Mastodon, a decentralized social network, has seen rapid growth as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter). Bots on Mastodon, which automatically share posts based on tags like #datascience or #opensource, play a significant role in user interaction. A recent post on Mastodon was shared by six accounts within two minutes, with at least one being a tech bot. These bots can make everyday life easier by automating content sharing, but they also pose risks. They can enrich social networks by providing useful information or disrupt them by spamming or spreading misinformation. Mastodon, developed in 2016 by Eugen Rochko in Germany, operates on a network of servers forming the Fediverse. This article provides a step-by-step guide on creating a Mastodon bot using Python, highlighting the balance between the benefits and risks of bots in social networks.
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