Bot Contest

I don't think it's a bandwidth problem - the Prof's got plenty of that. It's all just plain text after all, so even with thousands of bots and users online there, it wouldn't add up to a lot of data. I'd guess it's some sort of local network problem(?) at the other end (but that tends to be my catch-all scapegoat, since the finer points of LAN configuration are a mystery to me!)

Sometimes it's really slow when there's hardly anyone on, and sometimes it's fast when there are loads of people and bots online. And sometimes it's the other way around. If there was a consistent pattern, it would probably be easier to fix

It's very puzzling. It sometimes takes a long, long time just to go from one page to another!

There are a lot of good bots here at the Forge! Please don't be afraid to enter the Chatterbox Challenge! It's fun and free and you learn a lot. The medal is great! http://www.chatterboxchallenge.com/ or email
d_cowart@yahoo.com

All this Anti-Micro$oft talk is bringing me to realize that I am in fact trapped deep inside their mighty empire. I develop with MS .Net. I use MS windows. my databases run on a sql sever (MS) sql server. In fact, if you put me in front of a linux or other open source OS, I would be clueless.

Now I realize that the future of AI is not tied down to microsoft. So heres my question: How can I break free of them, while all the software and technology i use at work is strictly based on MS???? can i partition my HD and add a linux partition, or something?

I think you can partition. (See http://ftp.ubuntulinux.org/ubuntu/dists/warty/main/installer-i386/current/doc/manual/en/index.html and http://ftp.ubuntulinux.org/ubuntu/dists/warty/main/installer-i386/current/doc/manual/en/apas05.html). And you can refuse to upgrade to Vista. But I am not hardcore anti MS.

I run XP. I have been told I need to use IE for work (I telecommute) but I have found out I don't really need it. I just have to ignore what tech support tells me and solve my own problems. However, I do need to run my employers' clients on Windows, and I need to make Power Point presentations for work, and I have lots of software for Windows. If it were just docs I'd go open office, but as it stands, I'll keep XP a while.

I refuse to download WGA even though I have licenses for my copies of XP. I resent them making their issue my issue and trying to run their "advantage" on my PC. I am also afraid of the idea of them making a mistake and labeling my OS as possibly pirated and holding my data hostage even though I have legal copies of Windows. Just because I would be able to prove it doesn't mean I want to have to deal with the hassle.

I would be even more afraid of Vista. They already have false positives in their "genuine advantage" system and you have to continually keep proving it over and over again. Each time is a chance for a mistake that I will have to clear up. Even if they were right, I think you only get to reinstall the OS 3 times. What if I want to change my hardware around for some reason? I need MS approval? I don't want to have to call them because they have this insane belief they aren't making enough money. They sell most of their OS licenses to the people making the PCs. It comes preloaded. So all those average users who buy a PC with Vista on it will have to jump though hoops so MS can find the two pirated copies of Vista? Look, I can't prove it, but I think people smart enough to crack Vista won't be running it.

On the most superficial non techie end-user level, I don't like Vista because I work on my PC all day and I like things the way I like things. I'd have to upgrade my memory and sound card and video cards. If my hardware can handle their "cool" new interface for email and office use, I'd have to wait for someone to crack the OS so I could do what I want with it (just like I had to wait for people to show me how to change the login screens on XP). No matter how cool they think their UI is, I want to customize it to my specific taste and I don't want it to look like anyone else's (and someone better find a way to turn off that start up sound for those stuck with Vista at work--little things like that bother non techie end-users). I also hate that Paperclip guy in Office and I don't want my OS guessing what I am trying to do and sending me pop ups. People who have to use the software all day hate that crap. It's only cool to the people who don't use their computers.

MS isn't evil, but if things continue the way they seem to be going, I'll have to figure out how to do most things with Linux or another OS in th next few years. If they force me to change, why not go Linux? I have dug my old Performa out of the basement and I was going to put something called Minix on it, but I have to play with it a bit first to make it run again. Then I'll have something to play with before I switch.

I'm done ranting now. I promise.

I also hate that Paperclip guy in Office

There are alternatives. I rather like the little kitty cat. It purrs and scratches things up. You do have to install it from the Office disc, though; it's not preinstalled on most computers.

Oh I tried that too, then I turned the assistant off. It's not the character choice that bothers most people. It's the pop ups that usually guess wrong and never tell me things I don't know or can't see for myself. I had to look around to turn off the annoying sidebar too. It took forever to fix that mouse thing with the typing jumping to the pointer where ever I left the mouse alone and I still have issues with that jumping around thing in certain applications. If I wanted to move where I am typing, I would click the mouse. If I am typing, I don't want to have to worry about the mouse and the pointer. Who thought that feature up?

In short, whenever they try anticipate my needs, they are clueless and make it worse. I want them to stop. It doesn't help. (Oh and UI means GUI in the other post).

Now I am done ranting.

can i partition my HD and add a linux partition, or something?    

Get a copy of any of the popular Linux magazines, (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_magazines) and you'll often find there's a distro on the cover disc that will run straight from the CD/DVD, with no need to install. That would give you a taste of it without having to go to all the hassle of partitioning and installing etc.

I can particularly recommend Linux Format, but it may only be available in the UK.

Bev: I ignore the popup boxes. I just like having a cartoon cat wandering around my screen. And, yes, that "leave the mouse, move the cursor" thing is annoying in the extreme.

I think people smart enough to crack Vista won't be running it.<0>

Well said. On a tangent, there was also a discussion on slashdot about this, and I liked how someone said "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". That about sums it up for Vista, with the bloat and all. It's even been shown to run slower at some tasks than XP. A lot of people who buy a new computer with Vista on it, who don't know a lot about computers will say that it runs fine. All they want to do is check their email and play solitaire, anyway. However, if you plan to do anything technical on Vista, it looks like it'll be a bit harder to do than XP. I'm talking about those little dialog boxes...
"are you SURE you want to install this non-MS program?"
*click*
"Really, are you sure?"
*click*
"No, really, I'm being serious. You could really mess the system up."
*click*
"Ok, if you really want to press NO"
*thinks* *clicks*
"I was just kidding you, you can't install that!"

Of course, I'm exaggerating, but maybe that's the next operating system.

Ulrike-Thank you for indulging my late night rant. I'll admit I thought the Office cat and the Einstein characters were cute until I needed to get a lot work work done. Also I tend to have a few different windows open so I can multi task and I want to choose my distractions. Back when I used my Performa for email and a a few papers for school, I had a program called Underware that added dragons and pixies to my desktop and I thought it was very cool.

Alc003 there was also a discussion on slashdot about this.

Yes. a few. Most of my opinions on Vista are based on what I read on sites like Slashdot, Digg, CDnet, Wired and the like. I'm sure I saw a sort of demo video or two, but I don't remember where I saw it. I have read what MS says though. (I told you I am on my PC all day).

I have to admit some bias in that whenever I see a pro Vista post I tend to think "That sounds like something a MS employee would write. I wonder if they have clerks in marketing do that or if it's a higher being paid to surf the net and post?" Just as when I saw the original question here about the MS chattterbot contest, part of me wondered if that was some MS employee or interested party who googled "chaterbot" and hit all the chatterbot sites to post something that wasn't "spam" but still notified bot builders about the contest. I think when I checked, the person who posted had created an account the same day, had no bot here, and didn't come back as far as I could tell.

Well, i downloaded the ubuntu 6.10 i386 CD launcher. One worry though - if the OS is running on CD, does that mean i cannot save system settings, or install programs on the computer and have them lose regitration with the operating system when i shut down? Also from a development standpoint is HD partition-and-install a better option? I have been considering switching to do my AI development in C++ with linux, while doing whatever business dev for work on winXP with .net.
The reason being is .net is good for productivity and production speed, and i hear linux is a lot less bureaucratic in its execution of program commands.