An Internet bot, also known as web robot, WWW robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs 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 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 can have a file called robots.txt, containing rules for the spidering of that server that the bot is supposed to obey or be removed.Another, more malicious use of bots is the coordination and operation of an automated attack on networked computers, such as a denial-of-service attack by a botnet. Internet bots can also be used to commit click fraud and more recently have seen usage around MMORPG games as computer game bots. A spambot is an internet bot that attempts to spam large amounts of content on the Internet, usually adding advertising links.
" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/botnet.jpg?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/botnet.jpg?w=800">In the olden days of the WWW you could just put a robots.txt file in the root of your website and crawling bots from search engines and kin would (generally) …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/23/trap-naughty-web-crawlers-in-digestive-juices-with-nepenthes/)

A Second Rare Atari Cabinet 3D Printed
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/23/a-second-rare-atari-cabinet-3d-printed/

Last year we covered the creation of a 3D-printed full-size replica of an original Computer Space arcade machine, the legendary first glimmer from what would become Atari, one of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/23/a-second-rare-atari-cabinet-3d-printed/)

Laser-Cut Metal Endoskeleton Beefs Up 3D Prints
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/laser-cut-metal-endoskeleton-beefs-up-3d-prints/

There are limits to what you can do with an FDM printer to make your parts stronger. It really comes down to adding more plastic, like increasing wall thickness or …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/laser-cut-metal-endoskeleton-beefs-up-3d-prints/)

Setting the Stage for Open Source Sonar Development
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/setting-the-stage-for-open-source-sonar-development/

At Hackaday, we see community-driven open source development as the great equalizer. Whether it’s hardware or software —  if there’s some megacorp out there trying to sell you something, you …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/setting-the-stage-for-open-source-sonar-development/)

This Week in Security: ClamAV, The AMD Leak, and The Unencrypted Power Grid
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/this-week-in-security-clamav-the-amd-leak-and-the-unencrypted-power-grid/

Cisco’s ClamAV has a heap-based buffer overflow in its OLE2 file scanning. That’s a big deal, because ClamAV is used to scan file attachments on incoming emails. All it takes …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/this-week-in-security-clamav-the-amd-leak-and-the-unencrypted-power-grid/)

Hackaday Podcast Episode 305: Caustic Clocks, Practice Bones, and Brick Layers
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/hackaday-podcast-episode-305-caustic-clocks-practice-bones-and-brick-layers/

This week, Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos joined forces and Wonder-Twin rings to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/hackaday-podcast-episode-305-caustic-clocks-practice-bones-and-brick-layers/)

Sony Ends Blu-Ray, MD and MiniDV Media Production
https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/sony-ends-blu-ray-md-and-minidv-media-production/

With the slow demise of physical media the past years, companies are gradually closing shop on producing everything from the physical media itself to their players and recorders. For Sony …read more (https://hackaday.com/2025/01/24/sony-ends-blu-ray-md-and-minidv-media-production/)