Social Media Following: Don't FAKE it if you can't MAKE it!

By
Fake Followers on Twitter, Facebook - Kartik Dayanand

Face'booth’ Capturing - I came across this term for the first time on a TV news debate earlier today evening. A term inspired by the concept of booth capturing - a process by which fake votes are posted and elections are won based on those inflated numbers. 

 Something similar is happening on Social Media; politicians it seems are buying fake followers on Twitter and Facebook to show how powerful and influential they are. Latest example being that of the CM of Rajasthan - Ashok Gehlot seeing a sudden rise in the number of Likes on his Facebook page, and funnily the majority of those Likes coming from Istanbul out of all the places.

Similar accusations are placed on other politicians too, notable among them being Narendra Modi who recently overtook Shashi Tharoor as the most followed Indian Politician on Twitter, aided by a lot of egg heads as seen by the opposite camp (If you are on Twitter you would know what those eggs mean).

I don’t blame these politicians. They are just trying to Fake it when they can’t Make it online.

But the reality of social networks is something closer to what you are going to see next, and the sooner everyone realizes it, the better it is. Watch the video below:


 If you have seen the clip you really don’t need to read any further. If you still insist, I shall elaborate.

In the movie 300, Leonidas on his way to the Hot Gates of Thermopylae meets a huge army of allies (Arcadians) who are stunned to see that the Spartan army is only 300 members strong. In response to their concern, Leonidas asks the professions of some from the allied army. They turn out to be artisans and craftsmen not suitable for war; the allies’ army size of thousands has no relevance anymore in front of the 300 people that Leonidas brought with him, each of them worth more than their salt as true warriors, prompting him to make this classic retort:

“I brought more soldiers than you did”

This scene is no different from many Facebook Pages and Twitter accounts out there that have purchased fans. Most don’t realize that in their quest to have large armies of fans (likes and followers); they have built nothing but an ineffective army similar to the ones the Arcadians brought with them to war.

One could have just 300 followers or less but be able to wield more influence than someone with 3 million paid followers. It is time our high and mighty realize that Social Media is a beast very different from what they have dealt with in the real world until now. My sincere request to them would be... 

Don't FAKE it if you can't MAKE it...
 because
Size does not matter online, only quality matters!

Cheers!!!
Kartik Dayanand



Ps. Those of you who want to dig deeper into the phenomenon of fake Followers and Likes, you might want to read these articles too:

 Who 'likes' my Virtual Bagels? and Why Are Dead People Liking Stuff On Facebook? 

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Comments

  1. shelley k dasJul 11, 2013, 3:43:00 PM

    Gud one

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeshwanthJul 15, 2013, 11:00:00 PM

    everything is valid in virtual world, until or unless we seek for the truth!!!

    ReplyDelete

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