Spambot backlash.. need help

This was the script handed to me. She blames Ordinal in her IMs to me

string gBotName = "<no name set>";
string gLastOwnerName = "<unknown>";
key gLastOwnerKey = NULL_KEY;
key gOwner = NULL_KEY;
integer CHANNEL = 123;
string gPos = "";

default
{
   state_entry()
   {
      llListen(CHANNEL, "", llGetOwner(), "");
   }

   on_rez(integer p)
   {
      llOwnerSay("Listening on channel " + (string)CHANNEL +
         " for a new bot name - currently scanning for '" + gBotName +
         "' when touched");
   }

   listen(integer channel, string name, key id, string message)
   {
      if (message == "Yes") {
         llInstantMessage(gOwner, "Your object '" + gBotName + "' at " +
            gPos + " is sending " + llKey2Name(llGetOwner()) +
            " unwanted instant messages, please disable it.");
         llOwnerSay("IM sent to owner for object '" + gBotName + "' at " + gPos);
      }
      else if (message != "No") {
         gBotName = message;
         llOwnerSay("Bot name changed - now scanning for '" + gBotName +
            "' when touched");
      }
   }

   touch_start(integer n)
   {
      llSensor(gBotName, NULL_KEY, SCRIPTED, 96.0, PI);
   }

   no_sensor()
   {
      llOwnerSay("Could not find " + gBotName + " within 96m");
   }

   sensor(integer n)
   {
      gOwner = llGetOwnerKey(llDetectedKey(0));
      gPos = llGetRegionName() + " " + (string)llDetectedPos(0);
      string report = "Found object " + gBotName + " at " + gPos;
      if (gOwner == gLastOwnerKey) {
         report += " owned by " + gLastOwnerName;
      }
      else {
         report += " owned by " + (string)gOwner +
            ", requesting owner name...";
         llRequestAgentData(gOwner, DATA_NAME);
      }
      llOwnerSay(report);
      llDialog(llGetOwner(), "Send IM to the object owner?", ["Yes", "No"], CHANNEL);
   }

   dataserver(key queryid, string data)
   {
      llOwnerSay("Name of agent with key " + (string)gOwner + " is " +
         data + ", saving this for next time.");
      gLastOwnerKey = gOwner;
      gLastOwnerName = data;
   }
} 

NOw that I've read the interveneing replies...

From what I'm gathering, P*N* grabbed (one of) our script(s), heard some copybot !quit spam, and typed "cop" into the locate function. Found the first (wrong) match and arrogantly fired off a series of invictives at you, demanding the object's removal. Of course as has been stated in the previous 8 pages of this thread, this script is really limited in wildcard mode, and can only return the nearest 16 objects it finds. The more accurate you can make your wildcard, the better your search will be.

As for your situation, Weedy, I'm VERY sorry that PN has decided to be a jerk. Obviously you've got a pretty good tracking/locating script yourself (in Scan-Foo)... we here were just trying to kitbash something of a similar nature, with the ability to scan for a partial name.

At the end of the day, any script can be misused. I am very sorry that it has resulted in drama for you.

If that is the script exactly as it is being used then I'm suprised it reports anything.
The explicit bot name is set to "<no name set>" and the sensor should always fail.

The only way it would find your objects would be if the user entered no name, in which case every scripted object would be returned or if they explicitly entered the name of your object.

The <no name set> is apparently supposed to be edited with the name of the spam object.

I have no idea what she edited in it's place, probably the name of whatever object is doing the spamming.

I don't get the copy bot message while I'm in Tuliptree (presumably its muted).

My object has "Copiable" in the name, does not spam, but is a scripted object.

I fear you have been the unfortunate victim of someone who has no idea what they where doing.

Technically that script was written by Ordinal.. but I would really think twice about abuse reporting Ordinal for creating the tool that PN so blatantly misused.

You said it yourself.

"It had the co-ordinate vector on her report, yet she was negligent or too lazy to actually verify the object herself."

We've said it repeatedly in this thread... this is a locator TOOL, not a panecea, not a "anti-copybot-spammer death-ray" (I still laugh at that).

And it's also important to note that Scripting tips is for discussion, not a library of finished, ready for use scripts. Not everything here is ready for prime time (heck.. you should see the nightmare on that "Message Board" thread.) Obviously the script was returning data in error. It wasn't an intentional abuse.. just a mistake. Now the question is.. did PN take it from "honest mistake" to "intentional harrassment and abuse?

That's entirely for you to decide.

Once again, this is what happens when children play with power tools.

Scripts like this, in the hands of scripting ignoramii and/or antagonists.....isn't good.


Come to think of it, I'm going to go to Tuliptree, take all spammers off mute and track it down myself.

I agree... and yet.. there's really no other way to learn to script, than to try things and make mistakes.

I remember the first time I made an infinite loop. The script "said" the number of a variable.. and had an open listen on channel 0. Originally it was intended that I'd speak a command.. and it would then let me know the value of a variable (it was a debugging attempt). Thing was, the object, saying the name of the variable... was hearing itself say something... and saying the variable, hearing itself say something, saying the variable... etc. at about 10-20 times per second.

The swirling particles were really cool.

I mentioned this was the first time that happened to me. That was (erm) yesterday.

We all make mistakes.

I've only AR'd the object creator/messenger thus far. She sent me a copy of the object first, which somehow has my key in prim memory as gLastOwner. How it got that way, I don't know, but the word "Copiable" was wildcarded, perhaps coincidentally, but the script uses sensor, so it's also likely to be the nearest detected scripted object NULL_KEY.

Either way, it was a false positive and the shitstorm that ensued is what I've pretty much come to expect from her.

PN strikes me as a "Take off, nuke the site from orbit, set off an atmosphere incinerator, pulverize the planetary core, collapse the sun first.. ask questions later" kind of person.

Weedy, thanks for coming here and voicing your situation. And thanks for giving us an opportunity to respond. I hope you can see what it was we were TRYING to do with this script. Obviously there's a PEBCAK* issue going on with the script. Once again, as the OP, and as a major involved party in the development of these scripts, I am sorry it resulted in personal drama.

* - Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard

The script will have picked your key up from the llRequestAgentData when the sensor was triggered.

We had previously discussed 'wild cards' and how they would not really work very well due to the way in which sensors work.

Yes, I was a bit too quick to point fingers at the script writer here. It was the offline IMs that irked me more than anything. I was just getting to bed, now I'm wide awake, livid at her stirring up shit again, without evidence.

Oh, by the way....I just flew the entire Tuliptree sim, with everything unmuted, NO anti copybot spam anywhere.

The whole thing was cooked up for no good reason.

Oh, there's a big surprise. That's an incredible... I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die, from not surprise. - Iago (Disney's Aladdin)

Incidentally, from conversations with both Prokofy and Weedy, I found out what I thought was the problem: the script will accept a null string value for the bot name to scan for, if you just type "/123", and of course when you scan for a null name it picks the closest scripted object.

I've modified the script so that it can't do that any more, and also added a whole load of help text.

EDIT: removed names

A big "thank you" to all posters in this thread. I cannot recall the last time I actually spent 30 minutes reading and taking in every single post in a 10 page thread! It is also most pleasing to know that there are at least a FEW rational people around here with the ability to excercise common sense. You guys inspire me every day.

zk

Gah!

During the Cold War, the attendant arms race ate up huge amounts of production just so each side could stay in the same place relative to the other.

If this nonsense doesn't stop - and there is no reason to believe it will - there will be no SL resources left and the whole grid will be occupied by scripts, countermeasures, and counter-countermeasures.

Some think this would not be a Bad Thing.

Well actually it has slowed to almost unnoticable anymore as opposed to the time that this thread was started and spambot was everywhere. Yes Spambot is still around but not in nearly the numbers it was. The Anti-spambot thou is just run only when a person touches it once to locate a spambot. It was never an arms race as there was no parity in server load or annoyance factor.

It may have slowed down, thankfully, but it's still out there, along with the attendant misunderstanding of the core issues, and unfair characterization of libSL members or supporters. Interestly, there is a shop very near the libsl HQ in Hooper, with a big sign that in part reads:

"Anyone found using, or suspected of using COPYBOT in this area will be banned IMMEDIATELY". Fair enough, I guess..

It goes on to say:

"LibSL members are expressly NOT WELCOME here."

So the issue is two-fold. Not only do people still apparently not understand that these countermeasure scripts are entirely ineffective, but categorically criminalize the entire libSL project, and all its members.

It's really a shame, and I wish there was a way to reach out to these folks with the basic truths of the matter.

zk

I think if there are any decent people in that group, they should disassociate themselves. If they won't, well then too bad what people think of them.

coco

Well let me see Coco. Are talking about the ones that have turned over countelss exploits to LL to help you and people like me who spends countless hours in Beta bug reporting and a number more helping people here in the scripting forum. What do you do to help everyone in SL??? I don't see you helping here or in Beta. I only see a post that is designed not to help but to try to start problems.

For the most part the LibSL team do perform a sterling service in find exploits.
Personally I think they fumbled big time with copybot, I've no idea why they thought it necessary to release it but they did. But I do believe it was done with honest intentions.

It is not correct to use the term "they" in this context. Neither I nor the majority of members released copybot. Copybot started out as a legitimate tool for troubleshooting and was changed and released for nefarious reasons by two members(EDIT: I can't say nefarious. I do not know if they released it with ulterior motives or for it to be used only for legitimate purposes). This is like saying that priests are pedophiles. The actions of one or two members of any group can not be applied to the whole group. Another example would be the group w-hat which some claim is a hacking group. It is not, it did have a couple of bad members but w-hat as a whole helps SL. One sterling example of that would be lslint which you and so many others use.

Sorry Jesse, didnt mean to hit your pet nerve. My understanding of it was that it was released by libSL as a group not buy an individual. I stand corrected.

Groups are always held accountable for the actions of their members, its human nature.