What is a ‘bot’?

[johnnychips]

I’ve been looking at the Elon Musk thread and been informed there are a lot of ‘bots’ probably doing votes for what he wants.

I heard Russian ‘bots’ probably determined Brexit, Trump’s victory, and lord knows what else.

Kids at college tell me that they can recognise ’bots’ on either the interactive games they play or on the social media they use.

Please could someone tell me what ’bots’ are and how they work - to a 60-odd year old who isn’t a technophobe at all?

And I’ve already realised ‘bot’ is short for ‘robot’.

Looking forward to your explanations

 

[dakta]

in your context it's an account controlled by software designed to mimic a human being to bias the outcome

For example someone could write software to create entities on this forum that could be used for advertising etc.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Very simply, it's automated software posting messages either randomly or in direct response to messages posted by others.

 

[Trackman]

Very simply, it's automated software posting messages either randomly or in direct response to messages posted by others.

Indeed, or they can send messages at pre-determined times and like with FB messenger bots can reply automatically.

 

[dosxuk]

They're an excuse for people seeing messages on social media that they don't back up their prejudices.

 

[najaB]

They're an excuse for people seeing messages on social media that they don't back up their prejudices.

While there is definitely mileage in this..

Please could someone tell me what ’bots’ are and how they work - to a 60-odd year old who isn’t a technophobe at all?

You are correct that 'bot' in this context is short for robot.

Some of the bot accounts are accounts of real people who simply parrot talking points that they've been fed without applying critical thought. Many of them are, however, accounts linked to computer programs that use the Twitter/Facebook/whatever API (application programming interface) to scan across multiple accounts looking for comments which contain specified keywords which they then post predefined replies. This can either be to simulate engagement (to bump up the payments to videos that get lots of comments) or to try and push a specified talking point, or to engage in scams. If you've ever commented on a video then got a reply to the comment asking you to go to Telegram/WhatsApp to collect a prize or similar then you've interacted with (or at least been targeted by) a bot.

 

[wilbers]

they have also been used in online shopping to buy up in-demand items such as when the PS5 released. Mostly for them to then be resold with a big mark-up, although a few will have been for someone who actually wanted to buy it. Generally in that case someone makes the bot, and then sells the use of it to anyone who will pay.

 

[jon0844]

It's also important to note that some bots do the automated bits, but can be used by real people to further interaction or attempt to prove they're real to fool the various services that attempt to detect them.

And while most are of the firstnameloadsofnumbers variety, many are hacked accounts that will have been registered many years ago. Tweet histories are likely deleted so you'll see someone who has been on for 10 years and with 5 followers suddenly posting loads of, almost always, right wing subject matter and liking everything from specific right wing posters.

It's pretty damn obvious but clearly enough people fall for it or it wouldn't happen.

Same reason Indian call centres still phone people up to try and con them about their router being infected or owning tax. If people didn't fool for it, they wouldn't keep doing it.

 

[edwin_m]

Search engines also use bots to trawl around the internet adding pages to their databases.

 

[swt_passenger]

Search engines also use bots to trawl around the internet adding pages to their databases.

You can see examples of that happening by checking this forum’s “members online” page. It has a tab for “Robots”:

Current visitors

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[najaB]

Search engines also use bots to trawl around the internet adding pages to their databases.

That's a true thing, but they aren't normally referred to as bots - at least not in the same sense since they don't create any content.

 

[jfollows]

RFC 9309 "Robots Exclusion Protocol" (https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9309.html) defines the use of a /robots.txt file on a Web site which directs which parts - if any - robots should access. Of course, "badly behaved" robots can ignore these directions.