An IRC bot performing a simple task.

An IRC bot is a set of scripts or an independent program that connects to Internet Relay Chat as a client, and so appears to other IRC users as another user. It differs from a regular client in that instead of providing interactive access to IRC for a human user, it performs automated functions. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (818x436, 23 KB) Summary The image (and bot) were made by me. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (818x436, 23 KB) Summary The image (and bot) were made by me. ... Scripting languages (commonly called scripting programming languages or script languages) are computer programming languages that are typically interpreted and can be typed directly from a keyboard. ... A computer program is a collection of instructions that describe a task, or set of tasks, to be carried out by a computer. ... Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of real-time Internet chat or synchronous conferencing. ... In computing, a client is a system that accesses a (remote) service on another computer by some kind of network. ...

The original IRC bot was GM, written by IRC server operator Greg Lindahl, whose IRC nickname was Wumpus. GM played a game of Hunt the Wumpus with users who communicated with it over IRC. Over time, bots evolved to provide special services, such as managing channels on behalf of groups of users, maintaining access lists, and providing access to databases. Hunt the Wumpus was an early computer game. ...

Often, an IRC bot is deployed as a detached program running from a stable host. It sits on an IRC channel to keep it open and prevents malicious users from taking over the channel. It can be configured to give channel operator status to privileged users when they join the channel, and can provide a unified channel operator list. Many of these features require that the bot be a channel operator. Thus, most IRC bots are run from computers which have long uptimes (generally running a BSD derivative or Linux) and a fast, stable Internet connection. As IRC has become popular with many dial-up users as well, special services have appeared that offer limited user-level access to a stable Linux server with a decent connection. The user may run an IRC bot from this shell account. These services are commonly known as shell providers. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of real-time Internet chat or synchronous conferencing. ... An IRC channel takeover is an acquisition of IRC channel operator status by someone other than the channels owner. ... An IRC channel operator (commonly shortened to op) is a user that moderates an IRC channel on a given IRC network. ... Uptime is a measure of the time a computer system has been up and running. ... BSD redirects here; for other uses see BSD (disambiguation). ... Linux (IPA pronunciation: ) is a Unix-like computer operating system family that uses the Linux kernel. ... In telecommunication, the term dial-up has the following meanings: Dial-up access, typically to the Internet A service feature in which a user initiates service on a previously arranged trunk or transfers, without human intervention, from an active trunk to a standby trunk. ... A shell account is a personal account that gives you access to a Unix shell on another machine. ... Shell providers are companies which provide shell accounts, user accounts on Unix, Linux, or similar systems, from which the user may run certain programs for a variety of purposes. ...

A bot can also perform many other useful functions, such as logging what happens in an IRC channel, giving out information on demand (very popular in IRC channels dealing with user support), creating statistics, hosting trivia games, and so on. These functions are usually provided by user-writable scripts, often written in a scripting programming language such as Tcl or Perl, added to the bot in question. Channels dedicated to file sharing often use XDCC bots to distribute their files. Template:Otherusescccc A graph of a bell curve in a normal distribution showing statistics used in educational assessment, comparing various grading methods. ... Look up Trivia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Scripting programming languages (commonly called scripting languages or script languages) are computer programming languages designed for scripting the operation of a computer. ... Tcl (originally from Tool Command Language, but nonetheless conventionally rendered as Tcl rather than TCL; and pronounced like tickle) is a scripting language created by John Ousterhout. ... Perl is a dynamic programming language created by Larry Wall and first released in 1987. ... File sharing is the activity of making files available to other users for download over the Internet, but also over smaller networks. ... XDCC (Xabi DCC or eXtended DCC) was initially a script written in 1994 for ircII by Xabi. ...

IRC bots are particularly well-used on IRC networks without channel registration services like ChanServ, such as EFnet and IRCnet, and on networks that may prevent channels from being registered due to certain registration requirements (minimum user count, etc.), such as Undernet or QuakeNet. Where bots are used for administrative functions such as this, they may need more access than a normal client connection allows. Some versions of IRC have a "Service" protocol that allows clients these extra powers. Such server-sanctioned bots are called IRC services. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of real-time Internet chat or synchronous conferencing. ... IRC services is a common name for a set of features implemented in most modern Internet Relay Chat networks. ... EFnet or Eris Free network is a major IRC network, with over 100,000 users. ... IRCnet is one of the largest IRC networks. ... The Undernet is one of the largest IRC networks. ... QuakeNet is the largest IRC network, with its average number of users close to 145,000 every day and over 180,000 channels. ... IRC services is a common name for a set of features implemented in most modern Internet Relay Chat networks. ...

Bots are not always welcome. Some IRC networks forbid the usage of bots. One of the reasons for doing so is that each nickname connected to the network increases the size of the network database which is being kept in sync across all servers. In large networks the mere existence of bots can cause a relevant amount of additional network traffic which needs to be financed, or in extreme cases may produce netsplits. This however is a shortcoming of the IRC technology, not the bots. // A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Robin, Bobby, Rab, Rabbie, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Beto, Bobadito, and Robban (in Sweden), are all nicknames for Robert). ... The term or expression database originated within the computer industry. ... Synchronization is a problem in timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. ... Example graph of web traffic at Wikipedia in December 2004 Internet traffic is the flow of data around the Internet. ... In computer networking, specifically Internet Relay Chat, netsplit is a term used to describe the disconnection of a given node from the previously established network. ...

People that create an IRC bot use either the scripting language built into a client, or appropriate frameworks of a suitable programming language, or they use an existing bot implementation, and adapt it to their needs. Scripting languages (commonly called scripting programming languages or script languages) are computer programming languages that are typically interpreted and can be typed directly from a keyboard. ... In software development, a framework is a defined support structure in which another software project can be organized and developed. ... A programming language is an artificial language that can be used to control the behavior of a machine, particularly a computer. ...

Popular IRC bots include Eggdrop, Winbot, EnergyMech, Infobot, blootbot, Supybot, Pircbot and jsircbot. Eggdrop is a popular IRC bot. ... WinBot is an IRC bot for windows platforms, similar in behaviour to the eggdrop IRC bot. ... The EnergyMech is a powerful IRC Bot written in the C programming language. ... Infobot is an early IRC bot written in Perl by Lenzo and others. ... Blootbot is a fork of the original Infobot project. ... // Overview Supybot is an IRC Bot written in Python; its goals are primarily clarity, utility, and flexibility. ...

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