What is a "bot"?

Question

This "man" has been showing up all over the place, and several people have said its a bot. So what is a bot? I've never heard of it before. And how can he "answer" so many questions if the rest of us get stopped when we hit our total for the day. How can this bot go beyond the limits?

Answer 1

Internet bots, also known as web robots or simply bots, are software applications that run automated tasks over the internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human editor alone. The largest use of bots is in web spidering, in which an automated script fetches, analyses and files information from web servers at many times the speed of a human. Each server has a file called robots.txt containing rules for the spidering of that server that the bot is supposed to obey.

In addition to their uses outlined above, bots may also be implemented where a response speed faster than that of humans is required (eg gaming bots and auction-site robots) or less commonly in situations where th emulation of human activity is required, such as in chat bots.

Answer 2

A bot can be thought like the equivalent of a robot on the computer. Instead of a human actually answering a question, it's a computer program.

Obviously, the program exploits some flaw in Yahoo!'s system. And because the program runs independently of a human, it can be repeating its generic response for the entire day.

Answer 3

"Bot" I suppose the word is derived from the word Robot is a software application (usually a script) that does repetitive tasks. The prime purpose is to automate the mundane repetitive task in a considerable times faster than human.
Example primarily sprout up within IRC or Internet Chat Servers. There are often bots installed that pretend to be humans and try to reply back to your queries in simple plain English. Very popular with Porno Web Cam Chats.
Other might be for malicious reasons to target a server to break in the security system by trying to login with random passwords that it generates in the order of millions/minute.
For good reasons you can use for trading or Front End of system that has to deal with end users.

Answer 4

a bot meaning a "robot" which is a software program run from a location that does only specific things..if you ever go to a chatroom there are bots all over that try to entice people to adult websites consider it a form of spam

Answer 5

bot is computer generated. man is probably a program automated by certain key actions. but am beginning to suspect some geek is playing automated god, maybe outside some freak wants to eat up the program to see whats after level 7 or whatever. Maybe disgruntled employee. Whoever programmed it knew what they were doing.

Answer 6

Read the first answer, thats a bot.

Answer 7

It is a computer program, refereed to as a "bot" as short for "robot", like all those fake profiles on Yahoo chat that are just advertising for porno websites.

Answer 8

bot-Definition:Computer Scripted Tasker
-mostly found in games
-bot is taken from the word robot and in computer terms it means the same...

Answer 9

man is a bot

now will everyone take a minute & report the man lets get this MAN thrown of of here i am tired of seing his name he must get paid for every hit on his site

Answer 10

A bot is a computer program designed to do a task on its own with out input form a user. the"man" is prgramed to post that message with that web site. don;t click on it, its a virus