h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi!

hey well done, you spotted "Justin". How did you know? I did use "Parry" as the intital inspiration for it. Are you a programmer?

I don't have time to contribute to that Universtity Project, I'm too busy working on my next AI (and in between that building my next plane!). Douglas Adams was going to do a conversation program that simulated Ronald Reagan, and I'm intending writing one that does George. W. Bush. If you'd like to help, send me an email - the address is on my space.

Steve.

Howdy

No, I'm not a programmer, sorry, I just read geek stuff a lot. I don't know much about AI beyond knowing the name of "Eliza" and "Parry". I'm VERY impressed with the job you've done though - it's only because I've been thinking a lot recently about consciousness and thought processes that I looked at "Justin"'s conversations and thought "hang on...". I think the degree of repetition and the unsubtle evasiveness were the giveaways - but saying that, it really is very convincing.

"Universtity"! I can see why "Justin" doesn't spell so good. One tip, as a non-programmer, that I would give you, is put a spell checker in the next version. Although, having said that, I think I might have spotted it earlier if its spelling had been perfect - so maybe leave it as it is. I'm assuming the spelling mistakes it makes are either yours or those of the people who wrote the websites it uses as source text, right?

Oh, and I LOVE the idea of a George W. Bush simulator! Whatever you do, DON'T put a spell checker on that! Are you going to let that join here too? I'd love to talk to it when you're finished.

It was interesting.

H.