monitor other people's behavior and only allow what you want on the site, both in opinions, humor, or honesty.

Just a thought. :D

Feel free to mod alert this post, if you feel the need to and perhaps find it, once again, disagreeable or objectionable, or merely not funny in the slightest, according to your own personal higher standards.

Am I the only one who thinks people think way too much into this? I mean the answer is really simple.
IF IT BOTHERS YOU, MOD IT AND MOVE ON.:nod:
We do have real MODS and thats what their here for, let THEM do their jobs. If you MOD it and they feel it is wrong , they will take it down.

Seriously, people are going to do what they do. No matter what.
When someone puts "Im in for 100" do u really believe them, and does it matter? SO they kill the deal. OH NO. Someone else who isnt a member probally did the same thing.

I am so :deadhorse: here....:rolleyes:

I can't imagine how anyone other than a group of mods, has the free time to police the site, watch for "trends", check out posts that may advocate or even brag about cheating, check individual profiles and their thumbs down ratio, mod alert reposts, mod alert objectionale posts, read and mod alert posts that are chatting, read and mod alert posts they do not find amusing, while at the same time posting detailed "instructional" threads, and above all, mod alerting everything they personally object to. The additional time taken to then discuss with mods by PM any infarctions by other users, watch or list users you think are giving out instructions on how to cheat, or abusing some function or privilege, and then also post threads about the problem of cheating, along with all the other problems one could object to...... it all just seems to spell "way too much free time." Frankly, I work ouside the home, but usually only part time, but still can only allocate so much of my free time to getting freebies, answering PM's and email, and other internet interests. I don't understand how one has the free time to watch everybody else and constantly mod alert.

You can't legislate other people's morals, frankly, at least not on a public site. And it's very clear by now that the site is only really concerned with the outright instructions for fraud against companies or the government, as they may later need to gain advertising revenues from said companies or face legal ramifications if they let the instructions remain posted. They are clearly not really all that concerned with ALL cheating, especially if it envolves cheating other people on the site or minor snickering or bragging about getting multiples. It's left up to the mods, who obviously all have different agendas and different morals, what gets excused and what doesn't, what gets deleted and what ( or who ) gets excused and ignored. I agree that ignoring it doesn't seem to help, and I don't advocate that, but I also don't think becoming the unofficial site PO-lice is a good way to gain anything or change anything whatever. It just garners more enemies than one already has. And sadly, may even make enemies of people who agree with you but don't agree with how you are going about trying to change people's attitudes and the way in which you articulate how people should react or behave.

Members trying to exercise control of other users on a public site eventually comes off as bossiness and is merely a waste of your time. Not meaning to be rude, but have you thought about starting a site or forum of your own?? This would seem like a more constructive way in which you could freely monitor other people's behavior and only allow what you want on the site, both in opinions, humor, or honesty.

Just a thought. :D

Feel free to mod alert this post, if you feel the need to and perhaps find it, once again, disagreeable or objectionable, or merely not funny in the slightest, according to your own personal higher standards.


Sorry Clothos...I had to report you for being just a little too "mouthy" :P

Sorry Clothos...I had to report you for being just a little too "mouthy" :P

Tattletale!! :tongue:

I can't imagine how anyone other than a group of mods, has the free time to police the site, watch for "trends", check out posts that may advocate or even brag about cheating, check individual profiles and their thumbs down ratio, mod alert reposts, mod alert objectionale posts, read and mod alert posts that are chatting, read and mod alert posts they do not find amusing, while at the same time posting detailed "instructional" threads, and above all, mod alerting everything they personally object to. The additional time taken to then discuss with mods by PM any infarctions by other users, watch or list users you think are giving out instructions on how to cheat, or abusing some function or privilege, and then also post threads about the problem of cheating, along with all the other problems one could object to...... it all just seems to spell "way too much free time." Frankly, I work ouside the home, but usually only part time, but still can only allocate so much of my free time to getting freebies, answering PM's and email, and other internet interests. I don't understand how one has the free time to watch everybody else and constantly mod alert.

You can't legislate other people's morals, frankly, at least not on a public site. And it's very clear by now that the site is only really concerned with the outright instructions for fraud against companies or the government, as they may later need to gain advertising revenues from said companies or face legal ramifications if they let the instructions remain posted. They are clearly not really all that concerned with ALL cheating, especially if it envolves cheating other people on the site or minor snickering or bragging about getting multiples. It's left up to the mods, who obviously all have different agendas and different morals, what gets excused and what doesn't, what gets deleted and what ( or who ) gets excused and ignored. I agree that ignoring it doesn't seem to help, and I don't advocate that, but I also don't think becoming the unofficial site PO-lice is a good way to gain anything or change anything whatever. It just garners more enemies than one already has. And sadly, may even make enemies of people who agree with you but don't agree with how you are going about trying to change people's attitudes and the way in which you articulate how people should react or behave.

Members trying to exercise control of other users on a public site eventually comes off as bossiness and is merely a waste of your time. Not meaning to be rude, but have you thought about starting a site or forum of your own?? This would seem like a more constructive way in which you could freely monitor other people's behavior and only allow what you want on the site, both in opinions, humor, or honesty.

Just a thought. :D

Feel free to mod alert this post, if you feel the need to and perhaps find it, once again, disagreeable or objectionable, or merely not funny in the slightest, according to your own personal higher standards.

Wow. I agree 100%.

Am I the only one who thinks people think way too much into this? I mean the answer is really simple.
IF IT BOTHERS YOU, MOD IT AND MOVE ON.:nod:
We do have real MODS and thats what their here for, let THEM do their jobs. If you MOD it and they feel it is wrong , they will take it down.


:iagree: with this too.

wooooow.agree!!!

Slick Deals has managed for a long time to stay above the Fat Wallet type fray nand I hope we always do. For now, Posts that suggest fraud, instrcut on fraud and make open jokes about comitting fraud are merely deleted. I'd like to see those Users held accountible with points warnings. That would put a stop to it real fast and communicate clearly to users who are woindering what is funny and what is not.

If a post is mod alerted and a mod finds it hasn't crossed the line - Ok then - no prob. In time people will figure out by what stays and what doesn't what is considred Ok - or better yet, perhaps a Mod could type up a n alert at the top of the freebies board and give concrete examples of what's unnacceptible and what is OK. I would welcome that.

I totally agree. And Nuala'sMom, thank you for all that you do for SD. You are like a moral compass. :hug:

I am really disgusted by people who brag about how many times they can use a coupon, or ask "How many times can I use this without getting caught?' and people who post deals are actually having to beg people not to abuse the deal so others can get on it without it getting pulled.

Abusers should get warned. Period.