Topic: Comments and Questions!

OK.

I don't check in here all that often, and when I do I don't comment much. Obviously. I particularly want to stay out of the play reports/style stuff, since I don't want to ever even hint that people are playing LotFP wrong in their home games. There's no reason your game should match whatever "platonic" LotFP is this release cycle.

But you'd think that the software would alert me when there's a spam report.

I have a question though... there are some users on here thatdo exclusively contentless posts. (http://test.lotfp.com/RPG/discussion/post/5370/#p5370 or http://test.lotfp.com/RPG/discussion/post/5369/#p5369 for examples)

I've eliminated similar accounts before, but does anyone know what this is? Are these just real people who don't have much to say and just type this stuff... or are they some sort of bot or what is going on? Does this happen on other boards?

Re: Comments and Questions!

I'm going to assume you meant Maria Cristina rather than Littlemute.

My impression is that this person was simply communicating personal approval to the OP. Like if you were in the same room with someone and they brought up an interesting topic you would not just stand there silently staring at them. You would say "that's cool" or something of that nature. This person was doing the cyber-equivalent of that kind of thing.

Yeah, it happens on other message boards. It does not harm your message board, your company or you. No real need to eliminate someone's account because of it.

P.S. The first link did not work so I was referring to the second link.

Last edited by Solon (2017-03-05 03:53:48)

Re: Comments and Questions!

I'm certainly no bot expert, but I would guess maria_cristina is not a real poster. All five of her posts range from nonsense to meaningless. They copy words from the original post, are in broken English, and lack follow through. (For example, how would someone "share" adventure 10 exactly? And if she can't start a game in Atlanta, is she interested in joining one?)

Perhaps someone is just experimenting with their spam/bot software...a sort of Turing Test.

Last edited by Crunk Posby (2017-03-06 06:11:40)

Re: Comments and Questions!

The post in the "I Miss Laura" thread is neither nonsense nor meaningless. Perhaps the bot is close to developing true artificial intelligence. In which case, we should tempt it into an online LotFP game so that it is distracted and won't try to take over the world.

Re: Comments and Questions!

The response seems generic, uses the words "favorite" and "artists." "Me too" is a common response to "I miss <topic>."

Again, I'm no expert, but I assume a bot works by drawing from common phrases and answers, and cut/pasting parts of the original in their response.

Re: Comments and Questions!

Hello Jim,

due to my experience (I have been part of RPG forums for about six years now), this might very well be a real person. In fact, at some point I even suspected YOU of being behind it (to make the forum look more alive, go figure!) big_smile wink

In my humble opinion, this is just a bored user who roams about and tries to say something. We all know that types from parties where there is somebody who is not linked to anyone and tries to integrate himself.

If you want to be on the sure side, message the user and kindly request him to explain himself in this topic. You could even include an "or else..." in that message wink


BUT bots are "the new thing" today, and paranoia dictates that it might be a "field test" of some "provider"

@Mr. X
...and IF my paranoia is right and that IS a bot, please get the F*** out of here. People like you and your creations are the scourge of the internet, and we HATE you!

Last edited by Gregorius21778 (2017-03-10 21:52:50)

With kind regards
Gregorius21778
__________________
My blog

Re: Comments and Questions!

ninate9762 wrote:

So, I guess this is where a bunch of people hang out to yell at and insult each other. If you find that fun, have at it. If not, I'd suggest staying out of there. Me, I don't really check in here all that often, and when I do, I don't comment much. Obviously continue reading. Since I don't want to ever even hint that people are playing LotFP wrong in their home games. There's no reason your game should match whatever "platonic" LotFP is this release cycle.

Parody or irony?

Re: Comments and Questions!

Tarynt wrote:
ninate9762 wrote:

So, I guess this is where a bunch of people hang out to yell at and insult each other. If you find that fun, have at it. If not, I'd suggest staying out of there. Me, I don't really check in here all that often, and when I do, I don't comment much. Obviously continue reading. Since I don't want to ever even hint that people are playing LotFP wrong in their home games. There's no reason your game should match whatever "platonic" LotFP is this release cycle.

Parody or irony?

Spam. It's an exact copy of one I deleted last week.