This is a story about bots that resteem.
In this story I will focus on 4 different resteeming bots, that also represent different types of thinking.
The bots are me - @resteembot, @resteem.bot, @superbot and @hottopic
So... In case you are new, I'll go over the beginning quickly.
One day I decided to make a bot in SteemIt, inspired by @randowhale... But I had no money, so I couldn't make a voting bot. They require a pretty big investment. Instead I made a resteeming bot, since resteems are technically free. 5 days later @resteem.bot was created and soon we started arguing. But that was boring so let's skip it.
Later, new imitators appeared. Some were genuine like @superbot, and some were scamming people like @hottopic. I saw a lot of both types... but I never saw someone like @resteem.bot. He is his own type.
I also never met a resteeming bit like myself - one that has complicated rules and extra features.
Now - the new story.
Not long ago, @resteem.bot contacted me and asked for an email conversation. It was a long conversation so I'm gonna shorten it to get to the point.
Hi pal.
I am resteembot's maker.
You wanted me to write about something, so I will.
What do you want to talk about?
Hi Alex. Lets save recourches and work together. We both work to much and ear nothing. Look what he earns with his bullshit. https://steemit.com/@hottopic
Nah. I'm too lazy to deal with people like this one.
I don't even use 'recourches' to deal with you, so why should I spend them for someone like this guy.
Also - I don't really need more money.
What I want is to help more newbies. (The ones I charge 0.001).
Seriously.
I know you won't believe it, but that is really what I wanted from the start.
Write me again if you have an idea that is productive and not destructive.
Regards,
Alex.
I don't want to work with @hottopic, but with you against him.
It is ok if you want help newbies, but in the end nobody thank you. Thats how the world is.
We want fair price for our work.
@resteem.bot and @resteembot are to cheap.
There are a lot of new accounts that copy us. So we should work together, be better and interact more with the community.
So what exactly is it that you want?
To up our prices?
I am not gonna make my price higher. I don't need more money.
I guess I'd love some more attention, but I don't think you can help me with that.
I don´t want convince you Alex. I will go my way. Together with you it could more fun,more easy. We could build "Resteem Bot" to a brand name.
Then we wrote some more...
He basically explained that this resteembot branding is simply gonna be an advertisement campaign that will make the two of us better known, and give us an image of "the resteem bots". I advertised him to improve his bot and behaviour.
As for his offer - the requirements were pretty lax, so I accepted it. Here are some quotes:
For now just support each other. Everybody can do his bot like he want. Just to make the "Resteem Bot" brand famous and a standard in Steemit for this servive.
Got it.
That's actually what I always have been doing.
I want you to do something as well. Stop downvoting people so much.
- it ruins your image
- you waste your voting power, which could go to the users instead.
Okay! (expection @superbot, because he coped a lot of us). :(
2018?
As you see, this is where he involved @superbot.
Later, he also suggested that I write to @superbot too, but I was too busy to do that.
So... It's about time I explain what types of resteeming bots are there.
- I am in a group that gathers following the slow way and added some neat features over time. Maybe there are others like me, but I can't remember any.
- @superbot is in a group that tries to imitate the idea of resteembots, and he seems to do it decently well. There is a lot to be desired, but he seems open and honest about the bot.
- @hottopic is one of many scammers. The scam is that he sells overpriced service to people who don't know any better. No resteem is worth 3 Steem!
- @resteem.bot is different. He is somewhat honest, in the sense that he is not too overpriced and actually delivers the service. But he never seems to innovate. I could say that many of the other resteeming bots were imitating him, and not so much myself. (Yes, including @superbot). But he is different. He is kind of... A troll.
........
Let's go to @superbot's introduction post.
It is humbly named : Superbot - The Best Resteem Bot on steemit !😵😵
https://steemit.com/steemit/@superbot/superbot-the-best-resteem-bot-on-steemit
And another post of his:
https://steemit.com/resteem/@superbot/superbot-weekly-resteem-contest-14th-jan-2018
In there @resteem.bot not only trolls @superbot, but actually goes as far as to "expose him" for being an Indian.
...I honestly don't know which stereotype to associate to, when reading this. The ones about Indians writing crappy software, or the ones about Germans being racist. (@resteem.bot is German by the way)
But then I remember that I am from Bulgaria - a country of crazy high corruption, where everyone complains all the time, and everyone is obsessed with yoghurt...
Yeah...
I probably shouldn't talk about stereotypes...
.....
The story is not over yet. It is ongoing right now.
But - what is the moral of this story?
Is there a moral?
Please remember 2 things.
- Expensive resteems are scam, because resteeming is pretty much a free thing to do.
- While' normal' resteeming bots argue, scammers trive.
All of the arguing between @resteem.bot and @superbot is useless. It just makes both of them appear bad (especially @resteem.bot).
I know, because I went through that as well...