• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity
  • Showing only topics in ~tech with the tag "bots". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. App/browser extension idea if it doesn't already exist: likely bot database

      I just finished reading I hate the new internet post, in which the OP stated: Every social medium is just bots. The front page of Reddit is easily 35% easily detectable bots at least and who knows...

      I just finished reading I hate the new internet post, in which the OP stated:

      Every social medium is just bots. The front page of Reddit is easily 35% easily detectable bots at least and who knows what the rest is comprised of.

      Why couldn't we create a bot database, which I imagine would work similarly to uBlock for ads? There would be a number of signals to attempt to classify users of social media sites (likely human, likely bot, etc.) in addition to user-provided feedback ("I think this person is a bot" or "this account is me -- definitely not a bot").

      An extension could then be attached to the database to provide visual changes to social media platforms ("WARNING! LIKELY BOT!") or simply hide bot posts/comments.

      Off the top of my head, some bot signals:

      • Posting known duplicate posts with political motivation (e.g. on Reddit you see the same exact post about how the tariffs will create a stronger America by different posters) [strong indicator]
      • Usernames that follow the lazy bot format, e.g., Pretentious_Rabbit_2355 [weak indicator]
      • Usage of AI-generated or ripped off profile pictures, post images, etc. [strong indicator]
      • etc.

      On the crowdsourced side, there would have to be some rules in place to prevent profile bombing, etc.

      All in all, I could see something like this adding a bit of human value back to the various social media platforms AND I would think it would lead to higher advertisement click rates (bots will become less valuable over time on a given platform and decide to invest their resources elsewhere, while "human" user engagement increases at the same time).

      If this concept already exists, I apologize. I only did a very quick google.

      15 votes
    2. A novel example of namespace clashing in competition between bots

      Discuss: namespace clashes expose and ensure instabilities in user-side solutions to interface problems. Case in point -- the RemindMeBot, which will send a timed reminder message to anyone who...

      Discuss: namespace clashes expose and ensure instabilities in user-side solutions to interface problems.

      Case in point -- the RemindMeBot, which will send a timed reminder message to anyone who calls it in a reddit comment with the phrase "RemindMe!", has been cloned and iterated upon by another bot, Kzreminderbot, which responds to the exact same trigger phrase. Both bots reply to the comment threads where they are summoned. Kzreminderbot has slightly more diverse features, including email/text notification, but the interesting thing here (I think) is the impotence of the response from the creator of RemindMeBot, who has added a link in their comment replies to send annoyed feedback to the second bot.

      We talk occasionally about the scramble for usernames on new services, but this is an slightly novel example of the cascading hierarchies of website design. A feature which reddit lacked is added by a bot, but that bot is too provisional to cover the hole which it was meant to fill.

      8 votes