Steemit Crypto Academy Contest / S10W2 - Bots in the STEEM Chain .

Hello and welcome to my blog. I am pleased to conduct research about this post and discover new things about Steemit. Let's go:

Source

---

What is a voting bot in Steemit?

---

A voting bot is an automated service on Steemit that is used by Steemit users to purchase votes for the content they create on this blockchain. A bid bot is in the form of a steemit account that uses the voting mana granted by steem blockchain to upvote the content instead of steem or SBD charged from the reciever.

---

How does a voting bot work on Steemit?

---

The working of a voting bot is very simple and can be summarized as follows:

• A user who wants to purchase a vote from a bot transfers a certain amount of Steem or SBD to the bot account.

• The bot calculates the upvote weight that corresponds to the amount of Steem or SBD received.

• The bot then upvotes the user's post for which the upvote is requested. The link of the post on which the upvote is required is sent along with the payment made.

• The bot doesn't check the quality or quantity of the content but upvotes whichever link is provided.

---

Is it worth using bid bots to get upvotes in Steemit?

---

The use of bid bots depends on the preference of the user. However, in general, I think it goes against the spirit of the Steem blockchain. It has some advantages that motivate users to use it, but at the same time, there are certain disadvantages too. I belive it is not worth use for users with lower steem power but for users with higher steem power who get upvotes in exchange for delegated SP may be profitable .

---

Why are posts with bid-bot upvotes still downvoted on Steemit, and why does Steemit still punish its users for upvoting with bots?

---

Posts with bid-bot upvotes are still downvoted on Steemit, and Steemit punishes its users for upvoting with bots because the use of bid bots goes against the fundamental principles of Steemit. The platform wants its users to provide proof of brain and create quality content. It also encourages users to engage in organic curation. Bid bot users receive upvotes on substandard content, thus violating the basic principles of the platform.

---

What has Steemit done to combat bid-bot accounts?

---

The operation of bid bots goes against the principles of the Steem blockchain, and Steemit has taken steps to curb their usage. Some of the steps include:

• Steemit doesn't permit users to participate in official contests organized by the platform, thereby depriving them of organic curation by official curators.

• Steemit doesn't elect bid bot users to positions such as country representatives, moderators, curators, greeters, etc. This indicates that Steemit doubts the credibility of these users.

• Steemit has announced downvote pools in the past to counteract bid bot upvotes, and some penalties are applied to prevent the misuse of bots.

---

Advantages and disadvantages of voting bots in Steemit

---

Advantages of using Bots

• Increased Visibility: Increased rewards through votes attract more people and can send posts to the trending list, thereby increasing the visibility of the posts.

• Potential rewards: Higher visibility can lead to more engagement and potential rewards.

Disadvantages of Bots

• Deterioration of quality: Bid bots don't check the quality of the content. They vote regardless of the quality, resulting in votes on low-quality posts, which deteriorates the platform's standards.

• Expensive: Bid bots are not always profitable. Sometimes, the amount of SBD or Steem transferred is greater than the reward obtained because half of the rewards are distributed among curators as well.

• Controversy: Since bid bots go against the basic principles of the platform, they often result in controversy and chaos.

Thanks