<![CDATA[Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment.]]>Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment.

I'm noticing an uptick in people following me who have weird usernames (lots of numbers), no profile photo, and 0 followers - I'd say 90% of new followers from the past week or two. (Disclaimer: I don't like the word "follower", it sounds cultish)

What gives?

Treasuring the human connections I've made here and this is a bit unsettling TBH.

I may turn on manual approvals πŸ₯²

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/219da2e6-27da-4519-a95d-49074efec678/wondering-if-the-fediverse-and-mastodon-in-particular-is-undergoing-a-major-spam-bot-signup-wave-at-the-moment.RSS for NodeSun, 12 Jul 2026 01:31:34 GMTFri, 10 Jul 2026 11:48:00 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:42:39 GMT]]>@Smidgybit

Welcome Smidgybit! Feel free to ask if you want help with using this place.

There is also lots more support for new people on the website at https://fedi.tips

By the way, you don't need to use a profile image if you don't want to πŸ™‚

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.growyourown.services/users/FediTips/statuses/116897622244129308https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.growyourown.services/users/FediTips/statuses/116897622244129308Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:42:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:27:13 GMT]]>@padeluun @_elena @renchap Because I do not want monthly subscription? Wtf. Maybe I dont get your content right. It would be kind of you, if you cared enough to put it on "english" so I can let it translate. Or are my complains too loud for you to care?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115976868534082404/statuses/116897561563584062https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115976868534082404/statuses/116897561563584062Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:27:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:19:08 GMT]]>@Tilai @_elena @renchap Interesting that you are hallucinating an β€œinclusive vision of the Fediverse.” That very idea already contributed to its decline in the 1980s and early 1990s, ultimately placing online networking in the hands of quasi-fascist corporations. You are welcome to repeat that mistake. Just please do it a little less loudly.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://digitalcourage.social/users/padeluun/statuses/116897529783056948https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://digitalcourage.social/users/padeluun/statuses/116897529783056948Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:19:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:24:58 GMT]]>@unkx @chrislowles @_elena I think this is spot on. The more connected and older an account is the more legit it seems.

I have seen accounts that follow thousands of other accounts and through this action gain some automatic follow-backs.

And these accounts are bare, have no information, no toots, no nothing.
Sometimes they boost some random things to seem like a person.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/themipper/statuses/116897316792813332https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/themipper/statuses/116897316792813332Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:24:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:41:52 GMT]]>@_elena I'm in the process of building a tool to help admins fight this very spam signup problem. I have a way to go but it's in the works and admins are using it.

https://fediponics.com/about

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://gardenstate.social/users/stefan/statuses/116897147298530750https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://gardenstate.social/users/stefan/statuses/116897147298530750Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:41:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:16:08 GMT]]>@_elena Luckily I crossed the gate before it closed.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/klefstadmyr/statuses/116897046072901255https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/klefstadmyr/statuses/116897046072901255Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:16:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:12:45 GMT]]>@Smidgybit my pleasure! Please ping me once you’ve published your introductory post and I’d be happy to boost it πŸ€—

@FediTips

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116897032788924133https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116897032788924133Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:12:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:00:18 GMT]]>@_elena
That's the curse of the open registration servers πŸ˜…

It's cyclical though

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://gamerstavern.online/users/alex/statuses/116896983847728665https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://gamerstavern.online/users/alex/statuses/116896983847728665Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:00:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:54:53 GMT]]>@_elena @FediTips Oh!! Thank you so much! Super helpful! πŸ₯° And thank you for the warm welcome!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116893053171401228/statuses/116896962522286254https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116893053171401228/statuses/116896962522286254Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:54:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:54:22 GMT]]>@phillycodehound @_elena

It was always very weird terminology "to follow someone" and "getting followed". Think about the offline equivalent and that is abundantly clear. Creepy πŸ™‚

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.coop/users/smallcircles/statuses/116896960502067666https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.coop/users/smallcircles/statuses/116896960502067666Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:54:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:53:09 GMT]]>@ollierelfe totally! 99% fireflies and 1% cockroaches in my comments πŸ™Š

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896955741207656https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896955741207656Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:53:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:50:58 GMT]]>@_elena I don't like the word "follower" either. For you, I think they should be referred to as "Fireflies" because they light up your comments... well, hopefully. πŸ˜‰

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ollierelfe/statuses/116896947121106863https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ollierelfe/statuses/116896947121106863Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:50:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:43:38 GMT]]>@_elena awesome, thank you!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/jaz/statuses/116896918319009024https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/jaz/statuses/116896918319009024Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:43:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:39:02 GMT]]>@jaz thank you for letting me know Jaz πŸ’”

I just boosted your message, hoping that more admins and mods can fill out your survey πŸ₯²

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896900230660107https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896900230660107Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:39:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:35:35 GMT]]>@docpop excellent!!! ❀️ @MichelPatrice

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896886627505963https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896886627505963Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:35:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:35:14 GMT]]>@Smidgybit ooooh happy first day Smidgybit! Welcome to the Fediverse! ❀️

Thank you so much for your note and if I may, I would highly recommend doing a first introductory post about who you are using the Introduction hashtag. It's a great way to connect with people when you're just starting out.

More info from the excellent @FediTips website: https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-get-more-followers-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896885303842622https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896885303842622Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:35:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:32:03 GMT]]>@_elena

>Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment

Yes, broadly and consistently.

> I wonder if has anything to do with the uptick in suspicious, bot-like accounts

Yes, broadly and consistently.

It is overwhelming some servers and some moderators, and many more are just tired of dealing with it.

IFTAS needs to hear from admins and moderators in the annual survey:

https://tally.so/r/81MW6k

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/jaz/statuses/116896872783602785https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://toot.wales/users/jaz/statuses/116896872783602785Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:32:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:31:33 GMT]]>@drfyzziks your post made me laugh out loud and I'm glad I wasn't drinking while reading it πŸ˜… πŸ˜‚

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896870798854848https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896870798854848Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:31:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:24:33 GMT]]>@_elena haha good for you!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896843258896021https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896843258896021Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:24:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:23:27 GMT]]>@phillycodehound Mastodon / the Fediverse empower us with so many cool features πŸ™Œ (gotta admit defederation from entire servers is my fave - bye bye Threads)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896838914939012https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/_elena/statuses/116896838914939012Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:23:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:04:11 GMT]]>@_elena Probably worth doing.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896763204045177https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896763204045177Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:04:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:03:34 GMT]]>@_elena That's cool that we can remove followers!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896760769153478https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://indieweb.social/users/phillycodehound/statuses/116896760769153478Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:03:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:57:19 GMT]]>@_elena don't forget to report since he does not have the "bot" label.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kanoa.de/ap/users/116722091243597899/statuses/116896736156399171https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://kanoa.de/ap/users/116722091243597899/statuses/116896736156399171Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:57:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Wondering if the fediverse - and Mastodon in particular - is undergoing a major spam / bot signup wave at the moment. on Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:54:23 GMT]]>@_elena @lisamelton I highly recommend turning on manual approvals. The bot levels are high out there.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lydiaschoch/statuses/116896724639071477https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lydiaschoch/statuses/116896724639071477Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:54:23 GMT