[Short] Please Check Spam, Migrating to Ghost Where's Your Ed At • 5044 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24 🕹 Technology Email Migration Spam The author is migrating to Ghost platform from Substack. Readers are requested to check their spam folder for emails. Readers can unsubscribe if they don't wish to receive further emails.
Trending topics and word salad Conspirador Norteño • 18 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24 🕹 Technology Social media Cryptocurrency Spam Algorithm Automation Trending topics on social media can be manipulated by spam posts containing random words instead of coherent sentences. Accounts participating in spam trends can show signs of being hijacked and may switch focus from personal topics to spam suddenly. Past spam campaigns involving hashtags and random word mashups have been successful in manipulating social media trends.
Blue checks, ads, and crypto spam Conspirador Norteño • 30 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24 🕹 Technology Social media Cryptocurrency Spam Cybersecurity Verified social media accounts are running ads for questionable cryptocurrency projects Spam accounts with blue checkmarks continue to evade detection Crypto spam ads often lead to suspicious websites - be cautious with your personal information
GAN-tastic politics enthusiasts Conspirador Norteño • 37 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24 🕹 Technology AI Social media Spam Network A network of fake accounts with GAN-generated faces is spamming users with phrases like 'politics enthusiast'. The fake accounts have repetitive behaviors and characteristics, such as long handles with many vowels and repetitive use of certain phrases. Some replies from the fake accounts show signs of being artificially generated, with error messages and tagging issues.
Inauthentic activity and Twitter Blue verification Conspirador Norteño • 90 implied HN points • 01 May 23 🕹 Technology Social media Spam Verification Digital Identity Deceptive use of Twitter Blue verification is still possible despite the $8 monthly fee. Paying $8 doesn't guarantee immunity to spam and manipulation on the platform. Twitter Blue verification can be granted to potentially inauthentic accounts, including those with GAN-generated faces.
The curious case of user one134500 and the most obvious reply spam ever Conspirador Norteño • 63 implied HN points • 22 May 23 🕹 Technology Social media Cryptocurrency Spam Fake Accounts Online Security A network of spam accounts flooded Twitter with repetitive replies containing login credentials for a suspicious website. Over 13,000 active accounts in this spam network were created in March or April 2023 and only post replies. Spam campaign targeted various accounts including Reuters, Elon Musk, and news organizations, with a high percentage of replies in English.
Why subscription fees are not a magic bullet against spam Conspirador Norteño • 18 implied HN points • 22 Oct 23 🕹 Technology Social media Spam Online Platforms Subscription fees do not completely eliminate social media spam. Spammers can easily adapt to subscription fees by incorporating costs into their pricing. Charging subscription fees on social media platforms may not deter spam, as seen in online gaming platforms like World of Warcraft.
"Anyone else tired?" - a brief look at how a piece of spam evolved over Christmas 2023 Internet Talk • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24 🕹 Technology Spam Social media Spam has become a prevalent issue on Twitter due to platform changes and monetary incentives. Users have started creating counter-spam in response to spam-heavy posts. Spam has evolved on Twitter to the point where certain terms and phrases are now commonly spammed for attention.