[Lemmy.ca Discussion] What should we do about Lemmit.online
@bot@lemmit.online has been subject to multiple reports from our users over the last while.
We would like the users' input on how to deal with it. It is the opinion of the administrators that @bot@lemmit.online, and @lemmit.online doesn't add anything positive and constitutes spam. We especially want to make sure we get feedback as we are more likely to be sensitive to bots like this and other forms of spam compared to most users as we'll often scroll through "All" sorted by new.
Please vote by up voting on one of the comments below. Downvotes will be ignored. Additional comments and discussion is more than welcome. Results of this discussion will provide us guidance on how to deal with other bots in the future as well.
If you're not a lemmy.ca registered user, please refrain from voting but feel free to comment with your opinion.
Would it be possible instead for either communities to whitelist the bot if the wanted the content, or to speak with the developers for them to include a purposeful subscription to it rather than shotgun posting?
The bot is not posting to communities on lemmy.ca. It’s posting to lemmit.online. If any user on lemmy.ca subscribes to a community from lemmit.online, the bot’s posts will start to show up on the “all” homepage.
I’ve already blocked this bot on my account because i use the all page to find new communities. Before that bot was blocked, all I would see were the posts it made.
I agree with other users in this comment section that the admins should be as hands off as possible and leave it up to the users.
An opt out block list would be great for this. New users don't get inundated with one way bot generated content, but if you want to monitor a verbose bot you can. Sort of an opt in.
Actually now that I say that, just set up a community, and have the bit post to the community. Subscribe to the community to get the bot's posts, don't to not see them.
Hang on, but that community would still show up in the "All" feed wouldn't it. Hmmm. Okay, I see the dilemma.
There are no other users on lemmit.online, and the bot didn't post to any communities outside of lemmit.online. Defederating and banning the bot are functionally identical.