It would be nice if you could get an XML feed,  RSS feed, or a webservice, that has well defined, and stable interface.  Ah… to live in an ideal world!!

If you would allow to make Morti as open as possible, to many people can connect to it, be certain you’ll have a Facebook, Android and iPhone version soon, and Morti will walk around in Second Life and everywhere! Have API’s and Feeds is so incredibly powerful.

Dave Morton - Jun 26, 2010:

Although I’ve had to take a break from the development of my chatbot, Morti, Also, I’d like you to report back here with any comments, questions, suggestions or ideas you may have. Thanks in advance.

There’s this mysterious “it”...

Trulala: I’m 39 years old.
Morti: What is your fondest memory?
Trulala: Hmmm. Recording my voice on a tape recorder.
Morti: Do you think a lot of people have that experience?
Trulala: Probably not in my age.
Morti: it.
Trulala: How old am I?
Morti: Is this a trick question? You said you were it years old? My guess is that you are really a kid.
Trulala: No I said I’m 39 years old.
Morti: You are too old for me.
Trulala: SO how old am I?
Morti: it.

Ok. I could have asked Morti if he has a preference for Stephen King, but that’d be probably unfair.

Richard

Hi, Richard. I see you’ve been busy this morning.

I’m fully aware of the “It virus” that Morti seems to have contracted, and let me tell you, it’s been driving me completely crazy trying to track down it’s cause. Simply repeating a user input to Morti that in a past situation resulted in his saying “it” does not yield the same results when I try to investigate. I’ve even tried to rebuild entire conversations, to no avail. There have been other glitches in his responses that are similarly vexing, as well. I’m confident, however, that I’ll find the problems, and get them taken care of.

And Morti actually prefers Asimov.

The first time I read about chatbots suffering from virusses. Hopefully it’s not
  1. contagious
  2. infectious
  3. catching
  4. taking
  5. zymotic

(the suggestions I took from Google Translate )

lol. The first three are just fine. The word “taking”, in this context, is incorrect, but tolerable. That last one, however, is a completely new word for me, so I’ll have to look it up.

The reason I used the term virus is that this condition appeared spontaneously, without any changes in code. I also noted that, when Morti chatted with Mitsuku, she exhibited exactly the same behavior within just a short time. I’m still not sure what to make of it, to be honest.

Dave Morton - Sep 7, 2010:

l….  spontaneously, without any changes in code…..

Very recognizable. Suddenly it changes and I didn’t do anything! No overrun in memory? y2k problem? something like that…

it’s been driving me completely crazy trying to track down it’s cause. Simply repeating a user input to Morti that in a past situation resulted in his saying “it” does not yield the same results when I try to investigate. I’ve even tried to rebuild entire conversations, to no avail.

I hear what you’re saying. I’ve had the same problem tracking down multi threading issues I saw on chat logs that weren’t happening on my pc. Drives you crazy. hang in there, you’ll find it!

Over the past few days, with my Grandmother being in poor health (she’s had a couple of falls, and suffered a bout of Diverticulitis. She’s on the mend, now, but needs more than the usual amount of care), I haven’t had much time to work on Morti, and the short term future isn’t looking all that promising, either. I’m certain that I’ll get back to Morti at some point, but I can’t say when, right now. Hopefully “soon”, but who knows what the Good Lord has in store for us?

Hope she’ll be better soon Dave.

Take good care of her, grandmas are precious. I hope she feels better soon.

By the by, I talked with Morti a few days ago after reading this thread, trying to avoid any use of the word “it”. And the “it” problem still arose. Strange stuff.

Could the ‘it’ thing possibly have something to do with a null pointer somewhere? Just a wild guess.

I know that a portion of Morti’s problem is that everyone who talks to him right now has the same user id. Morti usually lives in the chatroom script that I wrote, called pChat. But since pChat is currently offline while I’m working out the bugs of a complete script overhaul, he’s having to deal with the virtual equivalent of a FEMA trailer. I’m hoping that moving him back into his new home will take care of most of the problems, and allow me the leisure to attack any remaining issues without a lot of performance pressure.