Markets on IRC using Bots?

The IRC channel "#bitcoinOTC" brings bitcoin buyers and sellers together. The channel is run by a bot which keeps records of transactions involving registered names. This data is then used by traders in making decisions about whether or not to do business. Would it be possible to do something like this on a private IRC server running over TOR -- and would it be possible to make the bot open source so that anybody who wishes to do so can set up their own online traphouse?

The Grand Wizard is the Greatest Mind the Psychedelics World Has Ever Known but it's been a very long time since he fapped chatted on IRC and he has never mastered the technical intricacies of IRC or other chat clients. Would something like this -- an IRC bot released into the wild -- be one way of keeping Internet Black Markets alive in the face of an ongoing onslaught?

There would be no escrow in this scenario but there would be mechanisms to keep everybody honest. Keeping channel records decentralized and even making them accessible via torrent would ensure you could restart the channel or check your vendor's history in other channels. And it would make it difficult to prove that any person was the admin if everybody could gain access to the reputation records -- the thing which makes the channel useful in the first place.

Any thoughts on whether or not this would be feasible and, if so, what would be required to implement it?

edit fixed the bitcoinotc channel name. Ooops...


Comments


[6 Points] Grand_steve:

I have a friend named Steve like u. I liked to pretend he's u secretly.


[2 Points] eggdropzfish:

we think in a similar fashion as this has been a project of mine for the last few months. instead of saying too much, i am going to just throw out ideas and keywords and see if anyone could be helpful. it would be a lot easier if somebody could help out with a few things.

if you are smart and can think outside of the box, a message in my inbox would be appreciated


[1 Points] Jay-__:

Yes, would be absolutely possible.

I've been mIRC-scripting about 15 years ago like mad, and a thing like this wouldn't have been a problem.

But if it's worth to be done? I'm skeptical..


[1 Points] TheRealDealMarket:

This gives me a great idea, but how many people actually use IRC...?


[1 Points] None:

IRC is dangerous.


[1 Points] impost_r:

Don't you mean #bitcoin-otc?

Fun fact: That bot's creator has deposited btc into darknet markets.


[1 Points] ShulginsCat:

This could work from a technical standpoint. Two concerns:

  1. It only allows realtime communication, unless someone puts in the time to code a pager-bot of some sort. So in that respect it's not better than direct dealing via jabber. You could offer multisig, but finding a third party for multisig will be difficult unless you have folks hanging out there all day. Which brings me to problem #2...

  2. It's too easy to forget to use Tor and accidentally expose your IP address to a server which is usually logged to eternity. Buyers will almost certainly get complacent over time and start slipping up, putting everyone at risk.

Of course where there is a will there is a way, and these problems can be mitigated but it will require some coding effort which, I think, would be better spent on a more traditional venue for making transactions. (such as what was suggested earlier today)