Thread by @goddeketal

THREAD: Under @elonmusk, Twitter has undergone many positive changes. Important voices have been reinstated and censorship has been largely abolished. However, the new #algorithm and the novel "For You" timeline are a problem, they boost scam posts and hold back good content.🧵⬇️

@elonmusk 2/ Have you also come across this person frequently in your timeline even though you don't follow him? I will explain to you using the example of @healthbyjames why scam accounts are suddenly popping up like mushrooms and why they pose a threat to quality posts.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 3/ James has been scamming on Twitter for a year now. He averages a tweet every hour, but until the beginning of this year, he only managed to gain a few followers. Since then, he gained almost 70k and became one of the most influential Twitter accounts in the world. But how?

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 4/ Before we get to that point, I should first define the three principles Twitter scammers follow:

1.) They post links to studies, which position them as experts.
2.) They post fantastic content that regularly goes viral.
3.) And most importantly: they ask simple questions.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 5/ James, for instance, frequently shares links to his Substack account, where he presents studies in an unorganized manner and portrays himself as a health expert. The stethoscope in his profile picture is a must-have, of course, but the content is often plagiarized.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 6/ To generate reach and convince people to pay their Substack, Patreon, etc. scammers need content that has the potential to go viral. Instead of spending hours watching videos and reading articles, scammers like James take the easy way out by appropriating the work of others.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 7/ Don't get me wrong, it's completely fine to be inspired by other people's content, but to blatantly plagiarize viral posts and claim them as your own is immoral. Twitter also has the feature to share videos, or simply quote or retweet posts, giving credit where credit is due.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames 8/ But stealing good posts isn't the only factor in how scammers' accounts grow so quickly. The speed at which they (i.e. @healthbyjames) grow is highlighted in this graph (click to enlarge), comparing the organic growth of satirist @spasskultur to that of James.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur 9/ None of this would be possible without asking a lot of simple questions (Read them at your own risk!). And for scammers, it's not about the answers or the interaction with their followers, it's solely about the number of interactions. The reason for this is as follows…

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur 10/ With the new algorithm and the "for you" feed, liked tweets, and especially those that receive responses from people you follow, get extremely boosted. My "for you" feed was filled with @healthbyjames' idiotic questions & posts and there was no escape but muting/blocking him.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur 11/ I've personally tested it over the past 2 days. Asking questions is an excellent way to increase interactions with your followers. However, there is a difference between asking thought-provoking, high-quality questions and simple, straightforward ones.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur 12/ Some may call me a grifter, but it's in everyone's best interest to put a stop to scammers. They not only undermine the honest work of upright citizen journalists by appropriating their content, but they also flood Twitter feeds with low-quality content and silly questions.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur 13/ James continues to steal from @KanekoaTheGreat, @TheChiefNerd, @DrLoupis, @TexasLindsay_, @CartlandDavid, @DrEliDavid, @naomirwolf, @VigilantFox etc. despite repeated requests to stop. While he initially claimed it was just a coincidence, he now completely ignores messages.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur @KanekoaTheGreat @TheChiefNerd @DrLoupis @TexasLindsay_ @CartlandDavid @DrEliDavid @naomirwolf @VigilantFox 14/ Scammers essentially have two motives: either they are astroturfers or they act solely for financial gain. Regardless, their actions harm democratic resistance and should therefore be avoided.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur @KanekoaTheGreat @TheChiefNerd @DrLoupis @TexasLindsay_ @CartlandDavid @DrEliDavid @naomirwolf @VigilantFox 15/ Furthermore, @elonmusk should re-evaluate his algorithm and that "for you" timeline. Due to them, fraudsters like James were able to cause significant harm to many reputable journalists like @tracybeanz, @kylenabecker and others. Honest work must continue to be rewarded!

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur @KanekoaTheGreat @TheChiefNerd @DrLoupis @TexasLindsay_ @CartlandDavid @DrEliDavid @naomirwolf @VigilantFox @tracybeanz @kylenabecker 16/ Of course, everyone's gotta make a living somehow. Whether you're selling pillows, COVID protocols, vitamin D supplements, information or whatever. The important thing is that you shouldn't be getting rich off the hard work of other folks.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur @KanekoaTheGreat @TheChiefNerd @DrLoupis @TexasLindsay_ @CartlandDavid @DrEliDavid @naomirwolf @VigilantFox @tracybeanz @kylenabecker 17/ That's why I ask @healthbyjames to return to producing authentic content, as he did at the beginning of his scam career. While it may not have been the most impressive in terms of content or technicality, at least it was honest.

@elonmusk @healthbyjames @spasskultur @KanekoaTheGreat @TheChiefNerd @DrLoupis @TexasLindsay_ @CartlandDavid @DrEliDavid @naomirwolf @VigilantFox @tracybeanz @kylenabecker 18/ I hope that this thread has contributed to raising awareness. And if you come across accounts whose tweets all begin with 🚨URGENT, 🚨JUST IN or 🚨BREAKING (regardless of how old the source is), please steer clear. Thank you.