Jihad Tips

Moderator points are given to users with high karma. Here are some tips on earning karma:

• Don't bother reading the article before posting. The editors, and in many cases the submitter, didn't read it either, so don't feel obligated to do so. Instead, use this time to get a post in while the thread is fresh, which leads to...
• Post early in a thread. Anything that's remotely related to the topic of the thread will get high ratings. Thus, you will be able to earn quality points while making posts that are of little worth. On the same note, it's a good idea not to waste your time posting to aging threads- instead, use your time on something that will get more visibility.
• Repost old comments. When the same topic is re-posted, just go back to the old thread and post some of the old +5 rated comments to the new thread. When the topic is not a re-post, you can still usually find related comments by googling for something along the lines of "[keywords related to topic] site:slashdot.org". This is a sure-fire way to get modded up while making no real contribution to slashdot.
• Blind advocacy of linux is a sure-fire way to earn a positive rating, so try to throw in phrases like "Java is slow how about Linux instead!", and you're golden.
• If you're saying anything outside the typical slashdot mindset, throw something along the lines of "Well there goes my karma, but oh well". The effect of this is two-fold:
  • It implies that you have karma to burn. This leads people to believe that you are, by and large, a "good" poster that has earned a good bit of karma. People inherently dislike going against crowd opinion, so modding you up is a safe bet.
  • It shows that you're not afraid to "tell it like it is", even at the cost of your precious karma. Moderators eat this shit up.
• Have a good signature. A good sig will get you karma, regardless of what you wrote. If you're making a non-controversial comment, it will add a little weight to what you're saying. If you're making one of the above mentioned "there goes my karma" posts, it gives you credibility- you're not just some punk kid taking pot shots, you're someone in the know that has a worthwhile criticism to make. Examples of good sigs are here.

You will occassionally see karma-whoring guides posted to slashdot, such as this one. While these seem like parodies, they are remarkably effective.

When spending moderator points, keep in mind that meta-moderation could have your account blacklisted. Be sure to spend 2 or 3 of your points on routine moderation, and use the remaining points to support the Jihad. If you're nervous about being blacklisted, use the underrated/overrated options to avoid metamoderation.