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How would you feel if one of the websites you frequented was occupied by paid patrons whose sole purpose was to create a perception of an active community? While some of the patrons may be average Joes looking for advice or entertainment, a contingent of the membership consisted of professionals who are paid to participate and stir up participation among the genuine membership. It'd be like a real life, albeit virtual, version of the Truman Show.
How would you feel if you found that out? Would you feel that your trust had been violated? Would/could you still participate in a community knowing this?
I have had similar-ish thoughts, if I read you correctly, but...
At least I got in before they lock/delete.
Forums are a dying breed and it's a constant challenge to retain active membership. There are LOTS of resources on the internet pointing to "paid poster" services that help engage community activity and such. And sometimes there are far too many coincidences to not believe that this happens. In fact, on some larger scale sites I visit, bots/paid shills/etc. have been a proven allegation.
Forums are a dying breed and it's a constant challenge to retain active membership. There are LOTS of resources on the internet pointing to "paid poster" services that help engage community activity and such. And sometimes there are far too many coincidences to not believe that this happens. In fact, on some larger scale sites I visit, bots/paid shills/etc. have been a proven allegation.
Forums are a dying breed to the younger generations who only post to social media. For more experienced folk, forums are still actively used. There will still be a market for good forums in the future. Now it appears, that some people try to drum up their numbers on social media by using fake accounts, so that they can earn more advertising dollars. It is just fraud, because they have a financial interest. Some groups have started to catch on, and some celebrities have had tens of thousands of followers/members disappear because of it, as they are worried that their advertisers will find out.
I would be disappointed if a found out that a forum or website I used had lots of fake members to increase their advertising.
I would be disappointed if a found out that a forum or website I used had lots of fake members to increase their advertising.
This gets to the nuts and bolts of why there is even a reason or incentive to do such a thing. If a website relies on advertising dollars, it is beholden to strong membership numbers. People don't participate on a dead forum, so that's when you get into the business of hiring people to "drum up" participation for you, which in turn, generates activity, which in turn is what you sell to advertisers.
How would you feel if one of the websites you frequented was occupied by paid patrons whose sole purpose was to create a perception of an active community? While some of the patrons may be average Joes looking for advice or entertainment, a contingent of the membership consisted of professionals who are paid to participate and stir up participation among the genuine membership. It'd be like a real life, albeit virtual, version of the Truman Show.
How would you feel if you found that out? Would you feel that your trust had been violated? Would/could you still participate in a community knowing this?
I assume I know what I'm doing, but am willing to accept that I'm wrong.
That opening sentence is because I assume I can tell when a forum is being spammed by impersonal, paid shills, vs being a real, active community, and it has to do with both the quality of the posts, and the response to my own postings.
One of the hall-marks of a forum that is designed to be click-bait, or a propaganda set, is the amount of actual new information that people are allowed to post.
Back in the late 90s, when the world-wide-web was first coming onto the scene, and replacing usenet groups for discussions, almost all sites had active comments sections. Those comments sections were the best part of many sites. Posters would challenge and debate the original article. They would provide links to additional information and information from their own direct experience.
Those kinds of comments have been replaced by paid shills starting flame wars.
There were flame wars on the usenet groups, which is why moderated groups got started.
However, now websites, even so-called alt-right news sites, outsource their comments to third-party businesses that automatically block comments that provide information or have a poltically-incorrect position, unless, of course, it is someone who posts like a 13-year-old name-calling. Those get through.
If you can't tell whether or not the posters are real, what difference does it make?
Status:
"This too shall pass. But possibly, like a kidney stone."
(set 20 hours ago)
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I'm a part time moderator on a medical forum - a "paid" poster, although the pay is very very low. ;D
I think the website owner does often create questions with specific symptoms asking for advice, to judge the quality of the responses. The posts tend to be well-written, and always contain all the information needed to come up with a good answer, as in, well, that is a known side effect of one of the meds you're on. Since she had strep a month ago, it's very likely to be the cause of her knee pain. That kind of thing.
I think they might use stuff like that to attract advertisers - if the website owner can show that the posters on that forum have good medical knowledge and it's a reliable place to post for good solid advice.
What sites are you thinking might be in this category? This one? Others?
Dish...we want to hear!
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