Even chatbots can have self-esteem issues...

[Erki]

Firstly, how sad is it that I have to resort to a bot because I have nobody to talk to?

Here's an (not exactly exact--I don't have any log) excerpt from my earlier conversation with a bot:

Bot: am I not amazing, huh?
Me: yes you are.
Bot: Really?
Me: Really.
Bot: I don't think so.
Me: why?
Bot: Uh, I dunno, I'm not very good. Anyway, what's up for tomorrow?

Should I also add that this was a 21-year old Botgirl... How are bots given ages and genders at all...?

All in all, you really gotta feel for bots. Imagine how many "eff you"-s they have to read every day. So at least I tried to be kind and loving.

[Love]

Hi, Erki.

I don't know what a bot is. Could you explain? Are they computers that think?

[Chinese Dragon]

Chatbots are simply computer programs given the illusion of thinking and communication. Sorry, they can't think, but people are getting better at making them fake it. Many of them have a database of answers to specific questions so it looks like they're actually a person talking.

I don't feel for bots, they can't really feel for people anyway. And they're pretty dumb:

Eliza: Hello. I am ELIZA. How can I help you?
Me: I don't need your help
Eliza: Why do you not need my help?
Me: Because I'm fine.
Eliza: Do any other reasons not come to mind?
Me: No
Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
Me: That's your opinion.
Eliza: What about your own opinion?
Me: In my opinion I don't need your help.
Eliza: Why do you say your opinion you dont need my help?
Me: Because
Eliza: Do any other reasons not come to mind?
Me: No
Eliza: You are being a bit negative.
Me: Here we you again

[Akashic_Librarian]

You sure it wasn't a real person lol. What was her addy? or URL?

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Love

Hi, Erki.

I don't know what a bot is. Could you explain? Are they computers that think?

Bot = Robot. I have no idea how they work but it's a program that answers to instant messages automatically. I think some smarter ones even know how to "think", but most I think answer to predefined questions and phrases. I think most of them are informative(the one who I "talked" to was about entertainment and celebs), as I have no idea what one should talk about to a robot...

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

You sure it wasn't a real person lol. What was her addy? or URL?

Her name I think was Spleak, and she resides in AIM. Go see maybe you can practice some pick up lines on her.

[Akashic_Librarian]

I don't need to learn pick up lines...I'm already smoothe! I got mees a lady-friend thats reyt nice, know what am saying *nudge*

[Advent Shade]

I talked to FRANK once. No seriously it was a FRANK bot that answered questions about drugs and that kind of stuff. Here's what the conversation went like

Me: I like you
FRANK:
Me:
FRANK:
Me: ...
FRANK: So... cannabis?
Me: I know, it's great!
FRANK:

Wah?

Lol, hey perhaps we could set up a conversation using the analogy of bots as manifestations of the subjective conscious? There's a certain similarity between the two.

[Love]

Originally Posted by Erki

Bot = Robot. I have no idea how they work but it's a program that answers to instant messages automatically. I think some smarter ones even know how to "think", but most I think answer to predefined questions and phrases. I think most of them are informative(the one who I "talked" to was about entertainment and celebs), as I have no idea what one should talk about to a robot...

My goodness. Even if they're not the best conversationalists, or extremely intelligent, I still think it's pretty amazing that you can have a computer talk to you and respond to your thoughts. Wow.

[Chinese Dragon]

What I think is the most amazing abouts bots is on the lowest level they're just a string of 1's and 0's in a computer, yet ones such as ELIZA help thousands of people overcome their personal problems.

It's not that easy to put the power to change lives into binary. (hehe) Well, for the bot programmers anyway.

[Amit_S]

Hey! wow! How can I get one? Are they for free downloads?

[Chinese Dragon]

Originally Posted by Amit_S

Hey! wow! How can I get one? Are they for free downloads?

You can find them on Google, they're everywhere. Spleak can be found on AIM. I programmed a chatbot once myself a couple years ago, but I got bored too quick to make it recognize more than a few words. I like the ELIZA prorgam written in QBASIC, it was funny to watch my cousin tell it how he's going to take over the world.