I got the same timestamps with:
select name, score, comment_like.published from comment_like left join person on comment_like.person_id = person.id where comment_id = 16354453;
IDK, I just don’t think this is the pattern of someone boosting their comment (see !albumartporn@lemmy.world for actual vote manipulation), or at the very least I don’t think it’s Plinky doing it (he’s a fairly regular contributor to UK threads and this is the first time those accounts have interacted with his comments here).
PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 3 weeks ago
I get that yeah, but mine gives more context. Seeing other comments besides that one that the three accounts voted on in exactly the same fashion as each other, in the same order, and the pace of voting generally to give context to how unusual the little block all within 15 minutes is, gives a clearer impression of how unusual it is. The other comment they all voted the same way on wasn’t any kind of particularly notable comment to draw every Hexbear user’s attention somehow.
It’s not really ironclad or anything, but it’s certainly sus. And yes I agree, it sort of looks like Plinky’s comment and voting was genuine, and then one Hexbear person noticed the comment after a while and voted on it three times. Why they do that sort of thing, I don’t really have a clear idea.