Following the recent Interspecies Reviewers controversy, which started with Funimation dropping the series midway through its premiere season, website My Anime List reports they are “experiencing a strong DDoS attack.”
The website is currently inaccessible to users. If you attempt to visit the website you get a 504 Gateway Time-out.
MyAnimeList reported on Twitter at 12:37 PM ET on February 18th that they were “experiencing a strong DDoS attack.”
They did note that their “tech team is working to restore the website as rapidly as possible.” They warned users that they “may experience a few successful page loads followed by maintenance messages or errors until the situation is stabilized.”
We have been experiencing a strong DDoS attack and unfortunately it continues. Our tech team is working to restore the website as rapidly as possible. You may experience a few successful page loads followed by maintenance messages or errors until the situation has stabilized.
— MyAnimeList (@myanimelist) February 18, 2020
My Anime List did recently announce they “implemented a new algorithm to automatically exclude scores given by duplicate rating accounts made to sway Top Anime/Manga rankings.”
Today, we implemented a new algorithm to automatically exclude scores given by duplicate rating accounts made to sway Top Anime/Manga rankings.
Please read the forum announcement for full information; only a summary will be given here. https://t.co/epjP4r3roP
1/
— MyAnimeList (@myanimelist) February 12, 2020
MyAnimeList claims this algorithm change had been in the works for the past six months, but was implemented after users, many of whom were encouraged by YouTubers Lost Pause and NuxTaku, voted Interspecies Reviewers to the top of My Anime List’s Top Anime list.
• This system has been in planning for 6 months, since the admin team stopped manually deleting accounts in August
• It will take ~7 days for all scores to recalculate
• Duplicate accounts will only be excluded from weighted scores to protect the system— MyAnimeList (@myanimelist) February 12, 2020
Following Interspecies Reviewers skyrocketing to the top of My Anime List’s rankings in protest of Funimation dropping the series, the moderation team at My Anime List detailed their plans for the new algorithm roll out while also insulting YouTubers NuxTaku and Lost Pause.
Kineta, My Anime List’s lead administrator, detailed that NuxTaku “either lost his marbles or let internet fame get to his head.” Kineta also described NuxTaku’s viewers as “easily influenced mob followers.”
My Anime List Social Media Manager Shymander also referred to NuxTaku as “an asshole” and berated him for sending his viewers to their website claiming it was creating “back-breaking work for VOLUNTEERS.”
.@Nux_Taku is an asshole. No, he isn’t funny.
Telling your 1,000,000+ followers to create 1000s of bot accounts to boost Ishuzoku Reviewers does not “”flex”” on Funimation.
It makes more back-breaking work for VOLUNTEERS who are already at their limit to keep MAL running.
— Shymander (@shymander) February 6, 2020
NuxTaku responded to MyAnimeList’s complaints in a YouTube video, where he questioned MyAnimeList’s website changes being proposed months in advance.
He would then mock My Anime List’s response by showcasing some of the top memes to come out of the controversy.
What do you make of this ongoing saga with Interspecies Reviewers, NuxTaku, and My Anime List?