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I run a social media marketing service; we stream all reddit content (~110 posts/comments per second). We run text analysis on comments and bot detection on pop

I run a social media marketing service; we stream all reddit content (~110 posts/comments per second). We run text analysis on comments and bot detection on popular posts. Most people don’t understand how many bots are influencing public discourse on reddit. It’s really concerning, particular that the “real” users on reddit tend to be young and impressionable.

TotoHorner 4y ago
> We run text analysis on comments and bot detection on popular posts Can you give an overview of how your bot detection works? I assume you don't have any proprietary information? Are you solely using the text features of the comment to tell if it was posted by a bot? Thanks.
- leobg 4y ago
  Would interest me as well. Out of sheer curiosity.
stazz1 4y ago
fake activity is how reddit got to threshold growth, the trend continues :P
- perihelions 4y ago
  To anyone unfamiliar with the background: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4139876 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4139876 ("How Reddit's cofounders built Reddit with an army of fake accounts")
elevaet 4y ago
> Most people don’t understand how many bots are influencing public discourse on reddit. Well, do elaborate pls.
raverbashing 4y ago
I mean, you even see bot comments on threads that are plain copies of previous comments on the same thread
deleted 4y ago
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danjoredd 4y ago
I would def like to hear more about this if you can elaborate. I have long believed that Reddit is mostly bots because of how often (current thing) is pushed to the front, and any dissenting opinions are downvoted and buried
- throw_nbvc1234 4y ago
  Or how many of those (current thing) posts end up getting deleted within a day or two. or the poster's account getting deleted. That's purely an anecdote but something I've noticed a handful of times when I've left a browser tab open. It'd be great to have mandated transparency regarding things like this for any "social media".

TotoHorner 4y ago

> We run text analysis on comments and bot detection on popular posts Can you give an overview of how your bot detection works? I assume you don't have any proprietary information? Are you solely using the text features of the comment to tell if it was posted by a bot? Thanks.

leobg 4y ago
Would interest me as well. Out of sheer curiosity.

stazz1 4y ago

fake activity is how reddit got to threshold growth, the trend continues :P

perihelions 4y ago
To anyone unfamiliar with the background: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4139876 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4139876 ("How Reddit's cofounders built Reddit with an army of fake accounts")

elevaet 4y ago

> Most people don’t understand how many bots are influencing public discourse on reddit. Well, do elaborate pls.

raverbashing 4y ago

I mean, you even see bot comments on threads that are plain copies of previous comments on the same thread

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

danjoredd 4y ago

I would def like to hear more about this if you can elaborate. I have long believed that Reddit is mostly bots because of how often (current thing) is pushed to the front, and any dissenting opinions are downvoted and buried

throw_nbvc1234 4y ago
Or how many of those (current thing) posts end up getting deleted within a day or two. or the poster's account getting deleted. That's purely an anecdote but something I've noticed a handful of times when I've left a browser tab open. It'd be great to have mandated transparency regarding things like this for any "social media".