Computer Hope
Other => Computer Hope groups => Chat => Topic started by: Calum on February 25, 2009, 02:00:44 AM
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Just wanted to make this post to let all members know there is a new bot in the #computerhope IRC channel.
The name is "Oz" and it is currently run my myself, jacky/WillyW and Fireballs.
It's there with permission, and is handling warnings, kicks, bans and can also do info databases etc.
If you should happen to notice any problems with the bot, pelase do feel free to let one of us three or the CH administrator know about it, and we will get it fixed ASAP.
Also feel free to ask questions about the bot, either in this thread, on the chat or via PM to me, jacky/WillyW or Fireballs.
Calum.
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Can you elaborate on it's purpose.
Handling kicks and bans etc!!!
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Boris told me earlier today. I didn't have time to log onto chat to see for myself.
He told me the bot was talking?
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He doesn't talk.
Didn't talk to me.
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Can you elaborate on it's purpose.
Handling kicks and bans etc!!!
The bot will hand out a warning, a kick, and finally a ban for censored words, repeated lines/letters, things like that.
I must admit I'm not the best person with this bot - it's running on one of my machines, yes, but I've been quite busy lately ... I know enough about the bot, but jacky/WillyW knows the most by far.
The bot can also do info databases - try !help to get some more information about commands you can use for this.
The bot is just starting out in the CH channel - we've been working on it for quite a while in a dedicated testing channel to test things out etc. It's very extensible too.
He told me the bot was talking?
Could be several reasons for that. It might have been warning someone, or giving some info from the info databases. Also, one of the bot "owners" could have been using it to say things, much like the Mibbit bot can be made to say things.
Edit: I just checked the logs, and now I understand. That was a greeting script, which has now been disabled.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
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Thankyou Calum.
I see the bot will be very useful.
Cheers!
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Believe it'd be helpful everyone (including myself) to have a basic run down on the commands available for Oz or a general introduction to capabilities.
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Other than Ivy i saw more bots than users last time i logged in...
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Hello,
Oz has a few functions now, that channel users may experiment with.
As Oz is new, these things might change. Hopefully not too much though. The goal is to provide useful and interesting things, and they become less confusing with familiarity.
Some things will need to be 'fine tuned' as time goes by, and we watch and learn. Please feel free to contact us with suggestions.
Oz will reply to !help sent in the channel. It is very brief help, merely to get you pointed in the right direction.
Right now, Oz has a database of over 90 terms. We can add/delete/modify. If you find that there is a term that you often use in the channel when assisting others, let us know, and we'll include it.
A couple ways to access:
!info <term> example: !info avast
!expl <term> example: !expl avast
!info normally gets you a shorter reply, with a link.
!expl can get you a little longer reply, with a link.
To search:
!ls *<term>* example: !ls *viru*
!info *<term>* example: !info *viru*
Important difference in two searches: !ls searches only the terms themselves
!info searches the terms AND also within their definitions.
If in doubt, just use !info .
The enclosing asterisks are wild cards, and with the above examples, it would find "virus".
!ls alone, with no term behind it, will get you a listing of ALL the entries. Can be handy, if you really want it.
Oz will respond to 'seen' requests. And not just for Ops, and about Ops.
example: @seen Calum
In the channel, you will see "&Bot", and it replies to !seen , but only to Ops and about Ops.
Try @seen if you want to find out when somebody you are looking for was last in the channel.
[Edit: "&Bot" no longer exists in the channel. The trigger for Oz has
been changed from @seen, to !seen ]
Oz will do weather reports. !weather <town, state> or !weather <zip code>
example: !weather Sandy, UT
example: !weather 84094
Oz replies on many non-US cities too. Just try it, is the best bet.
Oz will do weather forecasts too. !forecast <town, state> or !forecast <zip code>
and a report on daylight, astronomy, etc. with !sky <town, state> , or !sky <zip code>
There are some fun stats that you can call up too. The basic command is !stat .
For other related info !top10, !top20, and !place .
For a little bit of information about channel usage, try *average .
There is also a Google search interface. This one uses the exclamation point as the beginning command character.
Example: !google free computer help
Perhaps with the use of the exclamation point, newcomers will not feel that they are being addressed and told to go google something. :) It's happened a couple times.
[Edit: New command! Try !ch <search terms here>
This command uses Google to search
just one site - www.computerhope.com .
Example: !ch ms dos
and the response will be a link to CH's page on Dos commands. ]
Since most of these functions have been available in the past, we've tried to continue to make them available. They were not abused nor over used then, so they probably won't be now.
Please avoid channel clutter though, when questions and answers are going on.
( !google, !weather, !forecast, and !sky will work just fine via /msg (PM) )
Oz monitors some certain activities in the channel.
Repeating lines over and over, will cause Oz to issue a warning to the user posting them. If it continues, Oz will kick them. On the thrid offense, Oz will ban them.
Same for repeating characters.
Example: Hellooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Same for YELLING by typing in all caps.
Same for using language that contains words that are on the mibbit server's 'bad words' list.
The fine tuning of the above is on-going and probably never ending. :) It is a balancing act, with the goal of getting results, without being overbearing.
Oz has protection against abuse too. Normal use is not abuse though.
The bottom line is for all of this to be a benefit to the channel, and to be enjoyed by all.
Join us, whenever you like. Looking forward to seeing you there.
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Other than Ivy i saw more bots than users last time i logged in...
Ten people there now, although it is not very active at the moment.
and:
@seen patio
<@Oz> I don't remember seeing patio.
:(
You must not have been around long enough to be noted.
Stick around a while! :)
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I'm a quick hitter...in and out.
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For those of you who might have been Zylbot fans as well:
I had a server crash... and am going through a very slow recovery process, thinking about sticking with Windows Server 2003 again... we'll see.
ZylBot may not be back up, however, since the purpose is a bit limited now. Zylbot used to provide channel stats, which now Hopebot doesn, Weather, which Oz can do as well now (though, it needs to be revamped so as not to flood the channel)...
Still, it was up for a few other reasons which could still be considered valid... we shall see.
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Note to all:
Oz will be down this afternoon (around 2-3pm GMT) for some maintenance. The hardware is getting a bit dusty, I want to monkey with the cooling a little, and I'm also installing a new router. It will be back online as soon as possible.
Edit: as some may be aware, this didn't happen today. I'll get round to it over the weekend I hope.
Edit 2 - router is in place, but hardware maintenance still needs to be done.
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I'd like to add to jacky's post, specifically
Oz has protection against abuse too. Normal use is not abuse though.
If you are an op, do not kick, ban or deop the bot. Oz will deop you. Also, operators are not immune to the normal protection - if you trigger protection by swearing, repeating, caps etc, Oz will bite.
Let's all set a good example to newcomers and other users alike, and leave them with a good impression of the channel, computerhope.com, and yourself.
If you don't bother Oz, Oz won't bother you ;)
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I'd like to add to jacky's post, specifically
Oz has protection against abuse too. Normal use is not abuse though.
If you are an op, do not kick, ban or deop the bot. Oz will deop you. Also, operators are not immune to the normal protection - if you trigger protection by swearing, repeating, caps etc, Oz will bite.
Let's all set a good example to newcomers and other users alike, and leave them with a good impression of the channel, computerhope.com, and yourself.
Didint we talk about this?
I dont care, there are too many issues with this.
If you cant fix them, I would really like to go back to Hopebot being a moderation bot, bots are just tools, if theres a problem with an operator, an administrator or another operator should take that issue up with them, not a mindless tool.
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Popular opinion on Oz has gone from "fantastic" to "everybody hates him" in a matter of days.
Strangely enough, I've actually received no complaints until yesterday, in the channel, when I received a complaint that ops were not allowed to deop Oz.
I can't say for sure, but I don't think Fireballs or jacky have received any either.
Does anyone actually read this thread? Am I talking to myself?
I don't like to do this publicly but there are too many people to address individually. All that seems to happen is people going behind others' backs, and the people that need to know have to read channel logs to know what's happening.
Right now I'm a little too worked up to actually do anything productive. If we can actually have a civil conversation about this, please someone feel free to let me know, rather than saying it behind my back.
Thank you, and goodbye for now.
P.S. Oz will be offline for a bit now, hardware maintenance.
Update: Oz will be offline for a while now. One of the heatsink hold-downs snapped, and I don't have the processor terminator to let the board be used with only one CPU. Will be back online when I get a new heatsink.
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Hopebot has had his warning protection messages re-enabled.