Day: May 20, 2017

Forwarding on behalf of Andrew Wang:

Yes, it is Andrew Wang writing from the grave. I have recently
conducted a various group of experiments with Quora algorithms,
particularly the sockpuppet algorithm, now that I have no account to
fear losing (it’s deleted anyways, I can’t get unbanned).

From the results of these experiments, I have devised a foolproof way
for one to make a sockpuppet on Quora and never be detected.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t involve IP addresses as a major part in
detection. I am electing to not post the full details.

So what is the point of this post? Well, it’s just to illustrate how
vulnerable Quora is, and how little Quora is doing. If I can break
down its algorithms (and the supposedly “improved” sockpuppet
detection) quickly and determine all the loopholes within a week at
maximum time, it is likely that other users can too. This includes the
“Indian reporting groups” and the like, who will utilise the loopholes
to start anew with a great purge.

As for Sophie Dockx’s post, I can confirm it is completely true with
regards to the mass reporting and subsequent bans. Then, Quora does
not overturn these bans because they find something else banworthy in
them. It’s kind of similar to the exclusionary rule in American law.
The broad clause of BNBR does not help either. Anything can be filed
under “harassment.” I drafted a pretty solid appeal to my ban
regarding this matter, solid from a legal standpoint, but Quora is no
court and I decided that fighting it out in the emails with a
generally unresponsive moderation would not be an efficient investment
of my time.

That’s all I have to say.

Yes, Modern Greek has the noun ρόχαλο or ροχάλα.

Etymologically, the word ultimately derives from the Ancient verb ῥέγχω ‘to snore; to snort’. In fact, the corresponding verb in Modern Greek, ροχαλίζω, only means ‘snore’ and not ‘hawk and spit’. ρόχαλο, ροχάλα are a back-formation from ροχαλίζω, just like donate in English is a back-formation from donation.

Ροχάλα in Greek is also used figuratively, to refer to an expression of contempt; it’s an elaboration of “to spit at someone’. So for example:

Τατσόπουλος για Ντεπαρντιέ-Πούτιν: Ροχάλα στα μούτρα της παγκόσμιας κοινότητας

Ο συγγραφέας και βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ αναφέρεται στη «ροχάλα» των Ντεπαρντιέ και Πούτιν στο περί δικαίου αίσθημα με αφορμή την απόφαση του δεύτερου να δώσει ρωσικό διαβατήριο στον σταρ.

Tatsopoulos on Depardieu–Putin: A hoick in the face of the world community.

The author and SYRIZA MP refers to Depardieu and Putin’s hoick at people’s sense of justice, because of the latter’s decision to grant a Russian passport to the star.

Or, more literally,

ΒΙΝΤΕΟ-Παπαρήγα: Θα εξισώσουμε τη ροχάλα με τον φόνο; | www.enikos.gr – Πολιτική

Η πρόεδρος της ΚΟ του ΚΚΕ παράλληλα διαφώνησε κατηγορηματικά με την «θεωρία των δύο άκρων». Αναφέρθηκε στην δήλωση του υπουργού Δικαιοσύνης Χ. Αθανασίου ότι «γιαούρτι και φόνος είναι βία» και σχολίασε: «θα εξισώσουμε το γιαούρτι ή τη ροχάλα με τον φόνο ενός Αφγανού επειδή είναι Αφγανός; Ή με την προμελετημένη δολοφονία του Παύλου Φύσσα;».

The leader of the Greek Communist Party’s Parliamentary Group disagreed strongly with equating the two extremes. She referred to Justice Minister Ch. Athanasiou’s statement that “yoghurt and murder are both violence” [yoghurt = throwing yoghurt at someone, equivalent to “rotten tomatoes”], by saying “Are we to equate yoghurt or hoicking with the murder of an Afghan for being Afghan? Or the premeditated murder of Pavlos Fyssas?”

The references in the sports pages online do seem to refer to literal hawking and spitting at each other during soccer altercations.