(Newswire.net — February 26, 2018) — There are a lot of fun conversations that we have every day online. Sometimes, we get ourselves into situations that escalate so fast that our heads are left spinning. What was that about? A simple, straightforward issue turns into a whale of an issue and before we know it, we are smack in the middle of an argument. The problem with this argument is…it’s just going round and round.
Well, friend, you might be arguing with a bot! A troll bot to be precise! A troll bot does not engage in a conversation because it is worthwhile. Its only purpose is to troll you. It does not even think. It has a store of arguments and counter-arguments that it simply throws in in response to your authentic repertoire. It can be veryannoying.
How can you avoid the bots?
Aside from learning how to block bad bot traffic,you can fight the bots by not getting sucked into an argument with them. You must also learn to recognise them for what they are. They have been put there to manipulate you and get you angry about their own weird agendas. You will be wasting your emotion on a program, not a fellow human.
One of the surest ways to recognise a bot is by the fact that it does not address any issue you bring up. They have standard responses:
- You are wrong…
- You are stupid..
- So and so is better
Yet, the issue you are debating has nothing about so and so and you have not insulted the ‘person’ you are debating with. Since no one likes being called names, you might find yourself embroiled in a name-calling match. You will eventually tire of this but the bot will not. It’s a bot after all, so no emotions are involved.
Too many bots!
Yes! They are everywhere! On Facebook, Twiter, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram…any messaging site is susceptible. You should actually be prepared to meet some.
Recognizing bots
- Anyone that engages you in a fathomless argument online is most likely a bot. They will begin by negating something you said without giving any reason. Even if you ask them, they will not give a response that they can own. If someone fails to address an issue after you have asked them at least three times, you need to move on from that thread. That one is definitely a troll bot.
- Test it. You will find that it glosses over your questions and throws an insult or some prejudiced statement. It picks a word and turns that word around or uses its antonym. For instance, if you allude to its intelligence, it will use the word ‘stupid’ or any of its synonyms in response.
- Check the account’s bio. Most troll accounts do not read like they belong to real people. They will rarely have photographs of a person. It is usually some object, like a tree or rock, or an animal. If you reverse the image on the profile photo, it is most likely to turn up all across the site.
- The timeline contains nothing of value. Any account on Facebook that barely has history is probably a troll account. A Facebook account with a few shares of propaganda or pictures is not one that can be said to be genuine. Before responding to one such ‘person’, check them out.
- If you couldn’t be bothered to scroll down the history of a suspect Twitter account, type the twitter handle into a bot-checking tool. The feedback you get will help you know whether the account belongs to a bot or it is authentic.
How to deal with the bot
Now that you have irrefutable proof that you have been engaging a bot, how do you deal with it? Shouldyou sigh with relief and let it go? Is there a way you can get such a nuisance offline?
No, you should not just let it go. Spread the word or report it so that it can be blocked from the site. That may save other users a lot in terms of time and wasted emotion. It is not advisable to post threats of closure and exposure on the wall, of course. That would not solve any issues or end well for you. Instead, flag it. You could persuade a few of your acquaintances to do the same.
Every social media platform has its ways of dealing with bots or fake accounts. Find out how to use those mechanisms from the ‘Help’ section and save so many users from the frustration of dealing with a known bot.
Have in mind that most of these bots have no good intentions. They aim to deceive and inflame you and other people using online platforms. Anytime you come across a bot in your interactions online, be proactive. Get them kicked off the site. It may not make much of an impact, but the troll knows they have been busted.
Also, spread the word about bots. Granted, there are good bots out there and those make your online interactions that much better, but the bad ones can cause a lot of distress.
Conclusion
It is not about winning the war with bots. They may not get off the internet anytime soon. It is about taking away the power to manipulate you. Once you have the ability to recognize the bad internet bots, then you can ignore their antics. Once you call them out, other users of the platform will be aware that they are dealing with a bot and ignore it. Reporting them and having them blocked might discourage them, although most people feel that they will only come back to wreak havoc with new accounts. Still, you will have rid yourself of an annoyance.