PhysicsForums and the Dead Internet Theory (2025) (hallofdreams.org)
31 points by bmacho 2 days ago
Aurornis 25 minutes ago
Using AI to fake posting activity is bad.
Using real member accounts to post the fake AI content is so much worse.
I can’t even imagine the thought process that led to thinking it was a good idea to generate fake posts but assign them to real users. If they were going to fake posts, why not fake the users, too? They turned one bad decision into a much worse decision.
It must be sad to see your proud little corner of the internet decline in popularity, but this move took whatever positive historical vibes it had and lit them on fire.
embedding-shape 9 minutes ago
> the thought process that led to thinking it was a good idea
Seemingly that can be found here: physicsforums [dot] com/threads/official-response-to-allegations-of-ai-misuse-in-pf.1078532/
> During the past several months, to counter declining engagement, I experimented with generative AI, intending to add value to "thin threads", especially those with 0 replies.
> For experiment #3, I used real accounts that I considered to be decade-old spammers as best I could tell, but I can't be 100% certain. I categorically regret and reject such a shameful and unethical decision.
(that website also modifies your clipboard when you copy stuff, big fuck you to the site owner, seemingly lacking any sort of guiding compass, good riddance to them)
Schlagbohrer 44 minutes ago
So, how did all these hacked accounts or backdated posts happen? The article never says that even though the author talks to the site founder and admin.
bmacho 38 minutes ago
PhysicsForum's admin admitted creating them shortly after: <https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/official-response-to-a...>
skew-aberration 38 minutes ago
It's heavily implied the owner had them generated by a bot, potentially as part of his day job in SEO
bmacho 2 days ago
Previous discussion:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42816284 - Jan 24, 2025 | 154 comments
bmacho an hour ago
This comment above is date mangled due to HN second chance pool <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308>.
It's ironic because the article (and many comments in the previous submission) are about how one shouldn't mess with user data to show fake engagement!
alephnerd 8 minutes ago
Completely forgot about PhysicsForums.
Also this is a good example of the trend that has already been ongoing on HN since 2022. I think one other long-lasting HNer is working on a similar analysis of HN at the moment.
joe_the_user 11 minutes ago
The "Dead Internet Theory" is too sad and too easy. I'd propose the "Dead Society Theory", the history of the Internet from the late 2000s to the late 2010s left people socially scare, paranoid, angry and hopeless about the possibility of communicating online.
Which is to say the Internet can be "dead" without being filled with undetectable or detectable fake posts, not that fake posts help things.