As the title suggests, has anyone noticed an uptick of downvotes lately on this site on posts that are not saying positive things to say about centene? Uppers are hiding on this website? Lets see how many downvotes this post receives
32 replies (most recent on top)
@dp honestly, who cares. let them believe what they want.
no sense in arguing with someone who has made up their mind about something they can’t even prove. their opinions are not facts.
@a9 I’m seeing some of my previous comments being copied and pasted here. Just to clarify, I am an independent user sharing my personal opinion. I am not part of leadership, nor am I an onlooker/moderator. You've got it completely wrong, so please don't misrepresent my statements you psycho bi--h! You don’t know WTF you talking about!
@ce WELL SAID
Who gives two fu--s raise your hand!
58 upvotes on copy/paste "don't sweat the small stuff" comments.
most everything else is grey zeros. I know my handful of comments from last week are +8/-8, or +4/-4. Net zero.
And the downvoting is targeted, but not just to mine.
someone told their friends/families to come here and engage with all the non-positive posts/comments. lol!
sounds like a splendid way to spend a 3-day weekend.
@aj LOL! i just upvoted your request to "downvote deez nuts"!
you have +8/-6, so a net positive of 2
This situation is somewhat reminiscent of the Metcalf case, strictly regarding how the platform issues are being handled. We are dealing with claims that leadership is manipulating public voting metrics on an open website. However, this is a public space. You cannot dictate how others choose to express themselves, whether their tone is positive, neutral, or indifferent.
No one is directly harassing or targeting you. Users have a fundamental right to speak and engage on a public platform. While the website may be experiencing glitches or unusual technical behavior, constantly addressing it achieves nothing because it is a free, public forum. Obsessing over the identity behind every single post makes you appear highly erratic and disconnected. Ultimately, you can only control your own actions, not the behavior of others.
Treating this comment section like a PhD thesis is peak lonely nerd behavior. People post neutrally, positively, or just out of boredom. You don't run the site, and the owners don't care about your theories. Enjoy speculating, because once they actually start enforcing the rules, most of these posts are getting deleted anyway. Have fun!
I downvote comments simply because I disagree with them or feel they don't add to the discussion, not because I'm a bot, AI, or leadership/HR in disguise. Everyone has the right to share their viewpoint. For the record, I am taking the VSP for personal reasons. However, I have co-workers who are choosing to stay and take their chances with the company. I support their choice and don't think they're “bad people” for staying. There are people who actually like working for Centene and that does not make them a “bad person.” You will be surprised that some people like the company. Don’t care if you downvote me. What are you going to do about it? Absolutely nothing, but sit behind a screen and make stupid claims. 😝
I upvote or downvote comments based on whether I agree with the perspective being shared. I am not leadership, HR, or owner of this website. I try to keep my comments respectful because I work for Centene and have been with them for many years.
While some of the comments about the company are decent, there are a lot of disparaging slurs that I would never say about an employer I work for.As someone stated below, Centene is not perfect, but the reality is no employer will be 100 percent perfect. Someone will always have an opinion on how things should be run. I am sure if you were in charge, someone would complain about your management style as well. It’s a 'damned if you do, damned if you don’t' situation.
I’m just grateful to have a job and hope to keep it for the next several years. So downvote me, I don’t care. At the end of the day, we are all just anonymous strangers on a free website giving out free opinions and perspectives.
I downvote. no I'm not leadership, nor HR, nor some other person you'll claim is just another boot li---r.
I like my job. And this company. And my team. And my boss. I don't want to leave.
I HAVE worked for much worse companies. Nothing is perfect but Centene is hardly the he-l hole many of you describe.
There. I said it. Downvote me at will..
They are trying to bury negative posts again. See post below.
@b2 I partially agree with what you have said. However, this is much more than simple automated (or manual leadership) downvotes or upvotes to tip or even the scales in an artificial manner.
This is about censorship. Why do I say that? Because one day I guess the admin over on the Humana layoff page must have felt like I said too many negative things about the company that hit too close to home of reality. And one day they started deleting anything I posted 2 or 3 minutes after it went up. Or else when I clicked the submit button it would simply not post at all.
I began to suspect that the admin had captured my IP address for my Iphone. So, i sent the exact same posts on an android phone I purchased only for certain apps. And low and behold, the very same posts would go through and stay.
Also, I have seen where other people’s posts would completely disappear.
And lastly, and this is the biggest concern. After using this site and after me pointing out some very wrong things by the company’s leadership. My phone started asking me when going to this site as well as other sites whether or not I am a bot, asking me to click on a checkbox. When that occurs, I go to settings and clear my browser and then try again.
So, not only is this site censoring but now it is targeting certain people to either find out who they are or to have some sort of “proof” from you that you are the end user in question so they I assume can either turn that over to FBI or to watch you.
Regardless, this behavior by this site and the site’s admins calling this site “anonymous” while yet censoring people is simply a lie and it is wrong.
It's interesting how we live in a world consumed by likes, dislikes, upvotes, and downvotes. I'm glad I don't use social media anymore but I do read things online.
What matters is that we still have our voices and can write whatever we want on websites; even if AI or bots try to grey everything out, our voices remain. I think the main thing is everyone needs to prepare for whatever happens, as we are worrying about the wrong things. I am doing my best to be ready for a potential layoff. I'll watch this post get downvoted. ✌️
The exact same 3 comments are at the top of so many posts! With 20-30 upvotes and 40-50 upvotes. All of them, similar upvotes. Then the rest of the comments downvoted. The bots are annoying af
@ar and just like that… no more downvotes. Maybe s/he got temp banned.
Looks like now that people here have shined the spotlight on their gameplaying, they went ahead and took you up on your suggestion to "tweak the algorithm to make it somewhat believable"...LOL
Suddenly, everything isn't grayed out anymore!
You can't make this sh!t up...they are sooooooooo duhhhhhhmb!
Reporting doesn't really do much, considering the people who run this place appear to be just as much into all of the gaslighting, diffusing, censoring across the board. There is talk that they're Indian, and let's just say integrity isn't in certain people's realm of operation.
They could be using this site as a honeypot, or propaganda, or training AI, or any of a number of different nefarious reasons, other than as "nice, kind, open folks who are offering for free, a wonderfully safe space for displaced or soon to be laid off workers, where they can post without even having to register...how magnanimous and altruistic of the sys. admins. to GIVE this to us, right?!
Anyway, the points thing and censorship is happening on other companies' sections of this site, too. Especially around "hot topics" such as HB1. They don't like having their scams called out. So they try to sway the narrative and when that doesn't work, they outright censor content.
On one IBM thread, there was someone posing as being an "Onshore Indian" who was trying to get the Americans on his side by throwing his offshore countrymen under the bus, calling them lazy, incompetent, etc. using the same complaints that Americans and other 1st world workers have against using substandard "help". Then he got enraged further down the thread and went off on a totally racist rant against White people and Americans in particular. POOF! That post of his magically disappeared.
Here's the thread: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kwp8x8bs?reply=%40af%2B1kwp8x8bs#comment_form
Alright, folks - I up-voted the OP and all the comments and followed this post. I got a reminder 60 seconds later to check on this OP as there were new replies. ALL OF MY UPVOTES from 1.5 minutes ago have been removed. Yes, it's gotta be a bot thang.
@am I’m researching this as well… can report it to contact @ thelayoff.com (remove spaces).
This thread from a couple days ago: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kwhtkfe0
is incredible. And of course, as with so many other of the threads here, all of its posts just HAPPEN to have EXACTLY EQUAL NUMBERS of positive/negative to each, so they're all dulled down to gray, no red or green.
That thread features another OP concern troll pretending to be a legacy WellCare (now Centene) employee, then they get called out, and thoroughly busted. LOL
"@a2 OP here, LOL some of y'all are delulu... I'm just a worker bee.
we all know discussions of how to retain employees due to this mess is already underway. I was simply trying to get us better benefits, but go off sis/sir.
You're definitely "leadership" here fishing for ideas of what sort of bait to dangle on a hook in front of "the little people", in your effort to move some of the masses of people who applied for the VSP over into the "changed their minds and are now staying" category.
You're in a panic, because otherwise the VSP payouts are going to cost the company so much more $ than what your group had originally assumed to budget for.
You let it slip that you're being a fake@ss infiltrator here in two instances, within one post.
Not very smart, are you?
1) "we all know discussions of how to retain employees due to this mess is already underway." ORLY? Because what I see on this board is discussions amongst those affected, regarding the VSP, its terms, how those terms have now changed, people who may be still on the fence, etc. Nobody who's a regular employee is discussing "how to retain employees due to this mess", because it's not their job to be concerned about that! Only "leadership" gives a fu*k about retaining employees, because if you lose every employee that applied for the VSP, your entire business would go under! It's really urgent and important for YOU to retain employees at this point, but the average joe worker isn't concerned about that.
2) You said, "I was simply trying to get us better benefits..." Again, this is something someone in a "leadership" position would be able to do. Average worker bees don't GET themselves and their coworkers benefits. They don't have that kind of pull. They might be polled on what they'd prefer to be presented with, but they aren't in a position of actively being able to GET those benefits going for themselves.
2 days ago by You've posed in other posts, too, PHONY. | 22 reactions (+11/-11) | Reply
Post ID: @aj+1kwhtkfe0
@aj you sound unhinged.
I’m a legacy WellCare employee and what I suggested for PTO was part of their benefit package before we were bought out by Centene.
a lot of WellCare employees LOST their allotment and tenure was not even considered.
seek professional help.
2 days ago by Anonymous | 20 reactions (+10/-10) | Reply
Post ID: @ak+1kwhtkfe0
PTO benefits when people are working check to check, stressed and receiving inconsistent information about layoffs that affects their livelihood? This has to be a leadership post, PTO is the last topic anyone cares about right now. Is this a joke? I don’t think copilot would make that suggestion lmao
2 days ago by Anonymous | 18 reactions (+9/-9) | Reply
Post ID: @ap+1kwhtkfe0
@am I didn’t mention it ‘cause I didn’t think it wasn’t relevant to the main point, which is changing the PTO policy.
out of left field I get this rant about how I’m an executive trying to pose as an employee, and now it’s suspicious that I stated I’m a LWCG employee after the fact??
c’mon… I get this su-ks for all of us and leadership is keeping us in the dark making things worse, but people need to reel it in.
2 days ago by Anonymous | 16 reactions (+8/-8) | Reply
Post ID: @ar+1kwhtkfe0
...And what's with: "I get this rant about how I’m an executive trying to pose as an employee". No one categorized you specifically as being an "executive"...interesting that you felt the need to do that though, when differentiating yourself from the generic "leadership" label.
2 days ago by Enjoy the Holiday this Weekend | 18 reactions (+9/-9) | Reply
Post ID: @as+1kwhtkfe0
If you really aint leadership post a pic of your badge
2 days ago by Anonymous | 12 reactions (+6/-6) | Reply
Post ID: @b3+1kwhtkfe0
@ae I watched it happen in real time after casting several upvotes. It definitely makes you question the motive and pretty much proves OP’s assertions.
A controlled narrative is a pretty ugly look when you’re talking about “CenTeamers,” wouldn’t you think? 🤔
If they’re this bad at managing something as simple as a forum, how badly are they going to sh-t the bed chasing Sarah’s vision of running “the entire back end of our business digitally… with the goal of zero human intervention… driving to a high degree of speed and accuracy in… paying claims.”
Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Duolingo, Shopify, Salesforce, Ford, Meta, Klarna, and plenty of others have learned that getting the AI operating model wrong can be an expensive lesson. I’ve seen very little internally to give any confidence we have the core competency to do things better than any of these companies. Is management d-mb enough to go all in and try to hire consultants to do this for them? They won’t be able to attract talent with enough corporate knowledge to move the needle in any meaningful way. Their competitors have a major advantage in that their AI efforts are lightyears ahead of Centene’s.
After seeing the efforts on this board to shape/control the narrative, I genuinely hope they go all in.
If leadership believes institutional knowledge is just another expense to cut, and consultants plus AI can replace decades of experience, don’t let me interrupt the experiment. I’m sure the consulting templates and junior oracles are blowing the right smoke to move the mountains needed to clear the way.
As I mentioned, some of the most sophisticated companies on the planet have already discovered that AI amplifies good operating models, though it doesn’t create them. If Centene thinks it can skip that part, the rest of the industry gets a free masterclass in how to burn money at enterprise scale. Hint: the operating model has su-ked, or there wouldn’t have been so many offsite meetings, reorgs, pivots, and mission simplifies…
I’ll be watching. 🍿
Downvote deez nuts.
@OP mostly likely AI/bots.
@ab If one or two posts zero out, fine. But when ~100 posts all show the same upvote/downvote pattern, the odds of that being organic are basically zero. Either the voting system is broken (not the case as other boards don’t show this behavior), or someone is manipulating it with coordination, scripting, or IP rotation. Those numbers are no longer credible.
At least tweak the algorithm to make it somewhat believable… 🙄
No "research" is needed.
Just basic skills of observation, and pattern recognition.
And not via AI or bots, either.
Good old fashioned human BRAIN-POWER.
It's easy to see, if your eyes are open.
Plain as day.
It doesn't really matter who or what is behind this propaganda effort (of which, apparently you too are taking part in), it's the fact that it's occuring at all, which is both fascinating and pathetic.
Look at all the effort being expended with bots/desperate people running after others' mere thoughts and experiences being voiced on a "free" layoff board.
The level of deceit and gaslighting and obfuscation is incredible.
And not in a good way.
It's like, it's not enough to fu*k people over by yanking their employment out from under them (especially when their "replacements" are sub-par quasihumanoids or outright non-human AI entities), but you feel the need to rub salt in the wound by injuring people even further, by trying to cut off their ability and access to freely discuss what's really happening to them!
This is what inhumane tyrants do, not people who are proponents of free speech!
So yes, if I see it happening, I will speak up about it.
And your unsolicited "advice" which is actually a veiled threat, is to be ignored.
Weak people/weak desperation to control doesn't intimidate strong, smart people.
Know your place.
@a9 look at the up/down votes on all of the threads for the past week.
Now open the “Northwell, Fidelis face network split affecting 240,000” thread pay particular attention to the “calm down” or “neutral” sounding posts with the massive upvotes.
You dont need advanced statistics or a background in data science to understand this isn’t organic behavior.
Case closed. This is a sh-t bird with their thumb on the scale.
Thanks OP for bringing this up.
As usual, when called out on their B.S. via the first post responding to OP, they countered with multiple posts very similar in content where they're acting like "one of the regulars", while being sure to gray out everything in the thread.
According to the timestamps, OP's post in that thread was made 9 hours ago, and there wasn't one single post made to it until 2 hours ago. Then AS SOON WHEN there was that initial response where OP was called out (pasted below), suddenly the propaganda started posting, too. 9 hours, nothing. Then within minutes: multiple posts "mysteriously coming in out of nowhere" defending OP's B.S.
Yeah, guessing it's a combo. of bots and "leadership" with nothing better to do with their time than to try to gaslight and extinguish truth and free speech.
Another example in this thread: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kwrjtmbp
"More "leadership" propaganda.
You're concerned that "the angry mob" YOU created via the bait and switch you pulled with this VSP fiasco is going to end up with your reputations ruined, and tons of lawsuits filed against the company.
Good.
Be concerned.
You're all over this site after the fact, posting multiple times with the same content and it's always you posing as being some "neutral" onlooker, saying things aren't really that bad, and that you're just here to help. No you're not. You're a sleazy PR/Marketing creep who's trying to do damage control (and failing), while trying your best to "calm the crowd" because "leadership" decided to turn on them and do them dirty.
Now be sure and spend the rest of today scurrying after those who speak the truth on this site, by piling on your up and downvote numbers on posts, so you can create a fake sense of "reality", and flood the threads with multiple faux placating, to pretend you're some innocent do-gooder, when really you're just another "leadership"/ally snake in the grass.
2 hours ago by We SEE you. | 16 reactions (+8/-8) | Reply
Post ID: @ba+1kwrjtmbp"
@a6 you put a lot research into this. My advice is don’t hurt self. It’s beyond you. You really don’t know who’s behind every post.
They are definitely try to do damage control and yes, piling on the down and upvotes to posts, depending on the content, always trying to skew it in their favor. Looks They also like to skew the numbers on the posts so they just go all gray, like what's being discussed isn't worth reading. Seems as though they're VERY concerned that the troops are not happy, and about the BOD and public's perception of how they fumbled the ball.
The propagandist got called out on a few different threads here for it, and as in this one, their standard reply is usually either to play the innocent victim game "What do you mean? I'm just a worker bee like you, here trying to encourage and help!" or they accuse the people calling them out as being, "crazy".
Example from this thread: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kwrjtmbp
"Yes, using "y'all" really fools us into believing that you are so authentic and "down home" ie. one of us, instead of who you really are. Will you be adding any more of the praying hands or sunshiney/smiley face emojis today? That worked so well for you yesterday.
We are entirely fooled...you're SO slick!
(Not)
Now be sure and keep zeroing out each post which states the truth, so you can make it appear as if what's being said "isn't important". It's an especially convincing propaganda tactic when you go overboard with it, assigning some ridiculous number such as 38 to a regular run-of-the-mill post. But your favorite is to gray it all out into nothing, so there's magically JUST as many negative points as there are positive points to a post. That way you feel as though you've "succeeded" in making it look as though what's being discussed isn't relevant or important. That's how you operate in general, isn't it? Just flatten out anything worthwhile out to nothing, until it all "goes away."
You do it with people's ideas, with people's livelihoods, and with people's health.
Gray it out, flatten the kerfluffle, actively expend energy to create a facade, pretend reality isn't what it is, obfuscate, deflect, deny.
Evil people are anti-truth.
Good people stand up for the truth, uphold it, and speak boldly on it.
You are a sick person, and your soul is dark.
Thanks be to GOD that we are not like you.
1 hour ago by Anonymous | 4 reactions (+2/-2) | Reply
Post ID: @bj+1kwrjtmbp"
Another instance in another thread: https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kwj12shx
This time they're trying to discourage a mother whose baby is being delivered prematurely, that even though the VSP rep steered her wrong, saying she wouldn't qualify for the VSP if she went out on leave, that bringing a lawsuit wouldn't work because the company's team of lawyers are too powerful to go up against!
"Can’t take leave
Called VSap hotline to see if I can take maternity leave ( baby will be taken tomorrow due to preeclampsia) they say if I take any type of leave then I forfeit the right to get the VSP, it su-ks because I wasn’t planning to deliver early. I’m sure my position will be cut as well. I’m so sad. It seems so unfair.
#VSP #MaternityLeave #Leave #Severance
2 days ago by Anonymous | 1444 views | 8 reactions (+4/-4) | 16 replies (last 1 day ago) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kwj12shx
@a4 Nobody is going to get a lawyer for something like VSP. All companies have layoffs and who can afford do hire one? Can you imagine how many lawyers Centene has and do you really think they are scared of any repercussions from the layoffs?
1 day ago by YO | 9 reactions (+4/-5) | Reply
Post ID: @hf+1kwj12shx
@a3 upon further thought… 30+ upvotes on a niche forum doesn’t feel organic. Same thing for downvoting other posts to zero out up/down voting patterns.
My bet is a small coordinated group (Discord/Signal) or a few sock puppet accounts using VPN creating the illusion of consensus. Like that even matters….
@OP who the fu-k cares! You worried bout the wrong sh-t! Ppl about to loose jobs and who has time. You going crazy!
@OP yep, or there’s a concerted effort on their part to buy up or down votes. I don’t think they’d waste time doing it themselves. The message can’t be controlled in that way though.
The toolbag that keeps copy/pasting the same message with 30+ upvotes? Fake.