Article about guy who automated TW competition entries

captainjack2

All the companies should make him give it all back. Most of what he was retweeting was manual retweets. I don't know how he won that when he isn't following an awful lot and retweeting so many manual RTS

redstararnie76

Last month, I won my first twitter competition, and yesterday I found out I had won another - I was thrilled to bits! Not just about the prize, though I was very happy to win some shoes, but also at having been randomly chosen out of all the entries to win. I don't enter hundreds of competitions a day, I'm lucky to manage 50, so it's fantastic to win - I get the feeling that this guy has really missed the point of comping, not to mention the actual enjoyment

skintpaul

Curious, tech wise, how he did it-

some sort of auto responder app / email filters?

(If subject = prize, or win etc, then reply with RT etc)

miss_devil

There's probably more than just him thats cheating.... Probably loads! Only takes someone who knows how to design a 'bot' that's programmed to search for competitions and enter them....
Doubt there is really anyone checking competitions to see if people are cheating.... It's not in anyones interest! Plus how would they know?
Only things that stop bots is recaptures but I doubt even that stops it all....

Though to be fair is designing a bot that enters competitions for you really cheating? Only a step up from roboform is it not? Need all the advantage you can get now there is so many people entering competitions? Suddenly makes a below minimum wage hobby into an ok paid hobby if it requires less manual hours...

If I had the brains I'd definitely design something that searches and enters for me, save a lot of time and effort!

DynasticDux

It takes less than 5 minutes to create a bot to auto retweet on Twitter
I made one yesterday and within 30 mins had retweeted 1000 tweets with the word "RT to WIN" on them - just make sure you set it to 1000 a day or Twitter auto boots you

Crystal_Green

DynasticDux wrote: »

It takes less than 5 minutes to create a bot to auto retweet on Twitter
I made one yesterday and within 30 mins had retweeted 1000 tweets with the word "RT to WIN" on them - just make sure you set it to 1000 a day or Twitter auto boots you

But how do you ensure it only enters UK comps, even that guy was entering by his own admission comps that were in no way relevant to him?

DynasticDux

Crystal_Green wrote: »

But how do you ensure it only enters UK comps, even that guy was entering by his own admission comps that were in no way relevant to him?

You don't - but if you win something that is not relevant to you - or from a country that may involve import duty/tax, you could always ask the company to redraw

ikkle87

miss_devil wrote: »

Though to be fair is designing a bot that enters competitions for you really cheating? Only a step up from roboform is it not? Need all the advantage you can get now there is so many people entering competitions? Suddenly makes a below minimum wage hobby into an ok paid hobby if it requires less manual hours...

If I had the brains I'd definitely design something that searches and enters for me, save a lot of time and effort!

cheat: a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage.

Of course it's cheating to have a script set up to search and enter comps when your not around, it doesn't even compare to using roboform, you still have to be present to fill forms in, still have to click on the page etc.

mansey

DynasticDux wrote: »

It takes less than 5 minutes to create a bot to auto retweet on Twitter
I made one yesterday and within 30 mins had retweeted 1000 tweets with the word "RT to WIN" on them - just make sure you set it to 1000 a day or Twitter auto boots you

Does that not make you a cheat?

Crystal_Green

If someone is re tweeting you but not following you then it's most likely a bot - I've blocked a few more this morning.