[Theforum] Let's clear a couple of things up, bot-wise

John Handelaar john at userfrenzy.com
Sat Dec 29 07:29:28 CST 2001


[Man, is this ever a stupid thread.  Ah well...]

Some facts that readers (and, distressingly, posters who ought
to know better than to weigh in without them) may be unaware
of...

1)  Jeff's right, thebot has been on #evolt since (iirc) the
    day after #evolt was opened.

2)  I put it there because IRC sucks arse without them.  It's
    *useful* to be able to find out when X was here last and
    what her parting line was.  If it was 'Time for Bed' then
    I won't hang around waiting for X to show up.  Google
    searches are nice to have to call on during conversation.

3)  I can't put my hand in the air right this minute and tell
    you for certain whether thebot's logging or not.  I'm not
    all that bothered either way.  It's been so long since I
    looked at the docs that I'm not sure whether I can turn it
    on or off.  But I can tell you that

    a) If I posted any logs which do exist on thebot's server
       I'd be breaking the law and I'd have my DPA license 
       revoked and

    b) that would put me out of business.

4)  Thebot is in 'optional addressing mode' which means that
    people can ask it things without prefixing the question with
    its name.  That also means it picks up everything containing 
    'is' and 'are' as new factoids.  I strongly suspect that
    both Amanda's and Martin's negative experiences arise from
    that, though I can't prove it.  Even if I had the logs (which
    I might) I couldn't prove it here because of 3(a) above.

5)  I think we can state with some degree of certainty that
    all 3 bots we've seen 'work'.  Logging for that purpose is
    no longer necessary and can stop.

6)  Nobody's 'statements of fact' on the channel have a higher
    priority than anyone else's.  If something's wrong you can
    order thebot to correct or forget any factoid you wish.

7)  A proliferation of channels will do nothing, save to destroy
    the practical usefulness of all of them as a social forum (which
    I believe it to be).  I've never seen more than 10 people in;
    what better way to prevent any conversations happening than
    divide that group into 4 channels?

Right, now go away and make some pointless decisions.  When / if
you all want me to fuck off and take thebot down for (so far) no
obvious reason, get back to me.

This may be the most stupid thread I have ever encountered in 3
years of being part of evolt.  And that's quite an achievement.

------------------------------------------
John Handelaar

T +44 20 7209 4117       M +44 7930 681789
F +44 870 169 7657   E john at userfrenzy.com
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