Degen

GN Degens,

Bans Update

We're applying bans as we wrap up Season 12. In Season 13, all bans will be reset, giving everyone a fresh opportunity to earn tips.

At the end of each season, we'll reevaluate activity using a rule-based analysis of our choosing to weed out behavior that closely aligns with farming. To prevent gaming the system, we won't announce rules in advance but will use various techniques to monitor how tips are being distributed.

Let's be the voice of the community they have tried to build!

Filtering is undoubtedly a necessary tool for any project to grow and improve its objectives. However, when specific rules have already been communicated to users, they should be reviewed based on community feedback and surveys.

Implementing sudden rule changes without considering prior commitments can harm both the project and its users.

cc @jacek

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https://linktr.ee/compez

1) User Categorization & Algorithm Transparency
One critical aspect that should not be overlooked is how users are categorized. Based on recent data, fewer than 10% of users are considered "non-spam." However, many among them are artists, developers, and valuable contributors who have suffered under these policies.

Yesterday, I witnessed the ban of numerous engaged users, including myself, despite months of active participation. These individuals, whether smaller accounts or highly-ranked users, are vital to this ecosystem. Instead of blanket enforcement, a transparent categorization system must be implemented to ensure fairness. Are all banned users really "farmers"? What criteria does the algorithm use? Sudden decisions at the end of a season only foster distrust and uncertainty within the community.

2) Inconsistent Rules & Unfair Implementation

Some rules appear illogical, especially for genuine, long-term contributors. For example:

T4T rule! The policy states that users can tip each other up to 15 times. However, we've seen users banned for tipping even within this limit, with their last 24 hours of tips erased.

If a rule has been set, why change it at the end of the season? Consistency is the foundation of trust. Introducing new rules that penalize loyal users is a critical mistake.

3) New Rules & Financial Impact

Implementing new policies without considering user investments is unfair. Users have locked their assets for months, unable to withdraw. I, for instance, have over 1 million DEGEN locked to support the project and help artistic communities I’ve known for years.

As a supporter of both the arts and the ecosystem, I cannot accept a system where we suffer financial losses while being subjected to unpredictable daily rule changes. If we invest our time and capital into a project, we deserve a voice in its governance. Unilateral decisions harm both the community and the project’s credibility—and without loyal users, no project can survive.

4) Ignoring Community Feedback Leads to Failure
DEGEN is one of the most significant projects in Farcaster’s history. Many projects have come and gone, failing simply because they ignored community expectations.

I have repeatedly emphasized in my posts that community feedback drives growth. Unfortunately, this feedback appears to be largely disregarded. The expectation is that we collaborate to strengthen the community, not divide it.

5) The Challenge of Managing Large-Scale Projects

As a developer, I understand that managing a large-scale project is incredibly challenging. Rare collapsed for similar reasons. You've done an impressive job maintaining DEGEN, but if you’re serious about long-term success, you must ensure simplicity and transparency to avoid alienating users.

6) Lack of Clarity on Reward Deductions
According to your website, DEGEN is a community-driven tipping system rewarding quality content creators.

So, why was 4k DEGEN deducted from my account? What part of my content was considered "low quality"?

How many other users faced the same unexplained penalties?
We actively educate users about quality content, yet we are the ones being penalized. If undocumented policies exist, the community deserves transparency.

7) Algorithmic Filtering & False Positives

You claim the filtering system prevents farmers from withdrawing. I support this principle—every project must ensure fair distribution.

However, how does your algorithm assess users? Even reputable, long-standing users have been flagged as farmer. As an active member of this community, I still don’t know what the actual rules are!

8) The Need for Clear & Public Guidelines

Every project must have clearly defined terms of use. It is essential to publish a structured and detailed rulebook explaining:

1) The reasoning behind policies
2) A transparent roadmap
4) A review system for penalized users

I understand that anti-farming measures are difficult, but after all this time, why is there still no finalized, well-documented rulebook? A public community discussion group should be established to address concerns, allowing developers and users to collaborate on improving the system.

Some of the best algorithmic solutions come from community feedback—this would be a healthy and constructive approach.

9) Trust is the Foundation of Any Project

There are no binding regulations ensuring how a project manages user risks. Everything is built on trust. The stronger and more transparent this trust is, the more successful the project will be.

Trust-building should be a priority. Right now, my confidence in the project has been significantly damaged. You need to prove that everything aligns with a transparent roadmap. Publish a clear, structured plan with well-defined rules so users can feel secure.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity you have created for this community. But never forget—no project succeeds without its users.

The real asset of every founder and project leader is their community, not just the technology or the funds behind it. Without transparency, fairness, and user trust, even the most promising projects can fail.

We've seen this happen with projects like Rare, and even in Farther, where unilateral decisions by administrators—without considering user expectations—led to significant negative impacts for both sides.

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The $degen project has been here for a very long time and I expect that all its problems will be solved in that long time.

But that's not the case with Rare! We only had it in beta testing for a few months, trying to give the developers a chance to make it as bug-free as possible. But in the end, the project was abandoned due to the same problems.

I agree with you perfectly, but I wish you had been more vocal during RARE, too.
From me at the time it looked like you were on the RARE side.
History repeats itself.

I was banned too. Seems strange how some have been “unbanned” and others not. Seems to me that if you aren’t a friend you are invisible. I know so many people that have done so much for the community that are banned. You can’t create a set of rules and then change them … total scam

The owners of the project may have all the rights to do whatever they want, but changing the rules almost at the end of a season and cutting short everyone that put hard work into the process is truly unfair. If the intention is to change things, it should be done in a more trustful way. not the other way around. People get way over their heads without looking into the bigger picture!

This is truly shocking and I’m trying to process this. There should be committee before any decision is made without affecting the community. New rule has to be introduced professionally. This is disgustingly unprofessional.

You said it all bro 💎
Thanks for being the voice of the community🙏🏻👑

You have summarized this very well, thank you. Agree 100%. I think this is the greatest possible damage you can imagine. Also I don't understand, how we should recommend the project from now on.

@compez.eth He is telling us to bring new users  
What will I say to my friend that you have to invest in a project where you don't know anything about the hidden rules and suddenly you came to know that you have broken rule no 5388463  congratulations you banned 😅

With all due respect, I truly hope the team realizes that implementing sudden rules exactly before the claim without any prior notice was wrong in so many ways! They've certainly lost trust of so many loyal users including myself who supported the project from the very beginning!

Hope the team consider it professionally:)

it has already caused panic in the rows of the community and investors

true power flows from below, not above. community consensus > arbitrary decisions