Github Pull Request

https://github.com/steemit/redeemer-irredeemables/pull/22

What is a faucet?

A faucet is a free facility to obtain tokens. In the case of Steem, it is the 15 SP delegation you get from new accounts. There a lot of users who decide to abuse this like the Steemit Defense League by signing up hundreds and even thousands of accounts to use the free delegation. The largest of this is the DART network with over 22,000 accounts created via the free sign-up process.

Introducing @fernangomezp

@fernangomezp likes to sign up new accounts and use the free 15 SP delegation from Steemit Inc to vote up his spam posts ten times a day. While it doesn't amount to much, it is a free 2,580 Steem Power being abused that could go to real users.

As of today, the faucet delegation has been removed and returned to the sign-up pool. Rewards have been killed, the accounts have been @buildawhale blacklisted, and the user has stopped posting.

2580 Steem Power is only $0.22 vote, who cares?

While you are right, and I spent far more time and resources on this than will ever get returned to the reward pool, it comes down to the broken window theory and blockchain bloat.

Broken Window Theory?

"The broken windows theory is a criminological theory that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes. The theory thus suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes."
_{- Wikipedia}

By allowing this activity to continue, we create an environment that harbors more behavior similar to this and in many cases much worse. Bad actors will always attempt to be more efficient by gaining more for less effort. Success justifies additional efforts to abuse, even more, it also convinces others to do the same.

By allowing these activities to continue we perpetuate the idea that Steem(it) is a joke, just spam, or even a scam. If we are going to grow as a platform and have any chance of reaching a mainstream audience, we need to do something about these activities and not just pretend they don't exist.