April 12, 2004

“Hot Bot” Redux

by Nick Montfort · , 9:26 pm

toni.gif The bot bachelors of Mark Marino and Alan Laser follow in Eliza‘s footsteps and provide amusement for those who browse on Windows with cookies turned on. (These aren’t my own turn-ons, and I’ve only chatted these bots up briefly on a borrowed computer, but doing much beyond a Web page that is accessbile can be difficult – that’s another discussion, anyway.) This offering sits on the site of full-featured Bunk Magazine, a periodical that seems to sit somewhere in between Salon and Albino Black Sheep.

3 Responses to ““Hot Bot” Redux”


  1. Mark Marino Says:

    These bots from “Barthes’ Bachelorette” flip Turing’s imitation game by reading the gender that users perform while chatting with them. (Here they partake in a common chatroom guessing game.) Judith Butler lends a theoretical hand along with a citation of citationality from Derrida. In other words, these bots don’t try to pass the Turing Test, but subject all users to the game that is gender construction within the confines of a language exchange.

    Meanwhile, b.a.r.t., the third bachelor, chooses responses from citations of Roland Barthes’ “A Lover’s Discourse,” so suited to these datable bots.

    Beneath all of these facades, or perhaps right on the surface, is a family drama, which may unfold as you chat. (I’ll be presenting more on these at the Digital Narr@tives conference 4/23/04 at UCLA).

  2. nick Says:

    Mark, thanks for posting about the performance of gender, which you’d mentioned to me but which I couldn’t really comment on, based on my brief encounter with the bots. (Sort of like speed dating, I guess…) I’m looking forward to hearing more about them at Narr@ative.

  3. networked_performance Says:
    Global Interface
    Interface at Critical Mark Marino (of the Barthian and bachelor bots) sends word of Global Interface, a yearlong, interdisciplinary workshop on cyberculture that is just starting up with a talk from Kate Hayles on Monday, Oct 4. Meatspace meetings will…

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