Edits Require Karma

One of the proposed WikiSpamSolutions.

The idea is to require a certain amount of karma to edit/change a page.

This idea is borrowed from SlashDot and related sites. SlashDot's definition of Karma can be read at http://slashdot.org/faq/com-mod.shtml#cm700.

Obviously this requires some kind of user identification. On WardsWiki, which doesn't require a login, this could be done by using the UserName Cookie and - if that isn't present - using the IP address as a default. Anonymous changes are thus still possible - provided, that the IP has enough karma.

Each user would start with a certain amount of initial karma, which would be enough to do some smaller changes. Editing pages could use up the karma. Karma could be granted when a change is confirmed (i.e. saved without reverting) by another WikiZen.

This use of karma is related to VolumeLimitedEdits (where the volume depends on the karma).

Of course, this simple schema is not safe: two IPs could cooperatively increase their karma. Improved algorithms might be required, e.g. a CapacityConstrainedFlowNetwork.

How would that prevent spam?

• Spam from a previously unknown IP would have very limited karma and thus large spam chunks would be prevented even on first try.
• Small spam blocks would be reverted, thus decreasing karma or at least using up karma, thus stopping the inflow after a few attempts.
• Working around even a simple karma-scheme requires at least two IPs working in sync, thus being way too complicated for all but the most determined spammers.

By the way, EditWars would be reduced in the same way.

-- GunnarZarncke

I thought "karma" was bad and that one was supposed to work one's whole life to get rid of all their karma, not acquire more. Maybe another term like "credit" or similar.

I'm not sure, but I think it is further divided into "good karma" and "bad karma". Anyway, it is probably named this because the moderation system at SlashDot uses the term "karma".

The FalunGong folks use de as the term for the positive counterpart of karma. I wonder if a multivariable moderation model inspired by their model could work?

See AccountlessUserIdentification

See also WikiWikiSuggestionsMedium

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QuestionsAndAnswers:

But this does not distinguish between spammers and a new user. And, spammers tend to use multiple or scrambled IP addresses using zombies and other hacks.

It does. Because the newbies one small edit will be quickly confirmed by users with more karma, thus giving him karma to do more edits. This will not be true by any change of any of the spammers IPs.

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So, what's to prevent someone from setting his cookie to SomeHighKarmaUserName? and edit away? --ChristofferHammarstrom

The UserName is accompanied by a secret key (i.e. only known and displayed to the client).

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