Further to that while driving home last night I heard a very interesting report on the radio ..
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Personal Management Software destroys internet authenticity
The Guardian reports on the growth in "Persona Management Software" which individuals use to engage in web conversations using multiple identities on forums and social sites.
The aim is to create the perception of a (fake) upswell in sentiment on a given topic (a practice is known as astroturfing). The most disturbing revelation is that the US Air Force have tendered for such software.
A real person using the internet. Unfortunately we can no longer assume what we are reading is written by one of these creatures.
The article reports that:
Companies now use "persona management software", which multiplies the efforts of each astroturfer, creating the impression that there's major support for what a corporation or government is trying to do.
This software creates all the online furniture a real person would possess: a name, email accounts, web pages and social media. In other words, it automatically generates what look like authentic profiles, making it hard to tell the difference between a virtual robot and a real commentator.
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I believe that there are a number of poster on the ESG threads who are possibly the same person whose line of argument is so well framed and sympathetic that we may well be victim of this type of subtifuge.
MODS .. I'd be very interested to know if Hotcopper has a stragtegy (or if its even possible) to detect or eliminate this sort of behaviour. Because if its not possible for HC to detect or control it then it significantly undermines confidence users can have as to the bonafides of any comment made.
S(real)G
Further to that while driving home last night I heard a very...
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