2016 Postmortem

Eugene

(61,782 posts) Tue Oct 18, 2016, 01:47 PM Oct 2016

Trump's Twitter debate lead was 'swelled by bots'

Source: BBC

Trump's Twitter debate lead was 'swelled by bots'

By Shiroma Silva
BBC News

18 October 2016 Technology

More than four times as many tweets were made by automated accounts in favour of Donald Trump around the first US presidential debate as by those backing Hillary Clinton, a study says.

The bots exaggerated support for the Republican, it suggests, but Trump would still have won a higher number of supportive tweets even if they had not.

The authors warn such software has the capacity to "manipulate public opinion" and "muddy political issues".

The report has yet to be peer-reviewed.

And one critic noted that it was impossible to be completely sure which accounts were real and which were "web robots".

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9 replies

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Highlight:

Trump's Twitter debate lead was 'swelled by bots' (Original Post) Eugene Oct 2016 OP

I'm curious how many bots originated in Russia too. Buckeye_Democrat Oct 2016 #1

They originated on /pol/ Capt. Obvious Oct 2016 #6

What is that? A 4chan thing? Buckeye_Democrat Oct 2016 #7

Originates on /pol/ (a section of 4chan) Capt. Obvious Oct 2016 #8

Thanks for the explanation. Buckeye_Democrat Oct 2016 #9

I thought it was just Chris Christie sitting on his bed. Fozzledick Oct 2016 #2

Maybe that's the 400 lb guy Trump was talking about? Ligyron Oct 2016 #4

When 'Trump' and 'first Presidential debate' are mentioned so casually, I feel odd. randome Oct 2016 #3

It's not just Twitter Capt. Obvious Oct 2016 #5

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,852 posts)

1. I'm curious how many bots originated in Russia too.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 01:52 PM

Oct 2016

It's already well-known that they've got an army of human trolls.

Capt. Obvious

(9,002 posts)

6. They originated on /pol/

Reply to Buckeye_Democrat (Reply #1)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:27 PM

Oct 2016

They're very open about it.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,852 posts)

7. What is that? A 4chan thing?

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:30 PM

Oct 2016

That seems to be the answer when I did a Google search. I've never been on that site, so I'm not sure.

Where does some of the 4chan activity originate?

Capt. Obvious

(9,002 posts)

8. Originates on /pol/ (a section of 4chan)

Reply to Buckeye_Democrat (Reply #7)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:39 PM

Oct 2016

The_Donald was originally a parody site but it was taken over by /pol/ - supposedly for the lulz depending on who you believe.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,852 posts)

9. Thanks for the explanation.

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Reply #8)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:45 PM

Oct 2016

Fozzledick

(3,860 posts)

2. I thought it was just Chris Christie sitting on his bed.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 01:58 PM

Oct 2016

Ligyron

(7,614 posts)

4. Maybe that's the 400 lb guy Trump was talking about?

Reply to Fozzledick (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:23 PM

Oct 2016

Yeah, I'm making fun of him...

randome

(34,845 posts)

3. When 'Trump' and 'first Presidential debate' are mentioned so casually, I feel odd.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:08 PM

Oct 2016

Something about that eludes me. It's like trying to remember what I had for breakfast last week.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

Capt. Obvious

(9,002 posts)

5. It's not just Twitter

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Tue Oct 18, 2016, 02:25 PM

Oct 2016

Reddit has been destroyed by the bots

this is 4chan trolling the election. It's confusing real Trump supporters into believing he's actually popular and that if he loses it is rigged.

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