[Theforum] IRC Bot - thepfy

[Michele Foster]

Hi Jeff,

----- Original Message -----
From: ".jeff" <jeff at members.evolt.org>


| michele,
|
| first of all, i don't feel that this message should have been sent to a
| public forum as it's a personal issue between you and martin.  however,
| since you've brought it up, i have some things to say about the topic.


I've had conversations with Martin on this subject in private in the past.
They have obviously not been taken into consideration.  I would like to give
the other users of IRC the opportunity to weigh in with their
thoughts/concerns on the issue as well.  Since, having a bot in the room
that logs all conversations is an important thing to know when one is
participating in a conversation.  I can name a few (in private if you like)
users of IRC who recently had no idea that thepfy and possibly thebot even
had the ability to log the conversation.

It is not a matter of having saying things to a private forum .. it *IS* a
matter of knowing who's listening in and who isn't.


|
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
| > From: Michele Foster
| >
| > I was doing some testing in IRC earlier, and discovered
| > that one cannot tell thepfy bot to leave.
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
|
| that's really no different than a human user, is it?

To a certain degree .. if user A, B, C and D are in the room at the time,
and I'm not close to user D, I may not say what I'd like to to user's A, B,
and C.  For whatever reason.  It's the same if I'm out with friends.  Some
I'm closer to, some I'm not.  Some will understand my personal situation,
etc., while others won't.  Case in point, if I go out with my g/f Dianne
I'll openly talk to her about anything, while if her friend Sue is there,
I'll be more inclined not to discuss more personal stuff at that time.  It
boils down to knowing who one is talking to and without the fear that
someone else is recording/logging all of the information.

|
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
| > If I want to have a conversation ONLY with those in the
| > room at the time, then I want to be assured that ONLY
| > those in the room at the time know what I say.
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
|
| can you be guaranteed that level of privacy even if the room is entirely
| human users?

To a certain degree, yes, absolutely.  It's different tho, when talking
about human users.  If I have a conversation with say Dean, I can be assured
that Dean will keep my confidences.  Now, if he tells his wife, that's fine,
I'll never know, and it won't bother me in the least.  Dean (or whoever,
sorry Dean) I trust will know what I said, as I said it to them.

Take my example from above with my g/f Dianne, if I tell her I'm having
problems with my boss (we used to work together), I can be absolutely 100%
assured that she won't discuss what I said to her about my boss, but at the
same time, she may very well mention it to her husband.  I've no problem
with that.

Like I said, it's a matter of knowing an individual and trusting them that
they have your best interests at heart.  Random logging of a conversation
greatly reduces what I feel comfortable discussing.


do you have a say in what human users do with the logs their
| irc clients may or may not keep?

Of course not .. but at the same time, I know who I'm talking too .. and I'm
not concerned if they are personally logging the conversation.

Your example doesn't really apply.


| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
| > If I'm at a bar with some friends I don't want to think
| > that my boss (if I had one) or the FBI had a tape
| > recorder attached to my purse and is/can/are listening
| > in to my conversation.
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
|
| what if instead of a tape recorder they sat at the table behind you with a
| tape recorder?  or, what if they sat outside, across the street, with a
| parabolic microphone?

Oh well, I guess we can all be fearful that "Big Brother" is watching.
That's a really sad and upsetting way to look at things.  If I have a
conversation with a friend, and someone really thinks I'm important enough
to record... well, they don't know how unimportant I really am, now do they?



it's a public place.  whatever you say there could
| end up anywhere -- bots or not.  that's why you take the conversations you
| don't want your boss or the fbi to hear out of the public arena and in to
| somewhere more private.

Where would you consider it to be safe?  Come on .. really??  My living
room?  Nope, my boss could have one of those fancy, smancy <sp?> microphones
outside too.  Guess I'm not safe, and it would be best if I never said
anything eh?


at least in the irc room you know who's listening
| (and maybe logging).

Even tho I may know who is logging, why must that person log?  I'm,
personally, not close to Martin .. there are things I'd prefer to discuss
with others that I really don't want Martin (in this case) to know.  And,
before you get all "defensive", I'm talking about personal private
conversations.


|
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
| > I would appreciate if you would turn back on the ability
| > to have thepfy bot vanish from the room when requested.
| > i.e. with the "shut up" or the "die" command.
| ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
|
| i personally don't care either way.  it's not like i can tell any human
user
| there to leave if i don't want them to listen to my conversation.

True, it would be unpolite to ask someone to leave.  I have, however, been
in the room when I was, personally, asked to leave because the discussion
had nothing to do with me, and was of an evolt matter.  I have no problems
with that.

I do believe the conversations should focus on those in the room at the
time, and encourage others to participate as much as possible.


|
| just weighing in with the another viewpoint,


Thanks, adding clarity to my original post.  Hope it makes sense.


Michele