#hatebot

[dragonfire42]

I've been a fanfic writer on AO3 for two years, have 50+ stories and over 350k in words, lots of fun reader engagement and stay active on Tumblr to promote my stories and fan creations.

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:

Post by @transformativeworks · 2 images

💬 1  🔁 3575  ❤️ 8483 · AO3 Celebrates 10 Million Registered Users · #AO3 has reached 10 million registered users! Celebrate with us by parti

And anyone who sees my name or any of my pseuds with (Guest) please know it didn't come from me, and don't let a random hate bot discourage you from continuing to write! Use comment moderation, turn off guest comments, and always report spam! Don't let the bots win!!

[miss-alice-evelynn]

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

Edit: for further context I have two degrees in creative writing and three published novels (I know taste is subjective obviously but I do have my receipts lmao)

[alessandriana]

Fair warning: apparently the new hatebot comment strategy is accusing people of being transphobic.

[channelfrederator]

Meet Hatebot!

-Sam

[gender-evil-rose]

The time has come and EM has made a 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.

At first I wanted a character I could cosplay as ;_; but he's far too complicated for that. *sigh* so he'll stay here on paper.