People can set up bots to scrape. I do use a tool (Bryan's tool) when I upload images I chose from Flickr that are CC appropriate. I guess there are bots that do scrape things if you chose a topic, theme, or search? I know Aude (Katie) runs a bot that scrapes cultural institution content sometimes. Perhaps someone else can elaborate.

While I support the use of technology, I also fear that people put so much trust into this technology they aren't aware of the lame content being uploaded. They love to reiterate that if the "bot approves it" it's okay and fine to be on Commons, but so much content that is pornographic in nature is often uploaded, bot approved, then the Flickr account is deleted. This is a rather broken approval process or system, IMHO.

I have said this before, and I'll say it again: Automation is good to a point. It's destructive to the community in many ways though: it removes personality and human touch, it removes human connection, empathy and awareness from work, and it has this surreal ability to have people fully trust it. That's something that really disturbs me, and I think it's one reason why we have a hard time retaining editors. Everything is automated.

And Bladerunner is my favorite movie and sometimes I wish I was a replicant. But, I didn't know what Twinkle or Huggle was until Wikimania, because I rely on my own mind to produce what I need out of Wikimedia. Not all bots are bad, but, it's a problem.

-Sarah