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DBTC overflow

Too many DBTC messages. Maybe remove them showing up under New Messages and on the front/first page that loads.
 
A lot of us have voiced similar thoughts. I’ve brought it up a couple times since we started BARCode. There is some nuance though.

There is value to having BARCode make updates and nudges, both for DBTC and for equipment. Also, these nudges have revived old DBTC chains that people had forgotten about, for the better.

Obvious downside is that often BARCode bot messages can overwhelm and crowd out human messages. Human interaction, after all, is the main point of this site and club.

When BARCode started and these concerns were voiced, the Board was told that the number of messages would settle down and not be as intrusive over time, that just the beginning would be a lot. That has not turned out to be the case, largely due to how successful BARCode has been at improving our DBTC program and equipment tracking (which is awesome!).

One of my suggestions back then was if we could separate out the bot messages from the human messages in separate lists, both on the home page. Idea would be that more bot messages would just crowd out the bot messages, not the human messages. I don’t know enough about Xenforo to know if that is feasible, but I think it is since other sites that use our software like R2R do similar.

Another issue is that some of the BARCode messages are true bot messages that we honestly mostly ignore and have little value, whereas others are actually representing a human interaction like requesting a frag, making a DBTC journal update, or requesting equipment. Things we would want to know about but don’t want to waste time finding in the sea of bot messages since they all look the same. One idea I had was to have the message say it is coming from the member when it is coming from a member action. We did this for starting new DBTC threads in BARCode, but were otherwise split on this for other types of messages. I think this alone would help a lot. It could be implemented.

All of the above could be a discussion for our next Board meeting. This only works if we have attendance by interested regular members, as well as those who can judge feasibility/implementation, which is mostly Pablo @svreef .
 
I pasted the contents of a recent DBTC thread into ChatGPT and asked it for advice. I pasted the page from https://www.bareefers.org/forum/threads/dbtc-roygbiv-rhodactis-mushroom.31438/page-3#post-486536

The first prompt​

Me: We have a bot that automatically adds update messages to posts on a forum. Below is some example info from a forum thread. What is the bot, and what type of messages is it sending?

<copy-paste of the page contents>

Response:
Based on the provided information, it appears that the bot is called "BARcode" and it automatically adds update messages to the forum thread. The bot's messages contain information about frag requests, frag exchanges, journal updates, and other relevant updates related to the ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom being discussed on the forum.
The bot's messages follow a consistent format, typically starting with a reference to the user initiating the action (e.g., "@Username"), followed by a description of the action or update. The bot also often includes a list of usernames who have requested a frag or participated in the discussion.
Here are some examples of the bot's messages:
  • Message #42: User @WillU would like a frag of the ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom. The bot lists several usernames who have also requested a frag.
  • Message #44: User @JVU gave a frag to @RandyC today. The bot indicates its presence in the thread.
  • Message #45: User @RandyC made a journal update. The bot includes a unique identifier for the update.
  • Message #49: User @RandyC gave a frag to @Invictus today. The bot indicates its presence in the thread.
  • Message #51: User @Arvin R would like a frag of the ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom. The bot lists several usernames who have also requested a frag.
  • Message #54: User @SupraSaltyReefer would like a frag of the ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom. The bot lists several usernames who have also requested a frag.
  • Message #58: User @SupraSaltyReefer received a frag from @RandyC. The bot includes a link to the forum thread.
  • Message #59: User @FreahSaltyGuy would like a frag of the ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom. The bot lists several usernames who have also requested a frag.
  • Message #60: User @Invictus shares an update about their own ROYGBIV Rhodactis mushroom, mentioning its health but no sign of splitting yet.
These examples demonstrate how the bot keeps the forum thread participants informed about frag requests, exchanges, and other related updates regarding the discussed mushroom.

The second prompt: how can we make this better?​

Me:
We would like to reduce the noise this bot is generating. What are some suggestions on how to do so?

Response:
Reducing the noise generated by the bot could be achieved through various strategies, each having its own trade-off between visibility of updates and noise reduction:
  1. Batching Updates: Rather than sending an update every time an event occurs, the bot could accumulate updates over a certain time period (for example, every few hours or once a day) and then post a single update. This would significantly reduce the number of posts the bot makes.
  2. Dedicated Bot Updates Thread: You could create a separate thread specifically for the bot's updates. This way, those who are interested can check that thread, while others can avoid it if they feel it's creating too much noise.
  3. Direct Messaging: Depending on the platform's capabilities, the bot could send updates directly to the users involved in a transaction (such as the giver and receiver of a frag) rather than posting publicly.
  4. Digest Updates: Similar to batching, but the bot could provide a daily or weekly digest of updates, summarizing all the actions that happened in that period. This approach can greatly reduce the amount of messages while still keeping everyone informed.
  5. Filtering Updates: The bot could be programmed to only post updates about certain major events or actions that are of interest to the wider community, thereby reducing the overall number of posts.
  6. Combination of Direct Messaging and Public Posting: The bot could send direct messages for more routine updates (like an individual's request for a frag) and reserve public posts for major events or summaries.
  7. User Preferences: Implement a feature that allows users to select the types of updates they want to receive from the bot. This way, those who want to see every update can do so, while others can opt to only see certain types of updates.
Each of these strategies involves a trade-off between ensuring users are informed and avoiding overloading them with information. Which strategy is best will depend on the specific needs and preferences of your forum's users.

(edit: updated to GPT-4 response)
 
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Unfortunately they don't allow ChatGPT to access to the internet. However this tool continues to blow my f*cking mind. The code is weak, but I give it a pass because it can't (currently) access the real source code.

Third prompt​

Me: The bot itself is hosted at https://github.com/ppissanetzky/barcode and is written in nodejs. The forum is based on xenforo (https://xenforo.com/). How could we implement #1, #3, and #6.If needed, suggest ChatGPT plugins / extensions which could help provide additional answers.

Response:
To implement #1 (Batching Updates), #3 (Direct Messaging), and #6 (Combination of Direct Messaging and Public Posting) for the bot on XenForo forum, you would likely need to make some changes in the bot's code. Here's a general outline for each:
  1. Batching Updates:You could implement a system where the bot waits for a specified interval (for example, an hour), collects all the updates that occurred within that period, and then creates a single post summarizing them. You'd likely want to use JavaScript's built-in timing functions like setInterval() or setTimeout(), which can execute a function after a specified period

    Node.js example:

    Code: 
    let updates = [];
setInterval(() => {
    if (updates.length > 0) {
        postUpdates(updates);
        updates = [];
    }
}, 3600000); // one hour

function postUpdates(updates) {
    // code to post updates to the forum
}
  2. Direct Messaging:XenForo has a feature known as 'Conversations' which essentially acts as a private messaging system. To send a conversation (message) using the XenForo API, you'll need to send a POST request to /conversations endpoint. Check the XenForo API documentation for more details on how to structure this request.
  3. Combination of Direct Messaging and Public Posting:This would involve a combination of the above two methods. For individual actions like someone requesting a frag, the bot would send a direct message to the involved parties. For more general updates, it could post in the public thread. This would involve modifying the bot to distinguish between these two types of events and handle them accordingly.
Unfortunately, as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, there isn't a specific GPT-4 or ChatGPT plugin that would directly assist with these particular tasks. This is more about applying general JavaScript programming practices and using the XenForo API effectively. However, you can always use GPT-4 to help generate code snippets or brainstorm solutions to programming challenges.
Remember to fully test any changes in a controlled environment before deploying them in a live setting. It's important to ensure the bot continues to function as expected and doesn't disrupt the user experience on the forum.
 
I don't have much experience in this but I'm dealing with some similar stuff at work. I would like to tinker with barcode to see if I can configure it the way we want.
 
Can we look into this again? The DBTC messages every time a member discovers DBTC and its benefits buries any interest I have to sift through for new messages……
 
And can’t there be some kind of membership time before requesting dbtc items
At least a year with some participation quantity qualification
It’s most disturbing that new members join and then the next day they make requests for everything!
 
Kensington Reefer said:
And can’t there be some kind of membership time before requesting dbtc items
At least a year with some participation quantity qualification
It’s most disturbing that new members join and then the next day they make requests for everything!
Click to expand...
Making requests is basically like a bookmark of corals they would someday like. I see no problem. As always it is up to the person giving the frag to choose who to give it to
 
IMO the fact that DBTC does posts makes me even less likely to request things from people, because it feels rude to do so because everyone's going to be spammed. I preferred when it posted everything as BARcode so I could easily see what threads had DBTC spam and which people were talking in.

RE a requirement on membership, I don't think there should be. People can put whatever rules they want on their frag. If it wanted to default provide some rules that'd be cool with me. I have no aversion to giving a mushroom frag to someone that joined 10 minutes ago.
 
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