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.
Hello @AlastairMcA30, I wanted to check in and see if your position on this statement you made previously has changed. (bit.ly/3wDzcLy)
Alastair, I can't believe you deactivated the comments, hid all critical comments and are still refusing to apologize for the lies and slander you spread. Why is it so hard to admit that you've been wrong the whole time? Face the reality – you're on the wrong side of history.
I will file a formal complaint against Alastair to the corresponding medical authorities. He's a disgrace to his profession and should never be allowed to "treat" children again.
Hey @healthbyjames. I’m starting to question your motivation. If your content isn't stolen, your posts usually ask for private info (like vaccine status), and now you’re even giving a known @HHSGov spin doctor, @DrLeanaWen, props for "blowing the whistle"? What’s your agenda?
I just did the test. I unblocked him, checked my time-line and @healthbyjames appears everywhere. Meanwhile he's been asking people about their vaxx status and other private medical information several times today (see below). This is highly worrying.
Hi @AmandaMarcotte. In 2021, you wrote that the unvaccinated were robbing your freedoms and that it's OK to discriminate against them. You also spoke out in favor of vaccine mandates, claiming they'd bring your liberties back. Do you still see it that way? salon.com/2021/08/12/its…
@AmandaMarcotte The @Salon article is riddled with fascist ideology. I have read it for you, so you don't have to read it. Here is an excerpt which is responsible for the comeback of my lunch.
Why does everyone block me after I ask them legitimate questions?
Hello @sixtus. You were one of the loudest German hatemongers against the unvaccinated. Via this false analogy, you implied that unvaccinated people were potential killers. But why did you secretly delete this inflammatory tweet instead of publicly apologizing for your lapse?
For reasons of transparency: I translated the tweets above as @sixtus – who is on the payroll of the German, public media – usually does not communicate in English. He also tends to immediately block those who dare to ask critical questions. (Source: bit.ly/3HlskZO)
🚨 THREAD: Peter Hotez and I share an unpleasant three-year history. Before I got banned on @twitter, I confronted leading coronists with their contradictions. After @PeterHotez spoke out in favour of universal vaccination of children, my collar burst, and I dubbed him "Dr Evil."
3/ His comrades-in-arms were also quick to speak out and accused me of anti-Semitism - a typical cyber-bully behaviour. Hotez & his friend Yamey eventually called on their followers to report me en masse, which ultimately led to the deletion of my account.
Hey @kieraevebutler. It's almost been three years since you wrote this Pulitzer Prize-worthy article. On a scale of 1 to 'The Fauci Song' (see tweet below) how embarrassed are you by your insubstantial piece of propaganda after all this time?