Twitter is Booming, The High Rise of Automated Bot
A bot is not about spam. It’s all about wisdom.
Hello DigiFellas! Nowadays, everyone wants efficiency! So let’s summon the bot programmers!
First, let’s talk about Twitter. Look, I know what you’re going to say.
“Twitter? People still use it?”
Yes, I admit that Instagram is more popular than Twitter. But is Instagram more versatile than Twitter? I would say “No!”. With Twitter, people can tweet text, photos, send things through the DM, and all of that stuff. You can be talkative, be a stalker, be a critic — anything goes.
Sure, you have those things on Instagram too. But it’s obvious that IG is mainly for uploading photos and commenting on it. Every other thing on IG is just accessory features. You talk actively on your Instastory and then “Boom!” — In 24 hours, it will be gone. You guys over-glorify Instagram just because it feels classy while ignoring the horrendous money-grabbing algorithm. Yes, highlight features can make your stories stick, but still, Twitter is far more efficient in the “posting walls of text” department. Finally, let’s compare how many tweets can be tweeted in an hour to how many Instagram posts and Instastories can be posted in an hour. I’m sure you know the answer.
Let me ask you a question:
“Which social media platform is known for its trending topics?”
Honey, of course, it’s Twitter. International issues, local issues, dumb trends, conspiracies, roast sessions — Twitter’s got it all.
All people do is tweet, twEET, TWEET!
I think that’s enough about the big fat blue bird.
Let’s get to know automated bots. It’s simple, really. Automated systems that can do tasks efficiently, correctly, and quickly.
So what’s that got to do with Twitter? Well, Twitter is a versatile platform, so it’s a good place to create an automated bot. A basic bot can tweet, retweet, like, and send a direct message automatically. With a bit of know-how and a dash of creativity, bots can do so much more.
Let’s move to the more fantastic examples of what bots can do, like:
1. Bots can remind you of things. I prefer a “stay hydrated” bot because you know I need my skin clear
2. Bots can tweet about a specific topic to share insight. I prefer a KBBI bot. Some people on the net obviously need that, considering how lacking their vocabulary is
3. Bots can reply to tweets with special words. I love a mental health bot that can respond if you tweet that you are in a bad condition
4. Bots can track and update info. For example the flood bot for flood prevention
5. etc
Now out of all bots, one stands out in the sea of modern consumerism
That award goes to…
The Menfess Bot, the most favorite bot amongst Indonesian Twitter users.
What on God’s heavenly earth is Menfess?
Menfess is an acronym for mention of confession. You can send your tweet of confession and mention someone to the base’s Direct Message. The base will tweet your message. Your message will be anonymous, but your Menfess will be posted publicly. Netizens could see your Menfess, and for sure, that lucky someone (or unlucky someone in some cases) will see it. For convenience, there are some bot providers available. The most popular is biol.be. Its bot will automatically post the sender’s Direct Message if it contains a special ‘trigger’ word.
Recently, Menfess bot has evolved. Usage of Menfess is no longer just for confessions. People can ask, share, discharge and discuss without mentioning someone. It’s really important, and that’s why the bot is popular.
The account that uses Menfess bot is called an ‘auto base’. Some of the more popular bases are rlthingy, tanyarl, bahasrl, womanfeeds, collegemenfess, tubirfess, etc.
Now that you’ve read about the wonders of bots. Fancy making one?
Here’s how:
1. Apply for a developer account at developer.twitter.com/app
2. If your developer account has been approved, create apps on your developer account. Set your app according to your needs and aspirations
3. Set up a development environment. You can use an array of tools, from python to Node.js, library (such as tweepy, etc), etc
4. Link your Twitter app and dev environment with an API key, API secret key, access token, and access token secret
5. Program your bot
6. Test your bot
Don’t forget to keep up with us through our social media on Twitter and Instagram @COMPFEST, and our main site http://www.compfest.id (Editorial Marketing /Ferdi)
