Team infiltrates paid 'army' of interest posters
You've studied the blogs and the consumer comments online, and you're ready to hit the mall for that special holiday gift. You鈥檙e about to make a major investment based on bullet-proof online research -- right? Think again.
That鈥檚 the advice of Cheng Chen, a graduate student in UVic鈥檚 department of computer science. Cheng took his master鈥檚 research undercover and collected data as a member of China鈥檚 鈥淚nternet water army,鈥� so-called because these paid posters are hired to 鈥渇lood鈥� websites with comments and threads concerning products and services.
Cheng discovered a world of cut-throat marketing strategies and a growing job market for high school and college students with few skills, but plenty of time on their hands. With his co-supervisors, UVic computer science professors Drs. Kui Wu and Venkatesh Srinivasan, Cheng designed a systematic approach to identify potential online paid posters.
In a case study concerning a business conflict between two of China鈥檚 largest technology companies, Tencent and Qihoo 360, the research team investigated reports and comments on two news websites, Sina.com and Sohu.com.
Cheng鈥檚 experience undercover revealed the organizational structure of paid posters and allowed the team to identify patterns of behaviour of normal posters and of paid posters. The team found differences in the kinds of comments posted by members of the 鈥渨ater army鈥� and differences in the percentage of replies, the time of posts, the duration of activity and the number of reports commented on by the posters.
Cheng says 鈥渨ater armies鈥� aren鈥檛 limited to China. 鈥淧aying posters is popular, not only in China, but in every country,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he only qualification is a credit card [to establish a user ID.]鈥�
The researchers next plan to extend their investigation to the popular Yahoo! Answers website. Also in their sights is a business venture of their own鈥搕he researchers are developing an online service to help consumers do their own detection work.
The team鈥檚 report, 鈥淏attling the Internet Water Army: Detection of Hidden Paid Posters,鈥� can be read at:
Provided by University of Victoria
