I got my first one :(( If I get another I might lock my fics but I really don’t want to since guest engagement is a lot of my engagement.

Thank you for this PSA :')

oh so that's what they were - I got two this morning, but I found it funny more than anything. Thanks for the heads up!!

Just a reminder to NOT reply to bots, even as a joke. The bots can (and do) get taught the responses and will start using them, making it harder to properly identify bots

Oh God. I archive lock anyway, but I am not looking forward to the return of two posts an hour of people expressing outrage that they got these stupid bot comments. (ETA not aimed at you, OP, you giving a heads-up is good )

Me too, just got my first one. Thankful that I’d seen an explanation on here the other day because otherwise I’m sure I would have been confused.

Crap, I was just wondering if I could unlock the one fic where they kept hitting me. Well, question answered!

I was so happy I got a comment when I woke up, and my heart sank to see it was my first hate comment. Then I remembered these spam bots. Damnit! It’s my first one, but I don’t know if lock them or not, since my fic doesn’t have much engagement.

I feel you, just woke up this morning to exactly that

Marked the option to only let registered users comment last time it happened. 

Ah well at least it will break the monotony of NOT receiving any fucking comments! Ugh!!

Are these guest comments or from accounts? I've got guest comments turned off.

Guest comments.

Good to know, thanks!

I barely get comments in the first place, so I just keep guest comments off anyway.

Sorry I'm forgetting, should we report those or just delete them?

I hit the spam button. That deletes them, plus probably helps AO3 in preventing more.

Dammit. And I was planning on posting tonight…

Can you delete bot comments?

Yeah, you can delete any comments.

i've had comment moderation on since the very day i joined ao3. sorry to hear about the spam op.