The censors who work at Chinese companies like Weibo don't really have a government handbook that tells them which words to block. Post-crackdown, many of these companies now block keywords simply because they're in danger of going viral. It's not just underwear that inflames the passion of Chinese netizens; rumors and fake stories also give birth to flash mobs.
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**********