So I'll be perfectly honest here.
Before commendations was a thing. I was a nice enough player. I said hi when dungeons started, answered questions, didn't leave if someone was new, occasionally made small talk. nothing forced.

But now, I really effing want that gilded mount... So is it wrong of me to start being "extra nice" for the sake of commendations? I wouldn't consider it fake since it's just an extension of what I was already doing, though that may just be me trying to justify it.

Also, at the end of all duty finder events I usually leave a message along the lines of "if you feel I deserve it, please remember to commendate" since most people don't bother to commend at the end unless asked to. What's nice is generally a few players will in fact give the commendation when asked to.

Once I get the gilded mount will I stop being nice? of course not. But it brings me to another small point I was thinking of. Even if players are being "fake" to get commendations, after doing it for 500 commendations, perhaps being nice will have become more habitual for them rather than being the jerks that were found in the DF so often before.

just some thoughts.