Why BOTS groups exist?

axe70 · Post by **axe70** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:04 pm

Anyone could explain the utility to have BOTS group in phpBB?
Please, think to all before to answer

My opinion is that it is totally NOT useful.

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:18 pm

Because there may be some cases where you want guests to see something while keeping google out, or vice versa. Showing search engines member-only content while requiring guests to register to see it.

Post by **Mick** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:38 pm

To give control of what bots can or cannot index on your board.

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:49 pm

Mick wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:38 pm To give control of what bots can or cannot index on your board.

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.

warmweer · Post by **warmweer** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 3:13 pm

axe70 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:04 pmPlease, think to all before to answer

This is really asking for an answer such as: Please, think to all before to question

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:00 pm

I can understand why someone would not find the bots group useful, but I don't think it should be removed or anything like that. Just set it up where bots have the same permissions as guests.

axe70 · Post by **axe70** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:34 pm

warmweer wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 3:13 pm
axe70 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 2:04 pmPlease, think to all before to answer
This is really asking for an answer such as: Please, think to all before to question

You know, it is very hard for me

Ok guys, as i intend it, and may i have already say, so it is a duplicate of a thought, i am sorry, i see it as follow.

If i consider bots like guests, so not considering them at all like a registered/special user, then i can control exactly what they can or cannot see/index.
If i let bots to see a forum, and not a guest, then a guest can discover forum's posts content, may just searching into search engines cached content.

So what it is useful to having bots group?

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 6:09 pm

There are times that users cannot read cached content. I see that all the time with newspapers and member only content, where it shows up in search results, but I cannot read it.

We are well aware that English is not your native language. warmweer's jab was playful.

warmweer · Post by **warmweer** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 6:31 pm

axe70 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:34 pm So what it is useful to having bots group?

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.

As to my "jab", [Dimetrodon] is correct that it was playful. I have a (bad?) habit of playing with words.
Just to be clear: I do admire the interest you show in the "beneath the bonnet" working of phpBB and I suspect (actually I'm 100% sure) that you're way ahead of me regarding code reading and writing. But sometimes I see more than one way to interpret what you write and it's not always clear to me what you really intend to put forward. (and I do realise that sometimes the fault lies with me).

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 12:03 am

warmweer wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 6:31 pm the differentiation between (guest) humans and bots. The fact that that distinction is there, allows giving different group and group/forum permissions.

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.

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 2:45 am

no need for another category. making them a member of both registered users and bots allows their permissions to be controlled without
needing any other type of category etc.

robert

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » 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.

warmweer · Post by **warmweer** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:44 am

[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 think is has practical use: REGISTERED _USERS is the only group containing all visitors (that includes unidentified bots)

[Dimetrodon] · Post by **[Dimetrodon]** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:12 pm

warmweer wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:44 am
[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 think is has practical use: REGISTERED _USERS is the only group containing all visitors (that includes unidentified bots)

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 · Post by **warmweer** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:44 pm

[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.
Yep, agreed that separating them from the "human" members in the online list makes sense.