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.

Career

Dubbin worked on The Harvard Lampoon. He later became a writer and digital producer on The Colbert Report.

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.

The software was brought to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Dubbin also worked as a writer.

He later become CEO of Scripto.

Programming

Dubbin's preferred programming language is Python due to its mix of text manipulation and forgiveness for lack of code rigor.

Dubbin created a Twitter bot in 2013 known as @oliviataters, which tweeted musings under a guise of a teenage girl. It became popular in part because it was known as the bot most likely to be mistaken as human. It was later suspended by Twitter.

Personal life

Mr. Dubbin is the son of a preschool teacher and a lawyer.

Dubbin married in 2012.

References

  1. 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.
  2. ↑ Dubbin, Rob (2013-05-02). "Faraway: The Making of a Universe". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  3. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (2015-06-19). "Stephen Colbert's Digital Nation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Only, Subscription (2018-09-13). "Stephen Colbert Spoofs Intel's Bunny People in Emmy Program Ad for His Tech Company". Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  6. ↑ Dubbin, Rob (2013-11-14). "The Rise of Twitter Bots". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  7. ↑ Jeong, Sarah (2016-03-25). "How to Make a Bot That Isn't Racist". VICE. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  8. 1 2 "Twitter Suspends Beloved Teenage Bot 'Olivia'". International Business Times. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  9. ↑ "Twitter Suspends Beloved Teenage Bot 'Olivia'". International Business Times. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2026-06-21.
  10. ↑ Diamond, Jamie (2012-07-06). "Cailin Goldberg-Meehan and Robert Dubbin". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-21.