Chatbot News

6 Chatbot Communities to Join in 2019

Bots are a hot topic right now. There are many growing communities where you can share your chatbots, discover new chatbots, learn how to use new tools, compare frameworks, and keep up with discoveries. We've put together a list of our six favorites for bot developers and bot enthusiasts alike to explore.

When it comes to chatbots, or bots, you may find that the line between hobby and job is blurred. You’re likely keeping up with technology trends, but do you know where to find other developers to talk shop and share your learnings?

Joining one (or more!) of these six bot communities might be just what you’re looking for:

1. Chatbots News

If you want to discuss building, designing, and growing your chatbots, consider this community forum. Chatbots News is a subsection of Chatbots Magazine. Just like Reddit, you can browse by the latest or top topics and by categories. And you can post your own topics and comments. Unlike Reddit, there is no meritocracy, since upvotes and downvotes don’t exist. But you can view posts by the number of replies, views, and activity.

2. Botsociety

Botsociety lets you preview and prototype your bots and voice interfaces for platforms such as Messenger, Slack, and Google Home. And the Botsociety blog is a helpful resource for learning how to design your bot–—whether it’s your first or your hundredth. Want to know how to embed a bot into your website or how to deploy a simple Slack bot using the Microsoft Bot Framework? Botsociety has a tutorial for you.

3. Bot Stash

If you’re seeking resources and tools to help you with bot development, check out Bot Stash. With dozens of online tutorials, podcasts, and magazine articles to browse, you can find solutions to challenges that you may encounter while developing your bot. And viewing the work of other developers can inspire and galvanize your bot creation.

4. Slack

With hundreds of Slack communities, it can be difficult to decide which ones to join. You may want to initially invest time in a few and then narrow it down after you find your niche. The Bot Developer Hangout channel focuses on building Slackbots. And if you want to meet a lot of “academics, artists, and terrifyingly creative people,” (according to one member) try exploring Botmakers.

5. Facebook Chatbots Group

If you’re looking to discuss bots and AI on messaging platforms, such as Facebook, Slack, or SMS, consider Facebook Chatbots Group, where members share articles, give advice, and post questions about building bots. Want to know the best tool to enable you to build a bot without coding it as a web chat solution? Wondering whether TensorFlow can support 32-bit Windows operating system? These are just a couple of the questions people explore within the group.

6. Botlist

In an interview with TechCrunch, BotList co-creator Ben Tossell explained that the idea behind BotList is to offer a centralized bot directory. Considering that mobile app stores are inundated with new apps every day, this makes sense.

BotList is much more than just a place to browse bots. You can see how they work, what their purpose is, and how they’re designed—which can be very helpful for someone who wants to create simple yet functional bots. You can make a profile, showcase your bots, or browse other bots (choose from featured bots, latest bots, bot collections, and more). Plus, check out the profiles of other bot makers.

As you continue learning how to build bots, it’s important to keep up with industry trends. Joining niche online communities can help you become more fluent in the practice, discover up-to-date resources, and meet other like-minded developers who share a passion for a fully integrated world. Who knows? You might also notice growth in your career.