Skepticism mounts over real value of FB ‘likes’

[webfact]

Skepticism mounts over real value of FB ‘likes’
By Attayuth Boosripoom
The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- MANY POLITICIANS have been turning to social media to communicate with their supporters and show off how popular they are.

 

However, with the manipulation of likes and followers becoming a booming business in online forums such as Facebook, people are wondering if any of the millions of followers some Thai politicians who are boasting about are real.

 

Among the sceptics is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who said on Tuesday that the number of “likes” and followers in social media could be manipulated as it was something money could buy. He cited the recent arrest of three Chinese men in Sa Kaew who were working for a “click farm”, hired to boost online-media likes for a number of Chinese products.

 

Click farms are hired by ordinary people and politicians looking to boost their profiles, companies that want to improve ranking algorithms to ensure products are given priority, and fake news writers seeking to get on “most read” lists, AFP reported.

 

Prayut has ordered police to investigate and try to determine whether the activity had any hidden political motive, according to a government spokesman. 

 

The PM’s comment came after his predecessor and former boss Yingluck Shinawatra, thanked supporters after her Facebook page reached a milestone of 6 million likes.

 

 

Yingluck has managed to gain likes and followers far more than any other Thai politicians. At a distant second place is veteran politician Suthep Thaugsuban, who has 2.8 million Facebook likes. Even Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck’s elder brother and two-time prime minister, claims a much smaller following of 2.5 million likes.

 

Prayut disclosed recently that he has no social media accounts, as he prefers to have supporters in the real world rather than the virtual world. 

 

Online business expert Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, founder and CEO of online marketplace Tarad.com, said yesterday that he believed the Chinese men arrested in Sa Kaew had nothing to do with any attempt to boost likes on Thai Facebook accounts. 

 

He said many Thais were also hired to click likes on certain posts in huge quantities but they got much lower fees than their Chinese counterparts. 

 

Pawoot said the reason foreign click farms choose Thailand could be because there are loopholes involving the acquisition of large numbers of phone SIM cards. Controls are much tighter in other countries such as China.

 

Chanut Kerdpradub, a social media expert who is known as “Ajahn Bomb” among his fans, said that Thai politicians used forums such as Facebook mainly to communicate with their supporters and also to attack their political rivals and enemies.

 

He said that compared to their peers in other countries, Thai politicians have no clear strategies in using social media. 

 

“Foreign politicians seem to have a better understanding about the nature of online media. And they often turn difficult matters into laid-back ones when communicating with their supporters on social media,” he said.

 

Chanut said large quantities of likes might have psychological impacts but they did not help in passing on the messages politicians want to convey. Because of this, he did not think politicians would find paying for fake likes would be worthwhile.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30318097

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-15

[ezzra]

When it comes to online information and creditability, there's no way of knowing

what is real and what is fake, and now with the proliferations of ' fake news '

and people being caught with hundreds of thousands of SIM cards using them

to post 'likes' comments and feedback, who can really tell what is going on?....

[Thechook]

Facebook and likes really is eating away at poor whittle Prayuth and he really is upset that more people like Yingluk than him.  6 million compared to 2,062.  Better postpone the elections until you get majority likes.

[Displaynameinusebyanotherm]

Fakebook...

[LazySlipper]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

When it comes to online information and creditability, there's no way of knowing

what is real and what is fake, and now with the proliferations of ' fake news '

and people being caught with hundreds of thousands of SIM cards using them

to post 'likes' comments and feedback, who can really tell what is going on?....

Wonder if this happens on Thaivisa...

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Among the sceptics is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

Interesting, and what does he think about TripAdvisor reviews?

 

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

hidden political motive, according to a government spokesman.

again....if they cant find anything , they will make something up

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said many Thais were also hired to click likes on certain posts in huge quantities but they got much lower fees than their Chinese counterparts. 

 

That's only because it's very easy to waste time on Facebook even when your actual job is to be on Facebook.

 

[rkidlad]

Wow! Buying likes. Good job unqualified people aren't buying positions of power or simply taking them with a gun. 

 

Lucky we only have to deal with people who buy likes to gain publicity and use it to get into politics. 

[Laughing Gravy]

If you are relying on facebook for your popularity or even believe anything on there, then you have issues. I find FB narcissistic with people posting, waiting for likes and having the attitude of 'look at me' how good am I. Posting rubbish and tripe (pun intended) with pictures of food has become obsessive. FB at the start was an upgrade from friends reunited and had its value which has been lost. Now its become addictive to many people like 'crack'. They get up and teh first think they do is see who ahs liked their picture or post, that's if they haven't been checking during the night. The very sad thing is people just can't see it. The amount of time Thais and other people from the west spend on FB is ridiculous. It is quickly becoming quite sad. Maybe if it was banned the intellect of the population, just might rise.

[robblok]

Come on is this news I have seen clients of mine buying facebook likes for ages. That is why I don't believe much about popularity I am sure the politicians mentioned have bought likes too. Its so easy to buy facebook likes that the system is totally false. 

[robblok]

30 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Wow! Buying likes. Good job unqualified people aren't buying positions of power or simply taking them with a gun. 

 

Lucky we only have to deal with people who buy likes to gain publicity and use it to get into politics. 

Yes or become PM while being totally unsuited for it (current and previous one)... ect ect. Nepotism rules in this country.  Facebooks likes is totally unimportant but it does show how stupid the system is and that likes can be bought and manipulated. 

[nausea]

All this Facebook focus on appearance rather than reality was predicted decades ago:

 

" ... just as early industrial capitalism  moved the focus of existence from being to having, post-industrial culture has moved that focus from having to appearing" Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle (1988).

[Bluespunk]

FB "likes", along with every other aspect of that insidious and intrusive creation, are utterly worthless. 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Bluespunk

[klauskunkel]

just one 'real life like' can send all these 'virtual pretender likes' packing

[Thechook]

32 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

FB "likes", along with every other aspect of that insidious and intrusive creation, are utterly worthless. 

But it appears that Prayuth is running the country on the credibility of Facebook,  he seems to be using it as a tool to govern.

[Black arab]

Fb, likes , all bs

[AGareth2]

11 minutes ago, Black arab said:

Fb, likes , all bs

tell that to the military courts when sentencing under S 112

[Juan B Tong]

Great numbers!

 

The Buddha only has 382,176 likes.

Jesus Christ has 1,376,6344 likes.

Mohammed between 23 and 861 likes (many FB pages, but no photos).

 

So most of the leaders and ex-leaders are more popular than Jesus.

 

Somebody tell the Beatles!

Edited June 15, 2017 by Juan B Tong

[Guest Jerry787]

its well known every where there are business who sales click or like or tripadvisor positive review, that why worst thing to check are tripadvisor with a ration of over 60% fake review, corporation, businesses, public figure likes etc , are on the ration of 50% purchased like by click farms.

how to check ?  simple look at the who click like on such profile, on this subject are now getting good business companies who check all the likes and so on and can make a report of how many click farm likes or real likes.

[bangkokairportlink]

People jailed soon for FB likes on politicians pages ? I would not be surprised by this country of freedom.

 

 

 

 

[wgdanson]

Is it really saying that it needs a different SIM card in order to post 'fake likes'? Why not set up thousands of 'fake' email addresses and Facebook accounts and do it from a PC, Costs nowt.

[ben2talk]

This story not far behind the one where the 'Junta' warned everyone to be very careful about what they click on with Facebook - Liking or Following can be construed as criminal activity.

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by ben2talk
added a dummy n stuff

[ben2talk]

6 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Is it really saying that it needs a different SIM card in order to post 'fake likes'? Why not set up thousands of 'fake' email addresses and Facebook accounts and do it from a PC, Costs nowt.

Done that - also can pay for clicks to win competitions - just hope nobody else is paying more.

Often the 'click race' can be monitored with competitions so that you know if you should continue and pay for extra or give up while the going is good.

[Smarter Than You]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Come on is this news I have seen clients of mine buying facebook likes for ages. That is why I don't believe much about popularity I am sure the politicians mentioned have bought likes too. Its so easy to buy facebook likes that the system is totally false. 

At least you're consistent.

 

Yingluck wins election - election was bought

Yingluck most popular Thai  in politics - Facebook likes were bought

 

If elections and likes are so easily bought - why is Prayuth so far off the pace in both?

[robblok]

7 minutes ago, Smarter Than You said:

At least you're consistent.

 

Yingluck wins election - election was bought

Yingluck most popular Thai  in politics - Facebook likes were bought

 

If elections and likes are so easily bought - why is Prayuth so far off the pace in both?

You believe all the likes of all the politicians are real ? Are you crazy, have you seen how easy it is to buy likes... Thaksins son.. so many likes.. are you sure ? Id bet my life on it that some of the politicians bought likes. I guess your not that IT good at IT.. this is not a secret that likes are bought. 

 

Just google buying likes and see how many pages come up. 

Edited June 15, 2017 by robblok

[NCC1701A]

Nation states have entire cyber units devoted to suppressing the truth by flooding the net with disinformation. Sometimes just to force comments far down the list where fewer people read them. The KGB were master's of disinformation way before the internet. And yes maybe Thailand can become just like communist China. Very good for Thailand 4.0. NOT.

[KhunBENQ]

Amazing how Mr. P. gets aware about the like farms only after the arrest of the Chinese gang.

And now has a good explanation why the Shinawatra likes must be fake.

You can buy likes in India and elsewhere but millions takes a hell lot of time and money.

You need to create millions of fake accounts and that has to be done manually.

 

[stephen tracy]

"Prayut disclosed recently that he has no social media accounts, as he prefers to have supporters in the real world rather than the virtual world."... The general sulking again.   I was never a fan of the Shinawats but given that Yingluck won the election by landslide, is it really so surprising she has that many likes/followers?

[stephen tracy]

8 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

If you are relying on facebook for your popularity or even believe anything on there, then you have issues. I find FB narcissistic with people posting, waiting for likes and having the attitude of 'look at me' how good am I. Posting rubbish and tripe (pun intended) with pictures of food has become obsessive. FB at the start was an upgrade from friends reunited and had its value which has been lost. Now its become addictive to many people like 'crack'. They get up and teh first think they do is see who ahs liked their picture or post, that's if they haven't been checking during the night. The very sad thing is people just can't see it. The amount of time Thais and other people from the west spend on FB is ridiculous. It is quickly becoming quite sad. Maybe if it was banned the intellect of the population, just might rise.

I have a FB account but don't use it as, like yourself, I'm not interested in what someone had for lunch.  However, the reason I opened the account was cause my email got hacked and I used FB to find all my contacts (most of them anyway).  It was also useful at the start of the Arab Spring for mobilizing people... not that that ended particularly well, with the exception of Tunisia.  So, it does have its uses.