Author: Amanda Coulson-Drasner

Bots are everywhere on the web, working behind the scenes to automate tasks so that they are completed quickly and efficiently, and are relatively easy to create. It is estimated that bots drive 62% of web traffic, working in areas like search engines to execute functions much faster than any human could. Because of how easy they are to create, they can be easily mistaken for real people on platforms with simple formats such as Twitter. This can be fun, like a Twitter bot that tweets out a new recipe everyday, or something more sinister. For this project we’ll focus on the more sinister uses of bots on Twitter, specifically on the use of political bots and how they can influence political elections. A recent study estimates that between 9 and 15 percent of all active users on Twitter are bots, and during the election they are thought to have been responsible for around 3.8 million tweets over a month, or about 1/5 of the entire political conversation during that time. This is a particularly salient topic after the U.S. election, where bots are thought to have influenced the outcome, and before the German election, which is coming up in September. From recent studies, it seems as if political bots are not as big of a problem in Germany as they are in the U.S., but their influence will likely only increase.

A study looking at the percentage of tweets coming from bots, or high frequency accounts, during the presidential elections in Germany:

There are many different kinds of political bots, and whether you think a certain one is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ will probably depend on your political views. For example, the bot @ilduce2016 had only one purpose, which was to tweet quotes from Benito Mussolini to Donald Trump with the hashtag #makeamericagreatagain. It did this tirelessly for months, until one day it was successful and Trump retweeted a Mussolini quote, causing a small scandal (although in the context of Trump it was a very small scandal). The political bots that people are more worried about, however, are those who real people think are human and engage in conversation with. Although it becomes obvious after a while that you’re not speaking to a person, political bots can have serious influence on how people perceive political candidates over Twitter. They become a part of the conversation and the fact that they’re not real people can get easily lost in the stream of activity. They are also usually more actively supporting conservative political candidates, so in a country like Germany where there is fear of a right-wing surge such as the one that just happened in the United States, recognizing online bots is a big topic.

Dawn Hightree, a user tweeting to Merkel seems like she could be a bot…

They can be, however, hard to recognize when just looking at one or two of their tweets. More of their tweets taken together or a look at their profile can usually alert someone that there are issues with the user, but even then it is not so obvious. They don’t look too different from real people users, and sometimes users that are real people look like chatbots!

Coming back to Dawn, a look at her profile tells us that she *might* be a bot. She has a high following to follower ratio, no bio, and tweets quite often about the same kinds of topics. However, her tweets are not all the similar and she has some pictures of herself, so it is hard to tell.

 

Our bot or not tool says…

Probably not a bot. Let’s check out the Mussolini bot we talked about earlier:

Seems like a bot! And with the tool?

This also shows the limitations of our tool though, as it only ranks at 47% overall, even though the content comes in as 88% bot.

Additionally, artificial intelligence is being used to make bots seem more like real people, which can have some interesting/ fun uses. In the context of political bots on Twitter, however, this is going to make bots much harder to spot, which is going to have much more serious influence on elections in the future. Imagine you’re having an engaging conversation on Twitter about a political candidate and they provide some convincing arguments as to why the candidate is better or worse than you previously thought. Unbeknownst to you though, the person you’re speaking to is a bot employing AI, continuously searching the web for arguments that are going to be perfect to change your mind. Here’s an example of a bot that you might not recognize just from the tweets (if it didn’t say bot in the title):

But from the profile is clearly automated

And the Botometer?

With the development of AI, and the desire to hide a bot from detection, the profile could easily be changed to look more ‘real’. In a world where a huge amount of people get their news from social media, elections could be determined by which party has the capability to have more influence online.

And the tool if you want to check it out:

https://botometer.iuni.iu.edu/#!/

* When you think of virtual reality, most people focus on the visual aspects of the experience. However, the audio component is also important for creating an immersive scene for the user, and can be included in different ways. Here we compare two different uses of audio in VR: one that employs a traditional recording combined with a VR visual, and another that uses binaural technology, which is sound that is differentiated between ears.
* Two startups in Berlin, intovr and Vragments have created a VR experience simulating a Stasi interrogation, but used sound differently. intovr used actors and newly recorded binaural audio to create 360 degree videos that make the user feel as if they are a prisoner in the Stasi prison. Vfragments used an original recording of a Stasi interrogation and then put it into an interactive VR platform.

* Many VR platforms currently use traditional audio, but binaural audio like that used by intovr is becoming more widespread. The audio is recorded with two special microphones that are shaped like ears, so whatever is in the environment comes into the microphone the same way it would to a person. The result when played back is a 360 degree audio experience that makes the user feel as if he or she is actually there.
* One example of the use of this technology, along with 360 degree cameras, is Beck’s performance of David Bowie’s ‘Sound and Vision’. It was transformed into an interactive film in 2013 that could be watched online and would follow the movements of the user’s head to experience the music.

* Another example is the very popular ASMR, which consists of videos on youtube of people making various noises (crinkling, scratching, whispering) into binaural microphones.

The videos have millions of views **and can be very creepy**

Backstage of the 360 audio

 

Some great suggestions:

http://dragons.org/creators/chris-milk/work/beck-hello-again/

 

Matilde Velho Cabral

Right around Hackescher Markt, the touristy yet hip area in Berlin Mitte, lies Haus Schwarzenberg, an unpretentious space where art and creativity are allowed to flourish.

Covered in graffiti, paintings and strange iron objects, in Haus Schwarzenberg you are likely to get lost in a bizarre maze of doors that give way to varied and fascinating attractions: from a museum dedicated Anne Frank’s feelings to an old workshop for the blind, here you can easily spend a whole day without getting bored. Thus, it is in one of those doors that a (not so) well-kept secret is hiding; a parallel electronic universe where metal monster figures come to life to dance your troubles away– Monsterkabinett.

Before entering into the metal abyss of insanity I confess I had high expectations; from what I read on the internet and on the Haus Schwarzenberg website itself, Monsterkabinnet sounded like an unparalleled exhibition, a sample of Berlin’s underground world that would promise to be a complete sensory experience. However, the guided visit ended up looking more like a joke than an actual artistic journey. As I went down the stairs that led to the exhibition, which according to the guide and artist himself would last about 20 minutes, smoke began to fill the room as we gather around one of the first monster inhabitants – and disappointment began to settle in. From room to room (in a total of more or less 4 rooms) we came across different pneumatically powered mechanical monsters, which in my opinion, were just interesting creations to look at for about 5 minutes. Paying 8 euros to do so (6 for students)? Way too much.

The guide really tried to make the exhibition more interesting, by giving the creatures life through his dramatic energy, but at a certain point he just seemed an overly-excited kid who did not get dessert at the end of his meal. After the show he also tried to sell his merchandise and from furry monster wallets to tarot cards with his face on, it was a tough choice to make. Do not get me wrong; I love surreal surroundings and original art shows but “Monsterkabinett” was too much of a bad taste joke.

However, if you are still interested in experiencing it through your own eyes here are the opening hours:

Thursday, hourly shows starting 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Friday and Saturday, hourly shows starting 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Last show always at 9:30

Jorge Satorre Mulet 

Since 1985, the last game of the footballing season in Germany has taken place in Berlin: the DFB-Pokal final. Even though some rumours arose that in the near future the final could be hosted in China, the president of the DFB (Deutscher Fussball Bund), Reinhard Grindel, ruled that option out, calming millions of German fans that want to preserve the tradition of their beloved trophy.

The weekend of the 27^th of May will be a busy one in the capital of Germany, as apart from the final, the German Protestant Church Congress will also take place. This will have Barack Obama as its star guest, being his first public appearance in Europe as former US President.

In order for the weekend to run smoothly, the areas where both sets of fans will have their fan zones have already been assigned. Following the recent tradition, the Dortmund followers will gather at the Breitscheideplatz, a place they have frequented for four years in a row. This time, the borussers will be the home team. Interestingly, it is of note that Dortmund has prevented Berlin from having a team in the final, after beating Union FC and Hertha BSC along the way

On the other hand, the Eintracht fans, who are seeing their team reach the final after eleven years without starring in it, will have their fan zone located in Alexanderplatz. The Frankfurters, despite being the theoretical away team, will be siting at the famous east curve of the Olimpiastadion.

Many fans that will flood the city will not be able to attend the game, but that should not be a problem. Different locations such as the Sommergarten from the Berlin Messe will hold public viewings so that no one misses this epic encounter. Also, during the whole day, fans will be able to photograph themselves with the trophy, as it will be exposed first at the Rotes Rathaus and after that in both fans zones. It will definitely be a very intense and special weekend for everyone present in the city.

 

Mirko Lorenz

Away days at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark are never easy. BFC Dynamo Berlin, which hosts the majority of home matches at the famous East Berlin stadium, has had a massive hooligan scene since the GDR era. In 2006 a match against Union Berlin was cancelled after heavy fights on the pitch. In 2011 BFC supporters entered the away sector to batter fans of Kaiserslautern after being eliminated from the cup. Witnesses said security agents opened the gates and did not bother to do anything about it. According to police statistics BFC Dynamo has the largest number of violence-oriented fans in Germany. In addition a severe part of those “problematic” fans have a right-leaning political background, whereas todays opponent is the opposite. The fans of SV Babelsberg 03 are widely known to fight against racism, nationalism and homophobia.

Though circumstances were hinting towards an extraordinary match this Saturday, when BFC and SVB met for the 30^th match day of Regionalliga Nordost, everything turned out differently. Players and spectators took a rather relaxed approach, the stadium almost counted more police and security staff than fans and the match slowly shifted towards the end.

Ten minutes before final whistle Dynamo was able to tie and five minutes later a cross ball flies through Babelsberg’s box. Dennis Srbeny is completely open and heads it in. 2:1 Dynamo. Frustration emerges in the Babelsberg sector, which turns to anger when Srbeny comes closer. Instead of turning towards the BFC crowd, he approaches the Babelsberg fans and provokes them with a celebration including Boris-Becker-remembrance-fist-pumps. Several fans climb the fence and yell various curses at the opponent’s striker.

Surprised by Srbeny’s unorthodox celebration—as well as the fact, that the teams somehow managed to score three goals—I turn to my neighbour.   “Do you think he is aware of the situation? Does he have a political intention?” He is surprised as well. Concerning the previous actions—on and off the pitch—the celebration was totally unexpected. The fans did not provoke the striker in any way, nor was it a brutal match. Completely unnecessary, I think and start to believe he wanted to show his disfavour of Babelsberg. After reflecting briefly this scenario seems unrealistic as well. On the one hand, because I am not sure if Srbeny is even aware of the “special” rivalry and on the other hand, political intentions of football players as rare as incorrupt officials. I also assume players do not always deliberate goal celebrations.

Back at home I look up the striker. “Dennis Srbeny, born in Berlin, 5^th of May 1994, is a German football player. He plays for BFC Dynamo since 2015”, his bio on Wikipedia says. So Srbeny could actually be aware of the situation between Dynamo and Babelsberg, which does not imply he had intentions. Srbeny’s Facebook page delivers some important information, but cannot solve the case completely. He likes a couple of football clubs, media outlets, musicians, models and other celebrities. Pretty standard, definitely not right-wingy. He obviously likes his current club BFC Dynamo as well as all his previous ones: Hansa Rostock, Hertha Zehlendorf and TeBe Berlin. TeBe is overwhelmingly left-leaning which supports the assumption that Srbeny is either not aware of a political clash or does not care about it.

Sometimes a match is about more than football, but in this case Dennis Srbeny is propably the only one who knows. Or maybe he does not even know himself.

 

Jérémy Gentit and Matilde Velho Cabral

In Berlin there is always something to be seen or to be done and if you are a movie connoisseur or just a regular enthusiast, the Berlin Film Festival “Achtung Berlin! – New Berlin Film Award” is definitely the right choice for you.

Taking place every year since its foundation in 2004, the popular temporary festival is already in its 13^th edition and from the 19^th to the 26^th of April guests have the opportunity to see pieces yet to debut in selected local cinemas with the attendance of the film crew and cast.

The specialty of the week-long festival is that the only films shown are ones that have been completely or in part made in Berlin and Brandenburg. Guests can choose from categories such as documentaries, short films, retrospectives, independent films and co-productions.

As a true meeting point between popular veteran directors and upcoming young talent, “Achtung” is already the third largest film festival in Berlin, and its exciting workshops, film parties and panel discussions provide a creative space for the exchange of ideas. However, its promotion is still a bit obscure and locally based, which can make it difficult to access despite social networks.

Theaters include are:

Babylon – www.babylonberlin.de

City Kino Wedding – www.citykinowedding.de

Eiszeit – www.eiszeit.berlin

Filmtheater am Friedrichshain – www.yorck.de

Kino International – www.yorck.de

Lichtblick-Kino – www.lichtblick-kino.org

Neue Kammerspiele Kleinmachnow – www.neuekammerspiele.de

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz – www.volksbuehne-berlin.de

 

The 13th Achtung Berlin festival drew to a close two days ago and after an incredible film’s marathon week, the awards ceremony was held at the legendary Babylon Kino on the 26th April. If you missed the opportunity to attend this year’s festival, you can take a peek at this year’s winners here:

 

A total of 13 winners were chosen according to individual categories:

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Feature Film.

THE HANNAS Director: Julia C. Kaiser

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best documentary

SCHULTERSIEG Regie: Anna Koch

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Screenplay

THE HANNAS

Screenplay: Julia C. Kaiser; Director: Julia C. Kaiser

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Production

FREDDY / EDDY

Production: Tini Tüllmann, Director: Tini Tüllmann

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Director

FREDDY / EDDY Director: Tini Tüllmann

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Camera

SCHULTERSIEG

Camera: Julia Lemke, Director: Anna Koch

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Actress

Anna King

Film: THE HANNAS

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Actor

Till Butterbach Film: THE HANNAS

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best Mittellanger Film

QUEEN OF NIENDORF Director: Joya Thome

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Bester Kurzfilm

PANDA III

Director: Maximilian Villwock

 

• The new berlin film award in the category courageous short film

MILK CAP 3 PAPER Director: Tim Kochs

 

• The new berlin film award in the category Best documentary medium / short

GARDEN OF THE STARS

Director: Stéphane Riethauser, Pasquale Plastino

 

• The prize of the Ecumenical Jury

ER SIE ICH

Director: Calotta Kittel

 

• The updated price of the German Film Critics Association (VdFK)

VANATOARE

Director: Alexandra Balteanu

 

•   The Exberliner Film Award

CLUB EUROPA

Regie: Franziska M. Hoenisch

 

Alexander Koneczny

When he took the oranges from the bar, placed there as decoration, nobody payed attention. A lot of people around him knew who he was but he still tried to impress some girls around him by juggling with the fruits. As if that would not be embarrassing enough, the drunken actor lost control of his movements and managed to destroy several glasses at the bar. Reaction? A shrug of his shoulders while turning around, probably heading to the next bar where he can show of his skills in combination with free drinks.

Last Friday (28^th May), the high-society of Germany’s film business got together for an event, where the only rule seems to be to see and be seen. The German Film Awards 2017 took place in the Palais in Berlin, honouring the most successful films, directors and actors by handing over the prestigious Lola. Most successful this year was the movie “Toni Erdmann” by Maren Ade, with six Lolas in total.

That was the official part, visible on German television and giving the viewers an impression of just another serious and fancy ceremony. Photographers, journalists and security everywhere, priceless outfits walking across the red carpet and the usual popping of flashbulbs everywhere. But as soon as the cameras are shut down and the after party starts, you realise that even the most serious and polite actors leave their role and show their real face. This moment of insight, seeing some of your favourite actors act like arrogant and snobbish people, getting drunk and think they are the king of the world fulfils every prejudice you had against overpaid young celebrities.

The after party with approximately 2.300 guests took also place in the building of the Palais and the atmosphere was very reserved in the beginning. As the hours passed by and the bars got busier, you could feel how a large number of the people in attendance, very used to acting and playing a role, lost their formal behaviour. The party was a total success and the people continued dancing until dawn.

As a matter of course, the famous fruit juggler was not representative for everyone around. Anyhow an event like this raises the question of identity and authenticity. If it’s already hard to read somebodies face in everyday life, it gets even harder in a hall full of actors, especially when everyone wants to socialize and network with everyone. And a simple “sorry about the broken glass” never hurt anyone.