Systematic efforts to keep J! Reactions under four stars

[winuser]

I have been monitoring this behavior (quietly) for approximately 2 to 3 months. Yesterday I was able to predict what I found today, so I am certain that someone is playing games. The process has been fairly easy, because J! Reactions typically receives only one or two ratings in a week.

Since it was first listed in January, J! Reactions has acheived an average 4-star rating several times. Yesterday was the most recent example. In each and every case, the very next response has been a low vote. As of today (28 May), you will find that the most recent vote is a low vote, which immediately followed an accumulated average of four stars. If you review all the activity, you will find this pattern:

several votes over a few weeks
average rating climbs to 4 stars
the next rating is a low-vote, average rating falls below 4 stars
several votes over a few weeks
average rating climbs to 4 stars
the next rating is a low vote, average rating falls below 4 stars
several votes over a few weeks
average rating climbs to 4 stars
the next rating is a low vote, average rating falls below 4 stars
several votes over a few weeks
average rating climbs to 4 stars
the next rating is a low vote, average rating falls below 4 stars

As I said, this patten has been so regular that when I saw the four stars yesterday, I knew (a) another vote would appear today (and it did), and (b) the vote would be low enough to pull the average under 4.0 (and it did). I am sure that there are some genuine 1, 2 and 3 ratings in the mix, but the systematic low voting that follows each 4-star ranking is fraudulent.

[brad]

Have you seen: http://dev.joomla.org/component/option, ... ,33/p,344/ ?

Plenty of work is going on behind the scenes to stamp out this unethical behavior, and I am sure your comments will be considered.