Comment Boost - Can it Work?

Theory

Can someone boost your page onto the most-commented list on Associated Content? Obviously this is gaming the system and an approach which would be detrimental to the AC community. But I wanted to see if it was even possible, or if Associated Content had already recognized this potential problem.

So, to find out, I posted 39 comments on this story:

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month.

Please note: I do not endorse attempting this. If possible, I recommend Associated Content put measures in place to stop it. I am doing this in part to keep others from doing so!

Also, I did this experiment entirely without the knowledge or consent of the author of the article selected.

Experiment Setup

At the time, the most-commented article had 33 comments. It was Three ways to tell if your meat is cooked (See Image 1).

So, I made the following posts, in reverse order so that they could be read logically from beginning to end on the "Low Vision Awareness Month" article. The time stamp on the last post was listed by Associated Content as "02/13/2008 at 1:02:22 PM"

1. I was just wondering if you could artificially inflate someone onto the most-commented list.


2. So I picked your article at random


3. and posted a whole bunch.


4. I hope you won't mind


5. because it should give you extra exposure.


6. Plus, I thought it would be good,


7. what with "low vision awareness" being an important issue.


8. I know I take my vision for granted.


9. Sometimes I do anyway.


10. (Some of these comments won't be very good.)


11. Some will be better.


12. Thank you for not being upset.


13. If you are upset, I believe you can delete comments


14. As long as they're


15. on your own articles.


16. In fact,


17. I just checked.


18. Yes


19. you can.


20. It isn't very hard.


21. Just click the X


22. below my name.


23. But I hope you wont.


24. This is sort of an


25. experiment.


26. And if it is successful,


27. I guarantee it will boost this article's views


28. Maybe I'll post about this


29. And link to here


30. In an article of my own


31. With my results.


32. Would that be cool?


33. Well, this ought


34. to be enough.


35. Thanks so much


36. for being a good sport


37. about this.


38. Wish me luck!


39. (And sorry for all of the e-mail notifications you're gonna get.)

Results