You’ve probably experienced this yourself. Just after you posted your awesome selfie on to your Instagram account, you immediately either got a bunch of likes, found some nice comments or had some people followed you (or all of the above).
You felt overjoyed to know that someone had actually like your ‘mug shot’! They even left some comments (they must’ve had liked you a lot). If currently you suffer of any issues such as easily loosing focus or stress visit kratomcrazy.com where you will find a quick fix.
As a bonus you got some new followers too! Everybody wanted followers, who didn’t! It was like Christmas.
That was until you decided to check their profiles and when you found out that alas these new fans of yours were just a bunch of fakers employing some bots to do their works.
These days you can very easily ‘hire’ bots (software program to automate some defined tasks) to auto like, auto comment and/or auto follow on your account’s behalf for less than $1 a day. Just Google the keywords ‘Instagram bots’ and you will be presented with a list of probable candidate service providers.
Why would people use these automatons? Simple, everybody wants lots of followers, they want it now, but they don’t want to do the work!
For the most of us ‘victims’ though, the bots problem has become too pervasive that it has made our day to day Instagram experience turned a tad sour.
Well, fret no more because finally Instagram acknowledged this issue by actually doing something practical, which I must say pretty surprising coming from Instagram which lets be honest hasn’t been the best example of a good customer support.
On November 17th, 2015 Instagram posting a new set of rules which must be adhered by all third-party app developers (that would be the programmer who created the bots).
The new rules say that if someone wants to create a new third-party Instagram app, the app must start first in a Sandbox mode during development and testing.
In Sandbox mode, the developed app can only have a maximum 10 user, and can only see the last 20 photos posted by those users. In other words, the new app will only have a limited access to Instagram.
And then when it’s time for the app to go public it has to go through an official review and approval process before it can be unleashed to the mass!
These two things, Sandbox mode and review process, were not required before. Hence anybody writing a third-party app was free to create and do anything they like. This will now change!
Developers can no longer create what ever they like without official approval stamp from Instagram.
Shifting through the list of what is and is not allowed on the new Platform Policy reveals that the scope of things that a third-party app can do is pretty limited. And if my interpretation is correct, the automation apps like we’ve been discussed above will not passed the review process!
What about the existing bots? Well they have until June 2016 to get themselves reviewed and approved. My guess is that none of the bots will get approved and their access will be cut off from Instagram.
I’m really looking forward to the day when we are free from all bots, just like how Instagram used to be.
What do you think? Do you like this move from Instagram? or you actually think that it’s not a good idea? Ping me on the comment.
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The Last Dying Breath of #Instagram Bots – Finally we can be free of them! https://t.co/5pT5q3pNhG https://t.co/b1f3YcVCcS
The Last Dying Breath of #Instagram Bots – Finally we can be free of them! https://t.co/LZDqKCifFd https://t.co/QqEFWJJlE3
I think actually the bots have been a good thing for those otherwise lacking in the ability to get the attention that the bots illusively, yet convincingly, provide. I was immediately aware that only about 20% of the engagement I was getting at first was actually organic interaction. Someone less experienced in the ways of social marketing, however, is stoked about it. To them, it’s all organic. They don’t know the difference and they don’t care. They are instant rock-stars.
I think you underestimate them, I think they know but just choose not to care. Deep down they know that these are fakes engagements, but their human emotions blinded them to care about it. Which is fine by me, as long as it doesn’t effect me (and many many other serious Instagram users), which it is. The bots have made Instagram experience so much worst these past few years and I want it to go back like it was originally, where Likes and Comments really meant something. And then we can start in earnest to treat Instagram like a platform that worths considering, for individuals as well as for businesses.
I think this is a good future!
Instagram experince will be really authentic.
Excellent news! Anything that can be done to stop these bits (and all other scams and intrusive advertising) must be a good thing.
This sounds like a great move on Instagram’s part. There’s some real poor quality software out there.
Please please get rid of auto bots. I’m new and want to cry. They got s hold of me and pushed trial last week. I hate it. What’s the point. It ruins Instagram. I don’t need a computer to talk with. !! It’s making me want to cry