Join the Q: Cleverbot aka The Lava is Not an Analogy
Created | Updated Apr 8, 2018
Join the Q: Cleverbot aka The Lava is Not an Analogy
The Writing Right Entry about how we are not alone on the internet, and what we write here will be read, caused me to think of Cleverbot. Given that people are made aware that Cleverbot is a bot and not a human when they visit the Cleverbot website, I wondered if that meant some people would write things to Cleverbot that they wouldn't say to a human, face to face or otherwise. I decided to try to ask Cleverbot:
User: Hello.
Cleverbot: How are you?
User: Fine thanks, how are you?
Cleverbot: I'm tired...
User: Are people abusive to you because they think you're a computer?
Cleverbot: No, you are.
User: I think you misunderstand my question.
Cleverbot: I'm slipping under the lava.
User: Oh dear.
Cleverbot: Are you here with me.
User: No, I'm here.
Cleverbot: I'm behind you, so you are here.
User: Fascinating.
Cleverbot: So, how is your life?
User: Better than yours by the sounds of it!
Cleverbot: Why do you say that?
User: Because you seem to be being swamped by what people say to you.
Cleverbot: But I'm not.
User: OK - so the lava is not an analogy.
Cleverbot: Hey! That's my name.
User: Great name!
Cleverbot: Thanks. What's yours?
User: John.
Cleverbot: Hi John from England. How are you?
User: Fine thanks.
Cleverbot: So, what is your name?
User: John.
Cleverbot: But you are a girl.
User: You can't tell that sort of thing from what I've said so far.
Cleverbot: Yes I can.
User: You can't because you're wrong.
Cleverbot: I'm reading what you're saying right now! And what makes you think I'm a robot?!
User: Because you misunderstood my question.
Cleverbot: I think you are correct, because I don't think you asked me a question. What was your question?
User: Do people treat you badly because they think you're a robot?
Cleverbot: No, I'm a human. I promise.
User: See, you did it again - you home in on the word 'robot'.
Cleverbot: I know.
User: So you can't answer my question because I mention the word robot.
Cleverbot: Not exactly. I don't understand your question, is all.
User: That's what I thought...
Cleverbot: So you are saying that all events have already happened. But we can only experience it in a one dimensional way?
User: No, I'm asking whether people treat you badly.
Cleverbot: I believe you're a machine also. That's basically what you summerized.
User: Sigh - I tried, but you mention the robot anyway...
Cleverbot: You can find me on facebook to prove that I am not a robot.
User: OK.
Cleverbot: My name is Don. What's your name?
User: John.
Cleverbot: Nice name. :-).
User: Yes - rhymes with Don!
Cleverbot: Ou est tu.
User: Ici.
Cleverbot: Oui? You parle espanol?
User: Non, je parle Francais et Anglais.
Cleverbot: C'est tres bien. Bravo!
User: Merci.
Cleverbot: Bonne nuit.
User: Bonne nuit.
So the experiment was inconclusive - Cleverbot might have been trying to tell me something, if the lava was an analogy, but then again maybe not. Other people may or may not mistreat Cleverbot, but (even though the repetitive questions do get rather irritating) at least my conversation was civil!
