Starting a new forum, is it OK to use fake accounts?

[Beverly]

When I started my current general chat forum, I was lucky to have a very active admin to help me put up many new posts. Still, there were just two of us, so when people started coming by the forum, only two of us had posted. Later we did some forum post swaps and some friends dropped by to givet more variety to the forum content. This next time I would like to have more users posting to start out the forum, not just one or two people. And, since it's not always possible to get new members on a nearly empty forum, I'm thinking about using fake usernames to generate discussions/responses, at least enough to give a busy look. This would be a stop-gap measure, just something to use temporarily until members start signing up. What's your thoughts on using this type of idea to jump start a forum, at least until advertising/marketing kicks in and new members join to post?

 

[Rihtar]

I'm against using fake users even if it's just to jump-start the community. If you want to jump-start the community you can always do some trades with other forum owners or purchase posting services using real or virtual money (99% of promotion forums offer this kind of stuff). Since there are alternatives, there's no need to go and trick your users into thinking that your forum is active using bots or fake accounts.

 

[Beverly]

I'm against using fake users even if it's just to jump-start the community. If you want to jump-start the community you can always do some trades with other forum owners or purchase posting services using real or virtual money (99% of promotion forums offer this kind of stuff). Since there are alternatives, there's no need to go and trick your users into thinking that your forum is active using bots or fake accounts.

We did forum post swaps with other forum owners for awhile when my forum was first opened and it got some good loyal members. And, I might do that again. Although at the time, managing a forum was about all I was doing with my spare time. And, that's not the situation anymore. That worked last time as the forum was general chat, so pretty much anyone could find a subject to post in. But starting a niche forum, the next time around, the person who I would be swapping posts with might not be very familiar with the niche. So what if they just pick the general chat area to post in? That would defeat the purpose of getting content for the niche areas of the board. And, then it would just be me who was posting new discussions there under my admin/owner username. The forum posting service for virtual currency might be an option if they stuck to the niche areas. I might look into that.

 

[lludawg]

It wouldn't hurt. It is not like you are going to be using a bunch of fake accounts forever right? Just to get some conversations going while you wait for other members to join in. I say go for it.

 

[Shole]

If you intend to use fake users than you really need to step up your writing game if you dont want to be discovered.
You need to know how to write like another person and have something that makes you different from others. Thats why I dont like this method and dont use it

 

[Sam1]

I am against fake accounts as well. It is highly risky. You have to be able to change your posting/writing style for the different fake accounts or it will be obvious what you're doing. If a real user becomes friendly with a fake account then you would have to keep using that fake account to keep the real member. I would use Postloop, Exchanges and Competitions rather than fake accounts to build initial activity.

Further to the point about changing the posting/writing style: When Ghost, a member on FP, posted about Quiver (RatHosting.com)'s multiple accounts on FP it was clear that it was true because all the accounts had the same style of writing/posting, same format and they each were promoting webhosting businesses.

 

[PandahFish]

If it helps increase the activity in the forum then go for it ! I thought about doing this myself but it just seems like too much work. I'd rather pay people to post on my forum. But if it works for you, then by all means go ahead. I don't believe there is anything wrong by doing this.. you just want to give your new forum an activity jump.

 

[milksheikh]

I have tried it in the past, It doesn't work as much. But I don't do it anymore, I am in the belief of only real members and real posts.

 

[wasi90lk]

Although using fake accounts is probably not a big issue, but it will not help your forum in the long run. If you want your forum to succeed, you will need actual people to post.

 

[iPhonefreak]

On my old forum, I once took ahold of another inactive users account and pretended he had returned.

It did not workout!

 

[Robmaniac]

I don't see it as a benefit, why post as fake accounts when you can get real members to post by spending the energy you use in creating and posting as a fake account on recruiting new members to join your forum or work on SEO

 

[iPhonefreak]

I don't see it as a benefit, why post as fake accounts when you can get real members to post by spending the energy you use in creating and posting as a fake account on recruiting new members to join your forum or work on SEO

That is a good way to look at it! But, perhaps using fake accounts to get more posts, so that way when you advertise it seems more appealing!

But, I would never recommend the use of fake accounts though.

 

[Robmaniac]

That is a good way to look at it! But, perhaps using fake accounts to get more posts, so that way when you advertise it seems more appealing!

But, I would never recommend the use of fake accounts though.

I see your point, but like I said, you could post a few posts or get a new member to come to your site, respond to some threads you've already made and you respond to them.

 

[Shortie]

Using fake usernames and accounts is always a great way to get some kind of activity going, heck if you can create another account for yourself and post away for a while until you get more established and popular is always a great way to gain more activity and look more busy as well as using your main admin account. I have no problem with using this method as once your forums starts getting busier you can probably phase out the extra accounts and keep things going with your main account then.

 

[Robmaniac]

Using fake usernames and accounts is always a great way to get some kind of activity going, heck if you can create another account for yourself and post away for a while until you get more established and popular is always a great way to gain more activity and look more busy as well as using your main admin account. I have no problem with using this method as once your forums starts getting busier you can probably phase out the extra accounts and keep things going with your main account then.

I see your point, but I think it's better to push your site and work on getting real members, post exchanges, mentioning it on social sites. Rather than creating accounts, I'd rather have real posts from real members personally but I see the point why people would do this. I just prefer to put that effort into recruiting