bot

networking, chat, World-Wide Web (From "robot") Any type

of autonomous software that operates as an agent for a

user or a program or simulates a human activity. On the

Internet, the most popular bots are programs (called

spiders or crawlers) used for searching. They access websites, retrieve documents and follow all the hyperlinks in

them; then they generate catalogs that are accessed by searchengines.

A chatbot converses with humans (or other bots). A

shopbot searches the Web to find the best price for a

product. Other bots (such as OpenSesame) observe a user's

patterns in navigating a web site and customises the site for

that user.

Knowbots collect specific information from web sites.

(1999-05-20)