Newsletter #84 Automated Bots: Good or Bad?

Created on 19/12/03

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The last newsletter (27th November, 2003) was "Why Online Service Sucks"

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"Bot" is an abbreviation for robot and in the computer world it normally means a relatively small and focused application that performs repetitive tasks for the user without intervention.

As more information becomes available and more business is conducted online, bots are becoming more important to automate tasks and simplify the information avalanche.

Some examples of "good" bots are:

• Monitoring bots. These bots can track the latest news or notify you of changes to Websites.
  
• Shopping bots. Comparison shopping sites use these bots to compare prices at the various online retailers and you can use them too. Also in the same line is Auction bots and Stock bots.
  
• Search bots. Includes Meta search bots (uses a number of Search Engines), Newsgroup bots, Music and Image bots. Google is the best known example of a Search Engine that uses bots to scour the Web - its bot is called, not surprisingly, Googlebot.
  
• Chatterbots. These bots can simulate conversation or act as a digital human assistant.

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Of course with this increase in connectivity, the temptation becomes too great for some. Why not misuse the tools available for personal gain?

Some of the bots being misused are:

• Spy bots that allow a computer user's keystrokes and mouse clicks to be tracked.
  
• Spam bots that hover up email addresses and other personal details from Websites, newsgroups and instant messaging services. Similar to bots like Googlebot in many ways, but used for nefarious purposes.
  
• Automated bots that interrogate public systems or attempt to sign up for multiple free accounts. Examples of these are bots that attempt to download public registry details or sign up for multiple email addresses from sites like Yahoo - both to be used for spamming purposes.

The escalating battles between spammers and everyone else - legislators, email security firms, ISPs and spam activists are symptomatic of the war being waged against the misuse of bots.

One example of technology being used on the "good" side is Web-based email services and anti-spam applications using CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) to combat bot spammers. When you sign up for these applications you are asked to read a group of rectangular graphics and type the letters they represent into a box.

However CAPTCHAs cause problems for the visually impaired who often use screen-reading programs. The CAPTCHAs can't be augmented by other information to help the blind, as this would allow the bots to defeat the test.

The growing sophistication of bots will enable them to take on increasingly complex missions. One recent development is being pushed by a group of companies keen to change the way we use mobile phones. The group, which includes Vodafone, Nokia and Sony, is developing a bot that will monitor what you do with your phone and then try to anticipate what you might do next.

You could easily imagine future versions of Windows or Mac automatically writing specialised bots to automate tasks that you do frequently, across different applications. For example why couldn't a bot automate my daily startup sequence: open my browser, open my email program and automatically delete my overnight spam, while starting up MSN Messenger? If bots could learn how you used your computer and automate these actions they would be a powerful productive tool indeed!

Good or bad? Well....bots will continue to be used and misused, but the reality is their significance will continue to grow as we become more dependent on computers and the Internet.

Alex Garden

Newbies

For previous tips visit the Newbie Hot Tips page.

Power Users

Sick of the Windows XP Error Reporting message that wants to send your error data to Microsoft? To disable go to "Start/Run". Type msconfig, then "enter", and click the "Services" tab. Clear the "Error Reporting Service" check box and then click "OK". The change will come into effect when your computer reboots.

For previous tips visit the Power Hot Tips page.

Google Alert is an automated search and web intelligence solution. It runs daily Google searches for you and emails you when new results appear. You can use it to track what people are saying about you, keep an eye on projects or interests or get notified of new links to your Website. http://www.googlealert.com/

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a cinematic marvel and the final instalment, The Return of the King, has just been released worldwide. Catch all the action and loads of information and imagery at the official site. The desktop images are particularly impressive - I've got a great Gollum desktop at the moment - scary huh? http://www.lordoftherings.net/

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Best wishes

Alex Garden

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