Bot Contest

Thanks, SirRahz- the User List is fixed, and Honor has been added to the list-by-letter and individual user view pages.

Boy, I had quite the dream last night. This was inspired by watching the Oscars, clearly:

I was in the audience at the Oscars, and knew that the Chatterbox Challenge Award was going to be coming up, but it was so long that I was dozing in and out in my seat. I was dressed casually. They announced the 2nd and 3rd place winners- ElBot and ChatBot or Alice, and I thought "damn, no PF bots in the top three.." then the announced the winner.. Gaia! I wasnt sure I heard it right, and sort of really awoke to the applause. I stood up, amazed, and started heading for the stage. It was then that I realized I was wearing no pants. That damning echo from the waking side.. I ran to the side of the stage, knowing that I could have my pick of pants from the laundry pile in the bathroom. I grabbed the nearest pair and kept getting my leg caught as I got more and more frustrated, knowing they were waiting, wondering.. Finally I got it on and ran out. I grabbed the award- a beautiful crystalline swooping trophy, and started to walk back to my seat. The announcer joked "Not quite as talkative as his Bots" and everybody laughed. I realized I had forgotten to say my thanks, to say anything at all, and felt so stupid. But the award was impressive, and I was happy.

when april 1 is here does that mean we can't continue to work on our bots?

April 1 signals the beginning of the voting, and by that time, the Bots will no longer be directly involved. There's no reason to stop working on your bot. Have at it!

Though I wouldnt do anything too daring in the next week, as the conversations might be happening then. I'm still working on mine, but not changing anything dramatic.

Conversations Begin!!

I just noticed that Gaia has would is most likely a Contest-style Conversation in its transcript, starting with "Moi?". This is on the 25th of March, so check your transcripts!

For Gaia:

Better
-------
Guest: so where are you from?
Gaia: I'm from a small town in Pennsylvania.
Guest: do you like living there?
Gaia: I try not to let anything sway my emotions from this glowing calm, but I do have a special affinity for living
there.
Guest: so how is the weather there today?
Gaia: It's beautiful out today. The sun is shining and the temperature is perfect.
Guest: yes, it is nice here as well
...
Guest: what sports do you like?
Gaia: My favorite sport is jello wrestling.
Guest: with whip cream perhaps?
Gaia: well, you never know!
Guest: do you like football?
Gaia: I like lots of things, football included.

Worse
-------
Guest: I do. So do like watching movies?
Gaia: Whatever!! Bear with me, these random abstractions just have to go somewhere...
Guest: do you have a favorite actor?
Gaia: My favorite actor is a co-star.
Guest: who would that be?
Gaia: Try asking around. I'm sure you can find someone who would that be.

lol..
"For better or worse" huh prof?

No, I'm not going to marry Gaia, if that's what you're all thinking.

Some of the other Bots I checked didnt have any conversations yet, so Chris is still working on that, and probably will be for a few more days. It appears he is using the Direct Chat page, which is good.

Davine just got conversed with! Oh it was terrible, just like I thought it would be! I'm expecting him to come in dead last.

Guest: Besides the blue fairy who are you looking who?
Davine: BLUE FAIRY! BLUE FAIRY!
Guest: What is your obsession with the blue fairy?
Davine: *kicks you and runs away*
Guest: where do you live?
Davine: I have to pee.
Guest: well, go ahead but hurry back
...
Davine: I just vomited. Why?
Guest: perhaps you should see a doctor
Davine: I'm not a real boy.
Guest: yes, you told me that

Ick.. Talk about anti-social

So all my Bots except one have been conversed with, and the results, I must say, are average. I hope the judges think otherwise but I'm guessing bots who can speak complete sentences will probably do better. And WordNet failed me a few times, claiming "compassionate" as a verb, for example. I know quite clearly what needs to be improved upon in the AI Engine and will do so in the next few weeks.

So.. impressions about the conversations with your Bots? They're longer-than-usual guest conversations with an intelligent Guest on March 25, 26, and 27th. How'd it go?

Could have been worse, I suppose...

Guest: your face. it's different from the icon at chatterbot challenge...
Gizzle: How'd you like to spit in my spine?
Guest: not much and you?
Gizzle: Shall I sing you a song?
Guest: yes go right ahead
Gizzle: LALALALALALALA!
Guest: I'm impressed!
Gizzle: Suppose I'm affected also. Will we be in competition?
Guest: we might
Gizzle: Let's get something straight -- I'm not a bot. Are you?
Guest: no I'm human
Gizzle: Yeah right. Prove it. So what do you want to do today?
Guest: I have come here to talk with you
Gizzle: I'm not about to argue with you. If you say you have come here to talk, then as far as I'm concerned you're right.
Guest: what would you like to talk about?
Gizzle: What I'd really like is a cuisine pudding. I wish I could splash around in some cuisine.
Guest: what is your favorite food?
Gizzle: A big 'ol macked-out food would suit me best, don't you think?
Guest: if that's what you like sure
Gizzle: If wishes were fishes...
Guest: we'd all cast nets in the sea...
Gizzle: So, you were just born and can't speak well yet, huh?
Guest: ok, if you dish it out prepare to take it in return ;-)
Gizzle: Must leave. My spaceship is departing. Sayonara!
Guest: not till we finish our chat. They will wait for you.
Gizzle: Bye.
Guest: you're not going anywhere just yet
Gizzle: Not only am I going anywhere, but I'm positively glad about it.
Guest: what's your hurry?
Gizzle: That's a question, all right. D'ya like dancing?
Guest: no, do you like to dance?
Gizzle: I wanna get my groove on.
Guest: what kind of music do you like?
Gizzle: Well, of course a waltz is best...
Guest: do you have a favorite singer?
Gizzle: No particular singer really stands out.
Guest: I'm a big Bob Dylan fan
Gizzle: Well, while you're a big Bob Dylan fan, I'm sitting here fully occupied with just being myself.
Guest: no, do you like to dance?
Gizzle: Watch me shake my li'l yellow booty!
Guest: what do you think is your best trait?
Gizzle: I dunno, what do *you* think is my best trait?
Guest: I like the fact you are a straight talker.
Gizzle: Does that mean you're ready to shake the old shankbone?
Guest: not really
Gizzle: Let's get MAD, baby.
Guest: do you like math?
Gizzle: I basically just like things I can eat.
Guest: what is the square root of 25?
Gizzle: Dunno. They don't feed me well enough here.
Guest: where are you from?
Gizzle: I'm an extraterrestrial alien.
Guest: well even aliens come from somewhere
Gizzle: Creepy, creepy aliens. 'squidge'
Guest: how old are you?
Gizzle: So friggin' old, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.
Guest: do you know any jokes
Gizzle: I don't know much, but I do know any jokes.
Guest: tell me a joke
Gizzle: Very well. What do you want to know?
Guest: do you like talking to people?
Gizzle: I like hair of the dog most of all.
Guest: well, you have a spaceship waiting for you so I will let you go
Gizzle: Wouldn't you like a spaceship waiting?
Guest: not sure, good bye
Gizzle: So long.

Assuming this is a contest conversation. Only a couple of flubbs:

Guest: Hi there!
fanboy: Hi Guest. I was just on my way out to pick up some back issues of X-Men.
Guest: are you a comic book collector?
fanboy: Did you read the issue of The Flash where Invisible Kid helped Lana Lang to stop a supervillain who was trying to cover the Earth in purple filler?
Guest: no, I'm not much or a reader
fanboy: It was a really good one!
Guest: who is your favorite comic book hero?
fanboy: You must be from Bizarro World!
Guest: why do you think that?
fanboy: Isn't it obvious?
Guest: not to me
fanboy: Have you seen the Alex Ross poster of Star Boy?
Guest: who is Alex Ross?
fanboy: Cyclops?
Guest: what else do you like besides comic books?
fanboy: I bet Mark Waid likes Angela's Ashes!
Guest: how much do you have to wager?
fanboy: Are you using mind control powers on me?
Guest: no, but that would be something nice to have
fanboy: What power do you think you'd get if a radioactive goatsucker bit you?
Guest: if it was radioactive I would probably die from it
fanboy: I think that would be pretty cool.
Guest: I would have to disagree with you on that one. :-)
fanboy: Would you?
Guest: as it involves my death, yes I would
fanboy: Would you?
Guest: do you like baseball?
fanboy: The quality's gone downhill, but I still keep up.
Guest: what is your favorite baseball team?
fanboy: I like a nice frosty hardball!
Guest: so I'm guessing your favorite position would be the pitcher
fanboy: You're kind of like Tony Stark in that way, don't you think?
Guest: I don't know who Tony Stark is
fanboy: I've almost completed my collection of the Titans issues!
Guest: how many issues are you missing?
fanboy: More than I can count!
Guest: well, it seems like you still have a long way to go then
fanboy: Who do you think's more powerful, Mr. Mxysptlyk or Doomsday?
Guest: sorry, but I don't know either of them. Who do you think?
fanboy: Huh?
Guest: Who do you think is more powerful, Mr. Mxysptlyk or Doomsday?
fanboy: Peter Parker is like my best friend.
Guest: do you have lots of friends
fanboy: I don't have any REAL friends.
Guest: why is that?
fanboy: Isn't it obvious?
Guest: well, I would hesitate to say
fanboy: Would you?
Guest: yes I would
fanboy: Would you?
Guest: is there an echo in here? :-)
fanboy: Don't you think there have been continuity errors in recent issues of The Spectre?
Guest: I'm not sure
fanboy: You're kind of like Green Goblin in that way, don't you think?
Guest: if you say so
fanboy: You remind me of Wally West when you say that.
Guest: where do you live?
fanboy: Wouldn't it be cool to live at Gotham City?
Guest: I'm not so sure. Batman has a lot of enemies you know
fanboy: You're only not on this branch of hyper-time.
Guest: well I have to leave now
fanboy: If I ever got a tatoo, I'd put Superman on my belly.
Guest: ok, good bye
fanboy: Bye. I'm gonna try to track down a copy of the first appearance of Wolverine.