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Separate Bots from Guests
Topic Started: Nov 4 2011, 07:07 PM (3,486 Views)
Brandon
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GAK
Nov 4 2011, 07:07 PM
I was talking on another forum about the fact that ZB groups Bots and Guests together in the active users list (and also factors into the users online today code). This could be avoided if ZB would separate Bots and Guests and give separate numbers for how many are/were online instead of putting both as guests. Would make the stats much more credible and worth having.

Other softwares do this (You see Google, Yahoo, etc. as groups in the online list) and so I'm sure this could be done here with a little time and effort for a better looking stats area.
Known search bots are not counted as guests or members. They are already not included in the active users list.
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Geoffrey-ZNS
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I want you for worse or for better
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Brandon
Nov 21 2011, 09:23 AM
GAK
Nov 4 2011, 07:07 PM
I was talking on another forum about the fact that ZB groups Bots and Guests together in the active users list (and also factors into the users online today code). This could be avoided if ZB would separate Bots and Guests and give separate numbers for how many are/were online instead of putting both as guests. Would make the stats much more credible and worth having.

Other softwares do this (You see Google, Yahoo, etc. as groups in the online list) and so I'm sure this could be done here with a little time and effort for a better looking stats area.
Known search bots are not counted as guests or members. They are already not included in the active users list.
Then why do I often (as in every day) see twice as many guests (usually 40+) on my board at a time than members? Sure, you can say they are a legit and just aren't registering, but I just can't believe there are THAT MANY legit guests and not bots.

How many of these known bots exist? Are there still a lot of unknown ones too that could be causing this?
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Brandon
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GAK
Nov 21 2011, 07:30 PM
Then why do I often (as in every day) see twice as many guests (usually 40+) on my board at a time than members? Sure, you can say they are a legit and just aren't registering, but I just can't believe there are THAT MANY legit guests and not bots.

How many of these known bots exist? Are there still a lot of unknown ones too that could be causing this?
If you grab a list of IP Addresses from the online users list and send them in a ticket I can take a look.
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cnm
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Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
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They are sequential on my board, if that makes sense. Same IP all but the last number(s). And on simultaneously but looking at different areas of the board. I opened a ticket about it a while back and was told they are typically search engine bots. Should we start saving up the IPs and sending them to you to add to your list of known bots?
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Brandon
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cnm
Nov 22 2011, 10:10 AM
They are sequential on my board, if that makes sense. Same IP all but the last number(s). And on simultaneously but looking at different areas of the board. I opened a ticket about it a while back and was told they are typically search engine bots. Should we start saving up the IPs and sending them to you to add to your list of known bots?
That actually sounds like it might be a poorly configured guest user. Their ISP is sending each request through a different IP Address and the user's browser is not saving cookies.
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cnm
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Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
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Why would it show the IPs are viewing different parts of the board at the same time, though? Or am I missing something here...?

ETA: I sent you a screenshot, Brandon.
Edited by cnm, Nov 23 2011, 10:59 PM.
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AimeeWilbury
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GAK
Nov 21 2011, 07:30 PM
How many of these known bots exist? Are there still a lot of unknown ones too that could be causing this?
A lot:
http://www.user-agents.org/

The whole searchbot discussion thing reminds me of the time when a misbehaving Russian searchbot made my site (not forum) slow down to a crawl.
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Geoffrey-ZNS
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http://z5.ifrm.com/30003/141/0/f5032905/botbuster1.png

75 "guests" on at once. (Not all pictured)
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