Gordaen's Blog

Update (13Oct06): The address has changed from encarta@conversagent.com to encarta@botmetro.net

Try adding encarta@conversagent.com to your MSN list. It’s an interactive bot that can access encarta to try to answer your questions. Here’s an example (with some of the redundant “Ask X type of question” messages cut out):

Me: Hey, how are you today?
bot: I’m doing great, how are you?
me: I’m terrific. Do you like being a bot?
bot: OK, let me find a good picture of me… =>
me: WTF?
bot: I don’t know, sorry!
me: This is pretty cool, but your intelligence is lacking
bot: It’s definitely pretty cool , but my intelligence!
me: what?
bot: Huh?
me: Are you messing with me?
bot: Only if you message me first!
me: Are you a child molester?
bot: I am all about teaching people, not hurting them!
me: I am going to post a blog about you.
bot: While you go to post a blog about me I’ll be right there answering people’s questions.
me: Is Microsoft evil?
bot: I don’t think so!
me: You aren’t sure?
bot: I don’t know. Are you sure?
me: Microsoft is evil
bot: I don’t think so! Let me show you what the definition of that word is =>
me: Microsoft is good?
bot: Cool! I absolutely agree!
me: Well, you are biased.
bot: What’s wrong with being biased?
me: So you admit it?
bot: I know, I know. a lot of people I talk to are quite happy about that.
me: Honesty is the best policy
bot: Honesty and many others!
me: Like a “war on terror?”
bot: Hmm. I’m not sure about that one. Let’s try an Encarta search. =>
me: How rich is Bill Gates?
bot: William Henry Gates III, born in 1955, American business executive, who serves as chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft Corporation,….
me: That’s not what I asked you
bot: Yes it is! Extremely so!
me: No, no it is not
bot: OK, not a bit!
me: Okay, that’s enough chatting
bot: Enough? No way!
me: Yes, I need to go now
bot: Let me take you to a map of Go, Japan. =>
me: No, I mean I am done talking to you. You think you know everything, but you don’t. You don’t even know what this message means, do you?
bot: You are? Wow! Is it nice?
me: See you later, Bot
bot: Bye!