Rob Dubbin
Rob Dubbin is a comedy writer, programmer and game developer who co-created a popular script-writing platform Scripto while a writer on The Colbert Report.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Dubbin worked on The Harvard Lampoon. He later became a writer and digital producer on The Colbert Report.[3]
Scripto was originally conceived at the end of 2010, when Colbert and Dubbin first discussed making a bespoke drafting program for the writers’ room. Until then, they had using the Electronic News Production System, a platform developed by the Associated Press that did not allow for collaborative writing.[1][4]
The software was brought to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Dubbin also worked as a writer.[1]
He later become CEO of Scripto.[5]
Programming
[edit]Dubbin's preferred programming language is Python due to its mix of text manipulation and forgiveness for lack of code rigor.[6]
Dubbin created a Twitter bot in 2013 known as @oliviataters, which tweeted musings under a guise of a teenage girl.[7][8] It became popular in part because it was known as the bot most likely to be mistaken as human.[8] It was later suspended by Twitter.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Mr. Dubbin is the son of a preschool teacher and a lawyer.
Dubbin married in 2012.[10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Kim, E. Tammy (2018-01-09). "How Scripto, the App That Stephen Colbert Helped Build, Became a Fixture of Late-Night Comedy News". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Dubbin, Rob (2013-05-02). "Faraway: The Making of a Universe". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (2015-06-19). "Stephen Colbert's Digital Nation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Wolfe, Sean. "This tech CEO blared podcasts to defend his beloved peach tree from a bear that kept trying to steal his fruit". Business Insider. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Only, Subscription (2018-09-13). "Stephen Colbert Spoofs Intel's Bunny People in Emmy Program Ad for His Tech Company". Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Dubbin, Rob (2013-11-14). "The Rise of Twitter Bots". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Jeong, Sarah (2016-03-25). "How to Make a Bot That Isn't Racist". VICE. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- 1 2 "Twitter Suspends Beloved Teenage Bot 'Olivia'". International Business Times. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ "Twitter Suspends Beloved Teenage Bot 'Olivia'". International Business Times. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
- ↑ Diamond, Jamie (2012-07-06). "Cailin Goldberg-Meehan and Robert Dubbin". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-21.