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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Sorry if this has been asked a lot! Is pointing out a chat bot the same as trolling?

34 replies

HowDoYouMakeAHormone · 20/07/2023 19:13

because when they are obvious in AIBU.

i would like to think we wouldn't be banned for alerting people to the fake posts but, we already are so.......?

OP posts:
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Brefugee · 24/07/2023 10:21

senua · 22/07/2023 14:05

Have you reported them @senua?
Depends on my mood. If I'm feeling grumpy, I tend not to do their job for them.Grin

But as we've all pointed out, it is a reactive rather than proactive modding style here. If we don't report MN don't necessarily see theposts

MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 24/07/2023 10:08

Good Morning (BST London) Users of Mumsnet.

Thank you for bringing this to our collective attention. As moderators of the mums' net website, we would always encourage you to make use of the report button to tell us about this sort of incident. Flagging it up on a thread runs the risk of it being a real troll rather than a bot troll and giving the troll the attention they crave. If you report it to us instead we can deal with it quickly.

Many thanks.
The Moderators of Mumsnet Headquarters.

<leaves thread doing The Robot dance>

ASmallFurryCreatureFromAlphaCentauri · 22/07/2023 18:39

WestOfWestminster · 20/07/2023 22:27

Hi Mumsnetters,

Spotting an AI chatbot making new threads can, at first, be annoying, but on the other hand it can be entertaining to try and spot them.

In the future many replies will also be made by chatbots such as ChatGPT, and thus, the need for mumsnetters will become obsolete.

Regards,

A mumsnetter

8.5 out of ten there. You forgot the final "call to arms" : "Do you think we should report them?" or "Do you think this is a a problematic issue?"

EuniceNewtonFoote · 22/07/2023 14:08

I've noticed the bullet points and indents. Thought it was just weird MN formatting.

senua · 22/07/2023 14:05

Have you reported them @senua?
Depends on my mood. If I'm feeling grumpy, I tend not to do their job for them.Grin

BIWI · 22/07/2023 13:46

Have you reported them @senua?

I know that that was their past model when individuals were trolling or whatever

AFAIK it's not a past model, it's still how it works.

Brefugee · 22/07/2023 12:33

can you give us an eg?

senua · 22/07/2023 12:02

FrivolousTreeDuck · 22/07/2023 11:55

I think they do keep an eye on trending threads.

Show quote history

But these threads are still there in active.Confused

FrivolousTreeDuck · 22/07/2023 11:55

senua · 22/07/2023 11:53

I know that that was their past model when individuals were trolling or whatever. But bots area whole new ballgame and will give MN a bad reputation if they are not careful.
It can't be that hard to introduce a reporting mechanism that spots threads which get hundreds of replies to a first-time poster who never returns after their original, goady opening post.

Show quote history

I think they do keep an eye on trending threads.

senua · 22/07/2023 11:53

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

@senua you do realise that posts on MN aren't pre-moderated? MNHQ only see/deal with threads and posts that are reported to them.

I know that that was their past model when individuals were trolling or whatever. But bots area whole new ballgame and will give MN a bad reputation if they are not careful.
It can't be that hard to introduce a reporting mechanism that spots threads which get hundreds of replies to a first-time poster who never returns after their original, goady opening post.

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:55

AFSD! Grin

Brefugee · 22/07/2023 09:24

GMTA!!! 😂

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

(Sorry - x-posted with @Brefugee there!)

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

@senua you do realise that posts on MN aren't pre-moderated? MNHQ only see/deal with threads and posts that are reported to them.

Brefugee · 22/07/2023 09:20

senua · 20/07/2023 22:50

It would be a public service. I'm getting fed up with the false threads; I wish that MN would wake up and zap them. It does seem that they need prodding into action.

Show quote history

to be fair MN has always had reactive modding. If you report it, they will come

EmpressaurusOfCats · 21/07/2023 19:38

When they include links, because they’re hoping for traffic.

BIWI · 21/07/2023 18:44

Because they can?
Because they're experimenting with the technology?
Because they know they're trolling?
Because they know it winds (some of us) up?

EuniceNewtonFoote · 21/07/2023 18:40

Why are they doing it though ?

senua · 20/07/2023 22:50

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 19:24

Why do you care about alerting people to bot posts? Do you think you’re doing some kind of public service?

It would be a public service. I'm getting fed up with the false threads; I wish that MN would wake up and zap them. It does seem that they need prodding into action.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/07/2023 22:42

They often include a link to another site, too. I’ve been reporting them. I hadn’t thought of replying to them.

megletthesecond · 20/07/2023 22:31

The one I flagged up last week was deleted. I've not been banned.
Maybe I'll be in trouble if I keep doing it.

WestOfWestminster · 20/07/2023 22:27

Hi Mumsnetters,

Spotting an AI chatbot making new threads can, at first, be annoying, but on the other hand it can be entertaining to try and spot them.

In the future many replies will also be made by chatbots such as ChatGPT, and thus, the need for mumsnetters will become obsolete.

Regards,

A mumsnetter

User3253625 · 20/07/2023 22:25

ChatGPT also uses a lot of bullet points or listing. If an opening post has "Hello Mumsnetters" plus a fairly lengthy description of a situation neatly divided into short, bullet point paragraphs then it's almost certainly AI.

The big fallacy is that MN is a predominantly female identifying community and ChatGPT (mostly developed and programmed by men) does not understand the nuances of women communicating with women, even as strangers online.

User3253625 · 20/07/2023 22:17

nonman · 20/07/2023 22:13

I’d like to know how to spot one, I think I can spot a chat gp Starting post, and a lot of them get lots of responses

ChatGPT posts often start with the line "Hi Mumsnetters", evoking the image of a Zuckerberg-like robot thinking of the best way to address a collective group of humans.

nonman · 20/07/2023 22:13

I’d like to know how to spot one, I think I can spot a chat gp Starting post, and a lot of them get lots of responses