Twitter Hashtags are Mishmash

You’ve probably seen them. People write a tweet and include a word with a symbol like “#Libya” or “#pajamas” or “#mendacious.” That “#” character on your typewriter…. (oh, excuse me) keyboard, is what is called the “number sign” “pound” or “hash” symbol. Thus, the Twitter term, “Hashtag.” It’s meant to facilitate discussion. But, it’s overrun by the most cynical Twitter Clicksters.

It’s not until you do a search for a “Hashtag” term that you begin to realize just how many people are gaming the Twitter system.

It would be somewhat understandable if these yo-yo’s were out in force regurgitating terms like “weight loss,” “make money” and “find chicks.” But, “podiatrist”?!! – Come on!

Let’s pursue our lovely tweeter, Connie, to see why she has such an interest in podiatry, indeed specializing in plantar fascia.

Turns out she has quite an interest in finding followers. She’s gamed 400 of them already, while fishing for over 2,000. She also offers no biography, and yes, you guessed it, the name Connie Liu is kind of a Chinese equivalent of Bob Anderson here in the U.S.

Let’s investigate a little further. Let’s look at the site that she lists as her website:

Like jillions of other scammers on Twitter, her “website” is simply a home for advertisements, which she hopes you will click on because they have some connection with planter fascia – like wart removal, heel spurs and sore feet.

Click at your own risk. But many do, and her cash register goes ka-ching when they do. (Not to mention that Google’s cash register goes va-va-va-voom when it gets a lot of Connie’s working for it).

In fact, Connie’s website belongs to a guy in Taiwan, registered here in Arlington Heights and… well, you get the picture.

Next, let’s take a look at the articles posted on her (his) website. Oh, you mean like the one that starts out:

“Have you outlayed excited nights due to knee pain? This essay is meant to help you comprehend because it happens and what you can do about it, but to accomplish this, it is critical to comprehend the structure of the body and function of the knee.”

Yes, sweetie, I have “outlayed excited nights,” but I’m sure as heck not going to talk about them here.

And, it’s true, you can find the original article she (he) copied and pasted form if you back translate these sentences into Chinese, then into Swedish, then into Hungarian and then, finally, back into English again. Don’t ask us how we know.

Google was so confused by some of the syntax in these articles that it could only humbly offer that I might want to specify some other search language than English. Ya’ think?!

Don’t get me wrong, there are good people working to try to make #Hashtags a meaningful way to learn more and communicate better. Their work is valued and important, but it’s going to be for naught if the promoters of these time-saving ideas don’t acknowledge the challenges they struggle with and the click happy idiots who invade their strategies.

We need people to point out the scammers – and we desperately need the social media companies like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to heave these duplicitous jerks out.

There is really only one thing more cynical than the millions of people who are scamming social media – and those are the cheerleaders who never point them out. Or, worse, the cheerleaders who teach others how to do this very kind of scamming.