What are TrivMONs?

The following information was elicited from a world famous IT specialist and trivia player. (:

On various networks you may come across TrivMONs - the name varies according to what the channel manager calls them - which look like they could be OPs but are purely a bot network.

They are hosted on different machines, locally or around the world, and their purpose is to make sure that the manager retains control of the channel.

These bots keep each other, plus the Triv Bot and the channel manager OP'd; and multiple bots on different machines are to cover redundancy (in case one or more bots get disconnected).

Traditionally, if no one on an IRC channel has OPs, there's no way to regain ops for anyone, save for everyone leaving the channel. The first one to join an empty channel gets OP'd.

Some IRC networks, if not most today, have ways around this, but "old school" networks like EFnet have no channel or nickname registering services and channel managers are often challenged by take-over attacks.

In addition to the above, the TrivMONs can be be set up to monitor the channel ban list. If somebody is banned from a channel, the ban never expires automatically or is removed by the server. But bots can be setup to remove bans after a certain time (say, 24 hours).

If a channel manager is not careful, TrivMONs set up to monitor the channel ban list can appear to go berserk, constantly parading in channel the removal and re-adding of the bans. This happens because the ban list can be set to permanent for some bots, but one of the other bots doesn't know it. So, when this ignorant bot sees that "hey, these bans were set yesterday, it's time to remove them" the other bots go "hey, these bans were supposed to be permanent, let's put them back".

Although not sentient beings, bot networks can be used by their host server staff for spying - more on this later - and bot commands can, of course, make them say stuff in the channel, but that is not generally the purpose for which TrivMONs are used.

TrivGod Monopoly: comparing 1st and 10th scores

A channel that is monopolized by one or more TrivGod will show a marked and unhealthy difference in scores between the 1st and 10th place.

Arranged according to highest percentage difference between the 1st and 10th scores - highest indicating less monopoly - the following list was collated from information gathered during the month of October 2011 from sites that interest us.

Before looking at the individual channels, here is the % AVERAGE of the 4 trivia channels that were compared:

the % average difference between 1st and 10th place for the year was 2.59%
the % average difference between 1st and 10th place for the month was 2.08%


1. #trivia at EFnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 5,774,708; the 10th was 556,564. This is 9.64% of No.1's score, and way higher than average, indicating NO monopoly!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 403,235; the 10th was 51,392. This is 12.74% of No.1's score, and way higher than average, indicating NO monopoly!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 11.19% puts #trivia 1st).


2. #triviaspot at DALnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 197,479; the 10th was 9,818. This is 4.97% of No.1's score, and above average, indicating NO monopoly!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 15,105; the 10th was 342. This is 2.26% of No.1's score, and higher than above average, indicating NO monopoly!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 3.62% puts #triviaspot 2nd).


3. #teamtrivia at DALnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 129,243; the 10th was 5,660. This is 4.38% of No.1's score, and WAY above average, indicating NO monopoly!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 18,280; the 10th was 80. This is 0.44% of No.1's score, and WAY below average, indicating MONOPOLY!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 2.41% puts #teamtrivia 3rd).


4. #triviaholic / #londontrivia at DALnet

(NB. These two channels have the same owner, TheSaint, and seem to be sharing a new Bot so these figures may not reflect the true picture).

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 481,645; the 10th was 8,426. This is 1.75% of No.1's score, and below average, indicating MONOPOLY!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 280,434; the 10th was 3,395. This is 1.21% of No.1's score, and way below average, indicating MONOPOLY!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 1.48% puts #teamtrivia 4th).


See also Beginners and TrivGods for the pros and cons of trivia rooms for all levels of play; and TrivGod competition: comparing 1st and 2nd scores to check for healthy competition.

TrivGod competition: comparing 1st and 2nd scores

A TrivGod is a player whose score is manifestly higher than his/her nearest competitor. We've attempted to find out whether a TrivGod is deliberately playing alone in quiet times, without competition, in order to score high points; or if he/she is genuinely competing with other high scoring players and has earned the title of TrivGod.

Arranged according to highest percentage difference between the 1st and 2nd scores - highest indicating more competition - the following list was collated from information gathered during the month of October 2011 from sites that interest us.

Before looking at the individual channels, here is the % AVERAGE of the 4 trivia channels that were compared:

the % average difference between 1st and 2nd place for the year was 22.21%

the % average difference between 1st and 2nd place for the month was 19.79%

1. #triviaspot at DALnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 197,479; the 2nd was 151,768. This is 76.85% of No.1's score, and WAY, WAY above average, indicating REAL competition!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 15,105; the 2nd was 4,124. This is 27.30% of No.1's score, and higher than above average, indicating competition!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 52.08% puts #triviaspot 1st; and the uneven numbers indicate this is a trivia channel that attracts annual players).

2. #trivia at EFnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 5,774,708; the 2nd was 1,664,891. This is 28.83% of No.1's score, and higher than average, indicating competition!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 403,235; the 2nd was 279,339. This is 69.27% of No.1's score, and MUCH higher than average, indicating REAL competition!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 49.05% puts #trivia 2nd; and the uneven numbers indicate this is a trivia channel that attracts monthly players).

3. #teamtrivia at DALnet

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 129,243; the 2nd was 65,077. This is 50.35% of No.1's score, and higher than average, indicating competition!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 18,280; the 2nd was 8,280. This is 45.30% of No.1's score, and higher than average, indicating competition!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 47.82% puts #teamtrivia 3rd; and the even numbers indicate this is a trivia channel for both annual and monthly players).

4. #triviaholic / #londontrivia at DALnet

(NB. These two channels have the same owner, TheSaint, and seem to be sharing a new Bot so these figures may not reflect the true picture).

The top annual score for 2011 at mid-October was 481,645; the 2nd was 104,275. This is 21.65% of No.1's score, and below average, indicating NO competition!

The top mid-October score for 2011 was 280,434; the 2nd was 46,047. This is 16.42% of No.1's score, and way below average, indicating NO competition!

(A combined annual and monthly ave % of 19.03% puts #triviaholic 4th; and the even numbers indicate this is a trivia channel that attracts both annual and monthly players).

*See also Beginners and TrivGods for the pros and cons of trivia rooms catering for all levels of play; and TrivGod Monopoly: comparing 1st and 10th scores to check on monopoly.

Regular or casual players?

It is impossible to figure out from directory information whether the 'users' listed are steadfast regulars, casual regulars, fly-bys or bots.

If you are going to make a time investment in a trivia channel, then you want to be certain that you're playing with steadfast regulars rather than the other type of users.

The only way to do that is to check the stats - most of which are not listed on the web - so you need to visit each channel with features that interest you and look at their Top10 for the year as well and their Top10 for the current month and do some analysing.

Arranged according to highest number of steadfast players, following is some information on trivia channels that interest us and may also interest you.


#trivia at EFnet - 7 steadfast players

3 players in yeartop10 have left (or eased off playing) by mid-October 2011. So, 7 steadfast players.


#triviaholic / #londontrivia at DALnet - 6 steadfast players

(NB. These two channels have the same owner, TheSaint, and seem to be sharing a new Bot so these figures may not reflect the true picture).

4 players in yeartop10 have left (or eased off playing) by mid-October 2011. So, 6 steadfast players.


#triviaspot at DALnet - 5 steadfast players

5 players in yeartop10 have left (or eased off playing) by mid-October 2011. So, 5 steadfast players.


#teamtrivia at DALnet - 5 steadfast players

5 players in yeartop10 have left (or eased off playing) by mid-October 2011. So, 5 steadfast players.

FAQ

Q1. Why isn't my trivia channel listed in any of your featured lists?

A1. This is a community service survey, not a directory. At the time the survey was conducted, early October 2011, you needed at least 20 'users' to get into the popular channel list, and to appear in other featured lists you needed a FEATURE advertised in your welcome message. Your channel obviously failed on both counts. If not, your channel may have been inadvertently missed due to the huge number of trivia channels with just 1 or 2 'users'.


Q2. Why have you disabled comments and email? I have something I want to clarify.

A2. Comments and email are disabled because this a communtity service for trivia players, not a forum for discussion.


Q3. How can I made my trivia channel more popular?

A3. Advertise! List all of your channel's features in the welcome message and if there's nothing extraordinary about your channel then you need to give prospective players an inducement e.g. OPs after a certain time playing, and promising lots of features when more players join. The search engines will pick up this message and players should be sufficiently curious to visit.

You can also try visiting other trivia channels with your channel's details (with the best time to visit) in your QUIT line - that way you cannot be accused of blatant advertising. If players in other channels get to know you as a decent fun guy, then they will certainly make a courtesy visit and may even decide to hang around if your inducements meet their needs.


Q4. Why are so many channels 'dead'?

A4. Mainly because the manager is 'dead' - i.e. has lost interest and moved on, just like his/her former regular players, yet keeps the channel and maybe a website up for 'old times sake'. In situations like this, the network should force closure of the channel or, better still, offer it to a new manager if it has a generic name. No network wants to be clogged with dead channels; and no 'user' wants to trawl through 100s of dead channels in a directory in order to find something alive.


Q5. Do you guys run a trivia channel or are you promoting one over another?

A5. No.


Q6. You've missed some features that I want.

A6. Take a look at No weird features? It's possible that features we think are weird are features that you value. Horses for courses and all that.