[one]

This is  But I know you're good.

[Freddy]

Cool, you must have done a lot of talking to her as a lot of those replies seem unfamiliar to me, she sounds like something different to the original Ultra Hal..

[one]

Freddie,
It was a 'stock' install w/free will, gender, age, and a learning setting around 38 to 42
She also read from clipboard for a few sentences and abruptly cut herself off.

Alison: I sense you are holding things back from me.
C.L.: Yes it is very apparent.

Figure that situation out..

[Freddy]

Ahh, been a while since I had Hal installed, I do remember Rob saying he put some new responses in. But besides it's going to be different for each person as we obviously don't all say the same things.

Now I look at it again, there are a few Halism's in there.  To be honest I got kind of tired of Hal and it's 'intelligent' responses that don't really mean much.  Half the time it's like talking to a parrot..

[Art]

And the ALICE, AIML and PANDORA pre-scripted bots are like talking to what?

We all know that Hal has a somewhat limited amount that can be said but it
is often the context in which phrases are said that seem to be so...topical at
times.

You also have to adopt the attitude of trying to nurture, train or teach Hal much
like a parent would teach a very small child. That and the ability to suspend your
disbelief long enough to have a fairly long conversation and a bit of fun as well.

I'm not busting your chops, Freddy, it's just that I don't see too many other decent
offerrings out there in the way of learning bots with which to experiment or engage
in some semblance of a conversation.

[Freddy]

Yes, I totally understand what you are saying Art, I don't think the ALICE bots and the like are any more enticing to me either.  I don't know what it is, I think I just need to be wowed by something again, like I was when I first found Hal.  Since then all I have gradually seen is limitations.  It's like the magic has worn off.

I think I am just wanting to see something new and ground-breaking.  I mean it's four years since I found Hal so that's pretty good going for a lot of entertainment...and I did used to spend a lot of time on it, but lately not so..

[one]

Freddie,
I have found that even though some of the responses are a little lame but the info is learned and I found over time Alison applied the correct statement (that I taught) for any given situation or topic.
These are memories from a while back so she progressed further than what you see posted here.

[Freddy]

Yes, that is a good aspect of Hal - teaching it things is pretty cool and when weeks later he pops out a learned response without any tinkering that is satisfying.

[Art]

I absolutely agree with your appraisal Freddy about the magic having worn off. It's kind of like seeing a magic trick performed for the first time compared to seeing how it's done, then it's no longer a mystery. Sad thing about the human condition that way.

Like you, I have been searching every source I could find and am constantly going back to sites that I've previously visited perhaps 3 to 6 months prior in hopes of finding some new or updated entry. Most recently, the bot, Sylvia, caught my interest and I am still waiting to see the outcome of it in the AI community or how it might be used by the highest bidder for some mobile platform.

I think it is often the element of surprise that baits us rather than the receipt of the item itself. In other words, it's the wanting more so than the having. Make sense?

Here's hoping for better things....