Quote from: notblox1 on August 19, 2023, 02:35:48 PM

I dont think this is happening in real world outside bitcointalk, people advertise lot of junk all the time because someone pays them to make youtube video for that product ot service.

If you promote some trash VPN telling people it makes them more secure, while not actually believing in that product nor using it yourself, you're an ingenuine scumbag. And you're abusing your followers' trust (in your knowledge, experience, integrity, reputation) for a few quick easy bucks.

Only because other people are doing it, does not make it right.

Quote from: DireWolfM14 on August 20, 2023, 02:46:12 PM

What's ironic is that whirlwind seemed like the most legit mixer to pop up in the post CM days, yet here we are.

How did they suddenly become 'the most legit mixer' in just a few weeks or months of operation? In my opinion, trust needs time to build.

Quote from: fillippone on August 20, 2023, 03:33:44 PM

We are all grown up adult here. Financially sovereign individuals. If anyone falls into a scam, it their sole responsibility.

I do fully agree with that. However, you must confess that the reason signature campaigns have requirements such as 'Hero / Legendary member' is because they know higher ranked members pull in more users due to their perceived higher trustworthiness. Or Bitcoin members in general, over e.g. a web banner ad.

It's surely cheaper to just go for 'mass coverage' either through campaigns that accept every applicant and pay a few pennies per post, or through buying banner ads online, if you don't believe that the trustworthiness and reputation of Bitcointalk forum members influences people's business decisions.

The very nature of Bitcointalk signature campaigns means that our reputation and trustworthiness is worth something (the difference between our payouts and a generic web banner ad).
Therefore, I find it incorrect to claim that we have 0 influence over people's decisions by wearing advertising signatures.