The action of acquiring individuals to artificially inflate the membership count of a social media community is a practice under scrutiny. For instance, an entity might provide compensation to a third party with the objective of adding numerous profiles to a specific online forum to give the appearance of greater popularity or influence.
The perceived value of an online community can be influenced by its size, but artificially inflating membership carries potential drawbacks. Historically, the desire for rapid growth and increased visibility has driven the adoption of such tactics. However, concerns about authenticity and the potential for negative impacts on community engagement have led to increased scrutiny and platform policies against the practice.