What are you doing about Bots?
We have recently added a channel restriction to telnet and chat-client connections to Battle.net - such connections are now limited to the following three chat channels: Blizzard Tech Support, Open Tech Support, and Public Chat. The last channel is a new channel specifically created for the telnet user.
Battle.net is also limiting the channels that Diablo, Diablo Shareware and StarCraft Shareware can enter. These applications may interact within their own channels and are also able to access our support channels. The Battle.net team has taken this step in order to reduce the amount of extraneous text generated by abusers of the Battle.net service. We anticipate that this will make for a more enjoyable gaming experience.
We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused some telnet and chat users, but we believe this recent change will improve the overall experience of chatting on Battle.net. In addition, we do have plans to add more features to Battle.net, especially with new games, which will allow Battle.net users and clans to better communicate with each other.
We have received many complaints about people abusing their right to use a bot on Battle.net. The most common problems were bots spamming chat channels, and the use of bots to "steal" private channels. Blizzard feels strongly about this issue. If the need for further action should arise, Blizzard will take additional steps to ensure the integrity of the Battle.net community and to ensure that Battle.net is a fun experience for our users, not a frustrating one.
As we continue in our efforts to make Battle.net the best online gaming and chatting service possible, we urge players to periodically check the Battle.net web site http://www.battle.net for news and updates, and to post feedback on the Battle.net forums