Updated Bot Registration Policy

If you do not know what a chat bot is and are 100% sure you never will, then you may ignore the rest of this article.

Bot Registrations

Although we do not support bots on the chat network, we do allow you to operate one if you choose.  In May 2007, we introduced a process whereby deviants had to apply to register their bot to ensure clear accountability between the bot owner and its use.  This process worked well and we learned a lot about the number of deviants that abused this privilege, how they abused it,  the number of deviants that owned bots, etc.

I have been meaning to review this bot application process for some time and recently have done just that.  In doing this I have learned several things:

The vast majority of deviants that own bots on the chat network operate them responsibly.  
The small percentage of deviants that abuse this privilege can easily be dealt with by the crack team of Volunteer MN@.
  Deviants hate filling in forms and they'd much rather be creating art or chatting in a chatroom.
  The Volunteer MN@ team have much better things to do than to review bot applications.  Things like chatting it up in #devart, thinking of fun chat events and contests, and generally doing things that are more enjoyable to them.

The logical conclusion was that bot applications were a waste of time for both you and my volunteer team.

As of this writing you are no longer required to submit a bot application if you choose to introduce and operate a bot on the chat network.

If your past application for operating a bot on the chat network has been denied, then that denial still stands, and you won't be able to have a bot.  If you have questions about this, feel free to contact the Help Desk.

If you have sent in an application recently and have not heard back that it is denied, then you can assume it has been approved.


The removal of bot applications in no way whatsoever relieves you of the responsibility for your bot. You will always be held accountable for any misuse of it on the chat network so please be mindful of who you allow access.

Thanks for reading and have a great day in the chatrooms and forums!