The (Unofficial) Chat Bot

[simmaster07 1,220]

If you've been here since 2005 (or at least that's what I've heard from Boggy), you should know about the chat bots from back then.

Anyways, boggy1 and blue lightning said they'd post some form of praise in the staff board, so I guess I'll just post some general information here. The chat bot was inaugurated on the 27th of March to assist new users in answering common questions that are asked in the help desk, easing load on the help desk instructors. Today (as of this post, March 28th), it was moved to the Social Lobby so that users who did not understand how to get to the help desk could still receive assistance. The bot does not understand every question a user could ask, though.

The bot responds to specific words (case-insensitive) and numbers that are whispered to it. Using these patterns, it grabs an appropriate response which is then whispered back to the user. Keep in mind that this isn't an official bot.

As of now, the bot is functional and given temporary operator privileges to keep it from getting flood-frozen/kicked for inactivity.

Word patterns:

• help
• Administrative commands
  • reboot
  • terminate

Number patterns:

• 0: Brown boxes in city
• 1: Installing plugins
• 2: Installing maps
• 3: SC4 and the Mac
• 4: Using the NAM (basics)
• 5: More

  ---

• 6: Unzipping a file
• 7: Game patches
• 8: Nightlighting
• 9: Common downloads
  • 10: NAM
  • 11: NAM for Mac
  • 12: RHW
  • 13: RHW for Mac
• 14: More

  ---

• 15: Full screen on Windows 7
• 16: Custom resolution
• 17: Custom music
• 18: SC4 on Linux
• 19: More

  ---

• 20: Extended Cheats DLL
• 21: Custom backgrounds
• 22: All help articles (Omnibus)
• 23: SC4 bugs and tech issues forum
• 24: Issue not listed; referral to Help Desk

Activity patterns:

• User enters room: greet with instructions on using bot

Link to incomplete source code from testing stages

Link to bot profile

The username for the bot is STChatbot

PS: This isn't completely replacing the help desk... just partially 

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: simmaster07

The chat bot was inaugurated on the 27th of Marchquote>

Its profile says March 26th.

Also, why does it have one (not findable, thus presumably in a private topic or restricted forum) post?

Curiously enough, the old bots SIMon and SIMantha do not seem to have accounts. And the existence of another user "SimOn" who's been here since the launch of the site in 2003 (meaning he was a member at SC4 Discussion Zone prior) kills the theory that perhaps the accounts were deleted, as SIMon could never have had an account by that name in the first place if someone else was already using it (usernames are not case sensitive).

[simmaster07 1,220]

Originally posted by: Duke87

Originally posted by: simmaster07

The chat bot was inaugurated on the 27th of Marchquote>

Its profile says March 26th.

quote>

Yes, but it wasn't completed until the 27th.

Also, why does it have one (not findable, thus presumably in a private topic or restricted forum) post?

quote>

It was a private topic for suggestions on topics the bot should respond to.

Curiously enough, the old bots SIMon and SIMantha do not seem to have accounts. And the existence of another user "SimOn" who's been here since the launch of the site in 2003 (meaning he was a member at SC4 Discussion Zone prior) kills the theory that perhaps the accounts were deleted, as SIMon could never have had an account by that name in the first place if someone else was already using it (usernames are not case sensitive).

quote>

Interesting. Now, I wasn't here when there were chatbots, and I figured that they would be built into the chat software. The SIMon account is interesting, though, because the last visited date is 1/1/1900 and, as you've stated, was around since SC4 Discussion Zone.

[un1 41]

Originally posted by: simmaster07

because the last visited date is 1/1/1900

quote>

That happens if the user hasn't logged on since the last site upgrade.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: un1

That happens if the user hasn't logged on since the last site upgrade.quote>

Sometimes, at least. Seems to be mostly people with few to no posts. Like this guy or this guy. There are some more "substantial" people, such as Kolyana, to whom this has happened as well.

It's hardly always the case, though.

Here's someone with an intact last login date from the idealbb days.

Here's someone else with an intact last login date from the idealbb days.

And another.

And another!

Shall I keep going?

[Larks2242 251]

This is not going to take over my job is it?

[simmaster07 1,220]

No, it would never take your job... just 55% of it.