Isn't this model a bit outdated with prevalence of likes and retweets?<p>Users on modern social platforms optimize output to maximize favorable responses, thereby gratification. There are not really ceilings, barrier to entry, or way around the system, so it's resistant to spams and manipulations.<p>Classical BBS systems did have this problem. It was said that a community beegins with interesting people posting interesting topics, then uninteresting people joins to read interesting topics, and ends when uninteresting people starts posting uninteresting topics.<p>What was missing was feedback signaling, and social media got past this at some point during 2010s.