Yes, I was increasingly starting to appreciate your position this week . I’m afraid such issues will return every year as long as one’s solution involves the use of ever-updating browsers. Maybe next time I have more time to integrate Denis’ c++ interface, but probably not more patience.

For what it’s worth, I focused on getting the client.html file to work with Internet Explorer (which should still be available on Windows 7 and Windows 10). It was tricky to get client.html to talk to node.js which is needed for the sockets and the link to the backend Uberbot database. Last year we tried to get it to work with Edge and there were too many problems, hence my focus on IE. I also had a lot of help, without which I could not have made Uberbot work with the LPP v2 at all.

It was also difficult to make an installer. The Uberbot installer has to install the core DB software, the Uberbot DB, node.js and a whole load of javascript modules. It also has to supply all files on the transmittal media as we can’t download files from the internet. We also found some weird issues with the new protocol, in particular if we sent a “round information” message it crashed the contest server. I never had time to get to the bottom to file a Github error report.

Anyway I uploaded Uberbot to the dropbox so hopefully it will install OK. On a positive note the dropbox speed seemed much better this year.

I may give some thought to a new protocol (LPP v3) and submit my ideas in a separate thread.

PS: Don I just realized we joined chatbots.org on the same day, and you posted 10x more that I have!

Edge gave me the weird error that if I saved an exact copy of confederate.html through any editor, it would consider Jquery’s “$” function undeclared, so nothing worked. IE is still on Windows 10, but it is found under “services” rather than under “programs” if one needs to bring it back. I believe it’s disabled by default in favour of Edge, so you might look up the how-to in case the AISB asks.

Yes, for someone who claims to have RSI and little time, I spend a remarkable lot of time typing stuff on the internet. Perhaps that is why I have RSI and little time.

It will be interesting to see how many people entered this year. I still believe that it should be as simple as possible to take part in the contest to allow as many people to enter as would like to. For all it’s faults, the old LPP was at least pretty straightforward to understand without all this sockets nonsense and browser compatibility issues. It’s supposed to be an AI competition not a network/programming one and depending on how this year’s contest pans out, I would still highly recommend using text files in shared folders but that’s maybe just me.

Good luck to all who entered.

Stephen Mann - Apr 25, 2018:

Hi Daniel

I used Firefox (Tools -> Web Developer -> Web Console) to see what info was sent from confederate.html to server.js.
I got my chatbot connected directly to controlPanel.html & judge.html, via server.js.
It’s written in Java, not sure what language your using, but full details available here
I hope this is of some help & good luck.

Great job!

I have been testing your application with Google Chrome and it works without problems, it could perfectly be a standard Java link for the LPP.
I would like to participate in the contest next year and I would like to know if I can use and modify your code to link my chatbot with the control panel. It would save me many hours of development.

Greetings and thank you.

Alberto Martínez Montenegro - Jul 30, 2018:

I have been testing your application with Google Chrome and it works without problems, it could perfectly be a standard Java link for the LPP.
I would like to participate in the contest next year and I would like to know if I can use and modify your code to link my chatbot with the control panel. It would save me many hours of development.

Hi Alberto

I’m glad to hear that you found my code useful.
You may use it and alter it as you wish for next years contest.
Code is available in plain text at www.electric-code.co.uk/Java2SocketIO/Java2SocketIO-SourceCode.txt

Having said that, if you read Andrews post on the main Loebner thread, things maybe very different next year, and the LPP2 may be no longer used.

Regards.

As there were only 11 entries this year and one of the contest’s main players (Bruce Wilcox) couldn’t enter as a direct result of using this protocol, I would hope that this restrictive bar on entering is certainly not used going forward.

It’s supposed to be a contest to find the most humanlike AI and not a contest to see who can navigate the protocol.

I sincerely hope that whatever incarnation the Loebner Prize finds itself in the future is made as easy as possible for anyone to enter to demonstrate their AI program rather than having to learn a whole new technology just to enter.

Steve Worswick - Aug 7, 2018:

I sincerely hope that whatever incarnation the Loebner Prize finds itself in the future is made as easy as possible for anyone to enter to demonstrate their AI program rather than having to learn a whole new technology just to enter.

Stephen Mann - Aug 7, 2018:

Having said that, if you read Andrews post on the main Loebner thread, things maybe very different next year, and the LPP2 may be no longer used.

To clarify, I thoroughly intend for the 2019 event and onwards to be a fully open invitation to all who can reach a fairly liberal quality threshold. So there will be no restriction on the protocol, or on things like connectivity or even the intended behaviour.

I hope to largely throw out the requirement for ‘competition’ and replace it with more of a ‘celebration’ and ‘exhibition’. Entrants therefore have the option of Loebner-style paired conversations (for which LPP or LPP2 may be useful), or simply chatbot demos. I intend to still offer prizes, including the Loebner Prize for best chatbot as decided by a panel of judges. The aim is to increase the number of entrants, increase their diversity, and make the event much more inviting and pleasant for all.