Bots are computer programs that can mimic human conversation. They’re commonly used to automate tasks or to offer customer service, and there are instances in which you have probably interacted with a bot without even realizing it. Here are some of the different ways and places you might encounter bots online.
Botnet armies
A botnet is a network of enslaved computers that are controlled by a remote attacker. The computers in a botnet are infected with malware, which allows the attacker to issue commands to them. One of the most common ways attackers use botnets is to send out spam or phishing emails en masse. If you are a business owner, one of the best ways to reduce the effectiveness and likelihood of these attacks is to reduce the attack surface area available for these botnets by implementing good network segmentation.
YouTube comments
The number of bots that can now be found in the comments section of YouTube videos is staggering. Many of these are there to spam links to other websites, but some are actually trying to engage with users in a meaningful way. There are even bots that will help you moderate the comments on your own videos.
Because of the state of the global economy at the moment, many financial advice and services channels are replete with bot activity in the comment sections. Often they are operating on behalf of this or that your money your life website owner or financial advisor, urging users to click on links for more information.
Facebook Messenger
If you’ve ever used Facebook Messenger, chances are you’ve interacted with a bot at some point. Facebook has been working hard to make bots a more integral part of its messaging app, and it shows. There are now bots that can do everything from ordering you a pizza to helping you book a hotel room. And, of course, there are also bots that are there just to chat and pass the time.
There are also viruses that will prompt bot interactions with you through your Facebook messenger. So be wary.
Of course, not all bot interactions on Facebook are suspicious or sinister. A lot of businesses make use of bots on Facebook in order to provide round the clock customer service. If you’ve ever had a question about a product or service and sent a message to the company’s Facebook page, chances are you’ve interacted with a bot.
Bots on Twitter are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been around almost as long as the social media platform itself. For the most part, they’re used to either spam links or boost someone’s followers count. However, there are also bots that can be used to provide valuable information and services. For example, there are bots that will tweet you the latest headlines every morning or ones that will help you track down a lost dog.
Bots on places like Twitter (as well as Facebook) are also used to signal-amplify posts, particularly political ones. You might see a post about a protest or an article about police violence that has been retweeted hundreds or even thousands of times. More often than not, these are bot accounts that have been created for the express purpose of sharing this type of content.
Bots on Instagram work in a similar way to those on Twitter in that they are mostly used to boost someone’s followers count. However, there are also bots that can help you with things like managing your account or even help you find new friends and followers.
There are also bots that will leave comments on your photos. These range from generic comments like “nice pic!” to more specific ones that are relevant to the image. For example, if you post a photo of a sunset, you might get a comment from a bot that says something like “beautiful view!”
LinkedIn is a site that is often used by businesses and professionals to network and connect with one another. However, it is not immune to bot activity. There are bots that will add connections for you or even send messages on your behalf.
Some of these bots are designed to be helpful, while others are more sinister. For example, there are bots that will add connections for you without your knowledge or consent. These can then be used to send spam messages to your entire network.
Snapchat
Snapchat is another social media platform that has been infiltrated by bots. There are bots that will add you as a friend or even send messages on your behalf.
As with other platforms, the vast majority of these bots are designed to either spam you with links or promote some sort of scam. However, there are also some that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning.
Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app that is similar to WhatsApp. However, it has been increasingly used by businesses and organizations as a way to communicate with customers and clients. This has led to a rise in the number of bots on Telegram.
There are bots that can do everything from ordering you a pizza to booking a hotel room. There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning.
Slack
The pandemic made Slack famous in a big way, and the 2020 work from home boom increased its popularity even further. Slack is a workplace communication tool that lets you easily connect with co-workers and collaborators. It’s also become a hotbed for bots.
There are bots that can do everything from ordering you lunch to booking your travel. There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning.
Customer service bots
The use of increasingly sophisticated AI-powered chatbots by businesses is one of the defining features of modern customer service and customer experience. There are chatbots that can do everything from scheduling a meeting to cancelling a subscription. There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning.
It is now very common to arrive at a website’s landing page and be greeted by a bot offering to help you with whatever query you might have. This is becoming increasingly common as businesses seek to provide a more personalized experience for their customers.
Additionally, when you have a query or issue on a business’s website, your first interaction now tends to be with a bot whose purpose is to gather information that it will then pass on to a human customer service representative. The objectives are two-fold: to either provide better context to the real person who will eventually be helping you or to better help you solve your problem by yourself using site resources.
Shopping bots
Bots are not just restricted to social media and customer service. They are also being used in e-commerce to help shoppers find the best deals and products.
There are bots that can do everything from finding you a pair of shoes to booking a hotel room. There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning. These bots are becoming increasingly common as businesses seek to provide a more personalized experience for their customers.
News bots
Another way that bots are becoming increasingly prevalent is in the realm of news. There are bots that will send you the latest headlines every morning or even provide you with customized news feeds based on your interests.
When you add a news bot to your favourite messaging app, you can get the latest headlines without even having to open a web browser. Both large and small news organizations are starting to use bots to deliver their content.
The Wall Street Journal, for example, has a chatbot that you can add to your Facebook Messenger account. This bot will send you the latest business news every morning. The New York Times also has a chatbot that you can add to your Slack account that sends you headline updates each morning.
Weather bots
Most of us check the weather forecast on our smartphones before we leave the house in the morning. But what if you could get the latest weather forecast delivered right to your favourite messaging app? That’s where weather bots come in.
There are weather bots that will send you the latest forecast and even provide you with customized weather alerts based on your location. When you add a weather bot to your favourite messaging app, you can get the latest weather information without even having to open a web browser.
Fitness bots
Just as there are bots to help you stay up-to-date on the news or the weather, there are also bots to help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
Fitness bots can do everything from tracking your steps to monitoring your heart rate. There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning.
You can interact with these bots to quite a large degree; some will even provide you with customized fitness programs based on your goals.
When you add a fitness bot to your favourite messaging app, you can get the latest fitness information without even having to open a web browser.
Productivity bots
There are bots to help you with just about everything, including your productivity. Productivity bots can do everything from tracking your to-do list to monitoring your email inbox.
There are also bots that are designed to be helpful, such as ones that will send you the latest news headlines every morning. You can interact with these bots to quite a large degree; some will even provide you with customized productivity programs based on your goals.
Productivity bots are designed to help you get more done in less time, and they can be a great addition to things like Slack and Discord.
Conclusion
Bots are becoming increasingly prevalent in every aspect of our lives. They are being used to provide customer service, deliver news, and even help us stay on track with our fitness goals. As we become more accustomed to interacting with bots, they will become an increasingly important part of our lives.
