X listening to allscray

What is this mysterious "allscray"?

It's essentially nothing more than a simple version of the INCHAT portion of zombie mode, installed as a room script; it accepts some spoken text, converts it to commands via STRTOATOM, and executes the commands. In other words, it's a way for one or more users to get some other user(s) to execute scripts.
When it's a room script instead of a cyborg add-in, everyone who hears it obeys including the speaker.

Here's a version used by the UnPalace and elsewhere:

    ; in the INCHAT handler....
    {
	"$1" GREPSUB STRTOATOM EXEC
    } WHOCHAT WHONAME "^[*]" GREPSTR
	CHATSTR "^;*allscray (.*)" GREPSTR AND IF

No fancy protections here, it just grabs whatever the speaker typed after the "allscray" (or ";allscray") and executes it. It may or many not be prefaced with ";" (so that there's no text balloon).

*Mr.Wizard:;allscray "I must obey" SAY
Someone:I must obey
Someone Else:I must obey
*Mr.Wizard:I must obey
Everyone Else:I must obey
Importantly, the speaker's name must begin with an asterisk ("*") and only wizards can use that character to begin their names (yes, really try it some time). So only wizards can use this form of allscray. This is true throughout most of UnPalace and most of the rooms at The Palace Inc's Main Palace, "Mansion."

Can "allscray" be improved?

All software can be improved.

At UnPalace, as an example, allscray has been both enhanced and opened a version called ";ao" adds the condition WHOCHAT WHOME == NOT so that you don't allscray yourself (this has recently spread elsewhere, including Communities.com's Mansion). For example, if you type the following two lines:

I wanna hear you say ow!!!!
;ao "Ow!!!" SAY
Everyone in the room, except you, will say "Ow!!!"

That wizards-only restriction was removed in many UnPalace rooms in all the lockable bed rooms, game rooms, and the local "Nrutas." So people with zombie-master code (from the BotBot or this page) can just set twinPW to ";ao" and use it on anyone in any of those rooms, without having to adjust or exchange any passwords.
(Any wizard can also use the BotBot zombie commands as adjuncts to ";allscray" by simply setting the twinPW to ";ao" especially-useful scripts include: "dz" for dressing other people up; "come_here" or "mv" to force them to your mouse position; and "cw" for sending messages to their status line. The BotBot also contains some allscray-savvy cmmands (like "shove") in the "Wizard" group).
The version of ;ao below can be used by anyone, but won't affect wizards making it safe to install in any room without giving random passerby the opportunity to use it as a means to usurp the local wiz's authority (and shoot them off to who knows where with a well-placed NETGOTO, or even use allscray tyo force Gods to change the wizard passwords or shut down the server....):

    {
	"$1" GREPSUB STRTOATOM EXEC
    } ISWIZARD NOT
	WHOCHAT WHOME == NOT AND
	CHATSTR "^;*ao (.*)" GREPSTR AND IF

Even guests can use allscray, so as a side effect, it provides guests with a (convoluted) way to get some scripting features without a full palace membership (Still, if you get to that level of script hacking, you really, really ought to be a member....).

Try these ones out!

(each example is one full line in your text window....)

;allscray { { 22 468 RANDOM + 22 340 RANDOM + SETPOS i SETCOLOR "Uh!" SAY }
    i 45 * ALARMEXEC i ++ } { i 16 < } WHILE

;allscray "Some call me " WHOME ITOA & SAY

;allscray NBRROOMUSERS n = { { i ROOMUSER WHOPOS y += x += }
    WHOME i ROOMUSER == NOT IF i ++ } { i n < } WHILE
    n -- x n / y n / SETPOS 

;allscray NBRROOMUSERS n = { { 256 i 2 + 44 * SETPOS }
    WHOME i ROOMUSER == IF i ++ } { i n < } WHILE

;allscray NBRROOMUSERS n = { { i ROOMUSER WHOPOS POSX POSY LINE } { 1 j = }
    WHOME i ROOMUSER == j NOT AND IFELSE i ++ } { i n < } WHILE

;ao "palace://finchnest.com" NETGOTO

;ao "That " WHOCHAT WHONAME & " is a stinker" & SAY

;ao { i ITOA " MACRO" & STRTOATOM i 60 * ALARMEXEC i ++ } { i 10 < } WHILE

;allscray "I use a " { "Mac" } { "PC" } DATETIME 0 < IFELSE & SAY

/ "\x3Bao \"My clock differs by \" DATETIME " DATETIME ITOA &
    " - d = { 65536 d += } d 0 < IF d 60 / ITOA & \" minutes\" & SAY" & SAY

/ NBRROOMUSERS n = { i ROOMUSER r = { "\x3Bao \""
    [ "boom" "chaka" "laka" ] { 2 } { i } i 2 > IFELSE GET &
    "\" SAY" & r PRIVATEMSG } WHOME r == NOT IF i ++ } { i n < } WHILE

(I call the Mac/PC one "jihad-o-matic")

Putting it into Your Palace

Here's the cheapest way to install allscray and ao in your palace. In the front gate room, install a spot that contains the following bit of script....

ON SIGNON {
    xDoIt GLOBAL
    nDoIt GLOBAL
    {
	{
		"$1" GREPSUB STRTOATOM EXEC
	} CHATSTR "^;as (.*)" GREPSTR ISWIZARD NOT AND IF
	{
		"$1" GREPSUB STRTOATOM EXEC
	} CHATSTR "^;ao (.*)" GREPSTR
	    WHOCHAT WHOME == NOT AND ISWIZARD NOT AND IF
	{
		"$1" GREPSUB STRTOATOM EXEC
	} CHATSTR "^;*allscray (.*)" GREPSTR ISWIZARD NOT AND IF
    } xDoIt DEF
    {
	xDoIt GLOBAL
	{
	    xDoIt EXEC
	} WHOCHAT WHONAME "^[*]" GREPSTR IF
    } nDoIt DEF
}

then, in each room that you want to use allscray (including the gate), include this in any one spot script:

ON INCHAT { nDoIt GLOBAL nDoIt EXEC }
or, if you want ANYONE (not just a *wiz) to be able to use allscray and ao in that room:
ON INCHAT { xDoIt GLOBAL xDoIt EXEC }
This last example is known as "free-for-allscray"

What About "Anti-Allscray"?

It's possible to add a simple script to cyborgs to make them "allscray-proof." Try this in a cyborg INCHAT block: 
ON INCHAT {
    {
	"Allscray command suppressed" LOGMSG
	"" CHATSTR =
    } CHATSTR "^;*a" GREPSTR IF
}

For the palace owner, this can be problematic. How can you ensure that users will obey allscray commands?
Simple: use a different command. Not just ";as" but a different command entirely, like "DO" or "zz" or ">>" whatever strikes your fancy.

Is "Allscray" a Weapon?

I've received mail from some concerned netizens who feel that by printing the (incredibly simple) code to "allscray," I've done something equivalent to handing the keys for the Maserati to a pack of speed-mad 15-year-olds, or handing out Uzi machine guns at the door to a raucous wrestling match. Some have asked me to remove it entirely, believing it to be "too dangerous."
To my mind, this is a needless panic. Allscray and zombie mode are always voluntary on the part of the "victim" it's voluntary to log-onto Palace sites that use the allscray script, voluntary to include zombie code in your personal cyborg, and even more so to hand out your personal zombie password. As shown here, "allscray" only works if the user is a wizard or if you're in a special "free-for-allscray zone." If the wizard in question is unscrupulous, "allscray" is the least of your worries! If not, you have no worry at all.
It is true that if some free-for-allscray variations are installed, and a palace god goes into those rooms, that other users just might take over the server. The version above is "wiz-safe" gods and wizards aren't affected. Alternatively, if you're going into a free-for-allscray room, don't do it while god priveleges are turned on. C'mon, you can handle being mortal for a few minutes.
It does point up an important lesson, though if you're going to call yourself a wizard or god, then it's up to you to know and be responsible for what you're doing. Complaints about allscray due to user ignorance will be cheerfully mocked!
(I get the same complaints about the BotBot, too.)