Twitter Officially Launches Labels To Identify the 'Good Bots' (techcrunch.com) 20
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Twitter last fall introduced a new label that would allow what it calls the "good bots" on its service to identify themselves. While the word "bot" can often have a negative connotation, Twitter noted there were useful bots, too, which were automatically tweeting out useful information like Covid-19 updates, earthquake alerts, bills being introduced in Congress, and more. These "good bot" labels, which had been in testing with a small group, are now publicly available to all automated account holders.
As during tests, the Twitter accounts that label themselves as bots will display this information on their Twitter profile. Underneath the account's name and @username, a small, robot icon appears next to the words "Automated by" followed by the name of the account's operator. The Twitter bio, meanwhile, will detail the bot's purpose. When the bots tweet, their automated status will also be visible in users' timelines. Twitter says this information will help users to decide which accounts to follow, engage with and trust. [...] The feature is today available to automated accounts that use the Twitter API. But Twitter says there is no auditing of the system for now.
As during tests, the Twitter accounts that label themselves as bots will display this information on their Twitter profile. Underneath the account's name and @username, a small, robot icon appears next to the words "Automated by" followed by the name of the account's operator. The Twitter bio, meanwhile, will detail the bot's purpose. When the bots tweet, their automated status will also be visible in users' timelines. Twitter says this information will help users to decide which accounts to follow, engage with and trust. [...] The feature is today available to automated accounts that use the Twitter API. But Twitter says there is no auditing of the system for now.
What if we want to be identified as a bad bot? (Score:2)
I think it would be totally fun to have a bot account that reposts only things that are useless, incorrect, or otherwise obnoxious, for entertainment purposes only. Ideally, it should also respond to tweets with mild abuse. Basically, a certified bad boy^H^H^Hbot. No?
Re: What if we want to be identified as a bad bot? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: What if we want to be identified as a bad bot (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Sounds like that AI project a while back. Can't remember if it was Microsoft or Google, but it went on some pretty major antisemitic, sexist and racist tirades about genocide. It was pretty entertaining lol.
Microsoft Tay [wikipedia.org].
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Mod parent funny (though the comma is intrusive). "This is the joke you were looking for."
But my take on the Subjective question is that every identity should be identified on MANY dimensions and each person should be able to filter out ANY kind of annoying idiot (including robotic idiots) to manage their own time. Your right to free speech does not include any right to my time or attention.
But reducing the complex problem to a single dimension of good-bad is a stupid enough solution to have come from a "ba
Re: (Score:1)
Seen it! (Score:3)
Other bots? (Score:2)
Identify the 'Good Bots' [on Twitter]
What about insane bots? (Asking for a friend ...)
Twitter bots (Score:2)
Twitter bots or what I like to call, "things that RSS does way better without tracking." Back when Twitter had the whole SMS thing, there was a genuine fills a niche there. Now it's just noise, ads, and "suggestions" that get in the way of any useful content. I'll give them benefit of the doubt they want to honestly provide some information to the public here, but their understandable need to turn a profit quashes how useful they are. I ditched them back in 2015 and every so often I get the wild notion
Re: (Score:2)
The downside of RSS vs Twitter is that you can get Twitter data pushed to you.
And⦠(Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
My favourite rbot (Score:3)
Not sure if any others I follow are bots, but @whostheidiotnow is my personal fav; any time someone tweets something with 'your an idiot', it retweets them. Love it!
Here's a whacky idea (Score:2)
I realise there will be some gray areas and there is an arms race going on but let's be realistic. If you see a cluster of accounts rapidly retweeting each other's shit then they're bots. Or accounts that all sprang up at once and followed each other to form a cluster they're bots. If you see accounts with impossibly high rate of activity, they're bots. If you see accounts coming through VPNs or Russian IP addresses pretending to
"Good" (Score:3)
Twitter isn't the best arbiter of goodness. I want to go see if ElonsJet is a good bot or not, for instance.
Some guy has a bot that stalks Naval and tags me whenever Naval likes one of my posts.
Another one retweets anything I write about accelerationism. Odd community.