On online robots: bots offer lively ways to dole out information.When a 13-year-old student recently tried to discuss the presidential election with AOL's online conversational robot SmarterChild, she became upset that the service seemed to favor John Kerry  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. over George Bush. When she asked "Do you like George W. Bush?" the robot answered, "I'm a Kerry supporter myself." When she typed, "George Bush is awesome" the program replied, "George W. Bush is way uncool." What the student didn't know is the robot was programmed to form opinions based on the aggregate views of users, so the bias came through a majority who expressed favorable thoughts about Kerry. While SmarterChild does not express opinions on profane PROFANE. That which has not been consecrated. By a profane place is understood one which is neither sacred, nor sanctified, nor religious. Dig. 11, 7, 2, 4. Vide Things. or sex-related subjects (though it replies negatively about drugs and terrorism), it has since been reprogrammed to be politically neutral. SmarterChild is among a growing number of online chat robots or "bots bots maggots of flies which infest animals, especially horses and sheep. The term bot is also loosely used to include the invasive maggots such as those of Cuterebra and Wohlfahrtia spp. horse bots see gasterophilus. "--sometimes called agents--that dispense information through simulating human conversation. Users send instant message comments or questions, and SmarterChild responds with content from its database that includes library resources and information on weather, sports and movies. Ask which country has the largest population and the bot (1) (roBOT) A program used on the Internet that performs a repetitive function such as posting a message to multiple newsgroups or searching for information or news. Bots are used to provide comparison shopping. Bots also keep a channel open on the Internet Relay Chat (IRC). reports the data for China. Ask where a current film is playing and it displays show times for local theaters. These robots are innovative new ways for students to access online information. Similarly, in California the South Orange Community College District offers the conversational robot MySiteAgent for high school students and their families to learn about Saddleback Saddleback see Wessex saddleback. and Irvine Valley colleges Irvine Valley College (IVC) is a community college in Irvine, California and it is a part of the California Community Colleges system. Irvine Valley College and its sister college, Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, comprise the South Orange County Community College . The bot answers interactive questions about programs, requirements, schedules, athletic teams, and when and how to apply. Applications Project Manager Jim Gaston says developing the interface was challenging since there are variations on how people ask for information, and many also experiment to see how the agent responds to profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity and flirting. More than 3,000 individuals have tried the agent since it went online last October, and the group is still working on letting people know it's available. Specialized Robots Several corporations, including Comcast, Nike and Verizon, are experimenting with conversational robots to deliver service information. Some hardware and software companies even staff online help desks with bots. In addition, while most chat bots are text based Also called "character based," it refers to handling text and not graphics. Simple charts and illustrations may be drawn, but they are limited to a set of special characters that are strung together to make up lines and shades (see OEM font). , others such as Alice, available through 123-bots, and Cybelle, at Agentland, are on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. characters that move and gesture, and some can speak audibly. But there are hundreds of other types of online robots beyond conversational robots. These include search bots that retrieve specialized resources such as music and images, surf bots that include spyware detectors and pop-up killers, monitor agents that inform users when targeted sites are changed, newsbots that report specific types of stories, reminder bots that track important dates, and shopping bots that compare prices on almost anything you want to buy. Many bots are fee-based, though others such as shopping.com are free. Bringing Bots to School While online robots have strong educational applications, there are also bots being developed specifically for K-12 that will teach, tutor, test and even grade essays. These include programs such as Vantage Learning's MY Access where students submit essays via the Internet and receive immediate feedback, and Turnitin.com that detects online plagiarism Using ideas, plots, text and other intellectual property developed by someone else while claiming it is your original work. . One of the ISTE ISTE International Society for Technology in Education ISTE Indian Society for Technical Education ISTE International Society for Tropical Ecology ISTE Integrated Services Terminal Equipment National Educational Technology Standards specifies that high school students investigate and apply intelligent agents in real-world situations. While many districts have adopted those standards, few link district sites to useful examples that are pertinent to staff and students. Online robots are part of our future and should also be part of our educational present. Web Resources * SmarterChild www.smarterchild.com * MySiteAgent mysiteagent.com * 123-bots www.123-bots.com * Agentland www.agentland.com * Botspot www.botspot.com * Intelligent-Agents.com www.intelligent-agents.com Odvard Egil Dyrli, dyrli@uconn.edu, is senior editor and emeritus professor of education at the Univ. of Connecticut. |
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