I don't think anyone questions the value of a
RepBot-like utility. The question here is: What functions does RepBot provide that are useful, and what functions does RepBot provide that are abused? RepBot basically provides two functions, one objective, one subjective. RepBot will give you the number of saved matches a user has (24 hour lag), and RepBot will provide a linkage of friends, ... and enemies. A brief scan of the posts in this thread provides some comments about the latter:
alef: As for the Biggles situation, the very fact that he's made so much effort to build up the reputation means that he actually cares what RepBot says, that is success!
Frostie: I feel that rather than attempting to hold on and wait for the poor soul to reconnect they may have taken the easy option and complained.
hyposa: Someone invited me and he had a very bad rep. So I replied I did not want to play him because of that. Then he complained about me at repbot
These are just a few examples. Of course the worst abuse of RepBot occurs when a few users gang up on a new user and use RepBot as a weapon (yes, RepBot has been used and abused to drive new users away from FIBS), but my point is that all of the problems with RepBot are on the subjective side of the functionality. So the question becomes: Is the subjective side of RepBot worth keeping when it is routinely misinterpreted and a occasionally abused by regular FIBSters?
Note that I'm not asking any questions about the objective side of RepBot. It's a wonderful means of accessing what is public knowlege on
FIBS_saved_matches. I suggest that RepBot should be reconfigured to proved only two
objective facts, "tell RepBot ask <name>" should give the number of saved matches of <name>, "tell RepBot list <name>" would then list the opponents of the saved matches of <name>.