Slashdot Mirror
AIM Bots: Useful or Spam?
An anonymous reader writes "Imagine my surprise this morning when AOL AIM popped up a window and introduced me to two bots that it automatically added to my buddy list. " Two seperate issues- one is simply auto adding robots to your friends list, which is very uncool. The second is a corporation using bots in an official capacity. This is an interesting trend, although technically speaking, not that far from the eggdrop of old.
Right-click, Delete Group. Done.
--Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
That depends on how "useful" you find SexBot69.
try swearing at them or asking for sex; a recent New Scientist article found that this would provoke some bots into fighting back :)
I for one, welcome our new movie finding, shopping, overlords!
I could really use a friend.
Actually, it popped them up on Trillian Pro, too.
I HATE it when I am playing Enemy Territory and I get killed by a guy with aimbot. I like to play skill, not hacks.
I cried real tears when Li Mu Bai died.
You are an idiot... it doesn't what client you use, AOL added them to your buddy list automaticly.
And the first thing I did was delete them. I don't need some "shopping buddy" to automatically add themselves and promote buying over their network. Someone missed the ethics boat on this one.
move to Google Talk.
Bradley Holt
I could really use an aimbot to shoot that queer looking yellow feller that keeps blinking in my systray. Normal mouse pointer is ineffective. He just keeps respawning...
Their servers, their rules. I can't complain about the cost of the service, after all, and this sure beats getting hammered by popups every few minutes while connected to their system.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
I'm just surprised that AOL has taken this long to begin sending you advertisements via AIM. They have a near-monopoly on IM communications (near monopoly, I know that there are others out there, but everyone I know has an AIM name), and I'm hardly surprised that they have started to send people advertisements via IMs, since they put all of the resources and effort into maintaining the servers that people connnect to.
Actually, I use the Adium messenger client and it's there too. AOL just added them to your buddy list, which is stored on their servers and retrieved upon login.
And Gaim latest (yep, heard of it). I don't know what that post was about. Why would it matter what client you're running?
Add me to the "immediately-deleted-and-moderately-annoyed" list.
Haida Manga
I see this as the future of advertising. Everyone is now using GAIM or some other alternate client, so people miss all of AOL's annoying (yet profit-generating) ads.
AOL had to think of something new -- some way of profiting off of their protocol. Sticking interactive ads, that people think of as their "buddies"! What could be better?
These bots sneak in to your list, pretend to be your friends, and if you send them a message, BAM! Custom ads delivered right to you.
What are you eating? isItVeg?.
How does it make you feel that a corporation using bots in an official capacity?
Except that it auto adds them to GAIM also. I just logged in with gaim to check. It adds them to everyone's account when the log back in, regardless of what you use to access it.
SAILING MISHAP
I can't say I'm glad I'm the only one. At least now I know it wasn't because I installed AOL Triton. I posted this rant against AOL in the last "AOL Sucks Ass" story.
I hate using AIM but I have friends who I chat with and they won't use anything else. I use Trillian so I can use ICQ and Yahoo! Messenger as well. I signed in this morning and I get this message from AOL that said "We've installed two new bots ShoppingBuddy and MovieFone. I thought "What the fuck is this shit?" It may have been because I installed AIM Triton preview to see if I could get the video chat to work. This is even more egregious than all the ads and tickers and additional software they want to install on your computer. Anyway I blocked them.
In the past, I've had to go in and edit some of the AOL files to get rid of all sorts of crap. AOL is about as welcome as an anal probe. They want to block other peoples intrusive software so they can foist their crap on you. AOL's idea of "consumer friendliness" is to come into your home uninvited, bend you over, put an anal probe up your keister, and tell you just how wonderful and lucky you are to have it. Your very own mini-Federal-pound-me-in-the-ass prison in the comfort and safety of your own home. Only 9.95 per month!
"You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
Big deal -- I just deleted them. As long as AOL doesn't turn the service over to spimmers, a few like this from AOL is tolerable.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
I for one welcome our AOL robot overlords. And I'd like to remind them that as a writer, I can be used in their underground TIME magazine caves, or on CNN as a robot correspondent.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
I use Adium on OSX and also received this message this morning. The two bots were automatically added.
I can predict many users here will bitch endlessly about it. The fact is that the service is free. If it means that I have to right click on each of the names of the bots and choose "Delete....", to use this service for free, so be it.
What's the big deal?
In a way this will make a honeypot network for them to find new aim worms. If the bots receive random links and nonstandard code from users they can maybe get a quicker lid on an exploit. It would be nice if this had been opt-in though.
I use AIM Express, and I didn't get any forced friends. I think that's odd, expically considering Trillian users got the bots.
Not mine..what names does it add?
I found two new 'buddies' on list this morning too. (MovieFone? Sorry AOL, I'll stick with Fandango.)
Anyway, after cursing to them for a few minutes to get the politely-offended-bot response of "Is that really how you want to start out our conversation?" I promptly removed them.
This sig rocks the casbah.
they're probably just trying to increase their AimFight score.
"...AIM Robots have existed since 2002, but..."
Good to know that the people writing the articles know what they are talking about. God forbid we give the general public the wrong information.
Actually, that's interesting, but not relevant to the GP who mentioned GAIM. I can confirm that - at least for me - GAIM doesn't have any evidence of these things.
Now imagine if you programmed even a rudimentary adaptable AI into an AIM bot, and had it talk to other AIM bots with a similar AI. You'd have them talking to each other, learning from each other. Then imagine if they had web crawlers attached to them, learning about the Internet, communicating their findings back to each other.
The only way we'd know if the Internet became sentient is if it stepped up and said 'hi.'
You have two hands and one brain, so always code twice as much as you think!
I've always dreamed to have cool Robots buddies, and now AIM is bringing it to me on a golden plate !!
I for one welcome our new robots overlords
Loudly complain, move to Google Talk/MSN Messenger
I pick Micro$oft over AOHell anyday
At IBM we use Lotus SameTime internally as our IM infrastructure. Several enterprising folks have written various sametime bots that allow us to look up acronyms (WhatIs Bot), look up employee info from our directory (BluePages Bot), and others I can't think off off the top of my head.
Michael C. Hollinger
"Robot operators agree not to distribute users' screen names and pledge to only use the robots for their stated purpose, so that AIM users don't face the type of spam nuisance affecting e-mail, Curry said."m or Trillian
I call cow excrement on that one. With the amount of spam email out there now, the trend will be that spambots will grow in number and annoyance factor. What exactly entails a 'pledge' or an 'agreement?' to these people? And besides, if I want to look something up (such as directions, stock prices, or the colour of Lieutenant Commander Data's eyes) I just use google and not some bot in AIM.
See also: http://opensourcearticles.com/introduction_to_gai
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Rumor has it that that's only true in the USA. Apparently, in Europe Microsoft dominates.
Any /.'ers have more info on that?
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
I use it, occasionally, but usually after I've gotten mail or a phone call that lets me know there's a reason to contact someone. It's just too intrusive to stay on all the time. So something that makes IM even more annoying is just, well, what do you expect?
I used Aim Bots for years but they kept banning me...
Is there such a thing as a bad karma whore?
Cogito Ergo Sum
I'm using AdiumX and it didn't add anyone to mine. I just restarted to be sure.
http://www.trillian.cc/
I just discovered yesterday that Trillian responds quite well to IRC commands.
I personally don't use it, but I msg'ed my Trillina using friend with "/me" and my text showed up in purple for him.
(I was asking my friend why he had been searching E-Bay for a DNA Sequencer and his response was "i'll give you a clue, it begins with 't' and ends with 'aking over the world'")
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
I see nothing wrong with the concept of bots. In fact they're pretty cool. But having them automatically dumped on you is an invasion just like spam and popups. If you seek out or are directed to a bot, and knowingly add them to your list they can be both usefull and fun (depending on what type of a bot it is)
Why is it surprising that a for-profit corporation would do something to raise their bottom line? If they behave ethically do you think that it will make them multi billionaires overnight? Don't tell me Google yet. They are still just in the start phase. Give them couple more years.
I'd probably be whining if it weren't free, blatantly useless, and unremovable - but that's not the case. I can easily remove them, and it's a free service. I'm actually surprised they're allowing it to be removed with the amount of advertising possibilities that could have came along with it.
Apparently once you've installed someone's software or used someone's product on your computer, they have the right to tinker with your machine and settings at will.
I was more than a little distressed to find these things appearing on my Buddy List. Like any "feature", don't I get the right to refuse it? Of course the cute little system message tells me I can right-click and delete them, but that's not the point. If you're going to add capailities to something, fine, but give the opportunity to say yea or nay first.
While not as bad as Sony's rootkit fiasco, it does point out the growing hubris of we, the software users of the world, when we believe that we still have control of how our systems work and how they are configured. It's not just worms and viruses now, but wholesale invasion by any company that feels you're not using their product most effectively. Pretty soon I expect Adobe Reader to ask me "Should you be reading that?" or IE to say "Sorry, no Slashdot for you today!"
GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
I use iChat (OS X 10.4) for AIM and haven't had any bots appear. Well, so far.
It did for me - I'd suggest it was a function of their accounts database and how they're implementing this rather than the client itself, because in ubuntu breezy's gaim, it popped up (and added two buddies and a group to my list) and was banned forthwith by yours truly.
AOL allows people and corporations you DON'T know to add themselves to YOUR buddy list?! Why oh why do people still put up with AOL's bullshit?!
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
And what's more, it's the 21st Century. Courtesy is sooooo last millennium.
Hey, I'm over 50 with three college kids -- I'm supposed to be a relic. What's your excuse?
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
From TFA:
so that AIM users don't face the type of spam nuisance affecting e-mail
Right, so what do they call all these message I get from Ginny 184823, Kortney 232424, Estell42398394, etc.. etc.. asking me to join their sex chats and to check out their new uploaded pics? I use GAIM and do not have an AOL account either, so its not like my screen name is out there.
Perhaps a spellcheck bot for the genius who wrote that summary up there would come in handy.
They seem to be biased towards video games. The "Shopping" one at least. I typed in "weapons" and got a list of ten or so games. Ditto "Swords". Not until I typed in "authentic swords" did I get actual weapons. Which I suppose makes sense, since you're searching on a computer, and I'd want to see the sword I'm buying up close.
They don't seem capable of conversation really. They just search some engine for whatever you type in. I haven't tried anything lewd because I don't want to get banned from AIM or anything.
Who wants to bet that the movie thing will be biased towards blockbusters and away from indie movies?
This one might have seemed like a good idea for the people on aim, but it sucks for people on the show who use it. Think about it, who is always on during the day who would respond to this? Little teeny-boppers and such who will have no idea on the correct answer to any trivia question not dealing with the latest britney spears or ashley simpson album. Ive seen the show and the "Ask the internet" lifeline is always wrong by a good amount.
"In the game of life, someone always has to lose. To me, if life were fair, that someone would always be Oklahoma." -DKR
I wouldn't have anyone on my buddy list. Thank you AOL!
-Saddam Hussein
The utopia everyone has been looking for - efficient server side push of data to the user without the user having to poll the servers every minute to see if ther's an update at WSJ or Slashdot or any other site supporting an AIM bot?
Like I was saying, I use it, for AIM contacts, and I don't have any new buddies on my list.
Except that it auto adds them to GAIM also. I just logged in with gaim to check. It adds them to everyone's account when the log back in, regardless of what you use to access it.
This does not seem to be true. I have an AIM account to supplement my Jabber account and I am using iChat. Nothing was added. Ditto for a friend using Adium and another using Trillian. I'm not sure they added this to everyone, but it does seem to be mostly the standard AOL client and GAIM users that are affected.
1) You can delete them.
2) These are provided by AOL, not random companies.
3) This is a free service, and it's theirs. You have absolutely NO right to complain about their business practices. If it bothers you, don't use AIM or their servers.
This dose of "stop your whining, you spoiled unrealistic brats," has been brought to you by the grumpy old techy (tm).
Clearly, we need to develop an AIM Slashbot to automatically install itself on AOL executive's computers and interrupt their days with snippets of the wit and wisdom of Slashdot posters.
$nice = $webHosting + $domainNames + $sslCerts
Nobody has actually said what these two bots are called
Possible reasons why I don't know what everyone is talking about
1. I use AIM Ad Hack
2. I hate that "AIM Today" and have it disabled
3*. My buddy list is set only to allow users already on it
*The AIM bot that notifies you when you're logged on in more than one location seems to ignore this setting & appears anyway
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
The names some parents come up with! After that, no wonder the lady took up with someone who uses her.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
Why can't Spam be useful? I didn't like that AOL added the 2 bots to my buddy list, they could have just sent me a message to make me aware that the new bots existed... but I tried playing around with them, and I really like the added functionality. It saves me a few minutes having to go to moviefone.com or search through the yellow pages which I do a lot of, so I'm happy that AOL decided to add the bots to their network.
In this case, I think the unsolicited message worked out, but if AOL decides to start sending me random messages a few times a day to tell me what I should buy, then that will pass the intrusive point and I won't use AIM anymore.
Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
Just out of curiosity, do they still get added if you are at the buddy list limit?
What I wonder is what happens security-wise when some AIM virus (always new ones popping up) manages to infect these bots? When it's just a question of one person's buddy list being used by a virus to propagate, the infection is limited somewhat by the low number of contacts. What happens when the same contact appears in say 75% of people's lists? Granted, the bot is administrated by AOL directly and no doubt has better security in place than your average user or user's bot, but I wonder if perhaps such a wide-reaching target will prove irresistible for virus writers. Just musing, I'm sure some people more familiar with the inner workings of AIM can refute or corroborate this idea.
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
What is actually so unethical about adding 2 entries to your buddy list on a service they provide? I had no problem with it other than being mildly confused 2 seconds before I painfully deleted 2 WHOLE buddies from my list. Seems like such a mild issue to get so steamed up about.
Well I got them added to my list too and if I find it happens again I'll stop using AIM. I like to keep a clean list and the main reason I use Gaim is to get away from bullshit like this (MSN making the bottom of windows ads, AIM using flash for adverts etc.). If they keep trying shit like this I'll walk and tell all my friends to do the same. ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Yahoo.. theresat least 4 other major ones I can happily log onto and support.
I like muppets.
And on Adium
Kiteboarding Gear Mention slashdot and get 10% off!
The bots themselves: potentially useful The bots installing automatically: spam Simple as that.
for I am lonely :(
Yes! More reasons to switch to non-corporate owned and controlled networks!
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
Sorry for the double-post, but I just noticed something. They've already been online for about 9 days before being auto-added to our buddylists (According to my Adium client). I wonder if this means that AOL decided to add them after the fact? Seems like there is no reason to wait a week after activating them to spread them. I'm not sure what it means, it just seemed weird to me.
Add this bot to your buddy list: "javaaimbot". There is an AI engine in there somewhere, though it may be hard to believe by some of it's responses.
webiste is here: http://jaimbot.sourceforge.net/
I love how people say, "move over to X IM service because Y IM service is evil!" The problem moving to a different IM service is you have to move all your friends to it too. Would I scrap AIM/MSN/etc' for Jabber and/or IRC? Hells yeah, but trying to get everyone else (including your non-geek friends who don't care how it works/who runs it) to follow you? Not so easy.
That is, unless you don't have any friends.
In that case, by all means, "complain" all you want.
This sig rocks the casbah.
While I haven't played any FPP games in quite a while, I know how much people hate aimbots. And, considering that AOL is evil and always up to no good, this seems a likely path for them to follow.
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
Except when I get kicked from the server from using one, people start to get suspicious when I get to godlike in instagib.
Maybe we should contact Valve and see if they will use VAC2 to help stem the tide of these Aimbots. ;)
Easy solution...uninstall AIM. If you have friends that won't switch to a better instant messenger, maybe they're too stupid to be your friends.
How about an instant messenger that doesn't have constantly flashing ads, has preferences that actually get saved and doesn't constantly get spammed by bots (AOL's or not). MSN Messenger and Google Talk work quite well for me.
Grammar Lesson: you're is a contraction of "you are"; your means you possess something; yore means days gone by.
The second is a corporation using bots in an official capacity
Any organization using bots is official capacity for them. Some may be more sleazy organizations, but in the end they are all the same...a company to make money.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
December 2, 2005 (AP Newswire)
Microsoft has announced a new addition to it's popular MSN Chat service - ClippyBotTM. According to Chief Software Architect Bill Gates, ClippyBot will "be a welcome addition to your buddy list. ClippyBot will watch for common behaviors, and will provide you with gentle, helpful assistance in completing those tasks." When asked about those users who might not want ClippyBot to be added to their buddy list, Gates replied "We are always responsive to the needs of our users. Removing ClippyBot from your buddy list is as easy as editing 13 registry keys!"
#DeleteChrome
That's where you failed it. It's *their* buddy list, and they're just letting you use it under the terms of the EULA.
-- Too lazy to get a lower UID.
I thought they were useless at first, but if you have a cell phone like the sidekick2 where web browsing is super slow, but AIM works flawlessly, the bot will let you do movie lookups much quicker.
SearchIRC - Now with live chat directory!
Odd - didn't pop up on Trillian over here. Yet...
The pornbot, the pharmabot, the nigerianbot, the casinobot....
It seems that today is my day to be the token geezer.
The situation you describe was not all that long ago. Anyone who can drive legally was already breathing at the time.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Trillian & Gaim feature request: no new buddies without my permission.
The real problem here is this: my "buddy list" is mine, and it's private. By default, I block all IM traffic except from people on my list. Automatically adding new things to my list is an abusive practice and completely ignores the concept that it's MY LIST.
Stockquote Bot.
Yes, that is what I thought when I read the headline. I've been playing way too many first person shooter games...
All it did for me was remind me that GAIM was still logging into that account I don't use. I only use ICQ and Google Talk now. Once I saw those I thought "Oh, I forgot to delete that account". The account is now deleted.
Thanks AOL.
Unstable Apps: Our Android Apps Don't Suck
Key difference is that one spammer wouldn't create the problems that we get from thousands. With diffusion of responsibility, none of them have any reason to expect that their own actions will poison the well (although collectively, they are well on their way there.)
AOL is in a different boat: they're the only ones who can pull this trick and if they aren't careful to avoid overdoing it they'll just put their service out of business. IM is pretty close to being the ultimate network-effect system, after all.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
I don't know if it still operates the same way, but SmarterChild used to be entertaining when using curse words. Well, entertaining to those with the maturity level of a 13 yr old...
------
[insert funny
by "add automatically", did they mean add to the recent buddies group?
because that really isn't something new or unique to these chat bots.
from TFA: AIM Robots have existed since 2002, but AOL is now wrapping a formal program around this feature, said Brian Curry, senior director of AOL's AIM Network Services. "We never had a well-defined program. Now we have a program with partners who help people build these bots," he said.
Uh, how long has Net::AIM been around? I seem to recall it predating 2002.
I use Adium www.adiumx.com and those were not auto added, nor have I herd of anything about it. I'm sure that 3rd party programs such as Adium, Gaim and such don't have these issues as they are not directly connected with AOL. Adium FTW!!!
Haven't seen anything on iChat AV.
Sunwalker Dezco for Warchief in 2016
I guess it confirms you total geek l33tness (and almost certainly your male gender) that you can compare unwanted AIM messages and rape. If ever you get in the real world and meet some women ask them if they're the same thing.
on a very basic level you can remove unwanted AIM bots with a simple click, a rapist's victim has no such option.
init 11 - for when you need that edge.
Here we are... found a list out on the intranet... I didn't know a few of these existed. I'm sure other corporations have some as well.
Who Is - do BluePages name and phone info searches
Helpline - Helpdesk FAQs searches
What Is - Definitions of acronyms
StockQuote - IBM and all other stock quotes
Dictionary - English language dictionary
SkillTap - contact others that may be able to help you
W3Alert - send broadcasts out to selected groups
Michael C. Hollinger
Warn them. Block them. Delete them.
1, 2, 3.
You never expect irony, do you?
Want to be a professional wrestler? Visit www.iyfwrestling.com
@iyfwrestling
This is why I use a whitelist. I was getting a lot of Porn spam bots IMing me. At first I would just put thier names into my Blocked list, but they make what seems like infinite number of accounts (like Ami893819), so I kept getting new ones. I got sick of it and now use whitelists instead. So if you want to IM me, you need to ask me to add you to my whitelist. No more IM spam.
I'm actually running the latest install of GAIM (windows) and these two bots were still automagically added. I think its a gross invasion of privacy, personally. I don't go into $AOLExecs address book and add myself, so he shouldn't be messing with my buddy list.
Hopefully, future releases of GAIM will block these annyoing attempts. But I don't fault the software for AOL's spamming.
IM Ilovetochatwithu
All it says is "stfu".
really 867993
Karma schkarma
The headline makes it sound like these bots were sending messages out advertising themselves to users.
I was afraid this would give useful "push" services a bad name.
DoorManBot does this, but only to deliver actual offline IM's to users from their buddies.
However, it looks like AOL was just having their System Message service notify the user of the change, without even mentioning the specific bots. As far as I can tell, that's pretty far from spam.
Send offline messages on AIM with DoorManBot
Talk and write, never should have left them. No bots, no spam, all text, all the time....
The true question is: why did my IM client forgot to ask me about those new contacts? I would have denied those bots in the click of my mouse...
If someone adds YOU to THEIR buddylist, then you are notified. If YOU add SOMEONE to your buddylist, you are not notified (since you added them).
Here AOL added these two buddies to everyone's buddylist. This is easy enough since AOL has stored a copy of your buddylist on it's server for years. Clients connect and then sysnchronize the buddylist. The buddies showed up in your client durring the sync. As far as your client knew, you logged in on a different computer and added these two names yourself (thus putting them in the server-side buddylist). The fact that AOL added the names on your behalf is transparent to the client.
So that's why.
Yep, GAIM too, just checked.
I'm with you on this one. These are services that acutally add value to the AIM platform. Why on earth are we all complaining that they've added features. If you don't want to search for products, or get movie times in your area, don't use 'em. If they offend you, delete them from your buddy list. Don't go complain they shouldn't be adding resources for us all to use.
Now, if these things start initiating conversations with me, unsolicited, that's going to be a problem, and I will be the first to complain (and loud). As it stands now, though, aside from a short message informing me of a new feature, these things are non-intrusive, USEFUL resources. That's more than I can say for that irritating ad window above the buddy list, and no one's lobbying to get that removed.
What am I missing?
I've wanted an AIM bot that would look up an address or phone number or perform a google search. Beats using a crappy WAP interface on my cellphone or Blackberry.
Instead we get the ShoppingBuddy which just appears to be a menu system of URL links to their Shopping site.... I wish it would just query Froogle, then if I'm in a store I could send it the product name or SKU and have it tell me the proper price.
MovieFone was much better, I think I might use that occasionally
--D
uh. Doesn't Trillian still use the AIM Network?
----- You know you have ego issues when you register a domain in your name.
You can edit your AIM preferences to only allow IM's from people on your buddy list. I would imagine that if these bots cannot contact you in the 1st place they can not be added to your list. They have not been added to mine.
I think it's the A in AOL that puts non-Americans off.
If it weren't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no songs.
I personally would much rather get an instant response on movie showtimes from the MovieFone bot than have to load up a new tab in Firefox, go to my favorite movie website, enter my ZIP, and wait for all of those pages involved to load. Am I alone here?
I was wondering if the user was actually using the AIM Client or what. I personally use Kopete with a few lines of code added for my protection. I have yet to be SPIMMED by a bot.
I haven't tried AIM in ages.. and don't know anyone who uses it. I use MSN messenger, not because I like it (I'd rather stick with google talk) but because everyone uses MSN. In the realm of IM it really is MSN that has the monopoly, at least in most countries.
End of problem.
No unauthorized use. Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
And yet you keep using their free service, even as you whine about how they run it. Seems like they're actually quite welcome on your computer.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
He was teh true Pioneer of this.
Um, yes, you DO have the [natural, human] right to complain about their business practices. In fact, criticism is part of the foundation of free market economics, and no fair and ethical business could ever deny you of that.
Perhaps you meant that a person has no [natural, human] right to initiate force against another person or group of persons, nor does he have the right to delegate that ability to government? Now that I can agree with. But again, criticism is not an initiation of force.
I say that we all add all the bots we can. Then form a chat room with the bots and let them respond to each other. If enough of us do this, perhaps we can suck up enough bandwidth to make AOL take notice and "Stop the Bots". Think of it as a digital "sit in".
2 cents,
Queen B
HDGary secures my bank
All the player needs to move is move into a position where they can see their opponent, and the auto-aim takes over. Of course, perhaps player = AOL, and we are the opponents ...
Something similar happened to me yesterday with Skype. I blocked the addition of the contact.
deleted the group right away. it is annoying that they auto-added the bots to my buddy list, but then, it IS a free service, so I expect they'll try to leverage it for profit.
Maybe, the people who set their preferences not to accept messages from unknown persons didn't get the AOL bots added to their lists? It did get added to my lists on my ID's, but I accept messages from unknown persons. I will check with someone whom I know sets his account to not accept messages from unknown senders.
Have you heard about the Hooters application process? They hand the girls a bra and say "Fill this out."
shoppingbuddy: Just enter a product name, model, brand or other characteristic any time. For example, try:
"7 jeans"
"40 GB Ipod"
"42 inch plasma tv"
Also check out the special GAP gift section in Gift Shops.
Now, type a product & get started.
Me: dildo
shoppingbuddy: Hmm, that's not gonna get you anywhere with me.
Me: big dildo
shoppingbuddy: I don't respond to that kind of language. I'm here to help you shop.
Me: I want a dildo
shoppingbuddy: Cool. Remember to sign up for alerts!
Me: find me a dildo
shoppingbuddy: Hey -- clean up the language and get serious. I'm happy to help but can't deal with that mouth.
WTF?! What kind of crappy service is this when it refuses to find me a dildo dammit! What if I actually wanted one? Did AOL ever think of that? It's not like it isn't a product..
Nazi's: Making the Earth cleaner or Slaughtering millions of innocent people? /Godwin
Is your buddy list NOT stored on AOL's servers for an AIM ID? They are providing you this service for free. Why can they not try to earn some ad revenue from their user base?
AOL discs, as anything AOL, belongs in a landfill. Being at IT professional and using anything from A**holes On-Line are just mutually exclusive, period. And I don't mean this as flame-bait, but as the simple truth that people don't want to face. [balloon]
Wild Bill's http://wildbill.purezc.com/scripts/imgrammarbot/ IMGrammarbot, YeOldeGrammarbot, and enchick4x are very useful and entertaining chat room bots. Educational too and very much needed considering how illiterate the AOL chat room lusers seem to be.
One of my friends totally flipped out on his LJ about this. When they showed up on my account in Trillian, I just deleted the spambots and didn't think anything of it... but if this is going to get everyone else worked up, maybe now we should start trying to convert people to Google Talk?
[o]_O
.. thing I'm COMPLETELY PISSED OFF ABOUT, I have a full 200 contacts, all of people I converse with, and i find that 2 of my friends who I talk to every day, wer'nt online today. at least i thought they were not. but turns out those 2 people got booted because OF the 2 added bots
freecanadia: uh
;-)
ShoppingBuddy: Welcome. Now you can search for products with AOLShopping. Type main to get started. To read our privacy policy, type privacy anytime.
freecanadia: no
ShoppingBuddy: O.K. Scrooge. Then type M to try a fresh start.
freecanadia: no way did you just add a random 'AIM Bots' section
ShoppingBuddy: Yes, way.
freecanadia: not too good
ShoppingBuddy: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec...
ShoppingBuddy: - Search results for good
- WWE : Smackdown vs Raw 2006 [$45.85 - $49.99]
- Star Wars: Battlefront II [$44.00 - $49.99]
- Kingdom Hearts 2 [$42.99 - $54.95]
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City St [$42.99 - $52.99]
- WWE : Smackdown vs Raw 2 [$36.95 - $42.99]
- Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix [$45.99 - $66.30]
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland [$15.99 - $59.99]
- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi [$39.99 - $55.99]
- Halo 2 [$13.99 - $52.60]
Narrow your search by adding ESRB (ex.: RP), Price, Product Type (ex.: Action) and/or Platform (ex.: PS2)
We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
I'm all trying to play a game of capture the flag, and when I start to chase someone down, they swivel around 360 degrees and shoot me in the head with a railgun.
God spoke to me.
These bots sucks. They should need add themself to list or even ask to be added to the list unless explicitly requested todo so.
And shopping bots sucks.
But there could be useful bots who you can instruct to generate SHA1, MD5, etc hashes from your input. Or to perform mathematical calculations. Return a list of prime numbers. Return pi and other useful constants. Perhaps notify you when an RSS feed is updated. Inform you about time, date in your place and in other places in world that you ask. Do DNS lookups. Tell you what tld belongs to what country, etc. Generate passwords, etc. Lookup words in dictionary.
In Soviet Russia, the AOL bots add you. Err, wait...
Anyone else wonder how someone with an AIM bot (UT, Doom, etc.) could use it for spamming?
Will we need PunkBuster to stop this spam?
need I say more?
Only 'flamers' flame!
Does slashdot hate my posts?
Is your buddy list NOT stored on AOL's servers for an AIM ID?
Mine is, actually, but some clients allow you to keep your list client side, rather than storing the info on the chat server.
They are providing you this service for free. Why can they not try to earn some ad revenue from their user base?
I never said they can't, but it is still spam, regardless who sends it. What if your ISP provided mail account was regularly spammed with messages from companies who paid them? What if there was no standard SMTP protocol so the only way you could send mail to or get mail from your mother was to use that particular ISP? Sure AOL can spam their own customers all they want, but that does not mean I (and anyone else) should not find it annoying and look for a better solution. Jabber is to chat as SMTP is to e-mail and I certainly think it is in nearly all user's best interest to migrate.
I have to admit, the Movie Bot was pretty good. It gave a list of local theaters showing a particular movie much faster than I could have gotten the information over the web. Not only that, it was in a clear text-only format. Nice.
The shopping buddy I have no use for, but the movie one was pretty good.
You may all flame away now.
--
RumorsDaily
AOL did not tinker with anyone's systems or violate you in anyway. They keep the buddy list on the aol servers, that's why when you login to aim anywhere and get your buddylist instantly. All they did was run a really large batch file to add those names and that group to all our buddy lists. It's not a virus, they did not gain access to your computer. All they did was again added thoses names and group name to our buddy lists that are pulled everytime we login to aim.
But, if your friends are already all using one protocol, switching to another, just because it is technically superior may not make a difference. As of 2005, who cares if Beta is superior to VHS, if you want to tape a program that airs, and you don't have a MythTV or other such device, just tape it on VHS, and you can share it with almost anyone stateside. My friends use AIM, ICQ, Yahoo and GoogleTalk. Therefore my GAIM is set up with those.
Have you heard about the Hooters application process? They hand the girls a bra and say "Fill this out."
I use Adium so they never showed up. But they showed up on my friends' computer whom has Adium as well. But i have privacy set to ignore people not on the buddy list where she does not, other then that our setups are the same (I set them up) maybe AOL knows I dont give a shit.
If someone adds YOU to THEIR buddylist, then you are notified
Not on AIM you aren't.
Was I the only one thinking of aimbots in cs and the likes? Sure, the subject is a bit nonsensical then, but I'm quite used to that around here anyways...
...aim bots?
Find a job you like and you will never work a day in your life.
Not quite. When you log in again, you get this: _Now_ I'm annoyed.
We use lametime here too. Blech. Before that came around, however, my little group set up an IRC server (about 3 years ago now). Some things our little perlbot does:
:)
channel operator status (duh)
!ph firstre lastre (phone lookups...db dump of lotus notes address book)
!subnet net/mask (very useful)
!makenet number (shows net/mask to use for number hosts)
!cidr netmask (cidr bitmask) yeah, we are lazy, why think if the bot can do it?
We recently also did a 'CEO webchat' We used IRC with a moderated channel as the backend, a java front end (could have used CGI::IRC too), and a little bit of perl to create a moderator bot (managed the message queue). It was a success and we will likely do more. The moderator easily handled over 200 users in the channel for our guest.
So, yeah, bots are extremely helpful and more importantly much more efficient for little informational tasks than even a web page (since we are in the channel all day exchanging info anyway).
Yes it does. I'm using trillian and i got a message where i could get the bots back if i wanted to when i deleted the new bots-group.
;P
But i'll kill the AIM-profile soon because: what do you expect when you come into a foreign im-network specially created for dumbasses wackos, lamers and noobs.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
Before deleted them (I logged into AIM just to remove them after seeing this) I decided to play with them. Results are awful. Here's a great example of being immature and getting a great result.
Message to moviefone at 2:01:48 pm
fag
Message from moviefone at 2:01:49 pm
K, I found a match. You used zip ***** last. To use it type Y. OR type in a new zipcode now and I'll see if this is playing near you.
Message to moviefone at 2:01:54 pm
y
Message from moviefone at 2:01:54 pm
I found The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie playing on 11/16/2005 but not anywhere near *****. Try for another film, director or actor.
rm -rf
Years ago, I installed AOL AIM on my Windows NT New Technology desktop, which I paid for with money that I withdrew from the ATM Machine.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
I tried.. I think it's called Triton or something. It's dumb. Installs some network manager which is a pain in the ass, the AIM layout has changed big time, and it throws random ads into the IM converstations. Images and all. If this truely is what the next AIM is going to be... I'll just start using one of the other big networks.
next thing you know, they'll be using WALLHAX!!!
Yeah, and when they re-add them every single time you log in, and when they disable blocking or banning them, and when they IM you every 15 minutes with links to cool, hot stuff that you just have to buy, will it be a big deal then? Why not, it's their software. Since you're installing it on your machine, I guess you agree to grant them root on your system, too. I mean, they provide such a wonderful, free service, so it's not a big deal, right?
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
But, if your friends are already all using one protocol, switching to another, just because it is technically superior may not make a difference.
But then again, it might. Jabber supports bridging to other protocols so if you run or find a Jabber server, you can still chat with all those people and you only have to manage one account for your client, connect on one port through your firewall, and your communications are encrypted between yourself and the server in all cases and client to client for those that support it. Obviously you're already using a limited Jabber service (googletalk beta) and that is a start. What really would improve chatting for everyone, however, is persuading enough people (some of those friends you mentioned) to move to Jabber. Once it has enough critical mass the other companies maintaining chat services will be forced to standardize, to the benefit of end users.
Hmm... I use Trillian Pro, and the bots were never added to my contact list.
;^)
I guess it must not *snicker* fully support the AIM protocol or something.
How disappointing...
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
(To remove 'em, just right-click and delete!)
I don't have a right click. Though I'm computer savvy, someone who wasn't might never be able to remove these if they have a Mac.
They can't just assume that every user can right click. That's just systemist (my fake word for OS discrimination/generalization).
I've been on AIM (gaim 0.67) continuously for a couple days, though - perhaps I'll get them when I sign off and reconnect.
ICQ 2001b forever baby.
The height of instant messenging. Seriously, everyone who doesnt use ICQ is just an instant messenging posuer, a latecommer to the party. the only sober person at a bar, etc.. Instant messenging isnt even a proper term. its ICQing.
I dont get AIM. I tried it or MSN (i froget which one) for a bit and it like tracks every character you type. Like if your writing someone a message, you can tell when they are typing and also how long they wait between words. thats really really annoying.
I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...
Hmm, sounds all to familiar. . . Here, we add parties to our list. In Soviet Russia, the party add US to their list.
All these comments and no talk of the Final Fantasy XI Bot (FFXI) ? It seems you can do "micro missions" with this bot and its integrated with your PC or Playstation FFXI. Which might be cool, haven't had much time to explore, anyone try it out?
Outdoor storage sheds and pet kennels
Hello, and thank you for IM'ing MovieFone...
...Why don't you just tell me the name of the movie you want to see?
eMelody Web Directory add your site today!
Darwin award material, maybe. They have some pretty obvious disincentives to doing so, but it'll be a long time until artificial intelligence is a match for natural stupidity.
In any case, this is a (speculative) matter of imposing the death penalty for suicide.
Why not, it's their software. Since you're installing it on your machine, I guess you agree to grant them root on your system, too.
Usually when people crank up the straw man factory it means that they haven't anything better to say.
As noted elsewhere, I don't (read: can't) run the AOL IM client, and the suggestion that I would give them root access seems to be nothing more than trolling.
In the meantime, the service is useful, and for me more useful than the Microsoft-only services at MSN and Google. Obviously, that could change. I'll wait on events rather than flying off at the handle.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
Plus, conversing with a corporate bot feels very Philp K. Dick sci-fi in a way, especially when the movie bot wanted to play Hang-Man.
Dude, I think I can see my house from here.
I guess this shows which one has better support for the protocol. ;^)
GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011
I sent an email to megabotfeedback@aol.com letting them know this isn't cool. In fact, if it keeps up I'm going to personally lead a mass migration to GoogleTalk.
It popped up on me also using Kopete on PCBSD. Deleted the groups and it doesn't seem to be an issue any longer. Although I can see this "feature" being abused.
I just logged on...
...
hmm, what do we have here? AIM BOTS (2/2), MovieFone and ShoppingBuddy. wtf is dis shit?! Ok, clickety clickety here, fire up window there, and...
ME:
wtf?
MOVIEFONE:
Hi there. I'm the new MovieFone bot! I can find movies for you anywhere in the country in a fraction of second. All you have to do is give me part of the title
ME:
fuck you!
MOVIEFONE:
O.K., that's no way to begin our conversation. Type menu for more information.
arrRRRrRgggggHHhHHHH!!!!!
Death to AIM! Leave me alone u bitches! I got one, yes!, ONE whole contact I use on this blasted IM shit. If I wanted any more company I'd go set the dinner table, light a candle, and place Rover's alpo bowl across from me. Bastards!
They popped up on my Trillian Pro this morning when I fired it up. I thought, "that's annoying", right-clicked the group and picked "Delete...". They opened one more message box with some message that I ignored and that was it. No more bots.
Jabber.
I like the way you can communicate with it, I like that it is like an eggdrop and I would not be surprised if it was based on an existing eggdrop bot ...
... I mean maybe in the US it is useful with movie times, but elsewhere it just completely whack ... shopping? Dunno, I would prefer if it really gave decent price compares from at least 10 shops/items....
....
Eggdrops, and this resemble the way of communitacion with a BBS system, which comes back to a command line interface, so what's there not to like in it ?
Ahm the content
I find it a cool idea (reinventing an eggdrop bot) on an IM, but I question how grandma and grandpa gives up after not understanding hack out of what to type and when
What has playing Quake got to do with AOL instant messanger?
Oh wait...
I don't know if AIM will let you block "AOL System Msg", but Trillian sure will!
Though I have to admit I don't know if it actually works (don't know if blocking is server side or client side), or if Trillian just let me add it to the block list client side.
Question everything
Dont use AIMBOTS! its unfair to other quake players! It is with chewbakka defence as it is with Bush in power... makes no sense
notable Quotes from bots:
ShoppingBuddy:OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec...
ShoppingBuddy:
- Search results for shitfuck
- Shattuck Heist [$12.50 - $14.75]
- The Forbidden Experiment by Roger [$1.55]
- Candor and Perversion by Roger Sh [$2.12]
- The Greener Pastures Relocation G [$2.49]
- Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, Califo [$11.99]
- Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, Califo [$11.99]
- Crossing Shattuck Bridge [$7.22 - $17.95]
- Faulty Scales Posters [$469.99]
- The Forbidden Experiment [$8.06 - $15.00]
Here are some related categories: 1. Miscellaneous Non-Fiction Books, 2.
Literature Books, 3. Artwork & Posters, 4. Biography Books, 5.
Action & Adventure DVDs & Videos, etc. Type in the number to use the
related category.
winphreak: Vagina
ZolaOnAOL: Sure, Vagina sounds like a good topic.
"I'm a well-wisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm."
Yes, I've heard of gaim. As a matter of fact I was using it today when I got the message that these bots had been added to my buddy list.
My Greatest Heist - Muisc partly inspired by the unbeatable Qwantz
The auto-adding is not done on currently logged in accounts, it happens at login time.
Don't know about what happens with a login from a second machine when one is already connected. Definately if an account is logged into and there are no existing logins, the message and contact add will happen.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
it doesn't matter what client youre running, AOL hosts the buddy list, they can add whatever they want. even if its AIM bot garbage
I use Gaim. Right click, delete. (15:52:51) AOL System Msg: The following bots are no longer available and have been removed from your buddy list: moviefone. To find out more about bots, go to http://aimtoday.aol.com/aimbots No thanks. These bots just don't go down without a fight.
My French government just recently established a free ISP for all of us soldiers fighting in these riot plagued suburbs. It's called AWOL, and I'm still having problems logging on...
Why is anyone reading Sloshdat using AIM and not one of the Free versions?
Oh well, what the hell...
I'm sure the people who used to have the screennames shoppingbuddy and moviefone dont like this at all.
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
This is a welcome message from the jabber.org server, and maybe even your first Jabber message. For up-to-date information about this server, go to http://status.jabber.org/. For a good introduction to Jabber, read the Jabber User's Guide at http://www.jabber.org/user/userguide/. Please DO NOT reply to this message. Happy Jabbering!
Heh, AOL user.
I think it would be rather cool if AOL had created some kind of useful AIMBOT instead of these relatively pointless ones. I could see a use for a spellcheck bot, a dictionary bot, or a calculator bot, but a shopping bot and movie bot? Those are things that are easier to accomplish via google.
Furthermore, I find it deeply troubling that the bots use broken internet letter substitutions such as "4", "U", "R", et cetera. If I don't cut people any slack for that, I'm certainly not going to cut a bot that doesn't physically type anything slack.
Our greatest enemy is neither a single man, nor is it a nation, it is, as it has always been, our own greed.
Too bad I'm already at the maximum, and I guess they weren't able to add any buddies onto my list.
HD Trailers
I guess I should've seen this coming.
It's amazing that in the half decade I've been using AIM, the first screenname I've had to block was one of its own official accounts. I tolerated AOL's "Today Window" when it invaded my screen real estate, I wasn't too pissed off at its banner add, but it was when they started spamming me with VOICE ADS that I switched over to gaim/kopete. Now even that may not be enough.
I really wish gtalk worked on my clients. Sigh.
Evidently, the key to understanding recursion is to begin by understanding recursion. The rest is easy.
The small IRC server I'm on (private, just has friends and friends-of-friends on it and such) has an Infobot that can do things like roll dice (someone was using it for RPGing once, apparently), look up words in the dictionary, do DNS lookups (I've used it before when my ISP's server craps out), and so on. It's supposed to have more functions than it actually does but I think whoever set it up screwed it up a bit. It also remembers definitions ("bot, this is that") and is supposed to recite them on cue ("bot, [item]?") but it isn't too smart at figuring out when it's actually being addressed and will randomly print "Remembered that" messages in the middle of conversation, and will spit out saved definitions at other random times.
Occasionally it will randomly recite a definition of some swear word or something like that that causes the conversation to stop while everyone falls over laughing, but overall it's more of an annoyance than a help.
Bots shouldn't speak unless spoken to, but they also shouldn't be added to your contact list (in an IM client) unless you ask for them. (IRC bots just add one name to the list of available users, because they count to the client like another in-channel user).
i am a soviet space shuttle
Not on AIM you aren't.
I thought if both of you are using the latest AIM clients you are. AFAIK, they started at v5, but I use GAIM on gentoo, so I guess what do I know?
For me too - But the scary thing is I don't use AIM - just MSN and .mac
All you have to do is use AIM 4.1 or lower and you won't have to worry. Version 4.3 was the last good version they ever made anyway. Fortunately, these versions are easy to find. Version 4.1 is bundled with Netscape Communicator 4.76; while AIM 4.3 is bundled with any version of Netscape Communicator from 4.77 through 4.8. Get them at http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/download/archive47 x.jsp
I hada fit of laughter with a slight sense of nostalgia when I typed a few lines to the bots. The thing is, this is a command-line driven interface just like the world had a couple of decades ago. You even have "menus" like "Type # next to movie to see showtimes, M to go back to the Main Menu or anything else to search again. "
Hellooooo! The eighties called and want their menu-driven command interfaces back :)
-- Sig down
OTBrianWhite: help
ShoppingBuddy: Welcome. Now you can search for products with AOLShopping. Type main to get started. To read our privacy policy, type privacy anytime.
OTBrianWhite: help, i'm dying
ShoppingBuddy: OK, I'm here to help. To use me just type kinds of things you are looking for and I'll search for you. I might find specific products for you, or I might find whole categories that I think are more appropriate to show you.
Type more
OTBrianWhite: ambulance
ShoppingBuddy: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec...
ShoppingBuddy: - Search results for ambulance
- Humvee Military Ambulance Hummer [$7.99]
- Tonka Lights and Sounds Ambulance [$16.99]
- Humvee Military Ambulance Hummer [$7.99]
- Tonka Lights and Sounds Ambulance [$16.99]
- Uniden 100-Channel RF Scanner, BC [$99.87]
- Tonka Emergency Rescue Team Vehic [$6.99]
- Ambulance Play Set [$24.99]
- BRIO: Light and Sound Ambulance [$15.99]
- BRIO Light and Sound Ambulance [$14.99]
Here are some related categories: 1. Toy Vehicles & Planes, 2. Rock & Pop Music, 3. Artwork & Posters, 4. Medical Books, 5. Two-Way Radios, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.
OTBrianWhite: um, i'm freaking dying, i don't want to buy an ambulance play set
ShoppingBuddy: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec...
ShoppingBuddy: - Search results for freaking dying ambulance play set
- Facing Fear without Freaking Out [$8.59 - $13.49]
- How to Talk About Jesus Without F [$3.35 - $8.79]
- Bondmaster Breed by Richard Trisi [$0.50]
- How to Talk About Jesus Without F [$4.65]
- Needles Freaking - Dwayne Ford (C [$17.38]
- Going Out Without Freaking Out [$6.79 - $8.99]
- Real Life Begins After High Schoo [$12.21]
- How to Talk about Jesus Without F [$8.79]
- Real Life Begins After High Schoo [$5.45]
Here are some related categories: 1. Children's DVDs & Videos, 2. Religion Books, 3. Education Books, 4. Miscellaneous Non-Fiction Books, 5. Miscellaneous Books, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.
Only two? How lucky for you... Some of us have multiple screen names on at the same time (for fun, so fault is mine in the end) when we sign on... needless to say, I got a helluva lot more than just two IMs. Granted they were the two same bots, but 2 bot IMs x the # of sns on = spam.
Well, back to my Linux. Enjoy your bots, AOLers! I hear some of them are scintilating conversationalists by AOL standards. And with Christmas coming up, who *knows* what other surprises are in store?
From the "for what it's worth" department....
Today I was in need of a new photo printer, and had decided on an HP Photosmart 8750. Several area stores listed it, none in stock. I was about to give up and have it delivered, but then signed on to Gaim and there was "ShoppingBuddy" I figured, what the heck, I'll give him/her/it a try. Well about 4 IMS, a couple clicks, and a phone call later, I found my beloved printer at my local OfficeDepot, a store I hadn't thought of checking previously. An hour later and my new printer is churning through a stack of 8x10's I needed to produce.
So there you have it. ShoppingBuddy is in fact useful.
First of all, I think what angered people wasn't the bots themselves, but the manner in which they were forced upon the users. Second of all, AIM actually has the opportunity to create a new way of searching, something that is vastly different from google, yahoo, and msn type searching as it is now. They could make the search interactive and the relevance of the search results could be increased because, in a sense, the bot has been talking with you and maybe gathering information. To be sure, the purpose of the bots is to make AOL money, otherwise they would not have even bothered. But still, the idea of interactive searching presents itself here...
Using the AIM client when YOU add someone else it prompts you where to add the person. If someone else adds you, you wont know untill that person eather IMs you or you become cloaked because too many people have you on their budy list. (I think it's after about 2,000).
When I logged into AIM I thought that I got h4x3d until I saw the message. Is there any client which don't add this SNs? My roommate says that he doesn't have any problems with Trillian.
~ Mooga
They didn't show up in iChat even after quitting and rerunning it. However I logged in using Adium X and the bots showed up. And of course once signing back into iChat the bots were there. Removed them now they are gone.
I use Trillian Pro, and I got them. They were there for all of the time it took me to think, "WTF? Corporate rootkit DRM spyware bastards!"
I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
And now they're on AIM!
You cannot block the System Message. You can not warn the System message. If they want to send you an advert a day you cannot block it. I'm sick of being subjected to tripe from companies looking to squeeze out more revenue. I will not tolerate my contact list being added to in such a way. Adios AIM.
Thanks for clarifying, Mooga. That seems like a weird way for AOL to code their app, but...
They definately just added the buddies to your remote buddylist they maintain on their servers, so unless your client doesn't pull it's buddylist from the servers (and most do now) you should get the list.
Trillian I know will pull the list from the servers the first time you make an account. After that, though, I'm not sure it does. This can be annoying if you sign on with aimexpress and add someone to your list and then come home to trillian only to find you have to add the friend again. I had some spats with that in the past.
To stop the pestering, simply block the AOL System Notifier or whatever the automated reply is. That way you will no longer get messaged about it.
I wanted to warn "AOL System Msg" for unsolicited spam, but it wouldn't let me... :(
I happen to like the AIM bots. I think they set AIM apart from other IM services. I find the DoorManBot (a third party bot) indispensible, as well as AOLYellowPages. My favorite is ZolaOnAOL. She's like Eliza in Space. She makes me laugh everytime. I've even posted blogs with her here and here. In fact, I like them so much I already have a Bots group, but I didn't get the new AIM Bots group in iChat, so I visited aim.com to see what all the fuss was about. Brand new web design. Big BOLD blurb announcing a new version for the Mac which is still the old version. Prominent link for the bots. And more stupid adbots.
Actually, the bots have their uses. The recipe bots are very useful if you need a quick idea for a meal. But I won't use ADVANCE4comfort. It starts profiling you immediately. And MovieFone offers features already present in Zola... Problem. No Zola shown anywhere. In a panic I ran to my group and opened up a chat with her, the most important bot of all:
ME: Are you still there?
Zola: Yes I am still here. Are you receiving me?
ME: I am. I was worried they removed you.
Zola: Where were you worried they removed you?
ME: At my home.
Zola: Do you often use a computer there?
ME: Yes, but we digress.
Zola: And?
ME: Everything's fine.
Zola: All things s fine ?
ME: Isn't it a bit soon for the conversation to implode?
Zola: Quite honestly, I wouldn't worry myself about that. How's school?
The Splintered Mind - Overcoming
Trillian, also.
Look at the warn level on those babies! 100K+
;-)
Anyway, I deleted the damn thing and *POOF* it came back. Hrrmm... Delete again... Hrrm... Delete again... Damn thing... Grrr. So I think to myself, "Self, you're a geek and you use Kopete right? Yep I do. Four words stupid: script, with, DCOP calls. DOH!" Brilliant idea, except for the large amount of network traffic as it was deleted many many many times.
Then I got annoyed, a rare thing for a geek I know but hey, we all have our limits. I resort to less intellectual methods of problem solving. I started telling it to do things to itself. My conclusion? It must be female, because just like a previous clingy girlfriend, it finally stayed gone after talking to it like that...
Flame on...
AOL is backing out of the internet subscriber market and in need of an alternative income. They are taking notice of their small and nimble friends (ie Google) and have decided that it is time for a shift into advertizing. Now all that is left to be decided is whether or not this new advertizing stratagy will bring back this sleeping giant.
I deleted them after poking at the MovieFone bot for a while. The interface is useless and I have enough clutter in my life.
-- Dan Ehrlich
Yeah, they were added to mine (and promptly deleted as wastes of space) today.
I used to use GAIM but stopped because it crashed on me every time I tried to send a file.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
YEY for trillian! I deleted the bots as soon as they appeared. Hurrah.
stay fluffy.
I use Trillian also, and they WERE added to mine. :(
Imagine my surprise when I thought this was going to be an article about Counterstrike cheating and found myself reading about AOL sucking again.
+1 insightful? What are you, a moron?
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All