That bot, LegitRevolution, was configured by myself a few months ago, and was kept up for about a month or so. Overall, I'll admit that it didn't really have any significant results, other than annoying a lot of the cheaters who seemed to find it helpful to message the bot itself. However, I do think that if new players are given the proper tool, and proper information regarding said tools, they can play Diablo fairly and legitimately. Ideally, I'd prefer to see a scanner that shows only assuredly hacked items. A TC with 15 AC, for instance, or any Godly FPM, or any unique in a form other than its true one(s). Most cheaters on Diablo fall within this category anyway, though there are a few that might slip through a scanner of this make. Since the above described tool is not available, and I am not capable of creating such a scanner, I did the next best thing, by advertising and hoping to propagate the concept of legitimacy through what I consider the most legitimate scanner at my disposal.
Now, to be fair about the screenshot: you did not actually show the link that was kept in the bot's profile, which led to www.legit-diablo.de.vu. This website does indeed offer a scanner download, as the bot's idle message implies. However, the download of the scanner is a rather good ways down the page (as you can verify yourself), and very few would actually find the download without stopping to read information about legitimacy, the scanner, and even the perceived legitimacy of the scanner itself.
While I agree that usually one can differentiate between a cheater or a legitimate player quickly, a scanner can be an easier tool to use. For example, who is to say that the level 14 sorcerer using mail isn't simply a purist wearing something he found, and not Thinking Cap armor? I've played with multiple players who claim to be legit, and only small things in the scanner tell me otherwise. A level 40 sorcerer with 10,000 mana, for instance, is not detectable in a game no matter how much you pay attention. As another example, I've seen many players that dupe a good ring which he/she finds him/herself. He/she may even consider him/herself playing Diablo legitimately. A scanner solves problems such as these, and although it does create different issues, I think that the benefits of it outweigh the problems which are inherent in a scanner. Also, one has to weigh the odds of a person who visits that site becoming legitimate. The chances of someone who is brand new to Diablo, has logged onto Battle.net, and is playing a public game being legitimate for more than 5 or 10 minutes are slim to none. However, one who is lucky enough to have foreknowledge of the problems in the Battle.net community, which are very detailed by the linked website, is very much more likely to survive his first experiences of the game without becoming "corrupted."
As for the PLM, and I'm sorry to somewhat hijack your thread with my initial posting here, I think that this is a good idea, but I have a few suggestions. Instead of having each member post what is for the most part his/her character page, why not simply force each character to play as a new Level 1 purist. Then, whenever a player finds a good item (defined by each as an item which someone might take the trouble to steal through an itemtheft utility), have him/her post the DiabloGuard ID number of it, thus "claiming" said item. This way, each member of the community knows for sure that a member is not going to be stolen from without repercussion.
Allow players to trade those items among the community, while such trades are properly recorded in a sort of "Master Thread" by the moderator of the PLM forum. Each member of the PLM would have a small segment of a post listing his/her "good" items. While these trades would not remain "ultra-pure," they could be virtually assured as fair and legitimate, through the integrity of the PLM.
Those are my suggestions, and my opinion, on what the degeneration of Diablo has forced. The necessary course of action, to me, is to attempt to spread legitimacy and expand it to what it once was. The methods of doing so may be questioned, but in truth, few of you still even play Diablo 1 publicly on Battle.net.
Now, to be fair about the screenshot: you did not actually show the link that was kept in the bot's profile, which led to www.legit-diablo.de.vu. This website does indeed offer a scanner download, as the bot's idle message implies. However, the download of the scanner is a rather good ways down the page (as you can verify yourself), and very few would actually find the download without stopping to read information about legitimacy, the scanner, and even the perceived legitimacy of the scanner itself.
While I agree that usually one can differentiate between a cheater or a legitimate player quickly, a scanner can be an easier tool to use. For example, who is to say that the level 14 sorcerer using mail isn't simply a purist wearing something he found, and not Thinking Cap armor? I've played with multiple players who claim to be legit, and only small things in the scanner tell me otherwise. A level 40 sorcerer with 10,000 mana, for instance, is not detectable in a game no matter how much you pay attention. As another example, I've seen many players that dupe a good ring which he/she finds him/herself. He/she may even consider him/herself playing Diablo legitimately. A scanner solves problems such as these, and although it does create different issues, I think that the benefits of it outweigh the problems which are inherent in a scanner. Also, one has to weigh the odds of a person who visits that site becoming legitimate. The chances of someone who is brand new to Diablo, has logged onto Battle.net, and is playing a public game being legitimate for more than 5 or 10 minutes are slim to none. However, one who is lucky enough to have foreknowledge of the problems in the Battle.net community, which are very detailed by the linked website, is very much more likely to survive his first experiences of the game without becoming "corrupted."
As for the PLM, and I'm sorry to somewhat hijack your thread with my initial posting here, I think that this is a good idea, but I have a few suggestions. Instead of having each member post what is for the most part his/her character page, why not simply force each character to play as a new Level 1 purist. Then, whenever a player finds a good item (defined by each as an item which someone might take the trouble to steal through an itemtheft utility), have him/her post the DiabloGuard ID number of it, thus "claiming" said item. This way, each member of the community knows for sure that a member is not going to be stolen from without repercussion.
Allow players to trade those items among the community, while such trades are properly recorded in a sort of "Master Thread" by the moderator of the PLM forum. Each member of the PLM would have a small segment of a post listing his/her "good" items. While these trades would not remain "ultra-pure," they could be virtually assured as fair and legitimate, through the integrity of the PLM.
Those are my suggestions, and my opinion, on what the degeneration of Diablo has forced. The necessary course of action, to me, is to attempt to spread legitimacy and expand it to what it once was. The methods of doing so may be questioned, but in truth, few of you still even play Diablo 1 publicly on Battle.net.