Article about guy who automated TW competition entries

mansey

Crystal_Green wrote: »

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.

I have just been for a looksie and Twitter and just noticed how many folks ARE retweeting my tweets and not following me :eek:

Could you tell me how to block them please.

Crystal_Green

Go to their account and click on the little cog wheel, don't forget to report them for spam along the way.

mansey

I went onto the person page clicked the cog then clicked block, is that right?

We were typing at the same time, thanks for the info

Crystal_Green

If you click on 'report' you can report for spam and then it takes you to the page to block.

emiai

Crystal_Green wrote: »

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.

This isn't true, I RT from lists because of the follower count limit.
You cant follow every comper, its impossible - as 90% of them don't follow back due to the same reasoning.

ikkle87

What emiai says is correct. Not all people who retweet but don't follow are bots. Bots tend to be quite easy to spot from their timeline as all posts tend to have a word or phrase in common such as win even though they aren't competition tweets, they also tend to be from all different countries and sometimes out of date. It's even easier to spot when you look at some as they aren't retweeting keywords but from a Twitter list of compers meaning their personal non coming tweets are retweeted and the bots feed looks spammy and nonsensical

miss_devil

ikkle87 wrote: »

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.

But isn't that the same as setting up a timer so that you tweet at certain times of the day? Is that cheating because technically you still aren't present at the time the tweet goes out...?

I'm not sure it is cheating though. It's just being savvy and taking advantage of what technology is available to you. You could say using a computer to type is cheating because you should use a pen and paper.

If you've spent the time programming something to search for you and enter? What makes it cheating? You found a shortcut by being savvy, everyone likes an easier way of doing things, if not roboform would not exist if this wasn't true.

I don't necessarily agree with the use of technology but seems it's the way it's heading. If you don't have the intelligence to learn and move with the times then maybe you deserve the disadvantage. Kind of the same as the people who don't use roboform?

On the other hand it is up to those who are running competitions to make it clear in their ts and cs that you 'physically' have to search type and enter manually because apparently that is what makes the difference?!

The horse rider called the man who invented the car a cheat.....

sydroo

As far as I'm concerned if you don't physically enter a competition yourself and use a computer programme instead, that is cheating.

Otherwise how is it any different from people who manipulate the speed of an app to achieve a highest score in a game of skill?

It's not, both examples are compers trying to gain an advantage over other entrants in order to win, i.e. cheating.

ikkle87

miss_devil wrote: »

But isn't that the same as setting up a timer so that you tweet at certain times of the day? Is that cheating because technically you still aren't present at the time the tweet goes out...?

I've never pre-set a timer for a tweet, a lot of comp terms and conditions say they don't allow third parties, scripts and macro's, although they tend to be on the terms for web forms rather than twitter comps it still suggests that companies want entrants to actually enter the comp themselves.

I'm not sure it is cheating though. It's just being savvy and taking advantage of what technology is available to you. You could say using a computer to type is cheating because you should use a pen and paper.

Given that the large majority of comps are web based and online now a days a pen and paper is neither feasible or practical. If its a postal comp you enter via post, it's not a case of taking advantage of technology, you enter a comp via the method the promoter chooses.

If you've spent the time programming something to search for you and enter? What makes it cheating? You found a shortcut by being savvy, everyone likes an easier way of doing things, if not roboform would not exist if this wasn't true.

A programmer could develop a program to add a few extra 0's to their bank account, doesn't mean it's ok. I think it's a case of morality really. Yes we all like an easier life, twitter is bloody easy though, you can use shortcut keys J and K to scroll through tweets and the T key to retweet. These bots seems to enter for a load of rubbish to be quite honest. The person this article is about won some warped tupperware lids.

I don't necessarily agree with the use of technology but seems it's the way it's heading. If you don't have the intelligence to learn and move with the times then maybe you deserve the disadvantage. Kind of the same as the people who don't use roboform?

I've never really agreed with the if you can't beat them join them mentality. I personally feel you should enter the competition yourself rather than use a program to do it for you. I don't feel using a program is within the community spirit although some people seem to feel it's ok.

I also don't see the point in entering for everything and anything like game codes I will never use and warped tupperware lids. I'd much rather apply myself to prizes I or my family want and will appreciate. My home is full of enough clutter than to add more tat which is what a lot of these scripts seem to win.

Thank you for an intelligent response though.

mansey

miss_devil wrote: »

But isn't that the same as setting up a timer so that you tweet at certain times of the day? Is that cheating because technically you still aren't present at the time the tweet goes out...?

I'm not sure it is cheating though. It's just being savvy and taking advantage of what technology is available to you. You could say using a computer to type is cheating because you should use a pen and paper.

If you've spent the time programming something to search for you and enter? What makes it cheating? You found a shortcut by being savvy, everyone likes an easier way of doing things, if not roboform would not exist if this wasn't true.

I don't necessarily agree with the use of technology but seems it's the way it's heading. If you don't have the intelligence to learn and move with the times then maybe you deserve the disadvantage. Kind of the same as the people who don't use roboform?

On the other hand it is up to those who are running competitions to make it clear in their ts and cs that you 'physically' have to search type and enter manually because apparently that is what makes the difference?!

The horse rider called the man who invented the car a cheat.....

Good points well made Miss Devil. :T

I am not saying I agree with them but it is refreshing to read comments well communicated on this subject rather than the spoilt brat approach we had earlier today