Scientists who buy followers are extra amusing.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/27/technology/social-media-bots.html?mtrref=t.co&gwh=4E2905AE46CC69B27B375042BBC5EADA&gwt=pay …
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Replying to @o_guest
I'm starting to think I should get into the business of developing and supplying bot accounts for sale ... ;-)
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Replying to @o_guest
I now seriously think some of the scientists I follow have purchased their large number of followers
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You can check that, surely. Are there not websites?
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Replying to @jamesheathers @Abebab
I think she thinks that because I linked her to such websites.
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Should have known you woulda known. What did you find? I wonder if mine are fake. With their ridiculous names, 'Andrew', 'Caitlyn', 'Terry'. Who names a child that?!?
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Replying to @jamesheathers @Abebab
I don't want to name names but there certainly are people with large follower counts who has dubious percentages of "fake" followers/bots.
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Importantly though, being followed by accounts suspected of being bots isn't always evidence that these people purchased followers.
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The methodology used in the article by the NYT isn't the same as just checking for bots.
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