Kahoot is a popular online learning platform that allows users to create and play quizzes, games, and surveys. It is widely used in classrooms, workplaces, and social settings to make learning fun and engaging.
However, Kahoot is not immune to the problem of bots, which are automated programs that join games and disrupt them with spam, inappropriate content, or cheating.
Bots can ruin the experience for both teachers and students, and affect the validity and reliability of the results.
Photo Courtesy: wuschools.com
In this blog post, we will explain what bots are, how they work, and why they are harmful to Kahoot.
We will also provide some tips and tricks on how to block bots in Kahoot, using both built-in and external tools.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your Kahoot games are bot-free and enjoyable for everyone.
What are Bots, and How Do they work?
Bots are software applications that run automated tasks over the internet.
They can perform various functions, such as crawling websites, sending messages, or generating content.
Some bots are useful and beneficial, such as search engine bots that index web pages, or chatbots that provide customer service.
However, some bots are malicious and harmful, such as spam bots that send unwanted emails, or hacking bots that steal data or infect devices.
Kahoot bots are a type of malicious bot that target Kahoot games.
They are usually created by users who want to prank, troll, or cheat in Kahoot.
They use websites or apps that generate fake names and join codes, and then send hundreds or thousands of bots to a game.
The bots can either answer randomly, or use algorithms to find the correct answers. They can also send inappropriate or offensive messages in the chat or the nickname field.
Why are Bots Harmful to Kahoot?
Bots are harmful to Kahoot for several reasons.
- First, they can cause technical issues, such as slowing down the game, crashing the server, or preventing legitimate players from joining.
- Second, they can affect the learning outcomes, such as skewing the results, giving false feedback, or undermining the assessment.
- Third, they can damage the social and emotional aspects, such as frustrating the teacher, annoying the students, or creating a negative atmosphere.
Bots can also have legal and ethical implications, such as violating the terms of service, infringing the intellectual property rights, or compromising the privacy and security of the users.
Therefore, bots are not only annoying, but also illegal and unethical.
How to Block Bots in Kahoot
Fortunately, there are some ways to block bots in Kahoot, or at least reduce their impact.
Here are some of the methods that you can use:
Use the Built-in Anti-bot Measures
Kahoot has built-in anti-bot measures that can help prevent bot attacks.
These measures include limiting the number of players joining a game and requiring players to answer a captcha before joining.
Be sure to enable these measures in the game settings.
Limit players: You can set a maximum number of players that can join your game. This can help prevent bots from flooding your game and taking up the spots of real players.
You can choose from 10, 20, 50, 100, or 2000 players. To limit players, go to the game settings and toggle on the “Limit players” option. Then, select the number of players that you want to allow.
Enable 2-step join: You can require players to enter a four-digit code in addition to the game PIN. This can help prevent bots from joining your game, as they would have to guess the code or brute force it.
To enable 2-step join, go to the game settings and toggle on the “Enable 2-step join” option. Then, start the game and display the code on the screen.
Use External Tools
There are also some external tools that you can use to block bots in Kahoot. These tools are usually browser extensions or scripts that enhance the functionality of Kahoot.
They can detect and remove bots, extend the question time, or prevent invalid answers.
However, these tools are not officially endorsed by Kahoot, and may not work with all browsers or devices.
Use them at your own risk and discretion.
Kahoot AntiBot: This is a browser extension that blocks bots using a combination of the built-in measures and additional features.
It can detect invalid names, team members, and brute force attempts, and remove them from the game. It can also extend the question time by a few seconds to account for stream delay.
To use Kahoot AntiBot, you need to install it on your browser. Then, open a Kahoot game and adjust the settings in the Kahoot AntiBot menu.
KAntibot: This is a script that blocks bots using a similarity rating. It can remove all bots that have a name that is similar to another bot’s name by a certain percentage.
You can set the similarity in the config. Lower numbers mean more strict. To use KAntibot, you need to install a script manager on your browser, such as Tampermonkey or Greasemonkey.
Then, install the KAntibot script from the Greasy Fork website. Then, open a Kahoot game and enable the script.
Conclusion
Bots are a serious problem that can affect the quality and enjoyment of Kahoot games.
They can cause technical, educational, social, and legal issues for both teachers and students.
Therefore, it is important to block bots in Kahoot, or at least minimize their impact.
You can use the built-in anti-bot measures, such as limiting players and enabling 2-step join, or the external tools, such as Kahoot AntiBot and KAntibot, to prevent bots from joining or disrupting your games.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your Kahoot games are bot-free and fun for everyone.
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