Hey guys,

I’m updating these pages:
http://www.chatbots.org/awards

Adding new contests as well. Just added Chatbot Battles (thanks Ken for reminding me!)

Do you happen to know who’s behind this challenge:
http://www.robochatchallenge.com/

We’re always offering contests to have a separate forum on Chatbots.org, as long as they have the intention to organize their competition on a (at least) yearly basis

I wouldn’t include Robo Chat Challenge. The whole contest was a sham with no judges visiting the bots. I was awarded 1st place despite nobody from the site visiting and never received any prize money despite numerous emails.

No other contestants could find any evidence of any judges visiting their entries either.

Erwin, that “contest” was pretty much a bust. Between scoring inconsistencies, murky, even opaque judging practices, and the failure of the organizers to deliver the promised prize money, it’s been the considered opinion of the bulk of the community that the Robo Chat Challenge was either a scam of some sort, or a severely mis-managed effort. You can add it to the awards section if you like, but I, personally feel that doing so would be a waste of time, and would diminish the value of the awards section. The contest was promoted by someone called Haris Lodhi, and repeated attempts to contact this individual regarding the discrepencies in the contest have either been ignored, or responded to with attempts to change the subject.

I know that my response may sound harsh, but it’s all true, and you know that I won’t “troll” these forums. If Mr. Lodhi would care to respond to these charges, I’m sure that we’ll give him every opportunity to explain himself.

Thanks Dave. Highly appreciated (again).

I’ll leave it for what it is….

Thanks Steve too, obviously

Yes, but didn’t they have great graphics.

I’m still looking for the profit motive.  What’s the reason for going to all the trouble, the work, investing the time, to just let it fizzle out like that?  Was there even a tracking cookie associated with the site?  I don’t see any sponsorship, and there was no entry fee that I’m aware of.

The producer must have had some benefit in mind, but I just don’t see it.

Whatdoyathink?

I’m actually leaning toward “grossly mis-managed”, rather than “fraud”. It seems to explain the situation more fully, all things considered.

Thunder Walk - Aug 8, 2013:

Yes, but didn’t they have great graphics.

Unfortunately, their main robot graphic appears to have be stolen from tineye but with a wheel added on.

http://www.robochatchallenge.com/index.php
http://www.tineye.com/

I too can see no point to this so called contest unless it was just to get page of chatbots for some kind of search engine benefit?

Steve Worswick - Aug 8, 2013:

Thunder Walk - Aug 8, 2013:

... can see no point to this so called contest…

My best guess is a class project of some sort, like “web design”; not specifically AI related.

Carl B - Aug 9, 2013:

My best guess is a class project of some sort, like “web design”; not specifically AI related.

In that case, I’d label it a fraud.

Thunder Walk - Aug 9, 2013:

Carl B - Aug 9, 2013:

My best guess is a class project of some sort, like “web design”; not specifically AI related.

In that case, I’d label it a fraud.

A fraud only in the sense that they never followed through on awarding cash prize- besides that it was just a very poorly executed “contest”.

yeah, let’s see how this all unfolds….

I may well be wrong here, but I think this has “unfolded” as much as it’s going to, and all we’re doing now is chewing old soup. However, just because ~I~ feel that doesn’t mean everyone else should.

Dave Morton - Aug 9, 2013:

I may well be wrong here, but I think this has “unfolded” as much as it’s going to…

Unless they hold the same ‘class’ again…  :p

It’s unfolded like one of those maps we used to keep in the car that never goes back to the way it once was.

BTW Dave, “chewing old soup…” I’d never heard that one before, I like it.  I suspect my bots will start using it.  I don’t see any harm in reviewing some of the less than perfect occasions in the chatbot world—obviously, some forget, newer people may have missed it the first time around. Besides, it’s Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and not much new to chat about.

Carl B - Aug 9, 2013:

Thunder Walk - Aug 9, 2013:

Carl B - Aug 9, 2013:

My best guess is a class project of some sort, like “web design”; not specifically AI related.

In that case, I’d label it a fraud.

A fraud only in the sense that they never followed through on awarding cash prize- besides that it was just a very poorly executed “contest”.

I think it’s fraud in a lot of ways.

It misrepresents what it was… whatever it was.  We don’t even know if there was an actual judging that took place.  More than anything, it places “contests” in a bad light, and maybe even chatbots in general.  I find that people are already highly suspicious of chatbots, and what their true purpose might be.  I’d classify this right up there with the people who start false rumors on the Internet, all of the various forms of hoaxes that are spread through emails, and those drunks staggering around wheat fields creating crop circles—all of whom should be arrested and prosecuted.

I agree that the proclaimed winner should have been afforded the prize money, but I think resulted damage goes beyond the most obvious error, and it will effect you and me, and I don’t enter contests.

It is interesting to read all this. If it is a scam, or a fraud, we should not help publicize it, but maybe the organizer just lacks the experience of organizing such things. Let’s wait to hear from the sponsor. If we don’t hear anything, forget it.