Unrec's - Technical explanation? Question for the mods!

[FreeCajun]

I see a lot of people wondering what the deal with unrecs is.
There could be a technical explanation, but I was curious if anyone higher up could confirm:

Social websites with voting structures sometimes use a "depressor" effect to keep stories from getting lots of robot clicks, and to suppress the effect that power-users have (aka "you click my story, I click yours").

It basically only lets a story get so many recs at once, and if one gets too many, it registers it as potentially fraudulent and throws some negative numbers in. It gives them back a short while later, if the story really is catching fire, so that spammers don't rule the front pages at all times.

Is that what's going on here on DU?

Just Curious,
FreeCajun

[StarfarerBill]

1. I'd suggest e-mailing the mods directly; that'd be the best way to get your question answered.

[Bobbie Jo]

2. This...

(aka "you click my story, I click yours").
replace "click" with "rec."


Is here in full force. :argh: