A rising tide of online abuse has prompted the creation of The NiceBot; spreading positivity on the internet, one tweet at a time.

Did you know that something mean is posted on Twitter every 60 seconds? And when we say mean, we’re talking about insults, threats, derogatory remarks, profanity, abuse, pranking, and much much more. Something must be done!

The NiceBot is a twitter account created by Deutsch, an advertising agency based in New York, in collaboration with the anti-bullying organization Champions Against Bullying. Their goal is to spread positivity on the magical electronic interwebs via the power of Twitter.

Using the official Twitter API, The NiceBot sends out positive tweets to random twitter users all over the world. It’s effectively a spambot, but one that wants you to know that it cares deeply, thinks your hair looks great, and loves you just the way you are.

The project was just launched this week, and to date it’s posted over 3,500 tweets. Every 36 seconds, one lucky twitter user is the recipient of a tweet from The NiceBot. Jeff Vinick, executive creative director at Deutsch, told Adweek:

“The idea for The NiceBot came about when we found a pretty interesting stat – something mean, cruel or hurtful is posted on Twitter every 60 seconds. That kind of relentless negativity is hard to combat, but we started thinking about different ways to be nice to as many people as possible, and a spambot seemed like a good solution.”

The NiceBot is 3D Printed, too

So what’s this got to do with 3D printing? Well hold on, pardner, and we’ll tell you.

Deutsch have also commissioned the fabrication of physical NiceBots, which are 3D printed and have a particular function. Powered by a Raspberry Pi and equipped with a 4G internet connection and an LCD screen, these physical units can display The NiceBot’s Twitter feed in real time.

Sent to celebrities and activists who have taken strong anti-bullying stances in the media, these special-edition NiceBots also come with fancy packaging and a letter of appreciation.

Using spambot tactics to reach out to millions of Twitter users may seem counterproductive, but Deutsch and Champions Against Bullying are optimistic The NiceBot will be well received because the message is a positive one. More importantly, it’s not an advert or a ploy.

Vinick says of the project’s reception so far:

“People seem to be happy receiving a simple message of positivity to brighten their day. The NiceBot’s mission is to spread niceness to everyone it can. It doesn’t worry about the response. It simply thinks everyone is deserving of kindness.”

What are your thoughts on The NiceBot? Would you be glad to see more positivity on the internet?