The News
Twitter on Wednesday announced that it would no longer offer free access to application programming interface (API) services, effectively marking the death of thousands of bot accounts by next week.
Twitter bots rely on API for their automated accounts, which means that many of them will lose access unless they pay for it.
Here’s a roundup of some of the more noteworthy bots that are likely to disappear.
In this article:
The Useful Bots
Earthquake Robot
@earthquakeBot tweets whenever an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 5.0 is detected anywhere in the world. Some cities particularly prone to seismic activity, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, have separate bot accounts as well.
Here’s Your Reminder
We all need some self-care during stressful days, and @tinycarebot pops up in your feed every few hours with a nudge to get you to drink more water or step outside for some fresh air.
The Quirky Bots
DSCOVR:EPIC
The world is a beautiful place, and you can find stunning images of the Earth via @dscovr_epic, which uploads pictures taken from the DSCOVR space craft. The bot is particularly fun for those that like to track weather patterns or storms.
Flags Mashup Bot
For all the geopolitics geeks out there, @FlagsMashupBot randomly mashes two flags together to create new, sometimes outlandish designs. Some of the more recent design include “Soctlan” : the combined flags of Scotland and Reunion.
The Global Bots
Goodies for Ukraine
@Goodies4Ukraine has been particularly useful for those following the war in Ukraine, with the account updating the world whenever a military aircraft potentially carrying aid for Ukraine lands in Poland.
Big Tech Alert
The account @BigTechAlert follows all the Twitter activity of the world’s biggest tech companies and CEOs, primarily posting about who these profiles are following on the platform, and who they unfollow. It’s a good way to keep an eye on what conversations these influential companies and powerful public figures are keeping track of.
Such a Manga Bot
The account @JAPAN_manga_bot has a dedicated following of worldwide comic fans, with the bot posting pictures from Japanese manga as far back as the late 19th century.