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Several friends of mine have reported strange chat sessions over the past few months. The chats are a form of mediated communication between strangers that seems either like a prank or an art project (or perhaps both). The scenario generally goes like this:
1. A chatbot (posing as a human) starts up a conversation via AOL Instant Messenger (or another chat service). Some bots (like TheGreatHatsby) use a single, distinctive opening line like, “I say, old bean, have you seen my hat?” while others use a randomized statement intended to spark a conversation.
2. Unbeknownst to the first user, the chatbot has also initiated a similar chat session with another user.
3. When both randomly targeted users reply (generally with a statement along the lines of, “Who is this??”), the chatbot connects both bewildered users via some behind-the-scenes magic, and bizarre chats ensue.
Because to both users it appears that the other user initiated the chat session, confusion is common in the first lines of the chat — but very often, it settles down into an actual conversation between two complete strangers. Here are the first few lines of a chat session from a Livejournal user who was recently contacted by the RegretfulCoho bot:
[01:18] RegretfulCoho: Hi.
[01:19] thesquidflu: Hi!
[01:19] RegretfulCoho: lol What’s up
[01:19] thesquidflu: not much!
[01:19] thesquidflu: How about you?
[01:19] RegretfulCoho: Not much at all, who is this by the by?
[01:20] thesquidflu: I’m… Brandon! Who’s this?
[01:20] RegretfulCoho: Brandon who?
[01:20] thesquidflu: [last name redacted]
[01:20] RegretfulCoho: Do I know you from somewhere?
[01:21] thesquidflu: I… I don’t know!
[01:21] thesquidflu: hehe
[01:21] thesquidflu: where didja get my aim?
[01:21] RegretfulCoho: You just now msg’d me
[01:21] thesquidflu: You messaged me first, according to my aim!
[01:22] RegretfulCoho: Ok
[01:22] RegretfulCoho: Is this a bot program?
[01:22] thesquidflu: Nope!
[01:22] thesquidflu: hahahah
[01:22] thesquidflu: :D
[01:22] thesquidflu: I’m a real boy!
The chat continues for almost half an hour, as the users collaboratively try to figure out what’s going on, and eventually land on the Wikipedia page explaining the phenomenon. These chatbots are often called Salmon bots (the “Coho” referenced in the chat log above is a species of salmon) or Trout bots, as the bots themselves adopt various fishy names and implement different strategies for passing messages. Some of the bots actually filter the conversations, removing screen names and words related to bots. Others simply connect two users and let the chat happen.
A Livejournal community has formed around this phenomenon, called themissinghat. Users post their experiences, including chat logs — some are filled with profanity and confusion, others are just friendly chats between strangers. You can now even request a Salmon bot connection, in case you want to try out the randomness for yourself. Wow.
Have you been chatted up by a fishbot? Share your experiences in the comments.
Comments (9)
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I had one of these conversations about 2 weeks ago and just now realized what had happened. I got an IM from the screenname CapturedTrout asking if I believed in “Theological Determinism”. When I asked who it was they asked the same thing. We spent about 10 minutes debating why the other person IM’d us. I gave up and wrote it off as some random event… guess not!
posted by JMN on 9-15-2008 at 2:01 pm
It happened, I have no idea how it got my aim, but by googling trout bots I was able to find a way to get my sn removed permanently.
posted by Nathan on 9-15-2008 at 2:47 pm
I’ve actually had the chance to talk to ‘operators,’ the people who monitor and connect people, on more than one occasion. They’re a very interesting bunch of people.
posted by Brittany on 9-15-2008 at 3:21 pm
HA!
When I was in high school, a few of us friends used to spend hours “cousin-calling”….. we both had 3-way calling and would simultaneously call random numbers and let those two people interact with us giggling in the background.
They would either come to the conclusion that the “lines were crossed” (BY US!!), or start fighting or start chatting it up. If things got boring, we might have interjected a few foul words to get the two sparked up again.
We explored variations: calling two people at school who were friends and usually didn’t question who called who… calling two people who had a crush on one another (very awkward!).
In any case, it was all childish, but entertaining. I think the phone company eventually put a stop to it by not allowing us to simultaneously employ 3-way calling.
posted by JP on 9-15-2008 at 3:42 pm
I had a friend in middle school who did exactly what JP is talking about. He once called me and current mental_floss quizmaster Brett on 3-way. Brett’s dad answered. I figured out what was going on, so I didn’t say anything. His dad said, “Why would you call me and not talk, you mope?”
“You mope” is still one of my favorite expressions.
Good memories.
posted by Jason English on 9-15-2008 at 3:55 pm
I had gotten a few of those the other week. One started “Joseph Stalin, great leader or greatest leader?” which is something my friends would say, which only added to the confusion. I thought I had a virus so I formatted my hard drive, though I guess that was all for nothing…
posted by Hayley on 9-15-2008 at 6:12 pm
Back in the ‘dark ages’ (late 60’s) when I when I was a kid (long, long before 3 way calling was in use) a bunch of us would, at a predetermined time, call our own phone number to get the busy signal. We found that people on the same trunk line (or whatever it is called) could talk between the tones. “Hey beep Joe beep are beep you beep on beep the beep line?” We thought it was a very cool thing to do until Ma Bell got wind of it and threatened our lives. Random kids would get on and talk as well. It was pretty widespread and, looking back, pretty inventive for a bunch of ‘mopes’ (love that term, Jason!!)
posted by JaneM on 9-15-2008 at 6:35 pm
ok i’ve never heard the term “mopes”, so i did a lil searching. the great wiki thinks it’s a song by the blood hound gang. now as a noun i’ve got 1. someone who wastes time WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. is that right?
posted by zzz on 9-15-2008 at 8:52 pm
I had this happen to me about a month ago (SternTrout asked me “Is freedom a bad thing?”), but the other person stopped talking before it could go anywhere interesting. That was the first time I’d heard of it.
I got mine right after I had posted a LiveJournal entry, so I think they may draw the AIM names that way, at least partially.
posted by Celeste M. on 9-19-2008 at 2:23 am