    # File lib/rbot/botuser.rb, line 839
          def make_permanent(user, name)
            buname = BotUser.sanitize_username(name)
            # TODO merge BotUser instead?
            raise "there's already a BotUser called #{name}" if include?(buname)

            tuser = nil
            case user
            when String, Irc::User
              tuser = irc_to_botuser(user)
            when BotUser
              tuser = user
            else
              raise TypeError, "sorry, don't know how to make #{user.class} into a permanent BotUser"
            end
            return nil unless tuser
            raise TypeError, "#{tuser} is not transient" unless tuser.transient?

            tuser.make_permanent(buname)
            @allbotusers[tuser.username.to_sym] = tuser

            return tuser
          end