If you have questions...

[Gandalf Parker]

I wasnt downplaying it.
The chat here goes thru the same things. Long conversations, then quiet.
When Ive moderated (channels, chats, moos, muds, MMOs, etc) bots had a varied level of definition altho the new pre-packaged bots for IRC does tend to clarify things. In many cases we have considered a bot to be anyone not immeadiately attentive to their screen. Especially if it has automated responses. Heck, in the chat here in the forum Im a bot (usually from around 6am-9pm PDT)

[lch]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

In many cases we have considered a bot to be anyone not immeadiately attentive to their screen. Especially if it has automated responses. Heck, in the chat here in the forum Im a bot (usually from around 6am-9pm PDT)

A bot is usually perceived to be something which automatically performs actions unmaintained all the time, what you talk about is called a bouncer (or BNC), if it is something that's online all the time and allows the user to log on to it, similar to connection to a network, to gain the control again. That's more like a proxy. If it's an IRC program window, even if it has an away script, it's a client.