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Old 08-12-2017, 05:10 AM   #21
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What if we're all bots?
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Old 08-12-2017, 06:10 AM   #22
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I really haven't noticed any bots here.

As for the trolls, they may just be folks I disagree with . No harm, no foul, IMO.
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Old 08-12-2017, 06:54 AM   #23
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This seems like an appropriate thread to ask a question I've always had. What exactly is the purpose of someone starting some thread like "what's your favorite color?" Is it some person in the basement with nothing better to do?

And what exactly would the purpose of a "bot" be to randomly start some thread? I'm not even sure what a "bot" is in the world of forums. Is it some random AI software that spits out crap into forums to just start threads for no purpose?

Inquiring minds want to know!
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Old 08-12-2017, 06:59 AM   #24
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Someone developing a bot would test it on a forum, to see how people respond to it's posts, and if it can engage in dialog without being detected.
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Old 08-12-2017, 07:13 AM   #25
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Facebook engineers panic, pull plug on AI after bots develop their own language – BGR

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Facebook engineers were forced to pull the plug on one of the company’s AI systems after its bots began communicating with each other in a completely new language which humans simply couldn’t decipher.
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Old 08-12-2017, 07:23 AM   #26
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"Take the blue pill or the red pill, Neo?"
+1

So beat me to it!
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Old 08-12-2017, 07:45 AM   #27
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.....bots began communicating with each other in a completely new language which humans simply couldn’t decipher.
Sounds like our (almost) two year old twin granddaughters.
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Old 08-12-2017, 07:48 AM   #28
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Even threads started by trolls or bots can have some value. I have learned quite a bit by reading posts responding to another member's question.
What then is the answer? Do nothing and live with it. I can do that. But it will force me to be a lot more selective in responding to new posters on their very first post.
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Old 08-12-2017, 08:16 AM   #29
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Someone developing a bot would test it on a forum, to see how people respond to it's posts, and if it can engage in dialog without being detected.
Sounds a bit like someone trying to use a bot under disguise gain information on forum members.

Maybe there's a compromise of not leaving full openness vs too restrictive?

I personally have no problem with a captcha since that's a one time deal for verification.
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Old 08-12-2017, 08:22 AM   #30
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Maybe the moderators create these single post userIDs and one-off threads on slow forum days to keep the forum active...
Yep, all paths lead back to the Mods
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Old 08-12-2017, 08:31 AM   #31
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Maybe the moderators create these single post userIDs and one-off threads on slow forum days to keep the forum active...
When I was employed we had that. They were called data security and would often launch DOS attacks during the day on production servers. "Just wanted to see if anyone noticed!"
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Old 08-12-2017, 08:58 AM   #32
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Facebook = Skynet ?

I can believe it.
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Old 08-12-2017, 09:04 AM   #33
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For every posting barrier erected, a program can be modified to work around it. Moderators with sharp teeth are the best answer to the bot/troll problem.
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Old 08-12-2017, 09:09 AM   #34
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For every posting barrier erected, a program can be modified to work around it.
Not true. There is no bot or automated program that can bypass CAPTCHA, which is why it's so widely used to validate new user accounts around the web. Trolls are a different story, since they are humans, but there are various measures that can deter them, like the ones I listed in post #1 of this thread.
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Old 08-12-2017, 12:33 PM   #35
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Thanks everyone for your interest, your suggestions have been forwarded to the site's owners and technical team.
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