WingBot has been in existence for several years. It has always been a multi-channel bot, that is to say a bot that can be on several channels at the same time, and yet keep its stored information for each seperate.

Wingbot came into existence mainly because of the difficulties in protecting unregistered chat channels on undernet.org, and its owner was on-line for many hours every day, although not paying attention to the traffic in those channels. As development proceded, it always remained at Version 1.0 because WingMan had the only copy!

Indeed it is still at Version 1.0, although that may have to change if the present beta releases are seen by others.

Having senior operator status in those channels, it was a natural follow-on to create an extension to his chat program that would monitor those channels, and respond to requests for information and protection against attacks.

The mIRC IRC client is very simply customisable in this regard.

mIRC has a built in ability to grade channel users into those who are friendly, those who are trustworthy, those who the owner would trust with his wife or her husband, and those who it would prefer never to see again :)

WingBot and generic variations such as isaiah40 are built by WingMan aka WingNut, to whom all credit should go. A small amount of further customisation is by eagles, partly as an exercise in writing scripts, but mainly for specific channel requirements.

In addition to being a channel control bot, it is a versatile Bible Bot, if run on a regular PC under the earlier ChristianCommand© customisation of mIRC which used a seperate bible bot.

It is derived from the seperate BibleBot which was part of Version 3.5 of Christian Command, and then extensively customised for channel management. Its files replace those of the standard directory of c:\cmirc\biblebot\

isaiah40 was developed from version 1.0 of Wingbot, specifically for use in this channel - #Christian-Chat - jointly by WingMan (its originator and one of two co-managers of #Christian-Chat channel) and eagles (the channel manager). Most of the modifications produced for isaiah have been incorporated in WingBot, but there are a few differences still.

There became a need for another similar bot to Wingbot, because WingMan was not able to be on-line for as many hours per day.

Early in 2001, when we had discovered starlink-irc.org and established a channel presence there, we were approached for copies of this bot program by the owners of several other channels. At that time we were not yet ready to release the product on to an unsuspecting public - lol :)

We believe that the time is now near, when we shall be able to point interested parties to a download page.

The website for #Christian-Chat was therefore chosen, although this particular page is also on the #Christian website to provide "one stop shopping" for its channel ops should they need to use the bot on its occasional visits.

isaiah40, previously known as ^isaiah^, was initially run on a standard mIRC, and later on one using the i² customisation written by pai. As such it was not initially a biblebot, just a plain channel bot. Its owner has now placed it on a version 3.5 Christian Command client and therefore it now will respond to requests for the posting of scriptures.

The Christian Command scripture database is restricted to three translations, the AV (known to the bot as the KJV), the NIV and the NASB. It is not known if other translations can be scripted in with ease, but a request was made to the two owners of the copyright on the Amplified Bible - both for permission to use it, and provision by them of that translation in digital form, but unfortunately turned down on the basis that they do not have it available in digital form..

The ability to auto-kick on a programmed range of words is incorporated. Currently no provision exists for interactive editing of the words.

With the removal of references to the three Bible translations it supports, it then becomes a very compact fast-acting channel bot, using few resources, and considerable security.

Standard features

Joining Greets

The bot will greet each person joining each channel in which it is placed; the two bots are customised slightly differently in the actual wording.

Channel url and default topic

The bot knows the channel url of each channel it normally joins - even if it doesn't always join.

It also knows the default topics the channel managers wish to use in those channels, that may be set should there be no topic visible.

The commands list below also shows that the bot has a list of topics that may be posted at random, on command by someone it recognises as an op. The two bots have different lists.

Scripture request syntax

The bot will correct a guest (in message) using the wrong syntax in requesting a scripture post

While the bot will accept a leading ! or ~ (or even the + sistrsara uses) it doesn't actually need anything ahead of the translation abbreviation to do as it is requested.

It does, however, require a colon : between chapter and verse

Ignoring ops commands

If the bot doesn't recognise you as an op, don't persist in trying to tell it to op you.

It will put you on ignore (unless you post bad language or flood the channel, when it will kickban you!).

The shot is to make a note of your user@host at the time and mention it to one of the senior ops in channel who should be able to add the new host.

The problem there is often just that the server you are on, or your isp, has provided you with a numeric IP instead of a regular user@host.

Ops commands are checked first;
Admin commands are at the end of the page
in order not to cause too much confusion.

Commands Help

!www
will give you the url of this (or a similar) page

!url
will give you the url of the channel you are currently in, if the bot knows it.

!commands
to see a list of available ops commands if the bot recognises you as an op. These are posted to you as a message.

!help
to get a list of general users (not ops) commands - also sent in /msg

Opping and Deopping

!op nick
ops that particular nick.

!deop nick
deops that particular nick.

up
This command gives you Ops.

down
Similar to 'up' except that it deops you.

You cannot use "up" or"down" to op or deop another person. The "op" command is used for that.

Kicking and Banning

Kicking
!kick nick reason
kicks nick for the reason given, for example...


!kick SomeNick Language

kicks SomeNick and causes the kick msg to be 'Language'

Banning
!ban nick
bans person with the name of nick.

Topics

!topic newtopictext
causes the topic in the channel to be changed. Example...
!topic Praise the Lord!!
changes the topic to "Praise the Lord!!"

!new topic
This shows a random topic which can be programmed in; example...
!new topic
would return a reply to channel such as...
*** isaiah40 changes topic to '"Things should be as simple as possible, but no simpler"

!deftopic
This is currently an isaiah40-specific command which will change the topic to the default one for the channel in question.
It is still being developed.

Moderating

!mvoice
mass-voices the channel

!mdevoice
Similar to !mvoice, only it takes voice from everyone

!moderate on
This moderates the channel - /mode #name +m - and gives everyone voice
It also turns on auto-voice so that each person who enters the channel gets voice.

!moderate off
This turns moderate off - /mode #name -m - and removes voice privileges from everyone in channel, and turns off auto-voice.

!timeout nick
This command removes voice privileges for two minutes.

!voice on
This command gives voice to up to three people on channel. Example...


!voice on nick1 nick2 nick3

!voice off
Similar to !voice on, except that it removes voice privileges from up to three nicks. Example...


!voice off nick1 nick2 nick3

!mode modifier
This command changes the channel modes; it works exactly like the /mode command, except that you don't need to enter the channel name for the command to work. Example...


!mode +tn

This changes the modes in channel to +tn

!autovoice modifier
This turns auto voice for the channel on and off. Example...


!autovoice on
!autovoice off

More Moderating - similar to duck's bots (Isaiah40-specific commands)

!moderate 1
This moderates the channel - /mode #name +m - and gives everyone voice
It also turns on auto-voice so that each person who enters the channel gets voice.

!moderate 0
This turns moderate off - /mode #name -m - and removes voice privileges from everyone in channel, and turns off auto-voice.

!v
This command gives voice to up to three people on channel. Example...


!v nick1 nick2 nick3

!dv
Similar to !voice on, except that it removes voice privileges from up to three nicks. Example...


!dv nick1 nick2 nick3

Miscellaneous

!help
This will send you in /msg the basic commands a channel guest may use

!ping
This will send you a ping and give you a reply

!rules
displays channel rules to you as a /msg

!translation book chapter:verses
This displays up to 4 Bible verses in the channel, in support of a current conversation.
Translations supported are the KJV, NIV, and the NASB. Example...


!kjv john 3:15-17

will display John Chapter 3, verses 15 through to 17.

Currently, no provision exists for interrogating the bot in private with scripture references.

!motd
to read the bot's Message Of The Day - which is where any major changes to the bot will be advised as a /msg. Currently an isaiah40-specific command.

!bots
displays the identity and purpose of each known bot to you as a /msg. Currently an isaiah40-specific command.

Commands through X (Undernet)
Commands through CStar (starlink-irc)
Commands through any network's channel service bot

!xcommands or
!ccommands
Two versions are currently available, the original for undernet.org, the second for starlink-irc.org. Others can be created simply, or if you have any geek attributes, you could create them yourself!
NOTE: the bot does not need to have Ops in channel for these commands to work, however, it must have access to Channel Service and be logged in in order for them to work

!xop nick
This makes X op someone in channel

!ckick nick reason
This makes CStar kick someone from channel for the specified reason. Example...


!ckick SomeOne Lameness

would kick 'SomeOne' for the reason of 'Lameness'

!xban nick duration reason
This makes X ban someone from the channel from X, for the specified reason and duration. Duration is set in hours, and the range is 1 - 336, 1 = 1 hour ban, 336 = 2 week ban. Example...


!xban SomeOne 24 Arguing

would ban 'SomeOne' for one whole day and night

!ctopic Text-for-topic
This command makes CStar change the topic in channel. Example...


!ctopic Praise the Lord!!

would change the topic to Praise the Lord!!

xup
This commands makes X Op you in channel

cdown
This command makes CStar deop in you in channel

Commands sent as /msg

/msg isaiah40 !op #channelname nick
This will make isaiah40 op the nick in the channel called #channelname

/msg isaiah40 !deop #channelname nick
This will make isaiah40 deop the nick in the channel called #channelname

/msg isaiah40 !say #channelname message
This will make isaiah40 appear to "speak" a message in the channel called #channelname

for example
/msg isaiah40 !say #christian-chat the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
would post to that channel the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

 

Admin Commands

!AdminHelp
The Admin commands are available to an Admin or Master (not an op) on channel, and they are sent to you in /msg.
You can request them either in channel, or in a /msg (or query window).

The commands available are...

!AddAdmin nick
Makes 'nick' an Admin for the channel

!AddOp nick
Makes 'nick' an Op for channel

in both cases 'nick' has to be on line at the time of adding. It works on IPs, like most Channel Service (not Undernet's X though), but it doesn't require that they log in.

/msg isaiah40 !go to #channel-name
causes isaiah40 to join #channel-name
This is done after regaining ops in the channel

/msg isaiah40 !access channel nick
for example the typed command


/msg isaiah40 !access #geometry angle

might return an answer such as...
*isaiah40* !access #geometry angle
*isaiah40* angle is an Admin on #geometry

or


/msg isaiah40 !access #oratorio soloist

might return an answer such as...
*isaiah40* !access #oratorio soloist
*isaiah40* soloist is an Op on #oratorio

!Go away
causes the bot to part channel
this is useful to regain ops in channel if there are no ops, and the bot is not opped (e.g. in a netsplit).
This procedure is also called "Cycling" or "Hopping".

!Go to #channelname
causes the bot to join that channel
this is the second half of "Cycling" where the now empty channel is rejoined by the bot which will automatically become opped.

!Be Gone
is very much more drastic. It causes the bot to shut down, and therefore it is no longer available on-line until the owner re-starts it.
Discretion should always be used before using that command.

!nick nickname
causes the bot to change its nick to the one you nominate

!altnick
This is currently an isaiah40-specific command
This is used to change the bot's nick to the default nick that has been entered in the script by the bot's owner.
It is for when the bot rejoins while a ghost of it still exists on the servers, and you wish to restore its regular nick after the 'ghost' times out.