because they were amateurs
3-4 buddies, coordinating outside Altcoins,
each one hits 2-3x/week
Downvoting dilution is key
Hit posts from different places and different time (use target's posting history for that)
Even if mods have energy to look into it (doubt that), trolls can go "It was honest downvoting. I simply didn't like those posts"
They call it plausible deniability
With a profile like mine, 3-4 weeks and you have bombed target's karma score down to 0
Give your buddies high 5, take care of your hard-on and over to the next target.
Strategy can be applied to different targets at the same time
Remember that everything is in the logs, and also remember that although nothing is done now, it does not mean that it cannot be done later with the consequences that this may have for users who carry out this type of practices. It's not about energy, it's about time and knowing how to manage it. I think that putting order in the forum by eliminating spam and plagiarism is a priority in the face of karma attacks that can be carried out, something that has an easy solution by restoring the negative karma extracted from users for no reason and penalizing the authors.
Thanks Freemind
So, the point of the negative karma widget is eliminating spam and plagiarism, you say.
I think spam and plagiarism can be eliminated using the "report to moderator" widget.
No need of negative karma.
Truth is, penalizing widgets are usually integrated in order to
eliminate trolls.
Through these widgets the community itself - without the mods - keeps the forum clean.
Self-moderation so to speak.
Auto-regulationLess work for the mods.
I can understand why penalizing widgets are welcomed by admins and mods.
Downsides are
a) people get penalized simply
because they represent alternative views,
b) people penalize other people based on antipathy,
c) much worse: people suspect having been penalized based on antipathy (= poison spreading within the community)
d) people - particularly those with low score - don't take risks i.e. write only what they consider "safe" i.e. accepted by the community - or by the most aggressive users (low quality contributions),
e) people refrain from posting out of fear of getting penalized (low active participation).
This is what I have observed in other forums that deploy penalizing widgets.
Anyway, your forum, your rules.
Good luck!