Fake Seeding
Using fake content, users, or interactions to simulate activity and influence user behavior.
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Examples
Companies use fake content and bot accounts to make early-stage communities appear active and engaging.
Companies post fake job ads to gauge interest or attract attention without intending to hire.
Products use fake profiles to simulate activity and encourage user engagement through perceived social interaction.
Fake checkout flows are used to measure demand or interest, misleading users into believing a product or service is available when it is not.
Altruheuristics
Biology
- Exclusion: Provides a fake sense of being a part of a community.
- Trust: Loss of trust from impersonation.
CBT Distortions
- None
Biases
- Confirmation Bias
- Conformity Bias
- Mere-exposure Effect
- Framing Bias
- Affinity Bias
Circ’s Principles
- Champion: Don’t be a hypocrite, use the product you build.
- Warmness: Avoid the cold start problem with the fake start solution.
- Transparency: Reduce anxiety by removing uncertainty and explaining algorithm updates.
Mental Health
- None.
Traditional Heuristics
Jakob Nielson Principles
- Match Real World: Lack of transparency is considered to be a form of deception.
Gestalt
- None
Don Norman Principles
- None
Graphic Design
- None
Deceptive Patterns
- None