1. Someone (Reddit administrators?) was caught using chatGPT bots to flood the site with pro-admin comments.

  2. After /r/Programming exposed this, the subReddit was closed down.

  3. Rumor: the admins were the ones who close down the sub. Regardless, the astroturfing is evident.

SOURCES

  1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36361247

  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20230611210834/https://old.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/146wn9s/meta_who_is_astroturfing_rprogramming_and_why/

  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080526/https://i.imgur.com/4e9jO7P.jpg

  • Andy@slrpnk.netEnglish
    20·
    1 year ago

    This is crazy. All I can think is how useless Reddit would become if users begin to assume posts on the site are from generative language models. If anyone at reddit IS doing this, that’s like trying to get water out of your boat by drilling a drainage hole in the bottom.

  • cecilkorik@lemmy.caEnglish
    17·
    1 year ago

    Yeah I speculated this was the case when the prevailing opinion of comments on the site made a sudden and drastic change in attitude. IIRC it stated shortly after spez made his infamous comments about how the blackout didn’t matter and they didn’t see any impact.

    • garamasala@lemmy.mlEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      I thought the same and it seemed quite obvious to me. It’s absolutely pathetic. But it seems they can’t even do that correctly.

    • garamasala@lemmy.mlEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I thought the same and it seemed quite obvious to me. It’s absolutely pathetic. But it seems they can’t even do that correctly.

  • Mrrdrr@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    “Sorry i’m not capable of generating inappropriate or offensive content”

    *Tweaks parameters

    “Sweet, loving sexual intercourse u/spez!”