Sloppy Copies
2 days ago
- #AI cloning
- #online communities
- #web security
- Author created a hobby project in Ruby on Rails, which gained attention after being shared on sites like Hacker News.
- Noticed unusual bot activity targeting specific pages (About, FAQ, Help) and probing for pricing/subscription URLs.
- Discovered multiple scammy copies of his app, with near-identical workflows and domain names registered shortly after his article went viral.
- The copies often featured stock images, AI-generated testimonials, stolen screenshots, and placeholder content, appearing sketchy and untrustworthy.
- Found similar patterns in other niche communities, with spammy posts, sock puppet accounts, and AI-generated content flooding forums.
- Highlights that AI tooling has lowered the barrier to entry, enabling easy cloning and spam operations, though the intent of users drives misuse.
- Expresses concern about the impact on creativity and communities, feeling that genuine projects are being corrupted for profit.
- Mentions technical solutions like Anubis may be circumvented easily, and overall finds the situation depressing.