Interesting approach. Maybe it works.
I fear this is only giving them feedback, how they trigger automated systems. Motivating them not to waste their time and up their spam and scam tactics.
But it explains why most of the games I reported are still up. Staff is overworked right now.
There should be a faq about how to report in a way that staff has less work veryfying if the issue in the report is valid.
Historically, accounts suspended for spam are shadow banned. We’re testing a theory that since we don’t communicate to spammers in any way, they think their posting is working, so they communicate to their network and it invites many more spammers who post things that are seen by no-one but fill up our database. The types of accounts we’re targeting here are different than what you might be seeing, as they are detectable with high level of confidence. (Think Viagra ads, and the like)
But it explains why most of the games I reported are still up.
I only see one report on your account, are you created reports somewhere else?
Interesting thought. Yeah, if they think what they do is working, they might just do more, because it looks like it is working. But itch is such a honey pot. I doubt they would be discouraged, and instead just change method. Maybe some forms of spamming can be deterred, like you say, it is the stuff that does not even reach me.
The "fake download button scammer" that is at it every week (now with different method), you could communicate with. He replies to comments sometimes ;-)
Edit: the reported games are all gone in the meantime.
Since there is no scam/malware option, I am unsure what category I should report or which info I should give to make work easier. Or what I should not write in the box lest I make it complicated. I think two of the reports got quarantined rather quickly, making me think stuff was overworked and could not look at the rest yet.
