The site Tweetergetter.com offers a ‘pyramid-like’ system suggesting that from a single tweet you could net 19,530 followers within 5 degrees of retweet from a single tweet.
In the last 7 days GaryMcCaffreys message has been retweeted over 11,000 times. This Retweet is a “forced” tweet that occurs when a user enter their twitter name and password. The verbatim message below is delivered to your followers with your name inserted at the end of the tweet.
“RT @garymccaffrey has a crazy idea. 19,530 new twitter followers in 30 days? Check it out http://tweetergetter.com/username“
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Shown above: RT Data from Retweetist.com on the above retweet: (http://www.retweetist.com/users/garymccaffrey)
Note that the decay has already started in terms of the viral effect with the retweets peaking on Feb 12.
The logic as shown at retweetist.com.
Of course like most pyramid schemes the offer seems logical, but it of course is flawed – the maths require perfect conversion with no dropoff at any stage in order to get close to the numbers shown. No matter how early you jumped in on the chain, the slightest splintering drops users out of the pyramid as quickly as they came in.
The Evidence:
We took a broad sampling of around 30 users who signed up to the scheme early on and tracked their results through http://www.twittercounter.com. Results showed that in most cases the growth was limited to a handful of followers usually around 15-20, nothing like the dozens, hundreds or thousands of followers that tweetergetter suggested was possible. The fact that the curves we see level off very quickly in each case is evidence that the model is not sustainable. If tweetergetter was working, the curve should actually be accelerating upwards fairly quickly, especially with the nature of fast burnout that naturally occurs with tweets which have a very short shelf life. Viral behaviour is normally recognisable as a distinguished ‘J’ curve and indeed the tweetergetter chart above suggests that is what ’should occur’ “even with conservative estimates”.
Illustrated Samples:
The examples below are a random sample base from some of the 30 that we checked from Feb 11 to today:
Growth of these accounts are provided by TwitterCounter which monitors twitter account growth on a daily basis.
To sample these results for yourself follow the twitter search here then take the user name and append it to the end of the twittercounter url http://twittercounter.com/ insert_twitter_name
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, the only likely recipient of any mass following is Gary McCaffrey himself (who by default gains a new follower from every transaction). Of course TweeterGetter is essentially an opt-in campaign – so it is simply a case of ‘buyer beware’. It’s up to you if you decide to use the site.
Of course it is also up to you who you might “unfollow” at the end of it all
I’m sure each and every one of you reading this will find many great follows with or without TweeterGetter.
Regards,
@eunmac

















February 17, 2009 at 4:18 am |
Most of the people I know have either blocked any new followers that use TweetGetter (or tweet about it) and unfollowed existing (on a play-by-play basis).
The key word in any pyramid scheme is *scheme* and that’s why they’ll never be popular.
Like you say, mix real connections with time and great follows will happen naturally.
February 17, 2009 at 4:23 am |
…or whom you might unfollow when that now infamous retweet is sent out. Nothing like telling your twitter friends, “Hey, I think you’re great and all, but I’d much rather benefit from a pyramid scheme and lump you into a mass. No hard feelings?”
February 17, 2009 at 4:28 am |
Most people I come across are blocking or unfollowing people who are participating in this pyramid scheme as well.
Other than the originator of this tactic, I have only seen one person who defended this kind of approach to gaining new followers on Twitter.
I’m all for creating a large network on Twitter, but in my case I have to insist that a few quality connections are far superior to any artificial popularity method.
February 17, 2009 at 4:33 am |
This is the best, scientifically proved way to know that there is a scam here.
February 17, 2009 at 4:34 am |
I’m not using tweetergetter or endorsing it, but I have to question the premise that it does not work.
The claim is that it will get you more followers, which is what has been happening to those using it. It got a ton of followers and created a lot of publicity for its creator.
I don’t know if it will generate 19,000 followers like the tweet suggests- that’s just a projection based on math.
I have not seen any claims that the followers it gets you will be interested in what you have to say or will continue following you…
So how exactly can you claim it doesn’t work?
February 17, 2009 at 5:05 am |
[...] a single tweet you could net 19,530 followers within 5 degrees of retweet from a single tweet. Why TweeterGetter will not and does not work. Amnesia Blog Did 11,000 people really give out their passwords without a single thought? [...]
February 17, 2009 at 6:06 am |
Happy to see you used TwitterCounter to check those stats. I’ve built it a few months ago and we see more and more traffic every day and stories like this where we are quoted always make me happy. Thanks!
February 17, 2009 at 7:34 am |
[..]I’m not using tweetergetter or endorsing it, but I have to question the premise that it does not work.
Chris – I don’t believe Eunmac said that it didn’t work. He said that the growth rate suggested is not sustainable which the math seems to cleary show that it isn’t. This post states that the model is flawed and it is. In more ways than just delivering the inflated numbers I would suggest…
February 17, 2009 at 7:43 am |
…apart from the deliberately sensationalist headline of course!!
February 17, 2009 at 8:14 am |
@ChrisLockwood – thanks for the comment. I’m just pointing out it doesn’t work in the way that tweetergetter theorizes and there is not one single example I could find amongst the users that have signed up to show it is working as claimed. People have clearly received a handful of followers, but little more.
February 17, 2009 at 10:56 am |
[...] pyramid schemes don’t work, never have, never will. Do your [...]
February 17, 2009 at 11:30 am |
Thanks for a good, rational response.
Another unfortunate aspect of McCaffrey’s spiel is his attitude that anyone critical of his scheme is a “Twitter Elitist” that is jealous of his follower numbers. A bit difficult to respond directly to that kind of cant.
Of course, if you take his “maths” at face value, you only have to extend it a little to claim that you will soon be followed by more people than the total population of Twitter…
February 18, 2009 at 3:44 am |
Interestingly, it appears that McCaffrey’s method of both publicising Twitter and trying to sustain the chain is by opening up spam accounts. Lotsa lotsa spam accounts.
Put simply, it would undermine the entire concept of Twitter being a social messaging system. But, of course, those who use Twitter for the reason it was intended for are the ‘elitists’ and ’salty c***s’ (his words, not mine.) He also seems to have been recruiting minions (or, possibly, creating alternate personas) to ‘vouch’ for him on YouTube and elsewhere. He’s also involved in other rather shady-looking affiliate schemes, from what I can tell.
Quite amusingly, he’s also left his Whois details open.
February 18, 2009 at 7:44 am |
[...] goes wrong when “tonnes of cunts” start blogging about you. Ever, never, NOTHING! Genius! I’m the fucking [...]
February 20, 2009 at 9:03 am |
[...] (wow, I like run-on sentences! Check out this link and you’ll know what I mean: http://amnesiablog.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/why-tweetergetter-will-not-and-does-not-work/ Now for the record and for reasons that will become clear, I have not signed up to use the TG [...]
February 20, 2009 at 3:33 pm |
[sarcasm] What about the evil theater movie industry, who’s “pyramid scheme” is for you to watch a movie, tell your friends, they watch the movie, tell their friends and on and on?
And I have to PAY THEM to advertise FOR THEM?
What a RIPOFF! [/sarcasm]
February 20, 2009 at 7:31 pm |
Thank you! Im glad someone finally blogged about this. These schemes suck. Actually the only good method ive found for gaining a lot of followers is actually from one i had to purchase called HummingBird, found it here: ( http://www.twitaddict.com/hummingbird ) .. im pretty sure the only way to get tons of followers without being a celebrity or large corperation is through programs like that.
February 23, 2009 at 1:34 am |
[...] scheme and suggests the application will crash the popular social networking site. Over at AmnesiaBlog they site some pretty convincing statistics suggesting that the application is overrated and will [...]
February 23, 2009 at 11:39 pm |
Perfect timing! Was wondering if anyone has done any research into this site.
I think I’ll pass so I don’t have to share my password and whatever other hijacking.
February 26, 2009 at 11:09 am |
[...] Why TweeterGetter will not and does not work by Amnesia Blog [...]
March 3, 2009 at 8:00 am |
thanks for info im doing well without it
heres where find guy who is spamming
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543#/topic.php?uid=2231777543&topic=9267
March 19, 2009 at 6:57 am |
[...] Why TweeterGetter will not and does not work. « Amnesia Blog [...]
March 29, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
I’m a new Twitter user, and I did this out of curiousity. My suggestion: don’t bother. An uptick, yes, but not huge, and the new followers probably are not even interested! Wish I had thought of that before I used it.
March 29, 2009 at 12:26 pm |
Just read a suggestion that I will be following: Anyone who tried TweeterGetter should immediately change their password!
April 5, 2009 at 11:09 pm |
Pyramid schemes never work
April 15, 2009 at 6:53 pm |
Create a large following by tweeting interesting stuff, not by knocking on all the doors in town.
I’m not interested in vast numbers of followers, but followers that actually are interested in what I tweet.
June 15, 2009 at 9:53 am |
[...] goes wrong when “tonnes of cunts” start blogging about you. Ever, never, NOTHING! Genius! I’m the fucking [...]
June 21, 2009 at 5:52 am |
After reading through this article, I just feel that I need more information on the topic. Could you share some more resources ?
p.s. Year One is already on the Internet and you can watch it for free.
July 14, 2009 at 5:05 am |
A very to the point post, and yes using tweetergetter does not guarantee anything but a new tweet on the owners account.
September 23, 2009 at 6:25 am |
After reading through this article, I just feel that I need more information on the topic. Could you share some more resources ?
November 8, 2009 at 2:42 pm |
Thank for Sharing
November 25, 2009 at 6:45 am |
I’m fascinated by the diverse range of views and opinions. Who’s your “go to” guy?
November 27, 2009 at 11:36 am |
thank you very much…for a long time I really want to know about tweetergetter…and now I know the answer by reading your articles…it’s really great..thank you very much