Why Do Fake Accounts Want To Follow You?

Sarah Dobbs finds out what’s lurking behind those fake names and faces

It’s always exciting when a notification pops up to tell you you’ve got a new follower on Twitter (or Instagram, or Tumblr, or the other social media platform of your choice). Whether you’ve got 50 followers or 50,000, attracting more feels like an ego boost – it means someone’s interested in what you’ve got to say! However, when you see that it’s just a weird account with a fake name and a stolen photo as an avatar, rather than a real person, it’s not very exciting at all. What’s more, rather than making you look and feel more popular, these fake followers can actually be harmful to you and your credibility.

So where do they come from, what are they up to, and what should you do about them? Let’s see…

How To Get Your First IT Support Job

David Hayward looks at some key points for how to get started in the industry

My first IT job was as a helpdesk technician at a university. I managed to get an interview based on the fact that I was a keen enthusiast and I had some experience, albeit at home, of building a PC from scratch. At the interview, I was required to build a PC from an assortment of components laid out on a table, which I did. After that was a chat with the IT manager, and I was offered the job on the spot.

It was generally a fun job to have; there were times when the workload was utterly tremendous, and I bore the brunt of everyone’s IT ire and frustrations. And there were times where things were pretty relaxed.

Times have changed significantly, though, and where getting into an IT role based on some loose homegrown skills was once the norm, these days the potential recruit has to hone their skills, qualifications and experience to a fine degree. I for one certainly don’t envy those starting off.