What I learned from bots, chatbots and channels on Telegram

After some posts on how to build bots on Facebook, I got some feedback on making a difference between bots and chatbots. On a conversation with Miquel Serrabassa, Head of Technology at the Catalan newspaper La Nació Digital, he pointed out that some bots are, in fact, channels:

“These bots lack of interaction. They are unidirectional and post automated messages, but people cannot chat with them.”

According to Telegram, users interact with bots through messages, commands and inline requests controlled by a developer (and an API). From this definition, examples can be as broad as newspaper notifications, weather forecasts, and quiz games.

I have been experimenting and testing Telegram bots with basic coding skills and this is what I’ve learned so far:

My first steps in telling stories through virtual reality tools

Virtual reality is no longer in hands of the gaming industry. Journalists are experimenting with 360-degree cameras, GoPro, Google Street View, Cardboard Camera and other apps to create immersive experiences.

But how is virtual reality shaping the news and readers? Does it need a rule book?Edward Helmore says in this article that immersive journalism, as journalism in general, can also be subjective and subject to manipulation.