#bot commenting problems

[izhunny]

I've never allowed guest commenting on my ao3 works and haven't used guest commenting for myself since I made my account. That said, AO3 users can also change this setting for ALL works in a single pass from their works page.

Select Edit Works. Under Edit Multiple Works, select ALL and EDIT.

If "who can comment" is all you want to change, you can scroll right to the bottom because it's the last option before you save changes.

Sorry about the crappy screenshots I'm on mobile.

Yet another AO3 bot situation - please spread the word!

Hi, it's me again, the person who wrote that viral post about fanfiction plagiarism! Today I'm here to warn you about abuse perpetrated by bots who have stolen AO3 usernames.

There's currently an epidemic of bots going around leaving (apparently random) horrible, hateful comments on people's fics. This isn't the first time bots have invaded AO3, but the big problem with this wave is that they're using real AO3 usernames to do it.

I learned about this when another writer contacted me after receiving the following comment on their story:

Now, while that is my username, I DEFINITELY did not leave this comment (and anyone who would leave something like that on a fic should be slapped! What an awful thing to post). This fic is in a completely unrelated fandom that I have never participated in, nor has that author participated in any of my fandoms, so the probability of it being some intentional fandom drama thing to make me look bad is also low.

The writer whose fic the comment was left on enlisted the aid of some friends and tracked down other guest comments with unrelated usernames attached, which is pretty strong evidence that they are being left by bots at random.

The TL;DR: If you receive a cruel comment from a (Guest) with an actual AO3 username attached, it's most likely from a bot. Please do not lash out at or dogpile the AO3 user who owns that name, and who in all likelihood has no idea that their name has been hijacked for evil.

If finding this kind of comment on a fic, even left by a bot, is likely to upset you, I would recommend changing your comment settings so that only users who are logged in can leave comments. To do this, edit your story settings, and under "Privacy," select the radio button that says "Only registered users can comment," as shown below.

Please spread the word to other AO3 users! And if you see mean guest comments on other fics, maybe let the author know that it's probably from a bot and not a real person who thinks their writing is bad.

[sweetiepie08]

Hey I got this comment on one of my fics this morning and it looked pretty sketchy. Anyone know anything about this?

Update: I have reported this as spam, but please keep spreading this to help fellow fanfic authors.

[spacevixen2024]

These spam comments are getting more frequent and worse.

[diamondzart]

I noticed a tendency

[proshippers-against-censorship]

Do you guys want me to share my homemade quick soup making journey with y'all or shall I keep the goofy stuff away from here?

[dread-red-queen]

I'm So Confused

I have been getting alot of random potentially bot accounts commenting on my art work asking if my commissions are open saying they like my work and asking me to DM them.

I have no issues with people asking me if my Commissions are open via a comment its a perfectly valid quistion. but to ask me to DM them seems odd.

if someone want's a commission they DM the artist or go to there commission page right? why are they asking me to DM them when they are the ones seeking a service from me?

I am happy to respond if they DM me first but I find the comments asking me to DM them highly suspicious has anyone else had this happen to them?

Am I being Paranoid?

[Bluesky][Pillowfort][Instagram][Tumblr][AO3][Nexus][Ko-Fi[Discord]

[the-mori-arty]

WHERE DID ALL THESE COMM BOTS COME FROM???

LEAVE ME ALOOOONE

Leave

Me

ALONE

[shiorimakibawrites]

My fics on AO3 will now have their comments moderated.

Because guest users have been using the comment section on my fics to post spam. Seriously, the last two comments (technically three*) I've gotten were spam. And that wasn't the first time.

I don't mind comments but I do mind someone using the comment section on my stories to post spam. Not trying to whine but it's rather disheartening to see the notification e-mail that someone commented on my fic . . . only to discover that no, someone didn't. This 'comment' isn't about my story at all.

My only other option over moderation is restricting comments to registered users. Technically that's where Alley Cat is set on after similar activity . . . I want to give people without an AO3 account the option to comment but I also don't want spam cluttering up my comment section.

Judging by the actions of the people or bots trying to promote it, I consider the website they mentioned - the same one mentioned in the spam comments that got Alley Cat restricted in the first place - to be shady.

*That particular comment attempt was on Kinktober 2023, which was already moderated, didn't mention Shady Website but also had nothing to do with that fic or it's content . . . since the vast majority of it was random words, letters from no-English alphabets, and numbers for at least half a page.

[rigginsstreet]

Sometimes I go online and like a video about North Korea or some other really oppressed country will come up and I make the mistake of reading comments and see people either romanticizing it (???) or you get the real brainiac who’s like “we demonize North Korea but America is the same” and that’s when I realize how fucking stupid everyone is and think we should all just die

[touchoffleece]

a reminder that AO3 will never contact you through your comments section (in case they claim to be one of the moderators). AO3 will only contact you through your email address which you use to register your account, and it will be from AO3’s official handle. not some sketchy ass @

REPORT THOSE COMMENTS!!

just a heads up to my fellow writers out there that AO3 is currently fighting off bots commenting on people’s works to tell them that AO3 will delete their fics “due to the works being deprecated”, and the deletion will affect their accounts unless the authors delete the fics themselves first. IT IS A SCAM. AO3 will NOT delete your works. please do NOT fall for these bots!

I’ve been told the reason why these bots are doing this is due to copyright infringement issue where they’re trying to steal your works (possibly to train AI but this is just a guess) ‼️‼️‼️and once you deleted your fics, it will be either very difficult or impossible for you to claim ownership of your own fics when they were already deleted.‼️‼️‼️

a reminder that AO3 will never contact you through your comments section (in case they claim to be one of the moderators). AO3 will only contact you through your email address which you use to register your account, and it will be from AO3’s official handle. not some sketchy ass @

so if you get a comment telling you you should “delete your works to protect your account because AO3 is doing blah blah blah” report that comment. don’t delete your works.

PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THESE SCAM.

AO3 IS NOT DELETING WORKS.

DO NOT DELETE YOUR WORKS JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CLAIMS THEY KNOW SOMETHING.

[teacolouredink]

hey tumblr how come I can block people with the 3 dots in other peoples comments but not in my own anymore?? ;U; that's not fair!! Like if ur gonna do that at least don't have the follow button so damn close to the 3 dots on their profile ffs it's a risk every time I have to do it lol

[thelearnedsoldiertoo]

Vetted by: @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #89 )

My dear friend,

I hope this message finds you in a moment of peace. My name is Ghazi Al Amoudi, and I’m reaching out to you from the depths of despair. My family and I are trapped in Gaza, caught in the relentless storm of war. We’ve lost everything—our home, our safety, and the foundation of our lives 💔. Now, we find ourselves huddled in a fragile tent, vulnerable to the harsh elements and living in constant fear 💨💦.

With a heart filled with both sorrow and hope, I am desperately asking for your help 😢. Every bit of support—whether a donation, a share, or a kind word—brings us one step closer to escaping this nightmare. Our home, once a place of warmth and love, is now a memory buried under rubble 💔. We are left with only fear and uncertainty, struggling to survive each day 😔.

Please, if you can find it in your heart, help us find safety 😭🙏. Even the smallest act of kindness can light up our darkest hours, offering us a chance to rebuild our shattered lives. Your compassion could be the turning point between despair and a new beginning 🥺❤🫂🫂.

Here is my campaign link: https://gofund.me/8a2c70d7. If you're unable to donate, simply sharing our story could help us reach someone who can.

From the depths of my heart, thank you for your kindness and support 🙏❤.

With heartfelt gratitude, Ghazi Al Amoudi

I hope you and your family get out of there safely man. Anyone else with a couple bob to spare, y'know. Do your thing.

[cactus-cactus-cactus]

Guys when I say I hate Pinterest comments sections I MEAN it bro 😭😭 toxic cesspool type shit

[bubblegumbi-tch]

No offense but were you born yesterday! Those aren’t armies those are literally scam/farm accounts. It’s 2024 how the hēll do you not know already the IG is filled with bots and trolls. I don’t know a single person who goes on there and hasn’t had the same thing happen to them with other fandoms, news, celebrity, product accounts, etc. Massive face palm…

Prove my point harder babes, go on 💀

[dailyrandomwriter]

Day 377

I’ve mentioned before that I like to read fanfiction, and one of the things I’ve been trying to do more is leave thoughtful comments at the end of each chapter. By thoughtful comments, I try very hard to reference things that happen in that chapter and why I like it. If the story contains a bit of mystery or intrigue, I try to make guesses in the comment itself about what I think would happen next.

If I’m not the first person to comment (which happens always), I sometimes take a scroll through the other comments to see if there is anything I want to add to the discussion.

I do this for three reasons.

One, I remember when I wrote fanfiction, and nothing makes you feel better than having someone comment on your story and liking it. It means a lot of people who do this sort of thing as a hobby.

Two, it’s my way of telling the author that I like their story enough to pay attention to what they’re writing, again that makes people feel good. Also authors are delighted when you make thoughtful comments about why or how their story world works.

Three, this is my own way of fighting against the bots and letting the authors know I’m a real person. For those who are not familiar with the fanfiction space, there are a growing number of bots posting comments using AI technology. It’s an attempt to scam the author (often by tricking them into consenting to have their work stolen). Now these AI bots are really good and read very lifelike, but… AI has limits. 

Remember, the AI doesn’t know there’s a human being on the other side of the screen, and likewise, they don’t understand the story being written. What it’s doing is trawling for keywords (often in the tagging system) to determine what words to string together to make it sound like a genuine comment.

So referencing the story itself, characters, events, how those events made you feel and what you think is going to happen next is helpful to the author to determine a bot from a person.

Now that being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if eventually the comments are also trawled for data to make a comment (because commenters tend to be attracted to the same pieces of writing when commenting and will at times quote their favourite parts in the comments). It’s just a question if AI bots can take those bits and pieces and string them into something coherent. 

But for now, providing a more fulsome comment is something I can do to let authors know that there is a genuine person who enjoys their works.

[girlwithbloodyfangs]

 DEAD INTERNET THEORY = 3D

So, we all know that 3D is a direct reflection of your 4D (your mind).Your 3D reality is like social media, where your beliefs determine the algorithm, which means your brain constructs your reality based on your mindset. So, always try to focus on thoughts which are in your favour.

idk, if you guys can relate or not but hope this helps :)

I KNOW 3D ISN'T A REAL AND DIRECT REFLECTION OF MY 4D BUT I STILL END UP LOOKING FOR MY DESIRE IN 3D ?

This is something I was facing a problem in my past but I have a better answer/solution for this.

So recently, I have discovered this theory of "dead internet". example: you saw this video on youtube saying "this world gonna end soon" but that video doesn't make sense , so you choose to add a comment under the video saying "it's not possible, this video is a lie", so you start getting replies agreeing with the video and trying to convince you what have shown in the video is the ultimate truth, you also noticed most of the comments agreeing with the video and those comments that are agreeing with the video is "bots" and not actually commented by real a person. so the internet is trying to convince people and change their thoughts/perspectives/beliefs. 

Mainly we have been convinced from day one, that working hard is necessary otherwise you won't get success but if someone gets success without any effort that person will be labeled as a lucky person. (most basic perspective changing example).

So, what you see on the internet, it's a lie, maybe something might be real. I guess nowadays everyone knows the internet is a damn lie, just used for entertainment purposes, even though we are aware of that fact, we still choose to scroll on social media.

NOW THAT SAME DEAD INTERNET THEORY APPLY ON 3D 

Take 3D as a dead reality (it is actually dead reality, our awareness give life to this reality), We know that everything is just pure consciousness and everything is connected (i have discussed in the last blog, "how consciousness is connected with the manifestation" you can read this might give you more clarity on what i am talking about )

 so if everything is connected that means what i think is meant to show up in my 3D, the only need is to focus on the favourable thought. Even if you forget for a moment and start focusing on 3D by taking validation from it, Know that what you see in the 3D is not the end result / actually real. Things can change the moment you change your awareness. I have noticed things manifesting so instantly even though I didn't finish my thought. Your intention matters the most and it is what manifests. 3D is dead and nothing without you. So, whenever you start focusing on the 3D. Remember your power that you hold. You are the god of your reality.

Hope this blog helps people who want to make things clear or sometimes we lose track, even myself did it in the past, which is totally fine. I am glad....it will be helpful. Have a nice day....happy manifesting :)

~ keep slaying #girlwithbloodyfangs