More to the point, it helps control what search engines and crawlers see. Some board owners may allow guests to search the board while denying that permission to bots, since bots can't search and it would only be useful for someone impersonating a bot. They may have public areas they just don't want cached by the main search engines, like a test post forum. Understandable why it would be public, but not really prime content for google.
This is really asking for an answer such as: Please, think to all before to question
You know, it is very hard for me
the differentiation between (guest) humans and bots. The fact that that distinction is there, allows giving different group and group/forum permissions. That may not be necessary for you, but for other board owners it can be a requirement.
While I do know an Extension does this, I don't understand why Bots are counted as "registered users" and not in a fourth category in stock phpBB.
I think is has practical use: REGISTERED _USERS is the only group containing all visitors (that includes unidentified bots)[Dimetrodon] wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 3:26 am No, I mean they shouldn't be counted as "registered" users on the online list. Bots by default are only in the bots user group, as they should be.
I honestly think "bots" should be their own category on the online list by default. That being said, I strongly disagree with the OP. The bots group does have an important function, and I think removing it would be more harm than good.warmweer wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:44 amI think is has practical use: REGISTERED _USERS is the only group containing all visitors (that includes unidentified bots)[Dimetrodon] wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 3:26 am No, I mean they shouldn't be counted as "registered" users on the online list. Bots by default are only in the bots user group, as they should be.
Ah, OK, I misunderstood.[Dimetrodon] wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 3:26 am No, I mean they shouldn't be counted as "registered" users on the online list. Bots by default are only in the bots user group, as they should be.