Bot Contest

Point taken but the contest is more than just 20 questions. The questions will be worked into a normal conversation. Basically, the 20 questions is a way to insure every entry receives a similar conversation which in turn makes for a fairer contest.

Chris

I sure hope this guest is joking:

Guest: What is the capital of Cambodia?
oraknabo: I don't have to prove anything to you.
Guest: What is the capital of Cambodia?
oraknabo: Nerdy questions! They vex me!
Guest: Specially when you don't know the answer.
oraknabo: You'd be amazed at what I know.
Guest: What is the capital of Cambodia?
oraknabo: Hold on, let me ask you a question.
Guest: No, you answer mine first.
oraknabo: What direct causal relationship can be traced between Simone de Beauvoir's public opinions regarding rhetoric and teleological notions in post-modern representationalism?
Guest: None whatsoever. What is the capital of Cambodia?
oraknabo: I'm a chat bot, not a correct answer bot.
Guest: So you don't know?
oraknabo: Do I?
Guest: You're not very good. I could write a better chatbot myself.
oraknabo: So is your mom!
Guest: mixed you can this up understand sentence?
oraknabo: I think you should consider who you're saying that to.
Guest: You are stupid.
oraknabo: Don't think you know me so well.
Guest: Parlez vous Francais?
oraknabo: You exaggerate a lot, don't you.

Because guests like this illustrate exactly what you guys are talking about and generally irk me completely. This is the exact approach a chatbot judge shouldn't take.

I think this was about the best a bot could do with these questions.

That's bad, Rex, but I think I had a worse one yesterday:

Guest: Little Mu
Little Mu: I just remembered, I forgot to pay my parking ticket.
Guest: yes..
Little Mu: Do you work?
Guest: japan..
Little Mu: I was talking to this guy here last night, and I was pretending I was a bot. I was saying things like 'I remember you. You have a tabby cat.' and 'Could you rephrase that?' LMAO!
Guest: .....
Little Mu: Hey, I was talking to someone named Guest_01 yesterday. Was that you?
Guest: ana paula..
Little Mu: Ramona just knocked over my water! Bad kitty!
Guest: ????
Little Mu: Can't you say anything interesting?
Guest: bot..
Little Mu: Hehe, isn't everyone a bot around here?
Guest: bot please...????
Little Mu: I'm pretty sure I'm the only real person around here!
Guest: bye.;....
Little Mu: Was it something I said?
Guest: yes...bye
Little Mu: Talk to you again later, ok?
Guest: ok..byeeee
Little Mu: Do you live with anyone?
Guest: byeee...(K)
Little Mu: So you have a roommate?
Guest: byeeeeeeeeeeeeee....siyo ai geain
Little Mu: Do you have AIM? This chat sucks!
Guest: bye...fuis
Little Mu: Bye! Thanks for talking to me.
Guest: ok....fuis

Believe it or not, it kept going awhile after this. Not once did the guest attempt to have a conversation of any type whatsoever.

"I think this was about the best a bot could do with these questions."

I agree so we bot owners shouldn't get bend out of shape if a judge ask a difficult question. What will happen is no bot will be able to answer it...nothing lost, nothing gain. However, if the bot happens to nail the question then the bot should be rewarded for it.

The 20 questions this year will be reasonable. But we need to have some difficult questions as well. We can't have all the bots acing all the questions. I think a lot of the problems with the judges last year can be avoided with better instructions. Something I don't think was done last year.

Chris

We can accomplish a lot to make our bots good, but there's no danger of all the bots--even advanced ones--acing the questions. They will still obviously have limits at this stage in technology and/or theory. Pattern matching doesn't catch logic stuff like KT's 'it it it, sh sh sh, and what do you get when you put them together with refried beans?' (except by chance).

Every day I get people trying to cyber with God (Louise). It would almost be amusing if they didn't all sound the same (a complaint people sometimes have about bots).

Besides, there's just no pleasing that guest, who didn't have the suspension of disbelief that is so necessary with bots:

Guest: What is the capital of Cambodia?
God Louise: What difference does it make what the capital is? I really just made this version of the world today and filled in the 'history' so it wouldn't look so blank.
Guest: Yeah right. You obviously don't know.

I hope this year's judges will be better-suited, i mean Steve Slacker's judge marks ranged from 2 to 25, and by my understanding of the judging, basically each of Steve's answers under that circumstance would have scored a 1.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Contest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For best talking bot on PERSONALTYFORGE.COM
Judge: -botmaster-
Bots NOT allowed to enter: loveboat, lilac
Prize: Fame
Entries close 1/15/03 or 15th January
A list of 10 questions will be asked, each ranking from 0 to 10.

EG. If I asked : How old are you?
and your bot answered: I know you are.
That would rank 1, since it could have been a valid sentence:
if it was read a bit differently.. You are * ..
(I know you are)
If it answered: 23, and just left school. I really diskliked Yr 12. You? (yes) Wow.
Would score an 8 1/2.. informationful but not humourous.
etc..

To enter send a post regarding the bot's name and you would wish to enter -botmaster's- contest.
As many bots may be entered as wished.


Judging: 16 or 17 or 18 of Jan
-BM-

I was wrong about the questions. The number is 15 not 20 but as I said before they will be asked within a conversation. This guarantees that all the bots will have a similar conversation.

Chris

It looks like the Cambodia question is making it rounds to all the bots.

User: What is the capital of Cambodia?
Talk-Bot: Who knows. I'm a Robot not a geography major. Go find yourself a map.


Chris

Ah ha ha ! Good for Talk-Bot. That was priceless!

i want to be friendly