  Software bots connect users and tools, streamlining the pull request review
process in social coding platforms. However, bots can introduce information
overload into developers' communication. Information overload is especially
problematic for newcomers, who are still exploring the project and may feel
overwhelmed by the number of messages. Inspired by the literature of other
domains, we designed and evaluated FunnelBot, a bot that acts as a mediator
between developers and other bots in the repository. We conducted a
within-subject study with 25 newcomers to capture their perceptions and
preferences. Our results provide insights for bot developers who want to
mitigate noise and create bots for supporting newcomers, laying a foundation
for designing better bots.
