Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing • Hacker News Board

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#11

Post by aaomidi » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 3:07 AM UTC

Knew this was going to be happening. Insane honestly.

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#12

Post by firstlink » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 4:45 AM UTC

The link has pretty convincing evidence of astroturfing.

What I don't understand is why take the sub private instead of deleting the post? That's crazy. Were they concerned deleting a post would create more backlash than taking the sub private? Basically the same calculus as a tyrant declaring martial law and expecting the backlash from that to be less than from allowing protests?

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#13

Post by aspyct » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 6:44 AM UTC

What's "astroturfing"?

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#14

Post by coufu » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 6:48 AM UTC

aspyct wrote: post #13

What's "astroturfing"?

You can prob find a better explanation online, but basically faking a “grass roots” movement using bots or a brigade of users. It’s called such since astroturf is fake grass.

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#15

Post by throwbadubadu » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 6:59 AM UTC

Cannabat wrote: post #10

0x0000000 wrote: post #7

This is an archive from four days ago? What's the news?

It appears someone is using a LLM to make pro-Reddit (ie anti-subreddit-blackout) posts on r/programming. The accounts are all under 30 days old and the posts have that classic milquetoast ChatGPT vibe to them - utterly bland, inoffensive, “safe” posts. If you’ve used ChatGPT you’ll immediately recognize the style.

Tinfoil hat on: spez himself, right into the backend again. v2 will be rolled out to all subreddits then :D

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#16

Post by pulpfictional » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 9:21 AM UTC

Is the archive link of the actual post working? Just a broken white page for me.

Edit: works by clicking the comments button. Utterly pathetic move, so stupid. You'd think reddit of all services would know how to astroturf

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#17

Post by ranguna » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 9:24 AM UTC

coufu wrote: post #14

aspyct wrote: post #13

What's "astroturfing"?

You can prob find a better explanation online, but basically faking a “grass roots” movement using bots or a brigade of users. It’s called such since astroturf is fake grass.

So organising a group of bots to influence a decision?

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#18

Post by rozab » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 10:25 AM UTC

Link could be changed to https://web.archive.org/web/20230611210834/https://old.reddi...

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#19

Post by westmeal » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 11:47 AM UTC

ranguna wrote: post #17

coufu wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can prob find a better explanation online, but basically faking a “grass roots” movement using bots or a brigade of users. It’s called such since astroturf is fake grass.

So organising a group of bots to influence a decision?

Pretty much, it doesn't have to be bots it can also be real people astroturfing something to manipulate public opinion.

Re: Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing

#20

Post by antifa » Sat, Jun 17, 2023, 12:57 PM UTC

aspyct wrote: post #13

What's "astroturfing"?

astroturfing

> the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.