User:T3CHNOCIDE/Policies/Bot policy

A bot is an automated or semi-automated program capable of carrying out repetitive and mundane tasks to maintain the Special:Statistics articles on the wiki. As bots can edit multiple pages within a very short period of time, their malfunction or misuse can result in severe disruption. For this reason, this bot policy has been written to help guide users on correct bot use.

When used correctly, bots can perform tasks more efficiently and with less work than human editors. This includes changing British English spellings to American English or pulling information directly from the Destiny API. There are currently Special:ListUsers/bot approved bots with a bot flag, their account names and functions are listed below.

Bot authorisation process
Before using a bot on the wiki, community support and a bot flag must be attained first. The initial idea of a bot should either be discussed with a wiki administrator or with other members of the wiki in order to decide if a new bot is needed. If it is generally agreed that a new bot is required, then a detailed specification of how the bot will function should be added to the Destiny Wiki forum. This should include:


 * The main tasks of the bot and how the bot will complete these takes.
 * How frequent the bot will be run, this should include if the bot will be run continuously, periodically or a one off time. If run periodically, a time frame between runs should be given.
 * The software the bot will use. If the bot uses a pre-written software such as PyWikiBot or AutoWikiBrowser, this should be stated. If the bot is custom written, the programming language should be included.
 * How autonomous the bot will be. Bots can be fully automated (often running continuously without further user interaction) or semi-automated (requiring a user to initiate but not necessarily ).
 * Who can access the bot. In most circumstances this will be limited to the operator/creator, however for bots where multiple users will control the bot all users or usergroups should be listed. Bots should never be easily accessible by the general public due to ease of misuse.
 * User group rights required. If the bot requires a specific user group rights then this should be included in the specification. The user group rights can never exceed that of the operator/creator's own user group.

The specification is an important step in bot approval as it defines the role of the bot and thus how it could benefit the wiki. It also demonstrates the users commitment to running the bot correctly. If the community gives a general consensus of approval, the administrators will permit the use of the bot on a separate account and grant that account a bot flag.

Bot use
All bots must be run on a separate Wikia account from the user's main account. This account must have a bot flag in order to hide all edits from the recent changes and wiki activity logs, thus preventing flooding. Edits made by bots with a bot flag may still be seen on the recent changes log by selecting "Show bots"; this will frequently be used by administrators to monitor bot activity on the wiki.

When a bot is to perform a large number of edits or a series of complex tasks, the bot should be tested on a separate test wiki or on the user's own namespace first. All edits should be rate limited to no more than one edit per second to prevent over running the Wikia servers and allow timely intervention in event of malfunction.

Bot accounts should include the following information on it's user page:
 * A link to the block page in the event of bot malfunction. This link should be clearly visible and in the following format: emergency shut down
 * A link to the creator/operator account. This is to allow accountability of bot edits/actions and continuity of edit attribution.

Perceived misuse or abuse of a bot can result in loss of a bot flag and exclusion of a bot account and its operator's account from the wiki. For this reason it is imperative to keep bot account details safe. Bot accounts which have not performed an edit for 6 months or longer will have its bot flag removed.

Source codes
While it is not required, users should endeavour to publish their source codes under an open license so others may run their bots in the event a user leaves. Source codes can be published on the wiki under the operator or bot's own namespace (i.e. User:DestinyWikiBot/Source ) or on a software site such as GitHub. In the event an operator leaves the wiki or becomes inactive, another operator should take control of the bot under a separate bot account; this is to ensure accountability of the bots action.

Bot list
All authorised bots, their operators and their tasks are listed below: