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Twitter Bug Lets Users Force Others To Follow Them

Posted by Soulskill on from the take-that-conan dept.

Several readers have sent word of a Twitter bug which has been allowing users to make any other user follow them by simply tweeting "accept [username]." People have been abusing it to make the accounts of various celebrities and publications follow them. Twitter acknowledged the bug and disabled the follow/unfollow system until they can get it fixed.

15 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. That might explain Chavez's Top Twitterer Status by ZuchinniOne · · Score: 3, Funny

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8671581.stm

  2. Of course by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Justin Bieber is actually a secret computer hacker, breaking simple algorithms like this is cake for him.

    In fact, all of his music is about IRC.

    1. Re:Of course by Thelasko · · Score: 1, Funny

      From what I understand, this bug was discovered by someone who calls himself "Bobby Tables." However, there appears to be no records of such person in any school system computers.

      --
      One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  3. So...? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 5, Funny

    All your tweets are belong to us?

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:So...? by Abstrackt · · Score: 5, Funny

      "In Soviet Russia, celebrities follow YOU!"?

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
  4. Re:Bug fixed by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Funny

    Twitter says they have resolved this bug.

    http://status.twitter.com/post/587210796/follow-bug-discovered-remedied

    It's not so much fixed as unreproducible by way of disabling the entire "follow" feature. The twits are in a panic, wondering if they've offended people since their followers have all disappeared.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  5. Re:Bug fixed by pitchpipe · · Score: 1, Funny

    Twitter Bug Lets Users Force Others To Follow Them

    Who could resist following someone who was doing the "TwitterBug"? It's such an irresistible dance!

    --
    Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  6. Does this work on Slashdot? by InvisibleSoul · · Score: 5, Funny

    accept +1 Funny

    1. Re:Does this work on Slashdot? by capo_dei_capi · · Score: 2, Funny

      This board does not have Super Cow Powers.

    2. Re:Does this work on Slashdot? by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Damn, I went back to Tristram for nothing.

  7. Testing by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Funny

    modfunny 318230

    --
    Better known as 318230.
  8. Re:and i thought people just hated me by Ackmo · · Score: 1, Funny

    0?

  9. Re:it's all fun and games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    saying twat in the context of twitter was funny for like the first 5 minutes of twitter existing

  10. Re:Probably not a bug by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Funny

    That might not be allowed. If you don't sign up with these social networks, you will be flagged as a "loner" type , and put on the no fly list. Customs already does this to people who don't have a credit card. I speak from experience. So, what have you got to hide? Sign up already!

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  11. Re:Recursive twittering by SlowMovingTarget · · Score: 2, Funny

    And so dawns the age of the auto-lobotic circle-tweet.