exterminator-of-bots

[exterminator-of-bots]

i’m worried, and I hope this is just a blank blog, but oh dear… it seems to me like the bots are actually starting to comment in posts and trying to act like humans. [this is on a Clangen comic post]

if you check the #gravity falls tag there are lots of bots in the comments of the top posts too. you can tell by the default pfp, weird grammar / saying things that aren’t related to the post, and clicking on their profile leads you to a blank blog. Of course some of these are real people! it’s very hard to tell though, even for me.

This seems to be a new thing, unless I just haven’t noticed it.

Stay safe online everyone !!

EDIT: FOUND 2 MORE. (These are both on a gravity falls post, one seems unrelated to the post completely, and the other seems to be a stolen comment)

[exterminator-of-bots]

to all blank blogs

Hey there! Chances are if you’re a new tumblr user or a lurker who doesn’t post, your blog will be blank with absolutely no posts, no bio and maybe the default tumblr icon as your profile picture.

However, I’d like to share some tips because tumblr currently has a rampant spam / porn bot problem which is only getting worse.

Most of the time, at least 20 something of this bots are made every day. They post inappropriate / spammy links to dodgy websites with malware in completely unrelated tags such as #asexual, clogging up other users’ dashboards and causing more trouble for others.

Many of these bots, when they start out, are blank.

Which is why, if you are a blank blog, you may find yourself getting removed from other people’s follow lists, blocked and even reported! That’s terrible right? But why do they do this? The answer is because they think that you’re one of these annoying bots.

So, I’d like to share some tips in distinguishing yourself from these bots and making your blog seem more like a real person behind the screen.

Firstly, what’s a blank blog look like?

Most blank blogs look like this.

take this profile as an example. It has 0 posts, a default tumblr avatar and no bio or banner. However, it’s likes and following are exposed and they are all follows or likes on pornographic spam bot accounts, which makes me think that this is yet another new bot in the spam bot army.

Profiles like this are likely to get your tumblr taken down and reported. Many people purge their follow lists of these bots, so if you’re following any other people, they might block you.

So, to prevent this from happening, here are the tips.

ONE. Change your avatars, please! Even a simple silly cat photo or anime character, or a random piece of paper with a face works. Like the default avatar? There are actually picrews out there to alter your avatar! They’re really cute, you can give the circles and squares moustaches, monocles, hats and bows. Usually these little things help to distinguish a bot account from a human account. Also, why not change your banner while you’re at it?

HOWEVER! Be warned that you should not use a picture of yourself or a human girl / boy as most of the time, porn bots use these pictures. Others may think you’re another one of them, block and move on.

TWO. Add your description. Even a simple [ name | interests | age (optional, but some people don’t like ageless blogs) ]. This will help others to see that you’re a real person. Another thing is that you may end up getting blocked by others, especially if you’re a minor, but it’s alright, do not worry and don’t take it personally.

These people who block you most likely post 18+ content and are wary and don’t want to expose their content to minors.

THREE. Posts. Some people may still think you’re a bot, so if you don’t really want to customise your blog, at least leave a simple post saying that you’re not a bot on your profile and pin it. Even a simple “hey! I’m a real person, I just lurk / don’t post” or “im not a bot, just don’t like posting” is fine. But if you really are new and want to become part of tumblr culture, the thing to do is reblog.

Why? Because reblogs are mainly how tumblr users support others. Instead of a like / comment, which is only viewed by others, a reblog can help to spread someone’s post and help them to get more popular, for instance an underrated artist who doesn’t get much attention. If you’re shy you can also comment in the tags, which are the little hashtags at the bottom of a post. You can put something like #omg this is so cute! or #love this in the tags, or you can simply reblog without tagging, either way is fine.

the point is, people can tell you’re real if you’re actively reblogging others’ posts. You don’t even need to reblog every day, just one or two on posts you like / posts that catch your eye.

Some blogs reblog others’ things and post web hooks to their malware scam sites in it. However, it’s nothing much to worry about, people will not think you’re a bot as these bots tend to reblog things by other bots. Reblogging things by other human users is completely fine.

In conclusion, I hope this helps! To all new blank blogs and old, thanks for reading :]

[exterminator-of-bots]

how to spot a bot!

Having trouble? Unsure if your followers are bots or not? Don’t worry, and read this handy post! Firstly, the most common kinda of bots are the pornographic type. These bots are made using scripts owners of dodgy websites have bought. At least 20 of them may follow you every day due to the newest bot wave. Their purpose is to get people to click on the links they attach to posts or in reblogs, which lead them to dodgy porn sites very likely filled with a million viruses waiting to infect your device.

So here’s some tips on checking whether it’s a BOT or NOT!

Firstly, check the blog’s name. If it’s a string of random words together, such as the example provided below, it’s very likely a bot. Another one is when the blog’s name is a random name and a bunch of numbers behind it, such as emily1863.

This is an example of a porn bot’s blog.

Another very important thing to check is the profile avatar / icon. If it is the default tumblr avatar show below, or a suggestive picture of a girl / guy (although it’s usually pictures of girls), it’s another sign that it’s a bot.

Here are some default tumblr avatar examples.

Next, check the posts. Are they posting links to other websites with suggestive / inappropriate thumbnails or just links in general in unrelated tags? It’s a bot. OR are they completely empty, with no posts at all? It’s likely that this one is a new bot that hasn’t posted yet. People call these blank blogs, and sometimes they are new users who haven’t posted, or lurkers. I’ll make a more detailed post on them later.

Here’s an example of a bot’s posts. Notice the tags, especially. They are all innocent looking tags, mostly for fandoms and I don’t even want to ask why they put it in the bread tag. It seems to me that these bots take random trending tags and post in them.

Common tags these bots reside in are the lgbt tags, mostly the #aromantic and #asexual tags (why are they posting porn bots in these? the people here literally don’t want to have sex!) and #transgender.

however, they can be found in pretty much any popular tag if you scroll long enough.

Okay, so I’ve found a bot. WHAT DO I DO???

A simple answer is to block so you don’t have to see them anymore, but it's not the best method. If you just block them, they will still stay on the site and clog up people’s dashboards.

instead, here's a better way. you should report AND block! That way, these bots’ accounts will be removed from tumblr!

how to report / block? Here’s a picture guide!

click on the 3 dots on the side of a post.

when you report you’ll be led to this page.

Please report them for spam / bot, NOT sexually explicit material. Reporting them for explicit content will simply get them shadow banned, but their blogs will still be accessible somehow. Also because it’s more spam when they are posting in unrelated tags.

but if you report them for spam, these blogs will be deleted! Hooray!

another great thing is you can flag and block them at the same time, as seen in the image above! Killing two birds with one stone!

I hope this mini guide helped you guys! Oh, and one more thing.

PLEASE DONT CLICK ON ANY LINK THESE BOTS SEND! THEY USUALLY CONTAIN MALWARE OR THEY COULD LOCK YOU OUT OF YOUR TUMBLR AND TURN THE ACC INTO A BOT ACC!

stay safe, and happy bot hunting!

[exterminator-of-bots]

hey there!

howdy! you might’ve found my account and wondered what all this is about? bots? extermination? what???

basically tumblr is notorious for having lots of inappropriate bots that post pornographic images, spam unrelated tags, and have links to dodgy porn sites that could most likely, contain viruses and infect your computers.

and this is an account dedicated to getting rid of them! (because my mains block list is clogged up with these lmao)

I’ll post on how to tell bots apart from real humans and what to do about them, as well as what tags they are normally found in.

Feel free to join me in this journey and help to clean up tumblr!