You have to distinguish regular bots run by traders to automate their trading system and bots run by fraudulent exchange operators to manipulate the market with fake funds.
The former is no cause for concern, the latter is. In case of mtgox, willy & co there is even cause for suspicion that they were ultimately responsible for the "missing" funds.
When posting about bots you should make it clear which one you are referring to.
+1
The first case isn't a big deal, but the second is, but requires a bit more evidence than "boy that's a long bear market".
Re gox and willy. I'm not defending gox, the place was warped as hell, but I'm not sold on the evidence that willy was anything other than a buying bot for big volume orders spread out over time.
I don't think the current bear market is evidence for or against any theory when it comes to willy & co.
Actual proof won't come to light on it's own. The blog post has circumstantial evidence based on the api and only a criminal investigation could change that.
Considering Gox's and their former customers current situation I wonder why that hasn't happened yet. Perhaps it's just that even a criminal conviction won't necessarily get people their losses back. However if it was a simple 'oh no we were hacked' kind of fraud Mark K. & co might still have the private keys somewhere, and waiting for the right time to retire.
I don't think I'm the first to post that suspicion and that many other people have that suspicion, I mean it's possibility is fairly obvious.
