#hatebot

Last night I got an angry message on my Tumblr from a user asking why I was flaming their story on AO3.

I never leave negative comments (and I've left over 500 positive ones!). I looked into it, and the hatebots on AO3 used my username with (Guest) at the end to send one of the most vile messages I've ever read to a user in a completely different fandom from me.

I straightened it out with that user and explained about the hatebots. I still can't really fathom why these hatebots do what they do, but I'm also a little scared that a misunderstanding like that could lead to someone getting doxxed. And I'm also extremely sad that this bot is posing as me and threatening other users. I encouraged the one reaching out to me to report and block and made a note on my page explaining that (Guest) comments are not from me in case anyone else had that experience.

I still love AO3 for the ability to write and share and connect over our stories and fandoms, but this is really discouraging and scary, in addition to the almost daily art bot scams I get on AO3 too.

And my heart breaks for the user who thought even for a moment that a complete stranger would say such awful things to them using my name. I'm genuinely glad they reached out so we could straighten it out. I would hate to think someone could internalize those hateful comments without ever knowing it's a bot because they didn't reach out!!

And it's devastating to think of so many writers waiting for feedback on a story they worked so hard on who are getting hateful comments like these!

As a kid who grew up watching Terminator - I'm not sure I envisioned the robot wars looking quite like this!!

Here's the form to report abuse if you have a comment from a bot: https://archiveofourown.org/abuse_reports/new

Here's a link with additional information on the different types of bots on AO3: AO3 Comment Bots - Fanlore https://share.google/m9IhE4NEGMNgHjtWq

Here's a way to fight the bots by leaving positive comments, join the AO3 comment fest bingo:

Have you had comments similar to— or even exactly matching— these on your AO3 fics that made you worried about how your writing was being perceived?

If you got an AO3 email telling you that you had a comment, then read something like the above... Would it make you feel bad?

If so, then it's time to learn some tips that'll help you to identify an obvious bot comment! Although it has been said a load of times, I am of the opinion that this is something that's worth yelling about repeatedly and as loud as possible. Whatever the reason for this bullshit, the fuckers are determined, and that means it's more important than ever to give 'em the middle finger... So here are Leif's top tips for spotting these so you can give them exactly the attention they deserve— none.

Take a step back and check if the comment makes sense in context— and not just the plot of your fic, but things like your chapter count and whether it's complete or not. Those first two comments are both on a completed oneshot... So why mention "previous chapters," or tell me to "just hiatus the story"? Also, that plot that's apparently moving with seamless, boring efficiency? It's two guys trying to fuck in an alleyway. Even funnier, the third comment is ALSO on a smutfic, but apparently writing about gay sex is, "avoidance of queer relationships," and is, "an intentional homophobic choice." These tells are obvious, but they can absolutely be more subtle.

Guest accounts trying to look legit by using actual AO3 usernames are a clue, although I have seen bots posting from accounts vs as guests.

The guilt trip that's prefaced with a compliment. "Your writing is so wonderful, but you're using AI/being queerphobic/blablabla". The compliment is the bait to get your hopes up, in an attempt to make the guilt trip more effective.

Following on from the above... The compliments are so vague it's kinda funny, but they're worded so they could be considered specific if you don't think about them too hard. Apparently I have a "unique perspective" (everyone does, that's how perspective works), I'm an "architect of narrative" and my work was "wonderfully meandering"? This is digital cold-reading; these could probably apply to just about anyone. Combined with the immediate pivot to, "and this is why you should feel bad and probably never ever write again," it's highly likely to be a bot.

Real specific mentions of AI use. Oh, 77% was it? You ran it through 3 different detectors? That's more effort than my uni put in when they did their plagiarism detection, Sherlock, simmer down. Also note how it's a high but not impossible percentage; it's to make it seem more feasable that it's an actual result to authors who know they haven't used GenAI. 100% or even 90% is simply too high to be believable.

Behold the second, angry comment, and consider; for someone who is apparently so mad they're using capslock, they don't seem particularly angry. It's 3 steps below a formal complaint letter to a cereal company. Like, they're only using full stops, no exclamation points? Why are their sentences so long when all they're doing is accusing me of using GenAI? That 77% is real specific; are they angrily pasting my fic into an AI checker? And those insults are fucking weak. "If you're too busy or too untalented to write," huh? Just call me a slur, pal. Also, I dunno about you, but if I'm mad at someone I'm not gonna call their writing, "technically perfect." I'd probably just call them a dickhead.

The final, most importsnt lesson is:

If your fic is appropriately tagged and rated, and someone comes into your comment section to be a dick, then block them and delete their comments. If your fic isn't appropriately tagged and rated, then fix that— then block them and delete their comments. Then keep writing.

Not the bot calling me a bot lmaoooo

Ive had a few of these now and it's not even upsetting me anymore it's making me laugh. Seriously I'm using ai? Piss off luv

Meet Hatebot!

You read it correctly. I don't know why I'm so keen on making villains. Seriously, what's wrong with me?! I really love SPG... why can't I make a nice guy for once? Anyway. Because I can't draw to save my life, you have to use your imagination as I will describe the poor guy.

Name:Destroy

Nickname:Dezz

Looks: Dezz is around 6 ft tall (2 metres), lean, build out of a black metal. His face is human in design, but the white of an eye is black, while the iris is red. Has a lots of cracks around his face and body, which are filled with gold, he stole somewhere and melted himself. His legs are digitigrade, like a cat's legs (the lower legs a slightly bowed backwards). On that extra digit on his legs, on his elbows and shoulders are spikes around 8 centimetres long. He wears a black, butler suit. His five fingered hands are ending with very sharp talons, so he usually wears gloves made out of a very sturdy leather. On the back of his head is a braid-like wire ended with a sharp spike. It's usually tucked up on his head in a bun.

Weapons: Two machine guns in his tights. The wire on his head, it's spike can open up and inside is very thin needle, both carry poison. His claws. The spikes on Dezz's body (not the one on his head) act a bit like Teslacoils and carry electricity over his body, he can electro-shock his enemy with that electricity, but it usually burns out a lot of energy so it's mostly like last resort type of a weapon.

Background: (This section is most likely to get changed) Build during the Rock Candy Battle by Becile's assistant, but was never used in the fight. Dezz run's on the much more stable and safer Green Matter's energy. After the fall of Becile, someone has stolen, still inactive automaton and sold it on the black market. Once online the first order Dezz got was 'destroy'. It soon became his name. He was used in private wars as well in the WWI and WWII but never his path crossed with the SPG's automatons. Dezz was being sold many times, owned by many people and mostly for one purpose. Destruction.

Until recently, when a billionaire had bought Destroy as a bodyguard to his precious daughter, Lyra, who is of a weak health.

No one ever refereed to the robot as a person, so Dezz see himself as a tool and when referring to himself he says "it". Lyra was the first person to make Dezz feel like he's not just a tool, but a being capable of feelings just as important as those of humans. She transferred her love for poems onto him and surprisingly the automaton is a very good poet.

Unfortunately Dezz hates music. He hates it so much that it makes him shut down and short circuit. It's one his weaknesses, which he keeps to himself. So when Lyra has heard of Steam Powered Giraffe and transferred all of her attention to the singing automatons, Dezz felt hate so strong that he swore if his path ever crosses with them, he'll destroy the trio.

Manner of speech and movement: Dezz had to study robotics in order to be able to fix himself, so not everything in him works right. Like his speech, which was added very recently (no one needs a talking tool) and has not yet been trained correctly. It's heavily robotic, very low and rough. He speak in short sentences. ("My name is Destroy. Dezz in short" is the longest from his repertoire. Usually it's: "Don't like you." or "Am to serve." or simply "Die".)

When he's not fighting, he walks in a specific manner, first goes his head, then the right foot, then the head goes back and the left foot goes forward. A bit like Transmutate if any of you have seen Beast Wars, you should know what I'm talking about. It's a very slow walk and he rarely runs, but when he does it's very fast. He can leap very high and usually lands on his opponent, if in a fight, squashing him/her.

Other: He's very attached to Lyra in a "I'm going to kill anyone who dares to touch you" way, but tries to restrain himself, for her. Loves Lord Byron's poems. Death to all cheese.

Theme music: Zombie by Cranberries.