Is Twitter a Rigged Game?

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In 2013, China cracked down on Weibo, its version of Twitter. Now that attention has become the only currency that matters online, it does seem likely that more and more people will turn to botting. If we are going to be judged by algorithms, it's better to show up with 900,000 plus friends, fans, and followers.

To Bot or Not? That’s the big question for Data Scientist Gilad Lotan. His research suggests we may be damaging our online reputations if we choose not to play the fake follower game. Jason Q Ng, author of the book Blocked on Weibo, tells us why the Chinese government hates fake bots and why they targeted Black PR companies last summer. And your host imagines a future were humans are forced to shower their new Bot Overlords with unwavering attention. *********Click on the image for the whole story about this week’s installment**********