We've been experimenting with ways to detect tweetdecking and similar forms of amplification involving coordinated temporary retweets. To this end, we've been monitoring retweets of a few accounts that get disproportionate retweets, including @jacobhueneke.
cc: @ZellaQuixote
cc: @ZellaQuixote
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote We got an opportunity this morning to observe the early amplification of one of @jacobhueneke's tweets, and indeed 22 accounts retweeted it and then deleted the retweet a few minutes later. The amplification has been effective - 4 hours later, the tweet has over 6000 RTs.
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote The @jacobhueneke tweet isn't the only tweet to be retweeted and deleted by this group of 23 accounts (the 22 that deleted their @jacobhuekene retweet plus @jacobhueneke.) Are the other retweets similarly coordinated?
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote The answer is yes - there are at least 12 tweets that were retweeted by a majority of what appears to be the core group of 16 accounts in the network. The tweets in question (from fairly obscure accounts) have garnered between 390 and 6268 retweets and 2K-17K likes in four hours.
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote As an amusing side note, both @ZellaQuixote and I were already blocked @jacobhueneke prior to embarking on this project, despite having no history (to our knowledge) of previous interaction.
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote It's a new day, and here's another tweetdecking group found via the same methodology. We observed retweets of a @kingushbal tweet as it started to go viral, and found this set of accounts amplifying tweets via coordinated retweeting and subsequent deletion of the retweets.
@jacobhueneke @ZellaQuixote @kingushbal Some shakeup in the lineup of which accounts are actively retweeting and deleting, but tonight's activity looks awfully similar to last night's, by and large. #Lobsterfest
