Over the past year I have been tracking some pretty crazy activity on social media, specifically Twitter. I have long believed there has been an active campaign of bots trying to influence behaviour online. As a fan of Harrison Ford I loved the movie of Bladerunner. An officer sought to differentiate people from bots. I started to catalog repeatable behaviours, I wanted to share my guide of how to spot bots and how to fight them.
So here we go …
Amazing the number of bots that engage me, they have an obvious tell and I catch them all the time #Bladerunner pic.twitter.com/0Nkmso4SP4
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
An obvious tell of a bot is that their Profile is hash-tagged to death, they don't directly respond to your commentary and other
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
2/10 – Profile images are generally themed to a certain message#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
3/10 – Most of the bots are less than a year old#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
5/10 – The response to your tweets with something that states an opinion but not in context #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
6/10 – Bots usually swarm via mentioning other bots to create a gang up tactic. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
7/10 – Once in a bot swarm, most will insult you or try to shout you down to make you quiet. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
8/10 – Bot's don't know how to respond to positivity, they expect for you to yell. Be polite!#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
9/10 – Bot's won't do math, ask them to do a basic math question. See if they even acknowledge it.#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
10/10 – Report all bots. Twitter and other social networks are self monitored. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
To summarize on #Bots – they are actively being used to shape conversation, socially engineer responses. Respond back with greater force
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
Please share these top 10 things to spot #bots on Twitter. It is a simple act of democracy from not letting them pollute the feed!
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
Then it got out of hand ….
How to spot a bot
11/10 – By checking their feed all they do is RT or Share articles that promotes an explicit view#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
12/10 – Bots actively RT and cheer on real people to act as a cheerleader or reinforce opinions. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
13/10 – Bot's are controlled by a hive or control mechanism. Search on a url and see 100s of identical tweets#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
14/10 – Bots in their profiles overdo it with the local sports teams, they want you to to think they are just like you#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
15/10 – Bots have pics of attractive women, because who won't listen to an attractive woman ?! Reverse search https://t.co/tpXN6eEBue#Bots
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
16/10 – Bots need to be programmed. So often they spout stuff that is no longer relevant from a timing perspective #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
17/10 – Bots don't know what to do if you agree with them. Offer a nuanced response#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
17/10 – Bots are like zombies from World War Z, if you smell like they won't attack#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/GtrDgNkm9o
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
18/10 – Bot's make typos of words but not of logic like me doing two 17/10s tweets in a row#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/DRd1yJacLN
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
19/10 – Most bots are programmed with 3-6 responses. After that, they have nothing.#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/4oTr1IMSGg
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 4, 2017
How to spot a bot!
20/10 – Bots maximize #Hashtags in responses. They are intended as a dog whistle to get others in#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
22/10 – Bots often respond with pre-programmed talking points. They use the exact language#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/vqeOgeziWJ
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
23/10 – Bots don't participate in general popular culture. #Superbowl, #Oscars etc. they sit it out#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/ukdGSimR3u
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
24/10 – They don't have a life, they don't post a picture of their breakfast, or anything personal#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/WMiFUQRxy7
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
25/10 – Certain bots are designed maximize fear and confirm inherent bias #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/plsqsPoV8q
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
26/10 – Use of over the top Patriotism in every response. Suggestion questioning them = unpatriotic #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/r1e1MXdMLG
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
27/10 – Responding by changing the topic. They often like to talk over your head and bait you#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/5xOL8oWumt
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
28/10 – The cadence to their tweet feed is too consistent or erratic. Doesn't match how folks tweet#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/TdQkxdY09H
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
29/10 – Quick Bot poll! How often do you see a bot? #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
30/10 – Bots don't run out of energy, they are designed to sap your resolve. Bots are cannon fodder#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/CT2XinJHfr
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
31/10 – Bots try to social engineer you with either support or outrage. Always question the motive#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/HdqfEFqvlG
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
32/10 – Bots try to interject non specific points into popular threads to maximize reach and RTs#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/O1KutYFJt1
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
33/10 – Bots are not your friends, even if they support your opinion. Call them out! #integrity#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/kW0S3gsScK
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
How to spot a bot!
34/10 – Bots can have crappy user names, they don't care their name, because their bots #integrity#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/P0wOMo5wQN
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
35/10 – Bots can have a disproportionate number of followers for only being new. Followed by other bots. #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/Q4Grn973Vb
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
36/10 – Bots will often you insulting emojis to demotivate or troll you or elicit emotion. #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/DteQDOrrAw
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
37/10 – Bots are trying to create an unforced error in your own words to invalidate your opinion in the eyes of people#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/FCeRS8YSPR
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
38/10 – Bots are designed to play off of specific #Hashtags in your feed and profile. They mine you like a database#Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
38/10 – If you call a #bot a bot they will immediately block try using #b0t or other hybrids and see if they respond #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/UFsCjq04Lk
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
39/10 – Bots rarely exhibit nuance. They operate in a very 1 or 0 mindset. They are your friends or not. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
40/10 – Bots aren't capable of correcting mistakes. They weren't programmed to. #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/ZaQ8pzT394
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
41/10 – Some Twitter bots work with real people in a helpdesk like manner to confuse you as to who is real and not#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/4surEUk6sp
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
41/10 – Some Twitter bots work with real people in a helpdesk like manner to confuse you as to who is real and not#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/4surEUk6sp
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
43/10 – Bots try to get you to RT articles stuff that confirms your bias but is untrue. Check sources #disinformation#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/zDwQLLUXe2
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
44/10 @cwarzel The bot problem is far worse than you think and @Twitter has turned a blind eye#bots#SocialMedia https://t.co/DONQlmnavD
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
45/10 – People who benefit from bots are openly complicit because it amplifies their voice, it is a business for them#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/ZqTiTOC3u0
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
46/10 – Most bots are designed to engage you, either with flattery or outrage. The engagement alone is a victory#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/bJJt3yIKLo
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
Oops messed up my numbering!
45/10 – Bots will push overtly intellectually dishonest ideas to troll you to engage. #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/3WWxG57YwX
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
47/10 – Bots are often confused by non simple language that doesn't have #Keywords that they can respond to#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/6VbEkcJuQO
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
48/10 – Bots are single minded, they like to talk about the same type of thing, very little variation. #SingleThreaded #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
49/10 – Bots are as dangerous as a physical virus, as they can socially engineer behaviour, through conditioning #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
49/10 – Bots are as dangerous as a physical virus, as they can socially engineer behaviour, through conditioning #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
50/10 – Most dangerous thing about bots is that they can change your feelings on a person or an issue without you knowing#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/lTspX0K9Ns
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
51/10 Most bots are micro targeted, around a geography or issue. To leverage sense of familiarity in idea or geo. #Bots#SocialMedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
52/10 Bots are followed by bots. Creates a fake sense of social proof. https://t.co/EHpDvQlPZx by @Davc to validate #bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/1rUfH3E6PR
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
53/10 Bots only work when you don't think. They rely on a slot machine like reflex to fire back without thinking#bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/o5DE86Egek
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
54/10 Once a bot faces adversity or is spotted. The person who calls them out is tagged as a threat. #bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/SAES3dSi50
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
55/10 Once tagged as a threat, passive influence bots avoid, while aggressive bots engage. #bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/sVzP5WCQQI
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
56/10 Bots try to make you question anything trustworthy. Once you don't believe anything, you can believe anything#bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/bxUioa7ZmD
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
56/10 Social media leaves breadcrumbs, smart bots are taking this information to determine how much influence you have#bots#socialmedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
57/10 A fire or discussion needs oxygen. A bot either uses up all the oxygen or stokes the flames #bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/GAQQA2EDlj
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
58/10 Bots are used quite effectively to mock any hypocrisy of any public figure to undermine any position they take#bots#socialmedia pic.twitter.com/QPGl5Ox2Vv
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
59/10 – We can crowdsource this problem on Twitter Time to organize a counter offensive – https://t.co/llwwS5R57e#bots#socialmedia
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
59/10 – The only way not to let bots win is not become one. Don't be monolithic, think! #Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/P9UJM1hfXh
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
60/10 – Bots don't show empathy. Empathy implies they are trying to learn. They already know you that's why they target#Bots#SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/OolCzmkj4I
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017
I might continue my rant on bots and how to find them. But this should get you started! Share the list
/Rant #Bot #SocialMedia pic.twitter.com/9A6KqmlRDp
— Joseph Puopolo (@jpuopolo) June 5, 2017