algoritham
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory
Oct 9, 2025 8:39 PM
algoritham
7696
310
6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory
Dxoh
Do crawlers like what search engines use count as a bot for this purpose? If so, would they be green or red?
zechor
So, we now need a verifiable internet where you have to prove that you are human and that proof gets you exactly one account. If you want to start over (because we all learn and grow) you have to shut down the old account first and start from scratch.
DaDudeAbides
goflyblind
Pokegeologist
So if the shareholders want the internet full of bots because humans aren't obsolete and aren't generating enough money...do we just create our own internet?
TiffanyKorta
A quick google will show that Imperva is a company that just happens to provide solutions to just such a problem. And whilst the report looks pretty there's no basic data to back any of this up!
junkgoof
And this is why you have flat earthers, antivax nutjobs, and people who vote fascist.
Kingdomonsterdeath
So we drastically need to increase the good bots. Spewing lots of left-wing propaganda and reality-based science.
Gelaticat
Hey hey! Ho ho! 10010!
DavedandConfused
I think 51% seems a bit low. I would have guessed 65-75% bots
Targe0
The thing about the dead internet theory is that it's finite.
Because sites that have a lot of bot driven traffic can't sustain themselves.
Because bots don't click ads and buy products, so advertisers will stop buying ad space on those platforms.
Meaning that platforms that become too infested with bots and lack human users will die off. Right now for most platforms it's assumed most activity is human, the moment that changes it all falls apart. ->
Targe0
Because the ad driven internet only works with humans being the source of all the money.
If you swap human users for bots. Then you remove the foundation of the entire monetisation structure.
As the issue with the dead internet theory is, it doesn't account for any of the economics of the internet. When you factor them in, it quickly becomes apparent that any bot take over just kills the site as the human users move onto new platforms with fewer bots.
Jewdakris
Clankers
Endocrom
On the bright side, corpos spending millions to get ad views wasted at least half of it.
Targe0
And that's why the dead internet theory will never hit criticality.
Because any site that is mostly bot's making content for other bots will go out of business because bots don't click on ads and buy products.
So advertisers aren't going to keep buying ad space on those platforms.
seenunseen
What's a good bot? This time last year? Conversion bot? Not exactly breathtakingly good or useful
xtav
Imperva provides services to web site owners, so in this context a "good" bot is one that is making web requests that benefit the website owner. The main "good" bots are the web crawlers run by search indexes like Google -- if those get blocked, the site won't show up in web searches and will lose traffic.
algoritham
But not actively malicious and spreading misinformation. It's a bar so low that its a tripping hazard in Hell, but it's there.
Boxzsak
01001100 01001001 01000101 01010011 00100001
landisfloatingrock
327,646,794,529 (decimal)
whadyameanthatnamestaken
!SDIK
WeenerWinnerChickenDinner
https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1MXhlNXYzdXFhYXp5b28zZTgwZ3hyaTljemtjZjBra3Frbm4yb3l3eiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/l4FGpqDQVuFqceqWY/200w.webp
Antininny
The only good bot is a green bot.
Kenbamazingbutprobablywontbe
The internet really died when napster went down.
BrohthorNature
Version 7 was the best time
Animorphs
Fuck you Lars!
rowbought
I'd take the time to argue, but I have to check my torrent downloads. I have several albums, a couple of movies, a dozen books, and a TV season that should be about done by now.
Kenbamazingbutprobablywontbe
I mean... i run my own netflix with black jack and hookers 14tb thus far. But i still think the internet sucks now.
jobbybob
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJlZ3k3OG94bXRxd2V6ODFoY3drc2V3Y2w2aXVjbHpxanE0eXQ4ZzJociZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/tIbrQIKPQTKanpHcrB/200w.mp4
Kenbamazingbutprobablywontbe
Yea. I am close to osteoporosispsaur
killergrooves85
Eh, I disagree because New Grounds was still hot and we had Kazaa and Lime Wire. So the internet was still cool. I think the internet died when Facebook and Twitter became mainstream.
akelamishari
Kazaa! Thats th name i was forgetting between napster and limewire!
TheN8
Yeah, once MySpace died off it was game over.
Jewdakris
I believe that Strongbad tried to warn us that the system was down but the cheat was too busy having light switch raves
Pokegeologist
https://youtu.be/Z1TlbLfaJp8
ItsTwoRaccooooons
To be fair, he did get grounded
Jewdakris
Ahem...deleted
wags18613000
Bad bots:
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1dTkwanRjcnl1Y2h2ZXY3OGlubG56ajRzemRkeWprdnNtODBoYzRoYSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/TElUQ8phjH7qr8lI1r/200w.webp
Targe0
Darleks aren't robots.
They are basically tanks for genetic monstrosities.
OregonComputerGuy
Would someone define "good bot" please
mrthewhitee
To give you an example a bot that scans your site for illegal content, deletes it and messages the appropriate people, would be a "good bot"
dreammer243
Here, children, we can see the beginning of what we call a slippery slope; watch closely
CallMeMcGyver
A robot that doesn't want to kill you... just wear your skin and pretend it's you.
oboemilyf
@UnitConversionBot is a good bot
ReaperCDN
Search engines use web crawlers to add sites to their search lists. Thats an easy example of a good bot.
sadurdaynight
We're all 3rd gen synths, not those brainless 2nd or 1st gen drones.
AtmaDarkwolf
Good bots, as far as I have seen, are only in place to combat/prevent bad bots. Without bad bots, they have nearly no use.
hwatL4bloopy
Web hooks? For reporting?
ThatOtherGirlYouKnow
Their eyes are green, not red.
Noesies
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1a3U0eXo4N2Rvd2liZWEzYmt2eW95NTAwNzBuNXJ1MTl1bmd1NWV5eiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/ppRqWchpUIUN2/200w.webp
ThinkThisOut
Just had a sandwich. I laughed way too hard at this
johnvictor
It serves its purpose as intended without malignant intent. A good bot might be something that helps compile an article into key points for people who have a hard time reading so they still get the intended information. A bad bot is, well, let's test this out. HEY! Trump is a rapist and pedophile whose entire intention was to destabilize NATO and the USA so Russia could colonize again! Let's see if that gets the desired results.
booklist
what an insightful comment <%USERNAME%>...why you deserve a cool refreshing Pepsi or diet Pepsi today! why not pick up a case today at your local shopping establishment!
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
Like web crawlers for search engines. They're providing a service the public actually wants.
TI99Kitty
Right. Or the bot on some subReddits that corrects bad grammar.
rshini
Or the racist detecting dog
DanielAsparagus
A program that does a job that’s necessary to maintain the internet or provides a service.
DVSBSTrD
You mean an auto mod?
WorkerLurker
Do you know what we call a machine that does automated tasks?
alexcoldt
The other biggy is a web-crawler that adds sites to search engines so people can actually find them.
TheManWhoStaresAtTurtles
That's a version, yeah. There are all sorts of other types, though.
Carl99
Or stuff like Imgurs own unit conversion bot
VoidForScreaming
How many 12 ft can fit into this 300cm comment?
idrinkcheapbeer
I understand the concept but I doubt any exist.
CallMeCourierSix
Then you have ZERO grasp of technological infrastructure. About 80% of IT work is being done by "bots."
idrinkcheapbeer
You aren't talking about bots. You are talking about infrastructure. I guess we could argue about semantics but I feel no need to.
CallMeCourierSix
ZachariasWolfe
Unit conversion bot?
idrinkcheapbeer
even that shit is crazy these days. I used to be able to put a math problem in the google search bar and it worked like a calculator. Now you get an ai response where they pontificate what you are asking.
ZachariasWolfe
I meant the account on this website that will identify measurements in posts and comment conversions for them. But tbh I've never wanted Google to do a calculation for me. The number of times it has done so when I'm trying to just do a search that happens to include a part that looks like a math problem is very annoying though.
wooliebooger
You still can do the google search for math problems, that is still absolutely a thing. You’d have to click over to ai mode to get anything weird