Banning bot ads on #main and #newbies

[gajop]

We had a discussion earlier, and iirc we had a consensus that they shouldn't post on #main at least, while most still agreed about abolishing them in #newbies too. I'd create a poll, but not sure how.. Post your opinion and voice your concerns against the ban.

The reason for this is obvious, it's just annoying, as all ads are! It really destroys those channels, and it especially hurts #newbies, as vets aren't as likely to hang around there to give assistance there if they are spammed by bots. These channels are a "must" for small games and generally helpful for the community.

[Beherith]

Define what you mean by bot ads. Does !promote count as an ad? ca/zk spammed main for years, why all the sudden turnaround?

[gajop]

I would definitely start with automated ads but I am against repeated manual ads as well.
It's not so much as a sudden turn around, I'm just willing to see it get sorted out at last.

[abma]

if you want ban bot ads, just ban bots out of #main and #newbies.

i'm a bit undecided about whats allowed and what not, my personal impression is that !promote which triggers some message like "1 player needed for ..." is ok, but messages "Launching game" from notaHosts are not.

[gajop]

my personal impression is that !promote which triggers some message like "1 player needed for ..." is ok

Imo, it's not ok in newbies, no ads there of any kind - it should be a place where newbies ask for help and nothing else;
And in general i don't think it makes sense in #main either, games with larger communities like BA, ZK and EVO now shouldn't be using it, and smaller ones could organize play on forums or social networks..

[abma]

Imo, it's not ok in newbies, no ads there of any kind - it should be a place where newbies ask for help and nothing else;
And in general i don't think it makes sense in #main either, games with larger communities like BA, ZK and EVO now shouldn't be using it, and smaller ones could organize play on forums or social networks..

-> disallow bots in #main and #newbies, with the exception of ChanServ.

[PicassoCT]

But what about the joy(n)s of Zero-K!

[Silentwings]

To be honest I think this would have been a good thing to do years ago, but now #main is long dead, #newbies is mostly dead, and I would guess that this won't recover either.

I would prefer that there is a new channel (i.e. #spring or #chat), in which all bots are disallowed (except chanserv), all lobbies must put in their autojoin list on a fresh install, with suitably chosen operators, and in which advertising games is not permitted at all and all but non-excessive manual "we need an extra player for X on Y, anyone want to come?" is not permitted either. I would hope that the channel would be mostly used general everyday non-dev chat (as #main once was) along with newcomers asking for help.

If individual games want their own channel in addition, afaik they already have the ability to set it up (and force join anyone who joins the hosts).

[CarRepairer]

Promote is one thing, but the other day I was complaining that there was some bot that was announcing in #main that it was shutting down, launching game, shutting down, launching game. Really, why does anyone need to know that?

[Jools]

Except if they are promoting k i t c h e n s. I think k itchens promotions should be allowed. Maybe there should be a kitchenbot.

[AF]

A policy was formed back in the cookiebot days, no talking bots in public channels, why it isn't enforced I don't know

Also is there any evidence promotions ever worked or ever will? Their primary purpose it seems is to occupy the time of players waiting in games by annoying everyone else. Everyone not in the game is perfectly capable of looking at the battle list themselves

[Jools]

Yeah but, with same logic: why do we have advertisements? Everyone is capable of walking into a store theymselves, and picking and the product and reading what it is theymselves.

[Silentwings]

Also is there any evidence promotions ever worked or ever will? Their primary purpose it seems is to occupy the time of players waiting in games by annoying everyone else.

I guess most would argue that CA/ZK had some success with it years ago, when they were starting out, before #main died, although my memory says that was humans instead of bots. I think its also true that it picks up the odd player even now. But still, I'd prefer what I stated above!

[smoth]

Promote is one thing, but the other day I was complaining that there was some bot that was announcing in #main that it was shutting down, launching game, shutting down, launching game. Really, why does anyone need to know that?

That needs to go

[Jools]

I agree. I was just explaining why spam exists, not that I like it.

[hoijui]

in this new channel, i also propose, we have free love for everyone, and people can decide how and whether they dress, and intercourse is allowed between all sexes, species and other objects, if there is mutual agreement, and we have no racism, and everyone is totally fair, and i finally get my well deserved 40 hot, female, non-bot virgins, and everyone is nice to everyone, always.
this way, we finally bring order and justice to the internet, and everyone will join us.

[Forboding Angel]

I disagree with this. Evo hosts can !promote to main and newbies, but are limited to once every 10 minutes (i think? It might be 7 minutes... I'd have to look).

Perhaps the main offenders should simply be dealt with instead of taking away nice things for everybody?

[Silentwings]

Since #main is basically inactive since years, the damage is already done long ago and I don't think dealing with the main offenders will make any difference (my preferred solution is above).