Decadent Vapours’ will once again be sponsoring the 2014 CBC. This will be the biggest CBC ever.

1st Place - $5,000
2nd Place - $2,500
3rd Place - $1,000

In addition, the 1st place winner will receive the CBC medal designed by Kevin Copple.

If you entered last year and your name is still on the main page of the website at http://www.chatterboxchallenge.com then you are automatically entered in this years contest.

If you need to update your link, contact information, etc. please contact me at the e-mail address on the website.

Follow the contest by viewing the updates on the contest website or the contest’s forum.

Best Regards,

Wendell Cowart
2014 CBC

More money than the annual Loebner Prize winnings, that’s pretty impressive
The ban on Steve Worswick doesn’t inspire trust though.

The ban is due to me outing his International Chatbot Contest as a hoax but don’t let that stop anyone from entering. I wasn’t planning on entering anyway as I doubt Mitsuku would get a fair chance.

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see Talkbot entered this time around.

Robby, it was this contest he ran that I had the problems with: http://contest.atwebpages.com/ and so unfortunately, I no longer trust the guy.
I don’t plan on dredging it all up again but there is another thread in this section detailing it if you want to read it. The main point was that Wendell refused to let anyone talk to his winning bot despite his rule saying, “Your bot only needs to be available so people can talk with it.”

From Wendell’s forum :

“Who is Roger Davie and why would I or the CBC care about what he says. What a joke. This is another Steve crony and nothing more. He has never entered the CBC and has done absolutely nothing to benefit it. Another sad individual who never enters and can only sit on the sidelines each year and criticize things he knows nothing about. I’m sure him and David Marshall are good friends.”

Haha, I never knew I had been immortalised over there !

I guess that’s me out too then, sorry Steve, I was trying sooo hard at being a good crony

Sorry Wendell I guess you must be the only upright and worthwhile person on this forum and in the world of bots. I clearly cannot live up to your high expectations and so I am saddened, but will try harder.

Let’s not drag it all up again. 
Good luck to anyone who enters but I genuinely doubt the $5,000 first prize will be awarded if it’s anything like his ICC contest.

Agreed.  To be honest I had forgotten about this little drama pretty soon after it blew up. I had no idea I played such a significant role in it to be talked about behind my back. Ho hum…

I thought the Chatbot Battles (sp?) contest that Steve organized was first class, and I enjoyed it a great deal. I can’t in good faith enter a contest that he is banned from. I respect him this much. That’s all I’m going to say about this.

Robby.

Since my name was mentioned (not many know it) I couldn’t resist.  Like a multi-car accident on the freeway, it’s difficult to ignore any mention of young Wendell or his attempt to resurrect his contest… and his reputation.

Along with suggesting that botmasters not enter his contest, I’d strongly advise against any involvement with the contest behind the scenes to include judging, the testing of bots, and sponsorship.  Like a crippling disease, if you touch the biggest CBC ever, you’re likely to become infected with the image we now associate with it.

I foolishly allowed myself to become involved, against my better judgment, and after having rejected the suggestion several times.  I should have exited when Steve did, but I felt duty bound to honor my commitment.  At the time, all I knew about the CBC was that it was the next important chatbot contest after Loebner, and that he and Knyte Trypper didn’t get along.  That should have been enough to keep me out of it, but at that time, I didn’t understand how deep the anger went, or how difficult the contest creator could be.  I’d receive vague instructions, but when I’d ask for clarification, I was told that he couldn’t tell me too much because he had a bot in the contest… followed by the admonition that I had to hurry up and get things done.

I think it’s interesting that past participants are already entered in the contest.  Was there fear that no one would sign up?

The ban on Steve Worswick doesn’t inspire trust though.

A person who knowingly breaks the rules and is a cheater certainly does. The CBC doesn’t need these type of people and will proceed forward and as a whole is much better off without them.

Trust me Steve Worswick, David (the second Ehab) Marshall, and Roger Davie certainly won’t be missed.

The contest has run every year since 2001 and will do so as well in 2014 despite numerous attempts from people like those above to discredit it.

Interesting that I was only banned once I exposed the ICC as a hoax.

With all due respect, I think it’s a bit rich to be called a cheat from someone who runs a contest with 1 giant prize, enters his own bot and wins but doesn’t allow anyone to speak to his amazingly improved entry.

But as I say, the banning is pointless, as I would never enter a contest where I didn’t trust the organiser. Good luck to everyone who does enter though. Let’s hope it’s a fair contest.

And I will not miss you Wendell. Just knowing you and Knytetrypper did not get along speaks volumes to me as well.

I’ve looked over some of the comments you have made on this forum over recent times and frankly you hardly ever answer any of the criticism levelled at you, as any sincere person would. You prefer to rant and go on the attack like someone who has something to hide. It’s all very fishy.

I find it surprising that in the same breath as you say you have never heard of me you are quite happy to trash me behind my back.

I hope you pull it together to run an honest competition for the sake of any that enter. I have no malice here, I am just disappointed really.

I have entered the CBC for many years, and for the most part have gotten something out of all the contests. Most of you know my opinion about the trash talk, so I won’t rehash it again.

Skynet-AI won last year. The contest was well run and I did receive both the medal and the prize money. The larger prizes this year are a benefit to the industry. We could use more well run, funded contests.  Thanks to the sponsors in advance.

Well, well, I don’t wish to stir up any old sores, but the fact has a solid and curious presence on the site, and I don’t entrust just anyone with a copy of my AI.

You will excuse me if I leave any conspiracy theories for what they are. The official story seems to be that Steve was banned on the grounds of entering an “Alice clone” during a time when there was such a rule. To me that suggests bad judgement, as I’ve always been able to tell the two apart. I also notice that there appears to be only a single judge, which would inevitably make the judging subjective, so the results could not serve me as reliable feedback. And lastly I had to Google the sponsor, which isn’t a testament to professional etiquette. On the upside I’d like to mention that the rules for judging and the sort of questions appear to be examplary for a chatbot contest.

I’m afraid the CBC will have to have a few more good runs before I’m comfortable with entering it. However, for those who already have a chatbot online, I’d say it’s free money for virtually no effort. Why not take it?

I think Steve is really good, so I certainly won’t enter a competition that bans him.
I will enter a competition he is not allowed to run in, provided it is because he is running it.
Though I would have no objection to his running AND entering in a contest.