Detecting BOTS

i have developed a technique and operation in conjunction with certain LIBSL software and a modified SL viewer to detect BOTS.
this process has been tested by me for 90+ days and has be proven to be 100% sucessful.
at this time, i do not plan to develop stand-alone software for sale (maybe in the future), but i will provide a free service for a limited time by coming to your parcel/estate and detecting a BOT(S).
if you are interested in this service, please send me a notecard with a landmark of your parcel/estate.
this is the first time i am publicly providing this as a free service so i may not be immediately available to visit your parcel if i get a severe influx of requests. (based on requests made from "word of mouth"
please, if you are going to flame, ridicule or otherwise bash this post, just move on to the next thread.
thanks.

I don't know whether you consider it bashing, but this post would belong in New Products. Since you are advertising a service.

Even in the Days of of the old General, product threads were moved.

I find the concept interesting though.

Being free, it might be considered an offer of help.

It could be construed as someone asking for extensive help testing the accuracy of their bot detection system.

Suppose you could be right.

not nesscessary, i have tested it for more than 90 days on various sims like money island, money tree island with the help of the owners and their own bots of various types (thoys, pikku, sleek, etc)

so at what time does this service cease to be free?

either when i develop stand alone software in C+ with the libs of SL or if the infux of requests become enough to warrant it.

How does it work?

Other's are welcome to speculate on the method.

"are you a bot"

"no I am not a bot"

move on to next subject

"are you a bot"

no answer, therefore a bot, I'll do that for free

Suppose the bot was running a regular client, using a scriptable macro program to send keypresses and mouse movements and clicks to the the regular client, would the system be able to detect that?


Heh, ok, it's not a request for help, so maybe it it an ad for a service and this thread should be moved or closed. Have it your way.

You *could* do Advanced > Character > Show LookAt, noting whether the person has a LookAt target... but the trouble is, I don't think there are any third-party clients using that yet (even something like SLeek won't be sending them)

that does work, but there are several other methods involved to make the detection accurate as some users who are using a legitimate client, their point/look crosshairs wont show if the client is minimized and not rendering, if they have auto-away turned off thru the debug.

what about AFK legitimate users ?

Its an Interesting problem. I'm assuming you haven't developed an automated turning test. (and on the off chance you have, what are you still doing in here with it?) I can think of several generalized detection techniques but they all lead to classic arms race situations 'ala virus scanners.

A few questions come to mind immediately: I guess its possible to exclude false positive test results, but how can you ensure your test results didn't have false negatives? Once the bots have been detected, then what? Do you envision a specific benefit to SL or is it just an intellectual exercise? I am also intensely curious about your detection methods but understand you probably don't want to discuss them. Do you have any intention of making them publicly available at some time in the future?

Hmmm, if there are no bots on my land NOW, what purpose does your service serve? I would imagine a permanent bot detector might have some value, but what purpose does a one-time scan serve?

I mean, it's like saying there are no burglars outside your house right now...

How do you discern a "BOT" using SLEEK versus, say.. a person using it?

What about bots based on full-fledged clients? Patches like Restrained Life stir in elements that really blur the lines software-wise.

/me sounds a note of scepticism... anyone claiming 100% accuracy without giving evidence is either (1) chain-yanking, (2) scamming (3) hopelessly naive (4) hoping everyone else is hopelessly naive.

the purpose is to try and help those who still provide camping for users.
those owners/operators who monitor the camping spots would obvioiusly prefer a "live" avatar camping instead of a BOT.
the chances of getting a false negative are slim with multiple detection methods.
since i own a bunch of different brand bots, ive been able to test these methods on my own and others as well as my own legit test avatars and other legit test avatars.
it basically comes down to this:
BOTS dont need to render head rotation movements, therefore their "point look at" attributes dont upload to the server side and dont render on a standard viewers client - its not needed.
just like the old method was skin, shapes and clothes (not attachments), the bot doesnt store a local copy, it doesnt get uploaded to the server and the client viewing it doesnt see it (you would see a totally grey or "missing image" ruth).
however, the newest bots now keep a copy of these things.
bots will improve and so will my methods.
while many of you might not care less about it, there are plenty who do.
my purpose:
i like to know whether the avatar im seeing is a stripped down client or an actual person behind a standard viewer.
the same principle applies in real life, you can obviously tell what person is a robot and what is not just by looking.

What are the criteria that determine "success?" While I would love to keep out the bots, I would want to know a lot more about this service before I use it on my parcels.

I'm not sure I would call "logging in with a stripped down client" a "bot".. there are a NUMBER of really good reasons that some people make use of stripped down clients, (Like SLEEK).

For one, I use Sleek when my PC is busy doing other things.. like rendering or doing sound work. LIkewise, I use it when I need to transfer cash between alts, (or other inventory).

I've also used it (and the web based AjaxLife) when I needed to be both on the beta grid AND still wanted to "keep a foot on the main grid" in terms of conversation/customer service/etc.

I think it's really dangerous to label all "users of alternate clients" as "bots".

thats totally understandable.
but im using that phrase as a simple term.
i use sleek frequently in the same manner as you described.
the whole idea behind this is to try and help sim owners and/or land owners who provide camping (many still do) to fight the "battle of the bots".
you know, the quick auto-resit ones that suck the lindens dry from the owner not giving anyone else a chance to camp.

Who really gives a s**t ?

The most intrusive bots don't actually stay on your land they just get in range do their scan (or buy the land) and move on.

Does this get their names or something?

A plain LL client run by sending it mouse and keyboard messages should be very hard to detect.