SearchIRC Bot

EcKstasy · Lurker Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 180

Is it possible for the SearchIRC bot to stay on Networks 24/7?
I just wondered because it saves bandwidth from global connect notices xD
Nah,im only playing..but It would be good if there was an opt in thing to have for scrawl to stay on the network 24/7,I know it has other networks to go to aswell and maybe crash,tho,it was just a suggestion Cool

Jason · Posted: Jul 01, 2008 7:54pm Post subject:

it stays on the major networks, but only because for networks like ircnet, if it disconnected, it might not be able to get back for hours....

I don't think we could keep bots on all the networks all the time though. There are a lot of over zealous opers that scan users connected, and would kline our host if they thought anything looked suspicious. Of course, we get that all the time just by connecting, so who knows :)

Wepa · none Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

wow that would be cool though. How many scrawl bots are there in total?

Jason · Posted: Jul 01, 2008 8:51pm Post subject:

one bot, many different networks, and the bot runs about 30-40 concurrent processes at a time.

Wepa · none Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

Wow thats a lot of bots! Impressive! Good job Jason on the website, I recently read you started searchirc from scratch congrats because this is like the only IRC website that is alive!!! Well planned! Keep up the good work!

Lyhne1 · Posted: Jul 05, 2008 3:39pm Post subject:

Just wondering, Lets say I was to make a bot for my Network could I have send ifno back to SearchIrc to free your guys bots? Kinda like kill to birds with one stone. If this something that you would allow,I be willing to talk in more detail about it.

PingBad · Posted: Jul 05, 2008 5:01pm Post subject:

Leet · Lurker Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 159 Location: New York

Good idea though.

mouselike · Idler Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 379 Location: IRC

...or just offer a subscription perhaps so networks/admins can chose to keep the bot on their network but at the going rate, if they kline it then it's their money they have thrown away; along with the free subscription already lol

It will also benefit the networks that are genuine but arnt big enough to be listed but chose to be included in the 24/7 system and help fund sirc too i think.

PingBad · Posted: Jul 06, 2008 6:37am Post subject:

having money to burn is not always synonymous with being an honest admin. So there has to be a practical limit where most of the kids are weeded out (something beyond the average allowance, me thinks) - but in saying that, you also deny those who are honest respectful, etc but lack the financial resources.

Then we also have to cover things like the old mantra "no such thing as a free lunch", in other words: "I contribute to your site, so what do I get as a favor in return" (gotta love human nature Wink

) which would also need deep consideration.

My 2c + tax (yep, it's tax season again - UGH!)

katsklaw · Posted: Jul 06, 2008 8:12am Post subject:

actually this can be achieved. Just in a compromise. What can happen is a statically built binary can be run from a shell the network owns that acts like scrawl and reports it's findings back to the db. Something like services or an eggdrop already does.

Being a binary executable would prevent statistics tampering on behalf of the administration of said network since they can't alter the source code. This binary would also be using said networks resources thus lowering SIRC's resource consumption and achieving the desired effect as well as being on said network 24/7. wow, cake and eat it too! ;P

The configuration file for the bot could only contain connection info and the bots nick on the network. The bot could work as a StatServ for the network as well as reporting stats back to SIRC just as scrawl currently does.

The network can then choose if/when it no longer wishes to send data back to SIRC by simply shutting the bot down instead of banning the bot as present.

Jason · Posted: Jul 06, 2008 10:03am Post subject:

What's the difference between a bot from searchirc system polling vs an eggdrop the network runs that is polling the system?

the proper way to do it is a service that connects as a server, so there would not need to be polling. Have it run locally on a box that has a client server, so there is no bandwidth overhead. But of course you know why this isn't going to happen.

I like KISS. One indexer, one method, and no requirements besides a functional IRC server. We have a hard enough time telling people SearchIRC doesn't spam or do anything wacky with scrawl, nevermind asking them to run a program we come up with on their local box :)

katsklaw · Posted: Jul 06, 2008 10:56am Post subject:

It's not a matter of asking anyone to do anything. Networks can either use the current scrawl or as an option, voluntarily run the binary.

The difference between scrawl polling and a remote bot polling is YOU save CPU cycles. Just like the difference between distributed computing and undistributed computing.

Jason · Posted: Jul 06, 2008 12:41pm Post subject:

not worth the hassle. The system in place hasn't needed any real changes in several years. :)

mouselike · Idler Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 379 Location: IRC

God I hate saying this but I agree with katsklaw again, he comes up with a feasible solution that could actually work.