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Does Reddit have an astroturfing problem? What the data suggests

312 points · 408 comments · p-s-v

  1. asksomeoneelse · · focus · HN ↗
    Niche topics like linux feel somewhat safe from bots. But the last time I checked the more popular subs.. yikes..

    When I see 2-weeks old account "Incendiary-Leg-8592" responding to a post by another weeks old user "Pivotal-Kitchen-0498", I have a hard time believing they are humans behind them.

    1. duxup · · focus · HN ↗
      Maybe some niche subs are safe-ish from targeted bots, but I'm seeing some niche subs constantly hit by bots who misunderstand what the sub is actually about and post something that maybe matches the words of the sub's name ... but not the actual intent of the sub. Basically lost bots, and they don't stop.

      Also the software / programming subs are just spam hell now.

      1. someonebaggy · · focus · HN ↗
        They're not lost. They're building up a history of non-spam posts.
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