The New Engagement Farmers

There's something strange going on and I think we are all starting to recognise it. I have spoken previously on the VSS Facebook Group about how to identify this seemingly new and improved shady folk. Justin has underlined the fact that new accounts will be subject to human scrutiny and I think that is a great idea. But again, I think that means we are facing up against a new enemy. One if, we do nothing about, could be so many more times worse than what we have already dealt with.

We are through the looking-glass fellow Vocalites - this is just the tip of the iceberg.

So what are the problems?

The first problem is fake engagement. Why build engagement and farm through comments if they are no longer of much value on the leaderboard? Especially if your grift is to make as much money in as less time as possible? Well, it's no longer about making money. It's about principle. It's about seeming human via engagement. It deceives Justin and those at the Vocal headquarters into thinking that there are actual people behind these accounts and they are willing to read and involve themselves with others. This is in the hope that human eyes will sooner or later stop paying attention to them. But don't be fooled. These people might be real and not robots behind the computer, only they aren't reading your pieces.

This brings me on to the second problem of AI word salad observations. Have you noticed how someone will comment on your work and make all of these very general observations, spitting out quotes they think mean something and then asking you a question about your work that could be quite easily answered if they actually read it? Well, you're in luck because you've just encountered someone who has quite lovingly put your work though ChatGPT or some other AI program, asking it to give a meaningful observation or reply.

How do I know? Well, we did have that debacle in which someone accidentally replied to me as if I were the ChatGPT program rather than putting my story and reply through the program itself. I also know because if you put your own work through ChatGPT and ask for a reply about it, you'll get something on the same lines. This engagement farming is normally done for (as I have researched) building a good reputation with other writers, so that when human eyes are not looking - we will perhaps stick up for them when they begin publishing AI slop. Of course, this is not really going to be the case - they just don't know it.

This is all being done in the hope that human eyes are taken away from them sooner or later. They can show they are engaging with other people's work and being 'real' writers. It is much harder to use GPTZero or other programs for such short comments. Instead, I recommend you put your work through ChatGPT and ask for a response such as "what do you think?" - Note the structure of the reply and what kind of vapid question is asked at the end.

The third and final problem is about whether these are the same people as before. Of course they are. They knew we were looking for certain names and profile photos and so, they took them away. They created generic western names with no profile pictures and no stories. All the accounts have arisen in May 2025 and it will continue in June. Also, the bios all state that they work for certain internet-based companies (which I find shoddy at best and at worst, deceptive).

So is this a call to action?

Of course it is.

Keep your eyes out. See a comment? Report as spam. See a profile? Copy URL and send to [email protected] with the message:

I have found an account whom I believe to be creating AI-written responses and has therefore put my work through an AI program without my permission. As I understand, there are currently laws against this if it is done without the writer's knowledge (which it has been). I believe this is a form of engagement farming by whoever is behind the account.

Here is the URL for the account (paste URL).

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I have a feeling the fight has only just begun.

Yours,

Annie.