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March, 2025

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An apology for my fraudulent votes and abuse of the photographers program

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Sklar
Posts: 8865 - Karma: 31,617
Hi everyone,
I'm writing this to explain my situation regarding my participation in the photography program, and my use of multiple accounts to aid my own content.
Over the past winter I used multiple accounts, 3 including my normal account, to up-vote my content and down-vote competing content in order to have my content more visible on the homepage and front page, thus gaining more views and in accordance with the photography program receiving more money. This action violated the trust of the Newschoolers staff, content producers and members.
The fraudulent votes also took away the opportunities for the other participants in the program and other members, which is why I've refunded my payment to go back to them and other producers.
I apologize for any who may have been negatively affected by my actions. I'd also like to thank Schmuck and Bishop for their help this winter, working with them was a great opportunity and I'm sorry that it is ending in this fashion. As for others affected or not, I hope I haven't burned too many bridges through these actions.

I will still be around skiing in the future, however I think I'll take a step back from newschoolers for a while and reevaluate what my plan is going forward. In the meantime you can keep up with me at my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MattSklarMedia
See you on the slopes,
Sklar

12 years ago
1540 424
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jrl
Posts: 1227 - Karma: 1,239
I feel like this should be in Ski Gabber or something that would get it some more views
12 years ago
22 2
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Stose
Posts: 7109 - Karma: 4,123
Threads to see how the non-donators react
12 years ago
3 2
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TheClap.
Posts: 21684 - Karma: 4,240
Shit happens
12 years ago
2 10
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,297
I concur, glad you choose this route and came clean sklar
12 years ago
10 1
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.Rybak.
Posts: 9017 - Karma: 9,869
Yeah that's what I was thinking.

Also threads.
12 years ago
1 1
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Hammyslapwagon
Posts: 1261 - Karma: 1,411
hehehehe which mod found you out?
12 years ago
8 1
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TotallyTrevor
Posts: 4382 - Karma: 26,428
FREE SKLAR
12 years ago
62 8
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zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
#freesklar
12 years ago
14 5
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GANDALF
Posts: 6313 - Karma: 6,708
Click for larger image
12 years ago
44 3
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,358
.
12 years ago
7 2
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Keith.
Posts: 967 - Karma: 88
That's definitely pretty lame, but I doubt 2 or 3 votes down to other content and 2 or 3 up to yours could've had much of an effect on all the votes the NS community submitted.
12 years ago
8 3
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
It's important to note that our system does not weigh a downvote and an upvote the same.

Here's an example (these numbers aren't literal -- but will paint a better picture as to how the system works)

Photo x = 100 upvotes, 5 downvotes
Photo y = 20 upvotes, 0 downvotes
POTD = Photo y


12 years ago
18 3
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,145

My understanding was that there were hundreds of up and downvotes made on numerous photos over a period of months. This was looked into at length.

12 years ago
1 1
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Session
Posts: 5407 - Karma: 22,536
With all that has went down, and NS obviously having issues with gaming the system. There should be a consistent policy of mitigating ANY organized contest sway originating from NS forums.
12 years ago
1 2
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,145

Why? Those aren't our contests (contest sway threads on NS for NS-run contests aren't generally allowed), they're not intended for the same purpose, and the people putting them on may or may not even CARE about contest sways. In many cases they'll be all for it - more hits to their voting page is more hits to their site.

The photographer program isn't a marketing gimmick intended to increase brand recognition for newschoolers, which is what your standard "vote for me" contest is. There's no relationship between the two and as a result the policy towards each is different.

12 years ago
4 0
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
*Had issues

12 years ago
7 2
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quixotic
Posts: 6937 - Karma: 2,980
I have noticed that it is based on ratios instead of popularity. Do you think you could had a toggle feature in the top rated section of both the videos and pictures with the options of switching between highest ration of up/down and then most popular (most votes)?
12 years ago
4 0
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Z-Juice
Posts: 3151 - Karma: 1,504
Why are down votes so more impactful? Doesn't make much since to me. It seems like upvotes should carry more weight if anything.
12 years ago
24 1
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,460
Down votes have more impact because they are less likely to happen. Before the switch to the up/down system, something like 90+ of votes were 9s or 10s. It's probably pretty close to the same now. Upvotes are a dime a dozen.
12 years ago
5 1
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,145
So name specific people because Mousseau has been keeping an eye on that and people will get banned for it.
12 years ago
9 0
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
Pretty fucking juvenile for someone who is pursuing a 'professional photographer' persona.
Am I seriously the only person here with zero respect for you?
12 years ago
44 11
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
But it won't be happening anymore!

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/750864/
12 years ago
0 0
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CashmereCat
Posts: 2211 - Karma: 2,395
Props to you for coming clean in a public way man
12 years ago
9 2
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freeskibum82
Posts: 6355 - Karma: 5,056
its a good thing i choose not to display photos on my homepage and just videos and news.
12 years ago
0 6
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t_rob
Posts: 6433 - Karma: 11,460
1 out of 10 votes is negative. That suggests few people are using downvotes to get ahead.

Sure NS could devise a perfect voting system that understands and estimates for the amount of pure and fraudulent votes but that'd cost shitloads of time and money.

Stealing the lower bound wilson score whatever the fuck it is works just fine.

12 years ago
0 1
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Drail
Posts: 14045 - Karma: 10,323
tisk, tisk, tisk. I'm sure you got caught before you actually made the thread, but at least you came out publicly so we all know.
12 years ago
12 0
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DominatorJacques
Posts: 11247 - Karma: 76,536
Nice story so that others can understand what not to do.  For that I give you an up and cred.  Life is for learning.
12 years ago
2 1
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BROSEIDON
Posts: 3702 - Karma: 1,495
That's pretty scummy
12 years ago
6 3
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
If skiierman of chicken had pics I'd consistently downvote them regardless of content haha
12 years ago
21 2
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N.L.
Posts: 2420 - Karma: 2,749
30 upvotes is a laughable offense...but to profit from destroying others opportunities of having their hard work seen?
12 years ago
5 1
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5713 - Karma: 20,647
Yeah I think you are.

It takes a real man to come forward and not only apologize for his actions, but also to explain what those actions were.

If we embrace those who do the right thing, more will follow suit. If you shun those same people, there's no motivation to do the right thing.
12 years ago
11 4
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
His apology is as sincere as Paula Deen's. Just seems like he's sorry he was caught and that's it.
12 years ago
10 3
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,798
This was his only choice... He was given the option of apologize publicly, or be banned from NS and still get a thread written about what he did.
12 years ago
17 1
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5713 - Karma: 20,647
Regardless of his sincerity, this shit is on the front page and he's basically allowing himself to be publicly flogged. It's a black mark that will never go away. By coming forward he's letting NS acknowledge the black mark, take the proper steps, and move past.
12 years ago
7 2
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
This.
12 years ago
2 0
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5713 - Karma: 20,647
And he made the honorable choice. I stand by what I said regardless of his motivation for doing it.
12 years ago
3 4
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danbrown
Posts: 11939 - Karma: 21,834
to put it into perspective, his name and aliases combined had over 700 downvotes which massively skewed the ratings system. that is a shitload of downvotes. as far as profit, he made more than double what the rest of the people on the photog program made combined. it wasnt a couple downvotes here and there and it wasnt just a couple of dollars that couldve gone elsewhere. it had a profound and exponentially unfair impact.
12 years ago
24 0
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N.L.
Posts: 2420 - Karma: 2,749
sklar pics are sick, and skiing needs good pics in the future
Im "taking back my quarter from the wishing well" with this pic, in May it was rated down 5X after 40+ upvotes, off the top rated, never to be seen again...
Click for larger image
12 years ago
29 1
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egg.
Posts: 3231 - Karma: 3,477
Damn matt its good to see you came clean about all this. Sorry you lost your orange name, i assume. It had something to do with this whole thing
12 years ago
1 1
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,798
I heard it was over 7x?

Also it should be noted that he's apparently returning all the "ill gotten" gains
12 years ago
6 0
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Stose
Posts: 7109 - Karma: 4,123
If you heard the behind the scenes stuff, it sounds like he wasnt really sorry for doing it
12 years ago
4 1
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5676 - Karma: 4,299
Public apology or not, I'd say that's pretty low.
12 years ago
11 2
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
He's actually already done this.

We've given Jamie the $250 bonus (he was the runner-up behind Sklar), and the remainder will be injected back into the photographer program. We'll probably run a summer photo contest, give everyone already in the program a little bonus, and invite a couple more members to participate.
12 years ago
12 0
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MaxBerkowitz
Posts: 440 - Karma: 2,611
Holy shit.

This is a huge wakeup call for me, as someone who plans on becoming a full time action sports cinematographer in the future, that another photographer/video guy/artist would do this. We're all starving together, Sklar i'm bummed to say the least. This is obviously an apology demanded by NS mods, I feel no sympathy towards you.
12 years ago
31 3
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Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,348
threads.. don't understand why you would do that- your photos are sick enough to make front page without cheating.
12 years ago
5 0
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5713 - Karma: 20,647
I don't doubt that's the case. And I'm sure there is a ton more stuff that has factored into everything going on. I don't want to speculate or assume anything. I'm just saying it's safe to assume he was given the ultimatum of "coming clean" on his own or being permanently banned and publicly humiliated by the staff. A little amount of respect should be given for the fact that he made the choice to do it himself. It may have been to save face, it may have had ulterior motives; I don't know. Given the info I have at my disposal, I give him some credit for taking the highest road he could.
12 years ago
2 8
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
You would need to read through some stuff in donators to get the feeling that he only felt bad about getting caught, and didn't feel bad about cheating in the first place.

Either way I'm glad that he didn't just lame out and go over to some weak site like Re-Jib. Hopefully he keeps posting his content here regardless of how he feels about everything.
12 years ago
3 0
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Slidemyrail
Posts: 56 - Karma: 74
Busted! No doubt you would have kept everything and never apologized if not for being caught. This was so obviously unethical, i'm honestly really surprised you thought it was something worth doing and that you were OK with it. This says more about you than any great pictures or marketing can make up for. I'm sure others feel differently but personally I would never support a company or individual after finding out information like this.
12 years ago
6 3
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
I have got to say, Mousseau is really handling his new position like a boss. I know this most likely was not all him, but it still seems like things are changing for the better.
12 years ago
13 0
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
haha a lame ass apology and a link to his album?

what a prick
12 years ago
25 6
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